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    Endure
    Endure
    Endure
    Audiobook8 hours

    Endure

    Written by Carrie Jones

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Rescuing Nick should have made all of Zara's problems disappear. Bedford's greatest warrior is back, not to mention Zara's true soul mate. But it seems it isn't enough. Nick isn't enough. Bedford is being ravaged by evil pixies and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army to stop the impended apocalypse. Zara isn't sure what her role is anymore. She's not just fighting for her friends, she's also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can't even reconcile her growing, heart-pounding feelings for her pixie king. . . . Unexpected turns, surprising revelations, and one utterly satisfying romantic finale make Endure a thrilling end to this acclaimed series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 4, 2012
    ISBN9781469218625
    Author

    Carrie Jones

    Carrie Jones (Maine) holds an MFA from Vermont College’s prestigious Writing for Children and Young Adults program.  She is the New York Times bestselling author of NEED and CAPTIVATE. Along with several column, editorial, sports writing and photography awards from the Maine Press Association, Carrie was recently awarded the Maine Literary Award for TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND. She lives with her family and pets in Maine.

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    Reviews for Endure

    4/5

    131 ratings18 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Ok, this was by far the best book of the series. I enjoyed the whole series, I have to admit I was getting annoyed with Zara by book 3 and her not letting go of Nick to seeing that what she had in front of her was way better. The author didn't have to wait until book 4 to do close the loop.
    • 4/5
      It's definitely a good book series and if you're new to fantasy romance audiobooks a good way to get started for sure, but I must say that at book three I was getting a little over the storyline and wanted more especially the ending although nice wasn't great.
    • 5/5
      My favourite book series❤️ i dont know what to do with my life now that I’m done them?
    • 4/5
      Carrie Jones finishes off her “Need” series with Endure, a YA paranormal entry packed with action, romance, pixies and the end of the world.

      Zara and her friends have been fighting hard to rid Bedford of the evil pixie king, Frank, and his band, but with an impending apocalypse at hand they’re going to need an army. Where do you find an army in such a little town? Check out your local high school, where fear is not an option! Zara, Nick, Issie, Devyn and Cassidy decide to bring their fellow students into the fold and let them know their town is now the epicenter of Armageddon. Zara’s pixie king Astley is none to pleased to discover that the secret world of pixies has been revealed to outsiders, but they need all the help they can get. With the help of Astley’s pixies, Zara sets out to train the teens in mortal combat. But when she learns of a prophecy that seems to indicate she causes the end of the world, Zara sets off on a quest with Astley, Nick and Issie to find out more.

      I was thrilled to have Issie back in top cuteness form, hyper and still unable to tie her own shoes. She seemed to have lost her spark in the last book and was skating slightly on the edge of annoying. Well, the spark has returned and Issie is back to being the totally awesome Issie we know and love. Devyn and Cassidy are really cut back in this book, but I think it’s because there is just so much going on that they aren’t as prominent. There’s a whole section of the book where Zara, Nick, Astley and Issie leave Bedford to find out more about the prophecy and Devyn and Cassidy are left behind with the trainees, which definitely cut into our time with them.

      On the plus side, we have a cool new character named Hel who is introduced in Endure. She is the ruler of “Hel” which, according to Norse mythology, is the place where anyone who dies of sickness or old age goes after they die (those who die in battle go to Valhalla). I liked the way her realm was conceived by Jones and thought it was a fascinating place to visit. Hel turned out to be a pretty pivotal stop in the book, providing Zara with some important information and allies – as well as a visit with someone she missed dearly.

      One of the best things about this series are the chapter headings in each book. The phobia headings of the first book were great, but the headings in Endure are a lot more detailed. We have police blotters, dispatch calls, an FBI agent’s private log entries – even a Yahoo! Answers heading. They give a fascinating glimpse at how the events occurring in Bedford look to everyone not directly involved in them.

      Endure turned out to be the most action-packed installment of this series. From small fights with pixies to an all-out battle at the end, this story moves. But with action comes loss; not every character is going to survive. While action is at the forefront, there is still time for a bit of humor and a lot of romance.

