Book Review: After Darkness III by J.F. Johns

About the Book:

Title: After Darkness III

Author: J.F. Johns

Series: After Darkness (#3)

Publication Date: Sept. 8, 2021

Synopsis: THE FINAL INSTALMENT TO THE AFTER DARKNESS TRILOGY

It’s the year 2160.
The Nation is divided between humans and cyborgs.
War has finally arrived.
If you want to survive, follow these simple rules.

Rule 1
Don’t go out by yourself.

Rule 2
Don’t get caught by Watchers.

Rule 3
Stay hidden

Rule 4
If you break these rules, you’ll die.

Welcome to the New Nation

LINKS:     Goodreads   

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My Review:

After Darkness III is the final book in the After Darkness trilogy, and it is fantastic!  Suspenseful, unpredictable, and engrossing, the story pulls you in from the very first lines.  The story switches to different characters’ perspectives, which works really well. The character development and storylines are so strong that you become invested in all of their journeys, so, when the perspectives change, it is not abrupt or unwelcome.  Instead, it heightens the suspense and intrigue.  The various perspectives also give you an in-depth view of what is happening in different parts of their world since the major characters are often not together.

Like the other books in the trilogy, the dystopian elements are strong, and I love how the author twined typically fantasy elements into the story.  The author’s writing creates a vivid setting and group of characters, and I easily imagined the dark and gritty world where no one is safe.  From the cities to the stark countryside and beyond, each setting is as vivid as the one before.  

It’s such a unique world of cyborgs, humans, and immortals, and yet many of the themes and messages reflect our society.  It’s fascinating to see these parallels between our world and the world Johns created. Themes of resisting tyranny and fighting for people and causes you believe in are strong in this book, as are the messages about family, freedom, and love.  Scarlett, Camille, Malcolm, Eric, Kalem, Terra, and the others in their tight-knit group are a wonderful and loyal family.  They fiercely defend and protect each other, and they fight together for what they believe in.  

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about the romance.  I love a good love story, and this book has several, some established and some new.  The established couples have gone through so much and continue to in this book.  However, they never give up on each other or their love.  There are several swoon-worthy love stories to adore, and I love how fiercely dedicated these couples are. Scarlett and Eric, as well as Kalem and Terra, have such strong connections, and their love is plain to see. There is no question of their feelings and the fact that they belong together. They just have to figure out how to make it happen amid all the chaos and danger and threats.  

Kalem really struggles in this story, especially after what happened to him at the end of the last book, and I was so hopeful that he would be able to find a way to defeat the Destroyer.  His scenes were so intense and scary, and his life always felt in the balance, which terrified me as he is one of my faves!  His story, much like the other major characters, is unpredictable, engrossing, and riddled with danger.

There is so much action and intrigue in the story. Daring prison escapes epic battles, dangerous journeys, revolution, and more create a nail-biting read.  I think it’s even more suspenseful because you become so invested in the characters and so want them to find freedom and happiness.  Of course, with immortal and deadly antagonists, as well as a fierce and powerful army against them, it seems improbable.  

I absolutely loved this book! It’s an epic conclusion to a brilliant series.  It has one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in a long time, and though I’m writing this review several days after finishing the book, I got a little choked up thinking about the characters and their journeys.  I’m so thankful to J.F. Johns for sending me a copy of the book, and I highly recommend it to readers of YA dystopia/fantasy/romance/sci-fi.  

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Rating:

Favorite Parts:

• The love story.

• The action.

• The characters.

• Everything!!! lol

Favorite Lines:

Fighting separately will not allow us to achieve victory. Only together can we win this war.

What a cruel world this was where the twins felt more free and at home in the very place they had died than in the capital.

Recommendations:

Want to learn more about this trilogy? Check out my reviews of the first two books!