Lia Fail – Stone of Destiny (The Four Keys Book 3) – J.C. Lucas
Synopsis
A relentless evil. An impossible choice.
“Despite all the heartache, the injuries, the terror and the unknown, you forge ahead without hesitating. This is why you were meant to find the Keys.”
Andie expected everything to be the same when she and her team returned home from finding the second Key, but she didn’t realize she’d find herself in a nest of loss and unexplainable connections.
Now her world is crumbling. She must learn to be a leader and navigate the magical world without her best friends. Where everyone wants something from her—and an unbreakable bond shakes her to the core.
Time is running short and an army of darkness gathers, preparing to destroy the Fae and perhaps, even the human world.
Little does she know there is another player behind the scenes. An old evil is rising up, more powerful than anyone can imagine, and Andie is called to take up a path she had never thought possible, and that she never wanted…
PLEASE NOTE: This is book three in The Four Key series and is best read after books one and two. This is not a standalone novel.
Review
“Til the stars go dark and the rivers run dry, you will be mine.”
Celeste was taken, Teagan hates her, and Hunter has changed. Andie was having to face losing everyone she loved again, but this time she really didn’t have the strength to bear it, so she fell into a severe depression.
The worst part was that Andie believed she had got Hunter back after saving him with the Cauldron, but whatever it was that it did to him, it changed him deeply. It may have not changed their feelings, but these may not be enough. Not even having a strange connection.
“There is not one thing wrong with our bond other than the fact that I can’t always be here for you when you need me. A higher power brought us together in this way, not you, Andie. This was never your doing. I know you agonized about it, still do. But this was meant to be what would happen. Regardless of what anyone else may think or believe, our bond will last forever and be one for the ages. It’s powerful, it’s real, and it’s ours.”
Oh yeah, Freya is still out there planning to take over the world and destroy Andie in her way… (just so you know, this is the real reason for the quarantines: It wasn’t the Covid, it was Freya ?).
So Andie is forced to go in the search of the third Key, without being ready and without her friends on her team, only Killian. At least She has some unexpected allies.
I wasn’t ready to learn how to fight. I liked the little bubble I was in right now, shutting out the rest of the world and its problems.
I was honestly scared to start this book because Andie’s vision was pretty clear and I love Celeste. Also, Andie has become a friend to me. I connect with her in a much more real way than any other character I can remember. Which implies that I had a terrible time with the first half of the book… I loved it, but I had a terrible time.
There really came a point when I was just like this meme. Like Andie was in a hole and J.C. kept pouring dirt on her. Hey! Our Andie is a strong girl, but everyone has their limits. She feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders (which is true) as well as being to blame for all the evils that have occurred, which is clearly not true, but it is entirely logical that she feels that way.
Fortunately she has Killian and Aine to support her. Plus a second chance with Rohn, her father. And of course, Emric and Charlie are always by her side. And the new hairball too ?.
Charlie’s voice sounded behind me, soft but strong. “You can pretend like we don’t understand young lady, but deep down you know we do. You’re not the only one who’s lost someone. You’re not the only one who has experienced pain, and you’ll not be the last. And you’ll lose more. Your life is far from over, and life has a way of taking and giving. It is a roller coaster, bringing you up and down, and then back again. But you cannot give up. You just can’t. We need you too much. Think about it, sleep on it, and fight your way back up out of this darkness. We need your light.”
My biggest disappointment in this book were the tests Andie had to face to get the third Key. I was expecting a bit more, but the rest of the book makes up for it.
We went down further, the weight of our bodies doing all of the work, and what I saw as a city became clearer. Was I in the freaking Little Mermaid?… Oh, god, kill me now. The lyrics to “Under the Sea,”began to play over and over in my mind. If I could have groaned right then, I would have.
Again I must applaud J.C. because I have just discovered that the story is based on Celtic mythology, and it is obvious that she has taken care to study the subject. Even, freak fact of the day, Lia Fail means Stone of Destiny in Irish. I couldn’t understand the name of the book (Lia failed? Who is Lia?) Until I discovered this by accident ?.
This book really has everything you could ask for. The characters have no flaws, and by this I mean that they are full of them. They are one hundred percent real, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their emotions… The characters are perfectly imperfect.
They have also matured a lot, all of them. They still have their teenage moments, but their growth is remarkable. Especially Hunter and Andie.
“Somehow this will get fixed. I don’t care what it takes. I can’t live my life worrying about the future, but I want to make sure I help shape it. And if that means figuring all this out on top of finding the Keys and staying alive that’s what I’ll do.”
And if this is not enough, there is a ball (they bought me with this ?) and a ferret. My favorite scene actually happens in the library right after the ball. There is also the development of Andie’s relationship with her father, and her beautiful friendship with Killian. Then there are Emric and Charlie who are the best. Did I mention there is a ball? ?
I give this book 5 stars. Maybe it should be 4, but I don’t care, I loved it. I look forward to the conclusion of this saga and, despite not wanting it to end, I think Andie has already earned the right to live in peace… And many things can happen in a book. Part of me wishes this was the last one just so they don’t have to suffer anymore.
Bye bye ?