      I’ll admit it up front – I am definitely Team Astley at this point, so I’ve been very anxious to see how the love triangle of Zara, Nick and Astley plays out. I love how supportive Astley has been to Zara throughout this series, putting her first in all things. The two of them bring out the best in each other, as she shores up his insecurities and he gives her belief in herself. When I first started this series I was a Nick lover, but times have changed – he has not taken Zara’s pixie transformation well at all. I do think Jones has been a little harsh when writing Nick’s character recently; I know he’s an Alpha wolf, but his he-man attitude, stubbornness and jealousy have not painted him in the best light. He was much more likable in the first book, Need, and since I loved him first I wish Jones hadn’t made the differences between him and Astley so glaring. Having two strong, caring, compassionate heroes would have added some real agony to Zara’s choice, and given it more worth. This is the only point I really felt the book fell short.

      Full of twists and turns, action, loss, humor, romance and pixies, Endure is an exciting conclusion to Carrie Jones’ “Need” series. While I wish the differences between the two male leads hadn’t been as glaring as they were, the romance overall is satisfying. An explosive battle and unexpected betrayal at the end almost broke my heart, but the final conclusion and quiet epilogue helped piece it back together. This series is definitely a must-read for those who like a lighter take on the pixie genre, or for those who are a little too young yet for Melissa Marr’s “Wicked, Lovely” series.
    • 5/5
      This was definitely my favourite book in the series. I am so so ad that the Need series is over though. I loved all the characters. I can't put too much here without giving away spoilers, but it was definitely good. The ending was fantastic as well =)
    • 5/5
      Okay, so I kind of had to be on Team Astley because it just made sense, but after wanting to punch Nick for most of the book, I was definitely there. I also note that while Zara tends to find Nick's macho bit kind of cute, it isn't, and Astley's genuine respect for Zara as a person is much more appealing. I definitely liked how this turned out all around, although I would have liked a tiny bit more clarity on the post script.
    • 4/5
      So glad to finally have the last installment of this series.
      gah! So ridiculous everything that happened.

      Stupid Astley. I want to kick him. But I love him so.

      I am also a very big fan of Hel. Love her too.
    • 4/5
      WARNING: You might have to endure (pun intended)this review cause it's nonsense. I'm just rambling. If you don't want to read this, then don't. Not forcing anyone to read this review.


      I finally finished Endure. I'm starting to hate it at first. With all the annoying romance going on. I really don't like it when a girl in a book would start to like the next boy who would appear when she was totally in love with the first boy. WTF, right? The romance side of this book remind me of Elena in The Vampire Diaries. I wanted to pull my hair out to the romance shit of this last book.

      BUT. I begin to totally liked it when they were trying to save their little town from evil Pixie named, Frank and stop the freakin' apocalypse. The summary in here said "Unexpected Turns, surprising revelations". That much is true. It really is unexpected and surprising.

      I don't know if I should love Jones for not focusing much on the love story or not. Anyway, the epic conclusion of the books is good. I like Hel. I like how she support Zara. I like how Zara gathers up the Pixies, the good ones.

      I hated Ash's mother. Oh, wait. It's Astley. Damn. It's not Ash. What she did to Zara. And I wish she could be turned again to Pixie.

      I don't even know why I'm doing this review. I have a mix feelings with this. I can't really say what I want to say. 50% I like it, the other percent, I didn't like it. But yes, I gave 4 stars to it.
    • 4/5
      **Likely contains spoilers for Need, Captivate, and Entice Books 1-3 of Need Pixies series **


      Picking up just a few days after the end of Entice, Endure is the last book in Carrie Jones' Need Pixie series. The evil pixies that started their all-out attack on Bedford in Entice have not given up. If anything, they've increased their efforts, causing more trouble for Zara.

      Not only dose she have to deal with evil pixie kidnapping and torturing teens, Nick is also back from the dead - but without any memory of what happened to him in Valhalla or Zara's rescue of him - and not sure at all how he feels about Zara being pixie. Zara's grandmother is also missing, reeling from their last battle with the pixies and Ms Nix's death.

      There's no time for Zara to stop and deal, though, to be properly upset. To be victorious over the evil pixies - and possibly even stop the apocalypse - Zara and her friends are going to need more than they've ever needed before: they're going to need an army.

