Hi lovelies!
Today we're talking about Pam Brondos' Fourline trilogy which I'm a tiny bit obsessed with. I'll talk about the series as a whole, and then expand on the final book, the Last Remnant, specifically a little bit towards the end of this post, We'll keep this as spoiler free as possible!
For the first book in the trilogy, Gateway to Fourline:
Years before, a gateway opened between their world and ours. Sending one young woman through may be the key to survival for the kingdom of Fourline.
Strapped for cash, college student Natalie Barns agrees to take a job at a costume shop. Sure, Estos—her classmate who works in the shop—is a little odd, but Nat needs the money for her tuition.
Then she stumbles through the mysterious door behind the shop—and her entire universe transforms.
Discovering there’s far more to Estos than she ever imagined, Nat gets swept up in an adventure to save his homeland, an incredible world filled with decaying magic, deadly creatures, and a noble resistance of exiled warriors battling dark forces. As she struggles with her role in an epic conflict and wrestles with her growing affection for a young rebel, Soris, Nat quickly learns that nothing may go as planned…and her biggest challenge may be surviving long enough to make it home.
✱ Pages: each book is about 300 to 350 pages
✱ Publication date: the Last Remnant will be out 10 May 2016
✱ Series: Fourline
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What do you think of the covers? I love them for their simplicity, and I think they actually fit the books really well. I read the first two over Christmas break, and I've been waiting for the release of the Last Remnant since then. When I saw it up on Netgalley I squealed a little and then read it immediately.
The Kingdom of Fourline
Danger lurks in Fourline, and those who've escaped from that danger to our world cannot return for fear of being caught immediately. Enter Natalie Barns. A college student in need of funding for her studies, she agrees to a small mission to Fourline - enter the kingdom, finish the mission, then return home. But nothing is ever that simple.
Fourline is an enchanting world. The evil Nala are kind of terrifying, and pose a continuing threat. The warriors who could fight them are either dead or in hiding. These warriors are women known as Sisters. It's time for Nat to pretend to be one long enough to survive Fourline and make her way back home.
The Protagonist, Natalie
I think the reason I'm so into this story is Nat. She is so likeable. She's a student who worries about her family, worries about paying tuition, worries about being a burden. Pretty easy to identify with, at least for me. Also, she's kind of a geek and likes to spend her time in the lab. She's smart and resourceful and those are qualities I really like in a main character. She also does what she has to, without feeling sorry for herself or blaming others.
The Other Characters in the Story
Well-rounded and more and more detailed with every book, the characters of the trilogy have very distinct personalities. I love the dynamic between Natalie and her room-mate Viv, as well as the good old sisterly hatred that Nat and her little sister Cal have going on.
The characters from Fourline are intriguing too: there's Estos - the student Nat meets and agrees to help; Annin, who wears an eye-patch and gets made fun of but doesn't really care about what people say; Soris, who ends up helping Nat on her mission. The way we learn more about each character as the story goes on is wonderful.
The Final Chapter: the Last Remnant
As the last book in a trilogy, I think the Last Remnant worked very, very well. It had everything I wanted in it - danger, adventure, a bit of romance. Things really escalate towards the end of the second book, and in the Last Remnant, the stakes are high for everyone involved. Natalie and her friends' journey and their mission to save Fourline has had its effect on all of them, and it's wonderful to witness the character development that's happened during the course of the trilogy, and even just during the Last Remnant.
A thrilling, satisfying conclusion to a great trilogy!
Awesome characters, interesting world-building, and a thrilling plot. And the best thing? All three books are out (or will be on the 10th May) so you can easily binge them!
What do you think - are you willing to give this YA fantasy trilogy a go? What do you think about the whole travelling from our world to a high fantasy one?
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. A YA novel about time travel. I had some issues with this one, but still enjoyed it thoroughly. Passenger seems to divide people into two camps: the not-impressed and the absolutely-loved-it. Give it a shot and let me know what you think!
