This series is one of a kind. The Lightning Conjurer: The Christening is an amazing, outstanding story. It has so many ups and downs throughout the entire story. It will pull you one way only to throw you for a loop into another way. I loved Rowan/Aspen. She was strong, feisty, caring, loving, intelligent, and a strong sense of justice. Aiden is sweet as always but strong and protective. I loved Ori and his humor. The of the support characters are amazingly developed and add so much to the story. This is extremely well written and when the descriptions are given in the story you can easily visualize them as if it was right in front of you. The story will have you laughing one minute, crying the next, only to anger you in that third minute and finally feeling all the love in it. It is gripping and one that is unable to be put down. It draws you in and doesn’t let go until you reach the end. This is a must read! The entire series is one that you won’t forget. ( )

The finale to The Lightning Conjurer trilogy was phenomenal! In each book, there were major twists to the story arc and shocking new revelations, and this was no different. Aspen (or Rowen or Rose, depending on when you knew her) is the most powerful elementalist in the world, pending training in both skills and politics. While she disagrees with much that the Asterian Order is doing and has stood for, she seems to have a sympathetic ear in the magistrate. But can she trust him enough to actually join the Order? And even if they are able to work together, can she cast a vision that the entire community will get behind?

Aspen also struggles with her past. Before everything came to a head, she had dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon. She had also nearly been engaged before her memory was wiped. Now that it's all coming back, which life does she want? Things were definitely simpler when she wasn't trying to change the world. Fortunately for Aspen, she doesn't have to make all of these decisions on her own. Her mom is back in life, her boyfriend would do anything for her, and she has quite a few loyal and powerful new friends who will fight with her. And Aspen isn't the sort of woman to stand looking at the past for too long, regardless of how she might wish it. There's a world ahead of her that needs saving.

Not to spoil things, but the ending was absolutely perfect. Much was lost and much was gained. People always die in wars, but no one died in vain. There were unexpected changes in the world, while many good things remained the same. And while I cried through the last few chapters of the book, the tears were the kind that come when you have to say goodbye to characters that had started to feel like friends.

A special thanks to the author for not going Veronica Roth on us (heroes don't need to die to be good heroes) and also not writing a love triangle (is it really hard to know who you love when you have choices?). The only reason it took me so long to read this book is that you haven't finished your next series yet and I didn't want to be finished reading everything you had written. I guess I can always keep re-reading this trilogy until you write your spin-off series (hint hint nudge nudge). Like many others have said, I'm not ready to leave Aspen's world just yet. It's a truly captivating place to be, filled with wonder and wonderful things. ( )