      And Zara's going to have to come to terms with being a pixie queen . . and just how she feels about her king.


      Endure starts so close to the end of Entice that it can be hard at first to remember just exactly where the story is - who's doing what, what's just happened, etc - but by the end of the first chapter a lot of refresher notes have been included. Readers might not remember the whole tale, but definitely enough to get back into the story.

      How I felt about Endure is interesting . . . While I never quite clicked with it the way I did with the other books in the series - something kept me from fully engaging with the story, there was a bit of disconnect there for me - I also can't fault the way things wrapped up.

      I think most of the time I was waiting for something bigger, some more action (either from the characters in their relationships or interactions with each other) or the typical 'action' action.

      I do really appreciate how there was an overall arc from the first book to the last. The story that started with the pixies in the first book got bigger and bigger and was eventually concluded in Endure, the final book. It was also great to see the how the characters grew. Zara especially changed enormously, the obvious being that she was the peace loving, protest-y girl from new to Maine who is now a pixie, but at her core she is still the same person. Yet, we also got to see her struggle with that. That was really fantastic.

      So, while I didn't quite click with the book and it's storyline, I did love the characters and their growth. I also appreciated the little things we were reminded of that showed us just how much that had grown (and to tell you now would ruin you discovering them in the end). It makes me want to go back and reread the series all together (and I almost never reread books)!

      Also, I still say Issie needs her own book. I adore that girl. (I don't think it's just for her Buffy and Doctor Who-love, either. [Also, kind of loving that Need Pixies has the Norse Gods and now Joss Whedon's Avengers does, too.])


