by Rebecca Schaeffer
Series: Market of Monsters #3
Published on September 8, 2020 by HMH Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1328863611
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, Young Adult
Dexter meets Victoria Schwab in this dark and compelling fantasy about a girl who is determined to take down the black market once and for all in the conclusion to the trilogy that started with the critically acclaimed Not Even Bones.
Nita finally has Fabricio, the boy who betrayed her to the black market, within her grasp. But when proof that Kovit’s a zannie—a monster who eats pain in order to survive—is leaked to the world, Nita must reevalute her plans.
With enemies closing in on all sides, the only way out is for Nita and Kovit to take on the most dangerous man in the world: Fabricio’s father. He protects the secrets of the monsters who run the black market. Stealing those secrets could be the one thing that stands between Nita and Kovit and certain death in the thrilling conclusion to the trilogy that began with the critically acclaimed Not Even Bones.
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Not the Strongest of the Series, But A Fitting Conclusion
The Highlights:
- This world is just really cool
- Complex characters get even more complex
- Felt a little dragged out
- Satisfying end to the series
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading the Market of Monsters series from start to finish. While the first book, Not Even Bones, is still my favorite, both follow up novels were just really fun to read and great continuations of the series. This held true for the finale, When Villains Rise. I had a great time reading it, and even if it wasn’t the strongest entry in the series, it was still a really good ending.
My favorite aspect of these books has always been the world building. It just feels so unique. When Villains Rise just built on an already solid foundation, adding to and moving within a world like no other. All of the creatures, the cutthroat situations, the evil Death Market and corrupt government agencies, it all adds up to something really special and really unique to this series.
The characters would then have to be my second favorite aspect of these books. Nita has been complex from the start, and her motivations, her drive has always been clear. I love how decisive she is, and she really stayed true to herself in this last book. I liked getting to see more of Kovit in this one, and it made his character even more complex and compelling. The characters were very well done in this installment, beyond even just Nita and Kovit, but I want to leave the rest for readers to discover on there own.
My one and only issue with When Villains Rise was the pacing. The beginning was fantastic. There was all this great setup, promises of action and confrontations, tough decisions and of course, villainy. And all of that did end up in the book. It all just felt so dragged out. Lots and lots of talking between big moments, and while some of it was insightful or even endearing, a lot of it had my mind wandering. It honestly felt to me like this whole book was a really drawn out final couple of scenes. I do wander though, if it would benefit from being read immediately after the previous books.
Overall, When Villains Rise was a very satisfying end to a series I love. It tied everything up nicely while still leaving some to the readers imagination, which is exactly what I want in my endings. Now that the whole series is out, I would highly recommend binging all of the books, and plan to do so myself when I reread them. I just think that will be a really fun way to read them and I think the stories flow together so nicely that the experience would benefit from them being read one after another. If you like monsters, morally gray characters, and intelligent writing, this is definitely a series you don’t want to sleep on.
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
Thank you for reviewing this! A) Market of Monsters is a series that I feel doesn’t get nearly enough attention and B) I had no idea when the final book was coming out! To be totally honest, I only made it halfway through book 2 due to distractions, but it certainly wasn’t because of lack of interest. These books are certainly action (and monster blood) packed. And I do really like the characters-especially Nita and Kovit. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to this series!