We Three Heroes & Vardaesia Reviews: Now THAT is how you end a series

February 15, 2019 by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence | 4 stars, 5 stars, Books, Reviews

We Three Heroes & Vardaesia Reviews: Now THAT is how you end a seriesWe Three Heroes by Lynette Noni
Series: The Medoran Chronicles #4.5
Published by Pantera Press on August 27, 2018
Source: Publisher
Genres: Action & Adventure, Young Adult, Fantasy
Amazon | Book Depository | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia
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"We all have to do our part if we're to survive the coming storm."

Alexandra Jennings might be the hero of The Medoran Chronicles, but she would be lost without her three closest friends. They are her heroes, and like all heroes, they each have their own story.

Meet the real D.C. in Crowns and Curses and discover how she becomes the princess Alex once despised but now adores.

Follow Jordan on his healing journey in Scars and Silence as he struggles in the wake of being rescued from his living nightmare.

Walk beside Bear in Hearts and Headstones as he faces an unspeakable trauma while helping his world prepare for the coming war.

D.C., Jordan and Bear are the heroes of their own stories.

It is time for their stories to be told.

I’m always on the fence about novellas, especially when you don’t know how it ties into the story and whether it is actually mandatory reading. But we’ve followed D.C., Bear and Jordan throughout Alex’s journey for 4 books now, and I’m so glad to hear that we got to hear from their point of view here. Most of it is told concurrently to Draekora/Graevale so that’s definitely required reading before picking up this one.

Crowns and Curses

The first story, Crowns and Curses talks about D.C.’s life as a princess growing up and how she distances herself against others. She’s lonely, abandoned and very standoffish, and we find out why D.C. is the way she is the first time she meets Alex. This probably wasn’t my favourite story of the book, particularly since I wasn’t too invested in D.C.’s origin story, even though I was glad to hear a bit more about the Princess’s early life.

Scars and Silence

The second story, Scars and Silence was my favourite as we hear from Jordan’s point of view as he recovers from the traumatic events of Draekora. I always wondered about what Jordan was going through, and how he copes with everything, and it definitely fills in some of the gaps of the story. I also loved hearing more about his romance with a certain red-head, and that was sweet too given there’s not that much romance in the main series.

Hearts and Headstones

The final story, Hearts and Headstones shows us more about Bear and his investment in learning about inventions. Given that Bear is usually a side character that we know so little about, it was great to see his close connections with his family and how he deals with the loss at the end of Graevale. I also sensed a bit of romantic tension between him and Declan, which I wish was explored further, given that there’s no hint of LGBT relationships in The Medoran Chronicles.

If you love The Medoran Chronicles, picking up We Three Heroes is definitely a no-brainer, revealing more about Alex’s trio of friends and about their feelings towards the end of the series. Definitely a great instalment to tide us over before the last book!

Rating: 4 out of 5

We Three Heroes is available from Australian bookstores for RRP$19.99.

I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

We Three Heroes & Vardaesia Reviews: Now THAT is how you end a seriesVardaesia by Lynette Noni
Series: The Medoran Chronicles #5
Published by Pantera Press on February 18, 2019
Source: Publisher
Genres: Young Adult, Action & Adventure, Fantasy
Amazon | Publisher | Angus & Robertson | Booktopia
Add to Goodreads

In the wake of loss and devastation, Alex must cast aside her grief to seek aid from those who banished the Meyarins long ago. But the proud Tia Aurans care little for the woes of mortals and demand that Alex—and her friends—undergo the Gates of Testing to prove their world is worth saving.

With an ancient prophecy looming, Alex must confront the secrets of her past if she is to survive long enough to see the future. For if she returns to Medora without the Tia Aurans by her side, all hope will be lost.

In this explosive conclusion to The Medoran Chronicles, the fate of Medora hangs in the balance as Alex readies herself to face Aven one final time.

Who will survive, and who will fall?

Now THAT is how you end a series. For the last few books, Alex and her crew have been focusing on rallying forces against Aven, and it finally comes to its own, epic conclusion at the end of Vardaesia. 

At its core, The Medoran Chronicles has always been about the strength of friendship and learning to trust in your own instincts, and I love how, despite everything that has been thrown at her, Alex has unwavering support in the people that she cares about.

There’s been so much character growth for the full crew throughout the series, from uncovering their deepest fears, to learning to trust in their friends and loved ones, to dealing with grief, love, to newfound allies and friends. In this book, Alex and her crew are put through some intense trials to gain support from the otherworldly race, the Tia Aurans. While she’s certainly been through some tough moments, she’s also grieving and about to face the biggest battle of her life. Everything is tested in Vardaesia – secrets are revealed, Alex’s strength of character and resolve is put through the grinder and her friend’s trust is threatened.

I loved reading about the Tia Aurans and their relationship with the Medorans, along with the oestentatious, golden world of Vardaesia. The Tia Aurans are a proud race, and one that definitely seems far superior at the outset. However, there’s always more than meets the eye, and I loved uncovering these. The different worlds that we’ve discovered through the course of the series have each had its own set of characteristics, and it’s been fascinating learning about them and the different ways of living.

Leading up to the final face-off with Aven and his army, the tension ran high as the Medorans gather everything in their power to fight them. The conclusion was tense and exciting, and it’s never too easily won on either side. Until the final pages, the tide could change at any time and I loved how it was handled.

After binge reading most of the Medoran Chronicles last year, I’m totally swept away by the creativity and the addictiveness of this series! I loved how this book stays true to the tone of the series and the conclusion is everything you ever hoped for. From Alex first discovering the Akarnae Academy, to learning about her abilities and gathering allies against Aven, it’s been an incredible journey from start to finish – and we couldn’t have asked for a better end to the journey!

Rating: 5 out of 5

I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Vardaesia is available from Australian bookstores for RRP$19.99.

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Jeann is an Aussie YA blogger and mum who loves to read and recommend books! You can usually find me fangirling about books on my various social media channels including Twitter @happyindulgence, Instagram and Youtube.

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