Can it all be saved with so much at stake?

Synopsis

Ever since that traumatic night, Aurora hasn’t been herself.

Her indifference and recklessness have left her friends bewildered, watching the girl they love slip away. Suddenly favouring the company of the once despised Boulderfells, Aurora is better at resolving conflicts with her bullies, but at what cost? The Guidal prophecy is at jeopardy, and unless they can bring Aurora back to her former self, Seioh Boulderfell’s relentless pursuit of a Puracordis-free world will dominate, solidifying his power over everyone she loves. The unwavering Kalmayans are convinced of their rightful claim and will stop at nothing in their secret plans to overthrow.

Betrayal from a friend ill-prepares Aurora to thwart the Kalmayans’ advances. Something dark sweeps in, something that has been dormant for millennia. Faced with choosing between love, duty, and the balance of Puracordis, can Aurora rise to be the Guidal so desperately needed? Who can she trust? Which path should she choose? The wrong choice will end with her life and establish dystopia once and for all. Friends, bullies, and a touch of something magical, Aurora is lost in a world of light and shadow.

My review

Since that one night, Aurora isn’t herself any more, in more than just one way. That night literally and figuratively scarred her, making her friends worry if the Aurora they all love will ever return. Because of that night, Aurora went into self – protection modus, and hasn’t allowed to just feel anymore. Not only that, but she has also become reckless, at the risk of losing everything and jeopardizing everyone. However, also the Guidal – prophecy is in jeopardy, and a Puracordis – free world is more and more becoming reality. So will Aurora find the strength, the courage and the force together with her friends to find the balance of Puracordis and become the Guidal she is?

You may know that I am not a big fan of magical stories. Yet there is, at least in my mind, a difference between the magic of makes cakes appear from nothing or creating a whole dress for a ball and the magic in a dystopian world, where such powers are chased and ‘taken care off’…

Yet I was very curious to return to visit this dystopian world, and see what would happen next to Aurora, especially after how Book Number 2 ended.

My heart broke to read how the attack Aurora survived previously changed her. And I have to admit, I didn’t really like this new Aurora. Of course it makes complete sense that such an attack changes a person. But how Aurora behaves afterwards, is so out of character for her, she truly made it difficult for me to keep sympathizing with her…

Living in a dystopian world is not easy, especially in the world Aurora is living in. So many rules, so many laws to follow, without much freedom at all. Even the partner you will marry is chosen for you. 

And calling Aurora a rebel wouldn’t explain her complete character, but she is different from everyone else, and she has a strong mind of her own.

Yet also in this book, we see her rather young age. She is torn apart, not only between her love interests, but also between what the right thing to do is, or just be the young woman she is, following the rules, without having to pay for the consequences of her actions (and as a follower, there wouldn’t be any surprising actions of course…)

While Aurora’s world is falling apart, she can always count on the support of the people that love her, no matter how difficult she makes it for them. For me, that meant that no matter what world you are living in, no matter how out of character you may act, love will always be around, one way or another.

In this book, there is so much threat going on, and this time, from several sides. Not only is there Seioh Boulderfell’s mission to have a world where there is no Puracordis, but also the threat coming from unexpected corners, from the  Kalmayans, ready to take Aurora just out of the picture.

Through flashbacks, or rather Aurora’s ‘out of mind’ experiences, we get to understand how her dystopian world came to fruition. And I think that is an important aspect of the book too, because we read how one event can change the whole course of the world, and how it can change everything we knew.

In this book we see how young people are growing up very fast, while still learning more about themselves, their feelings while trying to understand the world they are living in. Meanwhile they have to literally fight to save themselves and those around them. Yet this isn’t a story where there are no consequences to be paid for actions. And prices need to be paid, in even terrible, devastating ways…

But even those terrible moments never managed to make me turn away from the book, because I just had the urgence to know what would happen next…