A Dream Within A Dream: The Offering Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

The Offering (The Pledge #3)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: YA Dystopia/Fantasy
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Description:

True love—and world war—is at stake in the conclusion to The Pledge trilogy, a dark and romantic blend of dystopia and fantasy. Charlie, otherwise known as Queen Charlaina of Ludania, has become comfortable as a leader and a ruler. She’s done admirable work to restore Ludania’s broken communications systems with other Queendoms, and she’s mastered the art of ignoring Sabara, the evil former queen whose Essence is alive within Charlie. Or so she thinks. When the negotiation of a peace agreement with the Queendom of Astonia goes awry, Charlie receives a brutal message that threatens Ludania, and it seems her only option is to sacrifice herself in exchange for Ludanian freedom. But things aren’t always as they seem. Charlie is walking into a trap—one set by Sabara, who is determined to reclaim the Queendoms at any cost.

Praise for The Offering:

"This was a truly epic ending to the series." --Crystal Perkins, Goodreads Review

"The final book in Kimberly Derting’s Pledge trilogy is a thrilling conclusion. I was immediately swept up into it and powered right through. It was pretty much what I wanted with a few surprises along the way." --Krys at Bibliopunkk Reads

The Offering is the final installment in The Pledge Trilogy. It continues to follow Queen Charlaina of Ludania - Charlie to her friends - as war against her country is threatened and the whisperings of the evil Sabara continue to invade her mind and soul. When a threat from Elena, the Queen of Astonia, is delivered to Charlie's door - she makes up her mind to accept the Queen's proposition of both peace for her country and the prospect of ridding herself of Sabara's Essence for good. Will Charlie be able to get to Astonia and prevent war? Or will Elena break her promises and storm Ludania's borders? What about Sabara's Essence? These deadly serious questions - along with the well being of her friends and family, not to mention her relationship with Max - all hang in the balance of Charlie's decisions.

This was a phenomenal novel and the perfect ending to the trilogy, although I'm really sad to see it finished. I loved the entire trilogy and this book was definitely no exception. The characters continued to be realistic - especially Charlie and her close friends, who we get to know very well. They all have distinct personalities and flaws along with strengths, which made them easy to identify with, almost to the point where I felt like I knew each of them personally. The plot is full of action and adventure for everyone involved - I found myself desperately reading to see what was going to happen and how things would turn out. The action of the novel flowed effortlessly with the romance and the fantasy of the book, with all the genres intertwining to create a unique story. There were a lot of aspects to the plot - the impending war with Astonia, Charlie dealing with Sabara's Essence, dealing with her responsibilities as queen, and also managing her friendships and relationships. Each one of these smaller plot lines are tied up neatly by the end of the novel, leaving no loose ends or questions for the reader to wonder about. I found the writing to be absolutely hypnotic - it drew me in from the very first page and I was immediately immersed in Charlie's world. I actually read this book in one (very quick) sitting because I couldn't bring myself to stop reading until I knew how it would end. There were some surprises along with the sad and happy parts - during which I actually teared up and at one point had a perma-grin plastered on my face for a good hour or so while reading. Overall, this was a magnificent ending to a completely enchanting trilogy. Very highly recommended for fans of all genres!!

Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, and THE TAKING (coming April 2014 from HarperTeen). She lives in the Seattle area, with her husband and three children, who often find the outrageous things they say either in the pages of her books or posted on Twitter or Facebook for the entire world to see.