Thursday, July 4, 2013

Endure Blog Tour by M.R. Merrick {Review+Giveaway}


Eep! Today is my stop on Endure Blog Tour! It is also the Fourth of July and what better way to celebrate then with an awesome book! This moment is as bittersweet as they come. First, this is my favorite series and I absolutely love it which is why this moment is so hard for me. This is the final book in the series and it is time to say goodbye. These moments are always hard. But at least this series will always be with me. 

Book Blurb~
Wrapped in darkness and woven with defeat, every action Chase has taken since being exiled from the Circle has been met with a devastating response. Now he's been burdened with a quest that seems impossible, and he needs to evolve into something more, something greater than he ever thought he could be.

Armed with magic, friendship, and an unbreakable will, Chase must build an army and find a weapon capable of defeating the ultimate evil. But he knows that nothing great comes without sacrifice. Blessed by the very gods who have abandoned him and carrying the fate of all the worlds on his shoulders, Chase Williams is about find out just how much one man can endure.
Helpful Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo


My Review

Okay you all know that I have serious deep rooted love for this series, like way deep. I have devoured this entire series time and time again. I just can't get enough. But with Endure here it means that I have to say goodbye to some of my favorite characters....EVER! Well I had to say goodbye to one of them in December, we all know who that is, *glares at M.R. Merrick,* so this moment is truly bittersweet for me. On one hand I finally got all the answers, closure and redemption for all the major crap that Riley has caused throughout this series. And on the other hand I no longer have stories about The Protector to look forward to. 

After the major gut wrenching moment at the end of Release, I knew that things were going to get real for Chase in Endure. I knew that things were never going to be the same. And with this being the final chapter in the series I knew that some major crap was going to go down, but in no way was I prepared for the major bomb that M.R. Merrick dropped on me in this book. Don't ask me to tell you what moment it was either, because I won't tell you. If you read the book you will totally know what I am talking about.

As far as characters go, The Protector series has some of the best characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. With each one being incredibly written. The attention that M.R. Merrick pays to his characters development completely blows my mind and I'm not just talking the main characters either. In Endure we get a more in depth look at Tiki and why he is the way he is with a great glimpse at the world he comes from. Tiki is one of those characters that never ceases to amaze me. He is loyal, kind, caring, dedicated, respectful and one hell of a fierce warrior. This is one demon I wouldn't want to piss off, but I definitely would want on my side.

Throughout The Protector series, Vincent has been one character that has been a thorn in my side. He is the character I love to hate and the character I wanted Chase to use as a punching bag. But despite being a snarky little pain in mine and Chase's butt, he is also a good person or vampire to have on your side. In Endure Vincent get's knocked down a peg or two, but manages to maintain his snark and attitude through everything. I loved it when he came groveling to Chase, again. Perfect. Rayna is the fiercest female character out there. She can go toe to toe with the fiercest demons, beasts and men. Don't mess with Rayna. She is incredibly loyal, strong, sweet and has the ability to handle Chase like no one else.

I could sit here and go character by character and tell you all the reasons why the characters in Endure are so freaking insane, but that would take me a while so I am just going to say this. Best characters EVER!

Throughout The Protector series Chase has faced unbeatable odds. Facing enemies bigger, stronger and more vicious then him, all while trying to survive the magic that was raging inside him. Of all the characters in Endure Chase probably grows the most. He has always been determined and dedicated but in Endure things just sort of click for Chase and we finally see him become the Protector that he has been destined to be. And it is a glorious transformation, finally Chase has grown up. Here is a taste of grown up Chase....

"I had been weakened and I had been hurt, but I would never quit. I would be strong once again and I would fight, not because I was the Protector and not out of revenge or hatred, but out of honor, because that's what Willy would do." ~Kindle, Loc. 1057
See what I mean, grown up. And there are many, many more moments like this throughout Endure. With this being the end of the series there are many heart melting moments. Moments that make you cry, moments that make you cheer, and moments that make you stand up and say Hell Yea!

In true M.R. Merrick fashion Endure was full of incredible creatures, demons and amazing worlds. The action was non stop and there were more than a few nail biting moments. M.R. Merrick did an excellent job building the suspense that for a second I questioned whether or not it was actually going to end in a cliffhanger. Talk about sitting on the edge of your seat. 

To sum this all up before I continue to ramble, words can not convey all my feelings towards this book and what it means. There will be no more Protector. No more Chase, Tiki, Rayna, Willy and annoying Vincent to fill my world with laughter, strength, love and undying loyalty. If I had to find any fault in this book it is that there wasn't enough of an Epilogue. But don't fault M.R. Merrick for that. He could have written a whole nother book and it wouldn't have been enough for me. 

So if you haven't already picked up this book then you need to get off your duff and do it now! If you haven't started the series then you really need to do it NOW, (psst....book 1 Exiled is FREE so grab it here: Amazon

Naturally the book that made me cry, made me yell, made me awe and made me say oh my gosh get's a whopping.......


*Psst...really I would give this book a billion Monster Cupcakes, but there is a rating system for a reason!

There are just too many favorite moments to choose from. But for your pleasure I am going to share a moment that truly touched my heart as I am sure it will yours.

"Rayna was home for me.....It didn't matter where we went or what we fought, we'd be together. I didn't say it just then, but I felt it. That was the moment I knew I loved her." (kindle, loc. 2466).

About the Author

M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he's usually found at the computer, between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.
Find Him: Website | Twitter | Facebook

To entice you a little more here is trailer for The Protector Series




Now for some goodies! If you have been following this tour then you know there is a scavenger hunt going on. Just make sure you visit all the tour stops, collect the letters to enter to win a separate Giveaway. For the complete tour schedule check here: Stuck in Books

Today’s letter is… 

 



Collect all 15 letters as you visit all the stops of the Endure tour.  Unscramble the letters to make a 2 word phrase that will get you entered to WIN a $50 AMAZON gift card!


Giveaway
 2 grand prize packs of all four books signed plus swag
5 winners of Endure eBooks
15 swag packs


2 comments:

  1. Totally Fire! It has real power and beauty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great post. Thanks for being part of the tour.

    Valerie
    StuckInBooks.com

    ReplyDelete