Early Review: End of Days by Susan Ee

End of Days
By Susan Ee
Read: April 8 - 10, 2015
Published:  May 12, 2015 by Skyscape
Source: Giveaway! Won arc from Kristen @ My Friends are Fiction
Category: Post-apocalyptic, angels, YA, San Francisco
Series: Penryn and the End of Days #3
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other? 
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End of Days is the long awaited conclusion to the Penryn and the End of Days post-apocalyptic, angel themed trilogy, and for the most part it was glorious. From the beginning I've loved how author Susan Ee has taken the Biblical concept of the apocalypse and shifted the perspective on it for her story. It has been cleverly and eerily done, and she continues that into her finale. 

In End of Days we have Penryn continuing to be the no-nonsense, kick-butt girl that we first met in Angelfall. But from the beginning of the final installment she is much more open about her feelings, and I loved seeing the humanity in her in this book. Penryn struggles with insecurities about being a leader, the meaning of family and (oh happy day!) is much more upfront about her feelings for Raffe. 

Speaking of our alpha warrior angel Raphael, aka Raffe, he too is forced to acknowledge his feelings for Penryn, and watching him struggle with that made me swoon - and want to throttle him at times. He and Penryn have the best banter in this book. I wanted to highlight everything they said to each other. And there is just so much tension building between them. I could not wait for the moments it exploded. Raffe and Penryn must finally face their differences in backgrounds and  allegiances, and then figure out how or even if they have a future together. (Of course we all know what we want their answer to be!!)

Thankfully, Penryn and Raffe spend the majority of this book together, though I wanted even MORE. I love the continued role of Penryn's mom and the perspective and appreciation Penryn's gained on their complicated relationship. Paige is still a stitched up doll with sharp teeth and a desire for blood, and though I'm not sure I ever fully grasped that part of the story, I love that Penryn never stops caring for her sister. I was most surprised about Beliel's role in this book, but I also liked the direction author Ee took his storyline. From when we met him at the start of book one, he's become a very complex character, and I love that I didn't expect it at all. 

This book was a full five star for me up until about 3/4 of the way through it. I wanted a little more oomph at the end. A bigger confrontation, more Penryn and Rafa time - and an epilogue that takes place farther in the future (or gives more hints of what is to come for certain characters).  I also wanted more explanation of some of the apocalyptic aspects of this book. But despite that, End of Days is a solid conclusion to a beloved series, and I would not mind at all if author Susan Ee decides to write more about these characters or this world, or something else entirely. 

Love triangle factor: NONE
Cliffhanger Scale: series end