A Review for Crest (Ondine Quartet #3) by Emma Raveling

Posted by Donna & Melanie
Release Date: September 17th, 2013
Finished Date: September 25th, 2013

Publishers: Self - Published
Genre: YA Fantasy, Paranormal
Source: For Review

Format: eARC
Pages: Unknown

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Illusion. Power. Identity.

Tensions are reaching a fever pitch everywhere Kendra Irisavie turns.

Darkness settles over elementals as a new threat stirs suspicions of a betrayal from within. Details of recent events spread through Haverleau, prompting doubts over Irisavie leadership. The mysterious Selkie Kingdom finally opens its doors, but the gesture only fans the flames of division. And despite the perils involved, Kendra finds it difficult to ignore the demands of her heart.

As the body count rises, pressure also grows to shift the tides of war. The sondaleur is on the hunt, but tracking the Aquidae leader is the greatest challenge she’s ever faced. With the Shadow playing a deadly game of obsession and horror, Kendra’s best chance to win is to unravel a tangled web of deception spanning back to the origins of the elemental world.

Nothing is what it seems and the closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her pursuit for answers becomes.

When the unthinkable happens, Kendra must decide if survival is worth the sacrifice.

Conflicting loyalties, fierce passions, and irrevocable choices ignite in the electrifying third instalment of the Ondine Quartet.

Melanie's Review: Crest is yet another amazing read in the Ondine Quartet and sh*t just got real! Gone is the carefree, act now, think later Kendra and in her place is the more mature, duty bound Governor in training who is now well aware that each and every one of her decisions bears consequences & she must always look to the greater good for the Ondine people. You can really feel how much Kendra has matured as a person in this book, not only in a political sense or her Sondaleur duties but in affairs of the heart too and I feel that now, we begin to see her as someone who could be looked up to and we can definitely see the emerging leader in her. I loved what she went through in this because it gave even greater insight into the Kendra she keeps for herself, the one only Tristan seems able to see. It is particularly emotional when she goes through her magic test and we see how her life has been shaped, how her childhood was savaged by her mother in the attempt to mould her into the person she needs to be. I was with her through everything, totally immersed in her feelings & decisions. I loved the progression of the relationship between Kendra & Tristan, throughout this we get to see that they have very similar stories and are both as deep as each other. Something finally gives between them and it was lovely, it gives them both a piece of happiness in the harsh reality of what’s happening around them and you can feel that they so need each other for support in any way possible, they complement each other in a great way. 
The storyline had a lot going on as we go from New York to Haverleau to the Selkie Kingdom of Nome and I loved it all. The change of scenery was great and I love that we finally get to visit the Selkie Kingdom, it’s description is great, the palace, the training grounds, the location… all sound just beautiful and it also showed a different side to Tristan which is always welcome. Crest definitely felt more solemn than the books before but as I said ‘sh*t just got real’ we are in the penultimate book and everything is amped up, there was a sort of desperation on all sides as Kendra and the gang try to uncover a traitor & close in on the Shadow, the Shadow ups his game too – and we all know how evil he is! So expect casualties, expect violence and expect people to get hurt but also expect the good guys to take risks, to protect, to fight selflessly to protect their people & their way of life. Let’s also not forget that Kendra isn’t just fighting the war with the Shadow but also with the Ondine community, in this she becomes the ‘governor in training’ and people are not happy, she has an opposition, every decision or move she makes is scrutinised and dissected and she is judged constantly and the results of that opposition will definitely be felt in this. The trials come at Kendra from all angles throughout this book and it shows her strength of character with how she deals with problem after problem, she gets so many knocks that sometimes I was wondering how she always gets back up again but you can bet your life that she will be just as determined to face everything head on. The ending was both perfect & also shocking but I’ll let you discover why for yourself…. I discovered that I will definitely be counting down the days for Breaker and what promises to be the EPIC final instalment of the Ondine Quartet.

Donna's Review: Emma Raveling is back with the third instalment to the Ondine Quartet series, where we see teenager Kendra Irisavie risks her life battling the evil Aquidae by trying to put an end to their leader - the shadow. However, when Kendra's journey takes her to the home of the Selkie Kingdom, it's not long before she realises there is a traitor amongst them and Kendra's determined to find out who it is.

I adore Emma Raveling's work and Crest is nothing short of fantastic! I went into Crest with so many expectations and hopes but Emma really just took my breath away with some of the events that happened. There's so many key elements to this book and the fact that the story is so well written, just makes me love it all the more. While I enjoy some mystery to any story I read, trying to unravel this series is just impossible. Like I said before, the series is written so well that you honestly have no idea which way the author will go. She keeps you on your toes, she keeps it's very entertaining and one thing I love, is how much time and love Emma has puts into her stories. It really reflects in her books and Crest certainly didn't disappoint.

I've always been a fan of Kendra's from the start, I love how she can be so serious but then be fun at the same time. She works hard and although she makes mistakes, she always tries to learn from them and makes things better. This time around Kendra is just full of dedication - dedication to try and take the Shadow down and you can really see and feel how much she's grown since the last book. I think she needed a few knocks to make her see that she needs to work that much harder, because in the end, I do believe all her hard work will pay off and she will become a fantastic leader.

One thing I hoped for before going into Crest was that we would see some more time with Tristan and Kendra together - their forbidden love really is one that plays with your heart, because you can't help rooting for them...and Emma Raveling...completely rocked my world with it this time around. Talk about swooning? I don't think I've swooned so much in a long time. The tension between Kendra and Tristan is sizzling hot, it was nice to see them interact more and actually be honest with one another. There's a few scenes that have fast become favourites of mine, especially the cave scene, but more importantly, that ending! I can not wait - seriously! I've been trying to figure out some possible endings for them but I can't, I'm just hoping they get their HEA in the end.

So in all, Crest is an important and thrilling third instalment - one that proves this series is still going strong, and I'm so glad to be apart of it!