Review: Salem's Legacy

Title: Salem's Legacy (Vengeance Trilogy #3)

 

Author: Aaron Galvin

Website/Blog: www.aarongalvin.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarongalvin5

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltseries

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075676.Aaron_Galvin
 

Aaron Galvin cut his chops writing stand-up comedy routines at age thirteen. His early works paid off years later when he co-wrote and executive produced the award-winning indie feature film, Wedding Bells & Shotgun Shells.

He is also an accomplished actor. Aaron has worked in everything from Hollywood blockbusters, (Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, and Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers), to starring in dozens of indie films and commercials.

Aaron is a native Hoosier, graduate of Ball State University, and a proud member of SCBWI. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter.

Publisher: Aames & Abernathy
Genres: YA, Historical Fiction, Horror, Fantasy
Release Date: 10th September 2015

Where Acquired: I Received an ARC from Aaron in exchange for an honest review.
Buy On Amazon Here
You can also buy the book in paperback and even a signed copy from his website.

Cover

Goodreads Description: 
History is the story of events, with praise or blame.
Rebecca Kelly believes in the latter.
After months of traipsing through the wilderness, she and her companions arrive in colonial Boston to bring vengeance against those aiding in the deaths of their loved ones.
When Rebecca finds the city a foreign hunting ground littered with spies, fate forces her to align with strangers. Questioning identities, motives, and loyalties, she discovers the plots that began in Salem stretch further than anyone could have imagined…and it will be her actions which determine whether history attributes praise or blame to the true masterminds of Salem’s legacy.

My Review: 

What an end to a brilliant series! If you thought the last two books questioned your ability to trust then wait until you read this one! 

Let's start with my love of the series overall. It's different, it doesn't centre on the typical young adult traits such as romance and the supernatural. It is more centred around history, science and action. The witches in the series do posses some supernatural strength but it is only due to the Devil's powder that they are addicted to. Galvin paints a picture of history in his series. Through his writing we are taken back to the origins of America completely. There is no doubting the setting of this series as even the character's voice speaks in a way that transports you through history.

Where in the last few books I found them a little slow to start and get going, this one was different. You were thrown into the action from the very start so It is easy to say that this was my favourite book of the series.

This book was also full of more plot twists than any of the others and that is another reason why I loved it so much. You could never predict what was going to happen next, there was so much action and the characters got into such desperate situations that it broke my heart into a million pieces at times to witness their struggle. It was a journey to follow them through their fight against their parent's legacy and I needed a box of tissues to help me through it. 

The characters are also so complex and written perfectly. I loved reading about them as they all had such distinguished voices and complex histories that not one of the characters were sent to the background.

Rebecca is still one of my favourite protagonists. She is so strong and doesn't need a man beside her, like most YA female leads, to get her vengeance. She is determined, resourceful, clever, skilled and she has a huge heart. She cares deeply but that doesn't mean she trusts easily. But when she does, she is the most loyal companion anyone can ask for. I really like reading the book from her point of view as she has a brilliant, complicated and interesting mind that I can't help but want to understand more. Her fight for Vengeance was painful to read about at times, especially when her quest put herself and those she loves in danger.

Elizabeth and Cotton were great villains to the story. Unlike the witches in the other novels who were scheming and plotting and fighting their way around. Elizabeth and Cotton were mostly upfront about their plans but that didn't make them any less chilling. They were like the Mafia bosses of Salem. Their power and control over the city meant that they didn't need to betray and sneak around as much as the witches in the last book, they could just do what they wanted to anyway. They were just evil. Pure evil.

Andrew grew on me so much in this book. Before I just saw him as a whiny, weak man with no inhibitions. But his sacrifices for others in this book changed my opinion on him. He became a brave character in my eyes who would do anything for the girl he loves. Even if it means following her on a quest that could cause them all harm.

George also grew on me in this book. I didn't dislike him before as I had Andrew, but I didn't see him as anything special either. But his determination to do anything to look after his sister and avenge his wife's death was admirable and his strength was incredible. We saw another side to him in this book. We began to see a little of Rebecca and his father in him. He did remind me a lot of his father from the first book.

Priest has always been a favourite of mine and to see him go through as much as he did in this book was the reason for my box of tissues. Poor priest, he went through a lot and all I wanted to do was cry for him and the hurt that his pain caused his daughter.

Ciquenackqua was more present in this book too and although I was a little disappointed that the romance I had been hoping for between him and Rebecca never actually happened in so many words, there was no mistaking their love for each other by the end. I loved this character as he was the embodiment of native America and therefore interesting as he and Rebecca taught me a lot about their traditions. I also loved his bravery, he was always so brave, as all the natives in the book were. Unlike Priest and Rebecca he was a born brave and that's one of the reasons I found him interesting.

Mary was another interesting character, she was similar to the character Betty in their background and both characters led us in a dance of trust. They were the biggest plot twisters in the book. You never knew whether to trust them or not. 

This is definitely my favourite book of the series and I do not have one bad thing to say about it.


Rating: 

This book comes out on the 10th September so keep watch!

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-The Reading Rose