Vanquished by Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigue

GoodReads
384 pages, YA Paranormal (vampires)
Crusade #3
My rating: 5 stars

Synopsis

Following the “globetrotting supernatural adventure” (Publishers Weekly) of Damned, the riveting conclusion to the Crusade trilogy pushes the power of love to its limits.

Hope is in short supply, but courage runs deep as the Salamancan hunters recover from a devastating loss. Jenn knows she must rally her team against the Cursed Ones, but her focus is shattered. She’s torn between passion for Antonio, who once fought by her side, and hate for the bloodthirsty vampire he’s become. His volatility is tearing apart their team...and Jenn’s trust.

As the Cursed Ones amass new strength, Team Salamanca must strike together if they hope to survive, let alone defend humanity. Jenn wants to believe Antonio’s loyal to their cause—and their love—but she’s slowly losing her heart to Resistance fighter Noah. And if Antonio’s not careful, he may just end up with a stake in his.

This gripping conclusion to an epic trilogy pairs steamy romance with heart-stopping action, and delivers an ending as dramatic as it is unexpected.

My 2 cents

This was a thrill ride of a novel!  I've always loved this series, and I finally got to finish the series!  I was not disappointed with the finale in the least.  It completely lived up to my expectations!

The beginning of the book starts off so dark and hopeless.  One of the team members of Team Salamanca is dead, another is missing, Antonio is fighting his blood lust, and Jenn is reeling from what happened to Antonio.  The only member at all who seems to think they can recover from this and be triumphant is Father Juan.  

The one thing that really stuck out in this book that didn't in the first two was Father Juan.  We finally get to learn something about him, who and what he really is.  The epilogue of the book is one page, devoted to him, and made me laugh out loud!  The team would have been doomed without him.

There isn't much lying around in this book.  Every time the team seems to get a chance to rest and strategize, something happens that flips everything on its head again.  Considering that this story is about a worldwide war with vampires, the authors manage to make this book feel so real.  And everything about it is the exact opposite of Twlight!

The reason I think I love this series so much is the characters.  This story would make a fantastic movie, just in the characters are so easy to love and connect with.  The group makes me think a little of Cassandra Clare's characters--atleast the comradeship, and jealousy between them. I'm going to talk a little bit about the characters and why they are so great, especially in this book.  There will be spoilers ahead from the other books, so if you haven't read the first two books, you may want to stop reading!

Jenn  --the team's leader has finally come into her own.  She is like a commandeer steering her troops in battle.  In this story, its more than just her team, she's the general for the whole army! She is just amazing in how she never gives up on her teammates, especially Antonio.

Antonio--a kind vampire turned cruel, then back to kind--sort of.  He is having major trouble with bloodlust in this book.  Its like his demon has been awakened.  It was a completely different Antonio than in the first book, and it kind of drove me crazy! Until the end, where he finally manned up!

Skye--I think Skye is my favorite member.  She has such goodness in her, but she is one tough cookie.  She finally starts to realize she might have a thing for Holgar in this one, which complicates things a bit!  She has to make some tough choices in this story, but I never doubted her for a second!

Holgar--the kindest and most loyal werewolf you will ever meet!  He saves his members countless times in this story, and he is rock solid throughout.  I think he turns into the biggest hero in the story myself.  If only Jaime would leave him alone!

Jamie--the member that frustrates me the most.  But in this story, I actually did connect with him more, and he does some pretty out of character things to help his teammates.  He may act like he's in it for himself, but I think the team is wearing off on him!  He also does something in this story that I never would have expected!

Noah--not an original team member, but he is desperately needed in this battle.  He plays his part to perfection.  I really liked Noah, and I felt so awful when the authors finally told us his back story.  Of all the members, he really has the least to lose.

The final battle and ending was more than I could have hoped!  It tied up everything, but it wasn't cheesy or an easy fight by any means.  There are more deaths, but I won't spoil it for you!  But I was in tears at one point!  A great finale for a great series!