      Rating: 7/10



      thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for my egalley for review
    • 4/5
      Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Young adult love with a teenager’s sense of melodrama. At least in this case, there is lots of fighting to go along with it.Opening Sentence: “Do you want some more spaghetti?”The Review:Endure is the final chapter in the Need saga. These loving and courageous teenagers fight for the side of good against the impending Ragnarok. This is the book where everything is resolved, including our heroine, Zara’s, love triangle. I am exceedingly pleased with the results.As with most good-vs-evil books, the protagonist has issues with identity and struggles with decisions that have such far reaching consequences. Of course, name me one teenager that doesn’t have the same problem within their own ordinary lives. For Zara White, it is twofold. She knows that she must fight against the evil pixies and stop the apocalypse from happening. She’s burdened with the weight of the responsibility as a pixie queen. Yet, she also has retained her need to protect the fragility of humanity that she was once a part of.There are several long awaited resolutions. No, I am not going to spill the beans and ruin the ending for you. That would be mean and Zara and Issie would yell at me. I will, on the other hand, talk of the more philosophical themes that are presented.Zara is constantly questioning her “humanity,” and has since she chose to become a pixie. She struggles to define what it means to be “humane.” Zara has a nasty habit of generalizing throughout most of the books. She refuses to believe that her innate “human” qualities should remain true even though she is no longer human. Does that make her mercy, seen as a weakness for most pixies, stem from her former human status? Can she still be considered “good” even though she is now a member of the pixie race widely considered “bad?” Or is one’s personality carved forever within their soul, no matter how the outer packaging may change?Nick, recently returned from Valhalla, also calls into question Zara’s soul-status. The demonizations of one’s enemies are a common tactic in warfare. It allows justification of atrocities because they are beneath you and therefore not worthy of mercy. The group of teenagers fighting pixies in Bedford, Maine are guilty of doing this very thing. They have justified killing pixies because they are bad and not human. This book questions this ideology when Zara turns into a pixie, yet she still seems very much like her former self. While her other friends have come to terms with it, Nick has not. This is my favorite theme: the don’t-judge-a-book-by-it’s-cover that plagues the non-pixie characters in this book. Only when this truth is discovered and accepted, can the group be triumphant in their fight for good.In following in that theme, it is the same problem haunting the love triangle of Zara, Nick, and Astley. Most issues that arise are due to prejudices surrounding their different species. The resolution is found in the couple that can see past the outer visage and into the true heart of one another. Saying that “I love you, no matter what,” means a lot more when it is backed up by action.In the larger picture of the impending Ragnarok, it comes down to Zara making the choice of setting Loki free or not. No brainer, right? But Carrie Jones offers a new perspective on an old tale. While she remains mostly true to the old Norse myths, she does present a more “human” view of the god’s imprisonment. Can Zara stop the apocalypse while remaining true to her mercy-giving hero-complex?I really enjoyed this series. It was engaging enough to keep me entertained, though I am not considered the target group for young adult books. I can also rest easy knowing that the story of Zara White’s journey is brought to a close in a very satisfying manner. It is one of those series that leave you happy and content with the outcome. I can recommend these books to those readers that enjoy happy endings and like books that are not a difficult read, in either content or length.Notable Scene:I hold the arms and shoulders and say, “On three. One… two… three!”We throw him up and into the water. His body splashes into the dark grey river and sinks. Soon he will melt away like a marshmallow that’s been sitting in hot chocolate too long. The water will take him. Astley told us that the bodies will become one with the water and the authorities won’t find them, not ever. I cross my fingers that he’s right about that as we go back to my grandmother’s truck and take another body out from under the tarp, trudging through the snow.“You know,” Issie says, “I wish they were vampires. In TV shows vampires always explode or disintegrate. It seems so much easier for cleanup.”“Even the exploding?”“Yep, just a little vacuuming up the dust, maybe a Clorox bleach wipe, and you’re done.”“That would be nice,” I admit. “This is a better workout though. On three. One… two… three!”The Need Series:1. Need2. Captivate3. Entice4. EndureFTC Advisory: Bloomsbury USA graciously provided me with a copy of Endure. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys.
    • 5/5
