Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire #3)

Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire #3) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Rating: 4.5 stars

Shadows in the Silence is the well-thought out, rounded and intense finale to Courtney Allison Moulton's Angelfire series. I really enjoyed the first and second book of the series, but I didn't overly love either of them. However, I had an expectation and hoped that it would be able to bring more of a "Wow" factor into it. I'm happy to say that it was a better read than I expected. The plot was fast moving and mostly unexpected, and the characters were mostly alive and full of personality. 

Shadows picked up and jumped into action right after Wings of the Wicked. I hadn't re-read the series before this book came out so it was a little bit disorientating at first while I was trying to remember everything. However, once I do it was an intense ride to follow Ellie in her desperate mission to rescue Will. I enjoyed the beginning more than the later part of the book, maybe due to my liking of the character Cadan. Cadan was your reformed bad boy with a soft and large heart. He was the highlight of the book to me and definitely my favourite character of the series. He was one of the characters that grew so so much during the development of the books. He learnt to see right and wrong and to stand up against what is wrong instead of cowering behind the strongest. His love for Ellie almost made me cry. He cared for her in everyway he could. Even when she hurt him he continued to help her and loved her unconditionally. I was glad at the values, friendship, love and forgiveness he found on the way. Okay, I'll stop raging about what a wonderful character he is and just move on. But truly, having him aside from Will (the main guy character whom everyone loves)really bought up contrast and intriguing moments to the story.

I wasn't particularly fond of Ellie in this book. Instead of the badass girl I met in book two, I found her returning to the breaking-down-every-two-minute girl at the start of book one. I get that she was getting emotional due to fear of losing her loved one, but tears and the "oh, my heart is breaking" isn't exactly interesting to read about. However, her undeterring will to do anything to save others she love redeemed her. I liked how brave she was at the most panicky situations and how she kept her identity and personality even when it should be impossible. Good on you girl!

Lastly, this book has one important theme that poked its head up time and time again: identity. Ellie was so afraid of losing her identity if she ascends. This theme not only relates to her in the story, but also relate to all of us readers as well. Have you ever felt unsure of your identity? At the shaky times, take the sound advice from this book: hold what and who closest to you as tight as possible and find your own voice. Remember what make you who you are. Ellie was lucky to Will to ground her constantly. 

Overall, this series is a worthy read and Shadows in the Silence brought a round closure to an amazing journey.


Synopsis

Your strength in heart and hand will fall. . . .
Ellie knows that the darkest moments are still to come, and she has everything to fight for:

She must fight for Will.
The demonic have resorted to their cruelest weapons to put Will in mortal danger, and Ellie makes an unlikely alliance to save him and to stop Lilith and Sammael, who seek to drown the world in blood and tear a hole into Heaven.

She must fight for humanity.
As the armies of Hell rise and gather for the looming End of Days, Ellie and her band of allies travel to the world’s darkest and most ancient regions in her quest to come into her full glory as the archangel Gabriel.

And Ellie must save herself.
Her humanity withers beneath the weight of her cold archangel power, but Ellie must hold tight to who she is and who she loves as she prepares for the ultimate battle for Heaven and Earth.

In this final installment in the Angelfire trilogy, Courtney Allison Moulton brings her dark world of epic battles and blistering romance to a blazing bright conclusion.