This is rather decent STAND ALONE book in the trilogy. I have not read the previous 2 books in this series, and I do not feel like I missed anything important, that happened before. It has a predictable but nicely written twist/end. The writing is good, it flows well and the story is engaging, though a bit repetitive (the hiding in the cabin stuff), and simplistic at times (hello YA book). There are plenty of lore references, nicely woven in. But there are also many open ends, unexplained/unexplored turns in the story that drop off into nowhere, and POOF characters (as in poof they are here-Poof they are gone). Over all the book is a nice read, but with many holes, and as such not a keeper. In light of other books of similar stories, this is better then many, but not as good as some. A solid 3.5-4 STARS depending on how perceptive the reader is.
Spoilers:
After the reaping, where the swaplings "push" their parents to kill all their other kids, the FBI figure it out and arrests the swaplings. Rachel's parents go to jail forever and disappear. They never did have any substance so no great loss here. There is the POOF character that appears and diapers without any explanation who she is, what her role in the story is, or what agenda she represents. She is a fay woman the mirror, summoned by Rachel. She instructs Rachel, as to how to get her sister back from the human mom who didn't want har own child, so the Fay swapped it for Deliah (Rachels sister). Rachel had to persuade the mom to agree to swap back. In the mean time the Fay dropped the unwanted baby-kid in Rachels bathtub. Rachel ends un razing the unwanted kid as her own, while she is finishing her degree, and all that on her own. The barely there characters of the grandparents sort of poof-disapear. Rachel moves close to her real sister in Oklahoma, to watch over her. At the age of 11 she teaches her for 1 year and then sacrifices her life to save Deliah from Car accident. This causes the father to curse/bless Deliah with the Fury spirit, exacting revenge on all wrong Deliah witnesses. Which turns Deliah into non-human-human and starts of the first two books. When Deliah disabled the spinal-cord-collar controlling the Cryptids, she inadvertently releases the Changelings from their capacity. (there are only 5000 left out of the 300,000. Compliments of the government). So now the changelings are doing a Second Reaping. Instructing adults to kill in large numbers. Shooting in school, poison milk in schools, nurse with lethal injections..... The Fury knows what must be done and starts killing the Changelings before Deliah catches on. (eventually se does). She has the baby. And then sets up a call to all changelings (who are ALL still in DC area because they are drawn to her). She releases the fury and the changelings rip each other to shreds. Its called the Blood Harvest. The baby daughter meets there great, great parents in new better world. The end.
Now that I outlined the story, some things deserve to be asked. 1. Who was the fay woman in the mirror? What was her role in swapping out babies? Her motives? 2. Who exactly were the changelings? Why were the changelings determined to kill humans? They mentioned: to feed on human suffering. Now WHO was doing the feeding?I assume its is meant to be the dark Fay. Bit that is never mentioned in any way. 3. Why the Changeling, Deliah and the unwanted kid all look alike? The unwanted kid should have looked like her parents, and not be identical to Deliah. 4. Why were the changelings fatal attracted to Deliah? 5. After setting up the supporting characters (friends) WTH happened to them after Deliah sacrifice? 6. Deliah dies. World is now a great and safe place because humans witnessed her killing thousands of the changelings. (How many changelings survived?). We are TOLD that Humans were so grossed out, and so grateful, that they decided to return to status Q, before the first reaping, and live happy with the non-humans ever after... ummm literally this happens in 3 paragraphs. HOW did all that happened?
Spoilers:
After the reaping, where the swaplings "push" their parents to kill all their other kids, the FBI figure it out and arrests the swaplings. Rachel's parents go to jail forever and disappear. They never did have any substance so no great loss here. There is the POOF character that appears and diapers without any explanation who she is, what her role in the story is, or what agenda she represents. She is a fay woman the mirror, summoned by Rachel. She instructs Rachel, as to how to get her sister back from the human mom who didn't want har own child, so the Fay swapped it for Deliah (Rachels sister). Rachel had to persuade the mom to agree to swap back. In the mean time the Fay dropped the unwanted baby-kid in Rachels bathtub. Rachel ends un razing the unwanted kid as her own, while she is finishing her degree, and all that on her own. The barely there characters of the grandparents sort of poof-disapear. Rachel moves close to her real sister in Oklahoma, to watch over her. At the age of 11 she teaches her for 1 year and then sacrifices her life to save Deliah from Car accident. This causes the father to curse/bless Deliah with the Fury spirit, exacting revenge on all wrong Deliah witnesses. Which turns Deliah into non-human-human and starts of the first two books. When Deliah disabled the spinal-cord-collar controlling the Cryptids, she inadvertently releases the Changelings from their capacity. (there are only 5000 left out of the 300,000. Compliments of the government). So now the changelings are doing a Second Reaping. Instructing adults to kill in large numbers. Shooting in school, poison milk in schools, nurse with lethal injections..... The Fury knows what must be done and starts killing the Changelings before Deliah catches on. (eventually se does). She has the baby. And then sets up a call to all changelings (who are ALL still in DC area because they are drawn to her). She releases the fury and the changelings rip each other to shreds. Its called the Blood Harvest. The baby daughter meets there great, great parents in new better world. The end.
Now that I outlined the story, some things deserve to be asked. 1. Who was the fay woman in the mirror? What was her role in swapping out babies? Her motives? 2. Who exactly were the changelings? Why were the changelings determined to kill humans? They mentioned: to feed on human suffering. Now WHO was doing the feeding?I assume its is meant to be the dark Fay. Bit that is never mentioned in any way. 3. Why the Changeling, Deliah and the unwanted kid all look alike? The unwanted kid should have looked like her parents, and not be identical to Deliah. 4. Why were the changelings fatal attracted to Deliah? 5. After setting up the supporting characters (friends) WTH happened to them after Deliah sacrifice? 6. Deliah dies. World is now a great and safe place because humans witnessed her killing thousands of the changelings. (How many changelings survived?). We are TOLD that Humans were so grossed out, and so grateful, that they decided to return to status Q, before the first reaping, and live happy with the non-humans ever after... ummm literally this happens in 3 paragraphs. HOW did all that happened?