      Endure. is. FANTASTIC! This is by far the best book of the series. Jones' writing has grown right along with her characters. Everything is done perfectly. I could not put this book down! It's intense, emotional, suspenseful, and action-packed. Endure is a thrill-ride that you cannot miss. Zara grows so much as a character in this novel. She really becomes comfortable with her pixie half, and I was glad that she did. Also, she's sad about Nick's rejection, that was touched on in the last novel, but she's not completely shattered. She knows that's not the most important thing in the world. That is an extremely refreshing outlook from a YA heroine. It made me like Zara and this series that much more. Astley was wonderful, and I loved him a billion times more in this book than I did in the last one. He is just terrific. Nick got on my nerves again. When he was told how bratty he was, I wholeheartedly agreed. The character development and growth throughout this series has been amazing. I've really enjoyed getting to know these characters and all of their quirks.The plot is intense, and the pacing is perfect. There is a lot of action, and the romance gets complicated, builds, and changes throughout the course of the novel. I read this book all in one sitting because I had to know whether or not Zara and company were able to save the world. Were they able to, you ask? Well you'll have to pick up the book and find out. In an effort not to spoil anything, I'm going to keep this part of my review kind of vague. There are new creatures introduced, as well as new dimensions/worlds/whatever you want to call them. Things get a whole lot more complicated. People die. There is a lot going on. Things get ugly. You'll be gripping your book/e-reader so hard by the end of this novel that you'll have lost feeling in your hands. It'll all be worth it, though.Overall, I'd recommend this book and this series to anyone. Jones offers a unique twist on pixies and incorporates a lot of Norse mythology, which I like. All of the books are super quick reads, and they just get better as the series progresses. Endure is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Well done, Carrie, well done.
    • 4/5
      Well, here we are with the final installment in the Need series. I have been looking forward to this book for quite some time and was very excited to get a chance to read it through NetGalley. The first thing I have to comment on is that cover! Wow! It is by far my favorite of the series. I know that does not reflect the content of the book, but I had to point it out. I love how the covers kept the same theme running throughout the series, they definitely pop when I see them in bookstores.As for the book itself, I have mixed feelings. The first half of the book was a build up to the final battle and while there were revelations made, it still dragged. Zara and crew were searching for a way to defeat Frank and I wanted more action. I pushed through the pages though, hoping things would pick up and luckily they did. The battles towards the end were non-stop and I had to slow down to absorb all the information being delivered to me. It was exactly what I was looking forward and was glad I got the action I craved.I am also thankful that Carrie gives up a quick recap of what happened in the previous book, Entice, because it has been over a year since that book released and I was a bit fuzzy on some of the details from it. I had a generally idea of what happened at the end, but the summary was a welcomed addition to the first couple of chapters to get caught back up again in this world.As for the boys, I was team Nick at the start of this series, but somewhere along the line I switched over to Astley. It did not help that Nick was being a complete jerk to Zara after she went to Valhalla to rescue him. One of the first times we see them together this is how Nick reacts to her:“I don’t hate you, Zara. I hate this situation. I hate that when you first go here you were this normal, depressed, pacifist girl who cares about human rights and peace and now you’re this…Now you spend you nights hunting down evil. Now you kill without blinking an eye and it’s just part of your routine. I hate what you’ve become.”I guess I think loving someone means you love all of them and grow with them. Zara is forced into the life of pixies to protect those she loves. She would do anything for them and she does for Nick! Then after she saves his life he comes back he treats her like crap? I have never been more turned off by a character. Plus, he does not even think he has done anything wrong. Sorry Nick, you have officially lost my vote. Thank goodness Zara can see that she does not have to put up with Nick’s behavior because if she just accepted it I would have been very disappointed. Astley on the other hand remains the gentleman and is always there for Zara no matter what. He is always trying to do what is best for her and I admired his courage and ability to put others first while looking out for the well-being of his people.The mythology in this book continues to interest me. I like the Norse legends and the impact they had on many of the obstacles faced in this book. Diving back into this mythology again was fascinating. There were a couple pieces of Norse mythology reveled that I did not know about and it has inspired me to look into this mythology more to learn all about that culture.Sometimes at the conclusion of a series there are more questions left than answers, but that was not the case with Endure. While it did have a rocky start I did appreciate the closure that Carrie gave us with the characters in this world. She could always come back and write more, but I think Endure left off at a good stopping point to Zara’s story. Overall, I did enjoy this book and am happy I saw the series all the way to its conclusion. I am not sure what Carrie will be writing about next, but I will be eager to see what it is.
    • 4/5
      Alright, so this book picks up where the last book left off. If you have not read this series, you should. It's a great book about Pixies and a war that is raging for centuries.What I enjoyed most about this book are the characters. Since the first book, all of the characters have grown tremendously. Both good and bad. The main character Zara is stronger then ever. She is fighting for her loved ones despite what she has gone through. I like that she did change for the but hate to see her hurt. Through the book she face some tough choices and either way someone in the end will not be happy.The love interest has definitely has it ups and downs. One minute she likes one guy and the next she off to save the other. Both love interest are good for her, but both guys made some serious mistakes that make me shake my head. At this point in the series I'm not sure who she will choose.The part of the book that really ravished my heart was the loss of the friendship and trust. Zara has gone through hell and back for her friends and for them to act out on her! To treat her horribly! Umm...NO! At some points of the story I really wanted to slap people.Overall Endure is a book that you have to well... endure. There is betrayal, flip-flopping love interest, and of course the war that is ready to blow at any moments notice. Endure is fantastic book that keeps you on your toes. Brilliant and captivating, Endure is a great read!
