Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl Series: Caster Chronicles #4
Published by Little Brown on 23 October 2012
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 451
Source: Kindle Purchase
Buy on Amazon 
Summary from Goodreads:
Is death the end . . . or only the beginning? Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin. But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice. Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena - and Gatlin - as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones' lives. Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?
Beautiful Redemption was very well written, with the characters we know and love moving on with a fate they really thought they’d never have to live (or die) with. They all grew and made concessions, and the humor was present just like in the other books in the series. The Caster Chronicles is among my favorite series ever, whether the series be YA or adult.The ending to a series I loved that was written so well should have gotten five stars you say? Well, yes, I thought so to, except there actually is a but… that I will discuss further down in my review to explain why I only gave it four stars.
Beautiful Redemption is written in three parts, first from Ethan’s point of view, then from Lena’s and back again to Ethan’s. As I am sure many readers suspected after the ending of Caster Chronicles #3, Ethan continues to be the main character in this final book as well, and most of his adventures happen in the Otherworld. He is not ready to pass on and learns quickly, even if his mom is trying to keep it from him, that his death wasn’t supposed to happen.
The mystery and the puzzles are very well done, the way Ethan shows courage even in the most dire situations can only make me love him more as a character. I really liked the description of the graveyard, and how each headstone was actually the deceased person’s house in their lot, and was inhabited by the ones that belonged there. The fact that aunt Prue found all of her deceased husbands waiting for her had me chuckle quite a bit, and they were all good sports about having to share her.
Ethan has to solve the biggest mystery of all, and it might mean a way for him to go back to his life again, back to Lena, Amma, his dad, Link, Marian and everybody else who is important to him. However, the quest in front of him is really difficult, he has to go through a lot of different places in the otherworld, and he also has to face his biggest fears if he wants to win the chance to actually live again.
In the world we know, Lena is coping as best she can, while Amma and Macon have cast a spell on Ethan’s dad so that he doesn’t even know that Ethan is dead. Ethan is able to cross to the real world, but he has trouble getting Amma and Lena to realize he is there, however when he does, it is genius!
Both Lena and Ethan have to do difficult things in order to make sure Ethan can come back to the living, and here is where I talk about the star I felt I had to take off from my rating. The epic fights aren’t really epic at all… they feel like wet fireworks without lights and hardly any sound. It just seems like the bad guys who are defeated (and I’m not saying they all are) are defeated too easily. These are really bad, and old bad guys we’re talking about. And it only took a few pages for the fight to be over – one way or the other. That was disappointing to me, because I really loved the fights in the prior books, sitting at the edge of my seat with my heart beating so fast I thought it would beat right out of my chest!
I still really recommend this book, though, it has everything else it should have, the mystery, the love, the quest, the puzzles, the humor – it’s all there. And most of all, both Lena and Ethan’s belief that they will be together again. That their love is strong enough to pass between the worlds. That is exactly how I think their love is – epic and timeless.
The tomatoes sizzled in the pan, and I breathed in the scent of my mother – yellowing paper and burnt oil, new tomatoes and old cardboard, all laced through with cayenne pepper. No wonder libraries made me so hungry.
It looked like the kind of twisted drawing you’d find in a book meant to terrify children into having nightmares. The kind of book where kids were trapped by more than just witches and devoured by more than wolves.
Things changed. Then they changed again. Life was like that, and even death, I guess.
“I’m tired of seeing everything. It was easier back when I didn’t know anything. I barely even knew I was alive.”
“Please, ma’am. Ma’ams.” What was the plural of ma’am?
Aunt Mercy shook her head so violently I thought her dentures were going to come unglued.
John elbowed me. “Isn’t there some kind of Cast that can keep our noses from working? Like a Stinkus Lessus Cast?” “No, but I can think of a few Shutus Upus Casts that might be applicable right now”
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
okay im dying to know ( literally im dying i have cystic disease, b ut anywhooo) that dosent matter what matters is does lena and ethan end up together? i cant get the book anywhere so please tell me !! at least email it to me i swear i wont tell!!!!
I haven’t picked up this series, because I have read so many conflicting things about it, but after reading your review on it, I think I will have to give it a go! It sounds like something I will really enjoy. Although, I love action, and it seems I maybe a little bit disappointed with this one, but otherwise, it sounds great!
Fantastic review Lexxie!!
Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace
Thank you Naomi 🙂 I know some bloggers who really didn’t like this series too. Maybe you should try to get the first one at the library, to see if you like the style?
Have a great afternoon!
yea do lena and ethan end up together!!? i have read the first book and just started the second but im dying to know because i like happy endings even if the way to get there isn’t so happy. please email me the answer!!