The Engelsfors Trilogy book III: The Key by Sara B. Elfgren & Mats Strandberg + a Giveaway

You guys!!! I'm super excited that the third book in the fantabulous Engelsfors trilogy is FINALLY out! And you know what? I've got a copy to give away!

If you haven't read the trilogy, I definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND starting with The Key. You have to read them in order or you'll be totally lost! That said, I'm going to give a spoiler-feee review, or as close to, my absolute best shot here.

Here goes!

The Chosen Ones have suffered greatly over the past year and now their circle is down to four. Unfortunately, things are only going to get worse. Through Matilda, the girls learn that the end is truly nigh. In fact, it's said they'll finally be facing the demons in exactly one year. But as Minoo,  Linnéa, Vanessa, and Anna-Karin prepare for their final fight, it seems the Guardians have lost faith in the Chosen Ones and their ability to defeat the demons. If the Guardians are right, then they never stood a chance. But, if the Guardians are wrong, Minoo and her friends are the only thing standing in the way of the apocalypse. 

I've been so looking forward to seeing how this story would end that I kind of forgot this was going to mean saying goodbye to the characters. It's a good thing then that The Key is a chunkster of a read! It meant I got to spend a little more time with everyone before it all came to its conclusion.

I've sung the praises of the authors' character development at length in both of my previous reviews (The Circle and Fire). It's been one of my favorite things about this trilogy - the fact that we've gotten to know these characters in such great detail - and it's no different here in the final book. It's senior year and each of them is unsure what will come after school. If there is an after. Big changes are coming for each of them as are some big revelations that will affect them personally and in their fight to save the world. Frankly I don't envy these teens!

Of course with great characters comes an understandable attachment to them. As such I have to say I was kind of upset about Ida's fate in Fire. I was pleased as punch when The Key began with her, though! It was all I could do not to constantly obsess about what it meant for the group and for her in particular. Go, Ida!

Anyway, I've got nothing but love for these books. I adore them. I'm super jealous that there's now a movie out in Sweden. Not sure when or if it'll make it's way to our shores - I can't even find a trailer with subtitles - but I certainly hope so. In the meantime, I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to get everyone reading this witchy Swedish teen trilogy.

And now for the giveaway! To add your name to the hat simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, August 3. Open US only and no PO boxes please.

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The Engelsfors Trilogy book II: Fire by Sara B. Elfgren & Mats Strandberg + a Giveaway

If you're a regular to the blog then you probably recall my fangirling all over the first book in the Engelsfors trilogy just last week. If you missed it, you can check it out here. Well, I am super excited to be posting about the second book today and I've got an exciting extra: winner's choice of either the new hardcover of Fire or, if you're new to the trilogy, the newly released paperback edition of The Circle. Your choice. To enter be sure to head to the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the post.

And now, if you are new to the trilogy, you probably want to just skip ahead to the giveaway as there are likely to be spoilers ahead!

It's the start of a new school year and the remaining Chosen Ones have an all new evil to face. But first they'll have to survive junior year. 

Nicolaus recovers his memories at last, only to abandon the girls just as the Council arrives for Anna-Karin's trial. As the girls rally behind her things start to fall apart at home for Vanessa and Minoo. Things aren't rosy for Linnéa or Ida either. Linnéa is facing trouble with her Social Services rep and Ida is finally reconsidering some of her... quirks. 

Meanwhile, the town of Engelsfors is undergoing something of a happy, yellow, Stepford like transformation and it's beginning to unsettle the girls. 

I'd mentioned in my review of The Circle that I'd come away from it with the biggest book hangover ever and it was so true. I was seriously dying to get back to the story and Fire was oh, so worthy of a follow up! Course now I have to wait for the US release of The Key but that's ok, I'm sure I can amuse myself in the meantime.

Readers, there is none of the sophomore slump here! Fire suffers none of the typical middle book tendencies. Nope, here you have another installment chock full of teen troubles, witchy issues, and magic. We finally get a little more of a glimpse at the Council as well as Matilda's story. And Ida! We get Ida's point of view - disturbing as that may be. And yes, we're also perfectly set up for the final installment of the trilogy.

Again I don't want to give too much away so I'll end by saying that I am going to be incredibly said to see this series end! I love these characters and I think Efgren and Strandberg have done a truly fantastic job capturing all the pain and awkwardness of being a teenager, while torturing their characters even more with the whole coming apocalypse thing!

Rating: 5/5

And now for the giveaway. To enter to win a copy of The Circle or Fire simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, February 24. US only please and good luck!


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The Engelsfors Trilogy book I: The Circle by Sara B. Elfgren & Mats Strandberg

The first pick for my 2014 TBR Tackle is a whopper clocking in at 596 pages. But it was one I had to plan for this month because the sequel is hitting shelves on Jan 30.

Minoo, Linnéa, Rebecka, Vanessa, Anna-Karin, and Ida couldn't be more different from one another. They aren't friends and they don't hang out in the same circles, but when a fellow classmate commits suicide these six girls find themselves brought together by powers none of them understands. They are the Chosen Ones - tasked to fight a powerful evil.

This paranormal teen trilogy debuted in the US last May but was originally released back in 2011. The final installment just hit shelves in Sweden last November and there's reportedly a movie in the works due out this year.

Guys, I got the biggest reader hangover from The Circle! It's likely thanks to the fact that I already had Fire in house but couldn't dive right in - and if I'd had the choice that's exactly what I would have done. Believe it or not this tome moved along at a super rapid pace and in turning the final page I wanted nothing more than to continue with the story.

There's of course witches and magic, a big bad that needs to be defeated, and someone after the girls heads in this debut but there's so much more besides. Each of the girls is dealing with everyday teen life: social pressures, insecurity, family trouble, and guy trouble on top of just trying to make it day to day in high school. And the Chosen Ones are told from the get go that their high school is an evil place! That's a pretty hefty weight to put on the shoulders of a handful of tenth graders for sure.

The authors spend a great amount of time in developing each character, with the exception of Ida. I'm not sure what the purpose of this might be but I do have my guesses and I feel certain that we'll get more of her in the two subsequent books to come. At any rate, what the authors have done here is established a core set of characters that carry an intriguing story.

The particulars of Elfgren and Strandberg's built mythology for this series is fascinating. The girls each have a power based in one of six elements. They also have a book called The Book of Patterns, which holds the key to just about any question they may have... but only if they can learn to read it. And it soon becomes clear to the reader and the girls that no one has a clue about what they're to face. First off, they're told that there's meant to be just one Chosen One and instead they are six. Their guide has no memory and the Council that soon reveals themselves as the arm of law and order amongst witches is also in the dark as to how to deal with the group. Nevermind the fact that none of them has been schooled in the art of witchcraft at all!

I'm seriously fan girling all over this book. It hit all the high points for me: the character development is there as is a pretty excellent plot development and world building as well. The book stuck with me and I was seriously just dreading turning the final page if only because I knew I'd have to wait to move onto book two. I expect this means that finishing Fire will be absolute torture since I'm sure book three won't be out until 2015! But yes, that does means the book was an all around win for me.

And yes, it's translated so I owe a nod to Per Carlsson who has done a fantastic job on the translation. Anyone who reads translated fiction knows well that a bad translation can kill an otherwise great book. Carlsson's work here is exactly what you'd want it to be, seamless and seeming as though it's not been translated at all.

Rating: 5/5

The Circle is out in paperback now and Fire is due out this week. Be sure to check back here on Feb 3 for my review of Fire and a chance to win your own copy!