    • 5/5
      This book was absolutely amazing. The plot is extemely intruiging and I was never bored when reading this book! I loved the twists and turns that the book took me through, and how it seemed to be filled with tension. I couldn't put the book down! It was great to see how the characters grew in this book as well. Issie and Cassidy are extremely loveable and Issie's "Buffy" references were just so cute (I am a huge Buffy fan as well)! Cassidy, a pretty new character, really grew on me. She was just so sweet yet determined like Issie. I also grew more fond of Zara as well. She became stronger and more kick-ass which I liked, but she still had moments of vulnerability that everyone has. I love how Zara deals with issues she is confronted with fearlessly, yet she remains kind and just. She is a great role model. On to the guys now. We saw less of Devyn this book which was a little dissapointing, but the increased amount of Astley completely made up for it. I absolutely LOVE ASTLEY! He is just so sweet and nice and amazing, and it was great to see his relationship with Zara grow in this book. And then there was Nick. He really really bothered me in this book. He was such, as Astley would say, a "bigot". Still, I won't spoil the ending and say who Zara chooses. All I can say is that she made the right choice.
    • 5/5
      Filled with wry humor, witticisms, and profound truths, "Endure" offers up a tale of enduring quality that showcases Carrie Jones at her very best. With an ease of narration and a writer's voice that speaks so gently through her characters, Ms Jones causes us to hang on her every word. I found myself wanting to write down almost every sentence, there was so much to remember forever in this book. It's the mark of the finest of writing when an author can give you a story with characters who are alive, endearing and profound; while at the same time she can do it sparingly, never wasting a precious word. This is the quality of Carrie Jones's writing. The most mundane of sentences works to counterbalance her other lines so that the work in whole is an artist's rendering like few I've experienced recently. This book should be read by connoisseurs of the written word in YA fiction for that reason only!I must confess to not having read Carrie's other books. I listened to "Need" on audio tape a few years ago, and don't remember much about it, frankly, after reading tons of books, and listening to a library of them later. But I don't think one needs to read the others to get a full sense of the background to understand "Endure." All the highlights and characters of the past are referenced, so the reader is brought up-to-date.All in all "Endure" is a stand alone novel.That's not to say I won't be interested in buying the other books for my collection and reading them, however.As to character, I may already have covered that, but I must say that I'm just in love with Astley. What a prince! I would be his subject any day! No wonder Zara doesn't mind... Zara is a wonderful role model for young adults. She's strong both physically and psychologically. She values family and friend relationships, and she knows how to communicate to work out her problems. Great things for kids to know!I particularly loved her take on overly protective parents in light of her being left without parents... very funny.I think my adult readers will love this little book. I did. As Carrie said "..love is always imperfect no matter how difficult the world is around us and whether it's coming to an end or not." In these days, when there's war and rumor of Apocalypse; when children are being warned of Dec. 2012, and nuclear destruction. When dytopian novels are all the rage and demons run rampant in their fiction. When we experience economic hardships, political up-risings throughout the world, and natural disasters. Carrie Jones gives us light and hope. Refreshing. For that reason, too, this is a wonderful book to read. I would highly recommend it as a gift for a young adult in your life. People are always asking me for recommendations- - here's one!5 perfectly sparkling stars!
    • 2/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyAs the Need series comes to an end with ENDURE, I’m a little let down by the emotional progression of this series. NEED really wowed me (you should read it if you haven’t), but I’ve been increasingly less wowed by each book in the series. The really kicker is how much the characters themselves talk about that very point in ENDURE. Several times they remark on the drastic transformation Zara has undergone, and not just physically. I agree, I just don’t mean it as complimentary as Zara’s friends do. Few of Zara’s quirks and emotionally introspective observations are present in ENDURE. Rather she’s either in mission mode the entire book or stuck in romantic limbo between Nick and Astley.That’s another issue: the romance. Taken by itself, neither guy is particularly intriguing in ENDURE (and both have been at various points in previous books). I had to remind myself why Nick and Astley were even worth choosing between, because there really isn’t much to pine over in either of them here, least of all Nick.On the upside, ENDURE does an excellent job of reminding readers what’s at stake and highlighting significant events from the overall series early on so there is no disorientation or confusion. That being said, the plot is pretty sparse. It felt like a lot of rushing around for not much payoff. After four books, there were a lot of loose threads to tie up, and much of the narrative does that. However, some of the explanations and resolutions, specifically Zara’s crucial role in the apocalypse, felt flimsy at best.Overall I’m a bit disappointed. The Need series started off so well but unfortunately that strong start only made each subsequent sequel’s shortcomings that much more apparent. Carrie Jones does write well, and her characters are her real strength. I do recommend the Need series to fans of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, but for me, I missed the depth from the debut.Sexual Content: Kissing
