Rex Aftermath by Chrystalla Thoma

Elei's Chronicles #4

Summary:

      "There is war on the Seven Islands. Elei and his friends have unlocked the weapons held underground, but the Gultur regime is not so easily put down. Mantis and his ragtag army of kids need all the help they can get. Elei, Kalaes and Alendra return to Artemisia to create a diversion, while Hera, Sacmis and Mantis attack Dakru City, in a final attempt to bring peace. But with a net of betrayal closing around them and Rex set against Regina in a final confrontation, the price might prove too heavy."

The end to another great series. This is the most unique dystopian series I have ever read. It starts with it not feeling like the typical dystopian universe. (I know I said that before but it remains true) Though I'm still not 100% if this story takes place on earth or not, I think I remember a mentioning of it being earth in the last book, but this world is to different and vivid as it is that it feels like an alien world. It took me a couple pages to get back into this story since I read the first three books at the start of the year, but once I got back into it the world these characters live in rushed back and I felt like I was right there with them.

Elei becomes a much more proactive character in this book than I felt he was in the last one. And not that Rex has settled down a little more he is less out of his mind with everything. Kalaes is now dealing with the Rex parasite in some of the same ways that Elei was at the start of the series but, it's not the same for him, so where Kal was the quasi leader for Elei, now that Kal isn't as stable as he used to be the roles for the adoptive brothers shifts and that is what brings Elei out of his shell the most. Alendra continues to be the thing that stablizes Rex for Elei and his fight to keep her close but also keep his scarred and snake skin covered body from scaring her away.

We get to see what the core cast is up to Hera is away from Elei and Kal unsure if they will be okay with out her or if she'd be okay with out them. The action and suspense in this book never let up, but it didn't over do it either. Elei and Ale's kindling romance grew in this book, and Elei is still super cute when it comes to how little he knows about the opposite gender. After all that they wanted to accomplish was said and done, there is a really great and long epilogue that tied up all the loose stings with the characters, even though I still kind of want more.

I always have a hard time writing reviews for this series because there is nothing I can compare it to in my mind to have a bar set for it. All I can say is read this series, it takes a little to get into because it is unlike anything out there that I have read.