    • 4/5
      Endure by Carrie JonesARC received from Bloomsbury Children’sRelease Date: 5-8-2012Reviewed by: Middle Sis JennThe Sisters Say: Enchanting, Endearing, and EntertainingI read the entire Need series in the last week, and I have to say, each book gets better and better, culminating in an action-packed race to Ragnarok (aka Armageddon, aka Apocalypse, aka AH! End of the world and no more paranormal romance books)!! If you have not read this series and want something with a different species of paranormal—try the Need books by Carrie Jones. They focus on pixies (no, not Thumbelina or Tinkerbell)—evil, blue, shark teethed pixies. These creatures will keep you guessing—are they good or bad? Is it possible to be both? For me, it was nice to see a different species in the paranormal genre mixed in with something I love even more—mythology! These books have a focus on Norse mythology which doesn’t show up much in the young adult genre; in fact, I can’t think of another book I’ve read that focuses on Norse mythology. So, it was new and exciting, seeing Carrie’s world intertwine with the gods Thor, Odin, and Hel. Carrie creates a fantastic world, rich in imagery. I felt like I could close my eyes, walk through a looking glass, and then I would right there with Zara, Nick, and Astley (mostly Astley…even the pixie thing doesn’t turn me off!)!I really enjoyed Zara in this book. She’s struggling with the idea of being the Pixie Queen, and it’s really endearing seeing inside her head—trying to see her reconcile her past with her present and constantly contemplating the future. She’s not infallible, and that makes her struggle all the more real. I do wish she would have come into her powers a little bit more—throughout books 1 through 3, we are constantly hearing about how Zara is half-pixie, and as a result, she would be extremely powerful once turned. Although Zara did get to kick some butt, we really didn’t see her come into her own and learn to embrace her powers. The book was short, too, (less than 300 pages), so I believe there was plenty of room to add a bit more so we can see Zara grow.Then we have the guys…Nick and Astley. No matter what team you are on, I do think you will enjoy this book, and you won’t regret who she finally chooses. Nick is his same old, were self—agitated, grumpy, and kick butt. But, we see a different side of Nick in this book. We also see his downfall—his struggle to accept Zara as a pixie. I thought his reaction was completely believable—I mean, it’s nice to see a love story where everything is not all, “Oh, I’ll love you forever, no matter if you turn crazy murderer or not.” Nick is afraid of what Zara has become, and I found the strained relationship between him and Zara to be realistic and oddly satisfying. Will they both get over their prejudices and end up together? I won’t tell, you’ll have to read for yourself!And then there’s Astley. I love Astley. Like Zara, he struggles with who he is, but it isn’t a struggle that causes him to crumble. Instead, this struggle causes him to constantly surprise me. Zara and Astley grow closer in this book, and I loved seeing the pixie relationship progress. I do really wish there was more to the romance, though. There was no scene where I blushed because I wanted to re-read it over and over again. There was no time where I would have given my pinky finger to trade places with Zara. I wanted passion and fear and uncertainty and love all mixed into one (or two or three or four) dramatic romantic scenes, but they never came. Even so, I enjoyed being surprised over and over again by Astley. Will she choose him? I won’t tell!There never seemed to be a dull moment in Endure. It was action-packed from the start, and whenever it seemed like all was about to settle down, some mythological creature threatening apocalypse would show up and tear down the illusion. You definitely won’t be bored with this one! There were times where I did skip over some of the description, though because I felt bogged down by it and wanted to get straight to the action.Overall, I’m definitely glad I didn’t skip over this series. They were all very quick and fascinating reads, and although there wasn’t as much romance as I would like, I still did enjoy what we got to see between Zara and Nick and Zara and Astley. Alas (I’m speaking Astley talk), love triangles do not both me!So, if you want to see a different kind of mythology and a different kind of species to pluck you out of your paranormal funk, this is the series to read!
    • 4/5
      Zara is at the center of the pending Apocalypse…and she is looking for anything that will them either stop it from happening or give them the winning edge. Meanwhile Gramma has gone rogue from grief and Nick is back from Valhalla and not happy! Regardless, the group needs to raise an army to battle Frank’s pixies and there is a giantess/Goddess named Hel that seems to be gunning for Zara. Could life get any more stressful or confusing? You’d be surprised.This was one of the most satisfying conclusions to a series I’ve ever read. Each book was better than the last and the whole series was so enjoyable from beginning to end. Zara, regardless of her species, retained her humanity throughout and though I would have loved to punch Nick at times, he stayed true to himself also. Astley was the one who truly won me over as did Zara’s bio-Dad in “Entice”. I will say, however Ms. Jones did scare me a bit when Astley was in the cave with Nick…I was on the verge of throwing something…but I didn’t. So sad to see this series end, but so glad it ended the way it did…it was quite a ride!