A review by thefolklaurate
TRUEL1F3 by Jay Kristoff

4.0

This entire series has been one giant roller coaster to the end of the world. The world of LIFEL1K3 is one of my favorites created by Mister Kristoff. I've been an avid reader of his stories since his debut with [b:Stormdancer|10852343|Stormdancer (The Lotus Wars, #1)|Jay Kristoff|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337359560l/10852343._SY75_.jpg|15767096]. But the grit and grim and betrayal and humor woven throughout these books is a true homage to what kind of writer and storyteller Jay Kristoff is.

TRUEL1F3 picks up right where DEV1AT3 ends, the nuke bound for Juggertown is saved by the deviates, Lemon is taken to Cityhive, and Eve, Gabriel, and Ana are transported to Megopolis. And from there we get points of view from mostly the entire ensemble. Jay Kristoff does not have any concept of hitting the breaks; every second of TRUEL1F3 is fueled with plot development, character arcs, and no-stop explosive banter and dialogue--and it was one wild ride. From the brewing war between the two CorpStates, the lifelifes goal of unlocking the Myriad super computer and gaining access to the Libertas virus and creation of new lifelikes, and the unlikely group we all know and love fighting to stop the world from going to even more shit, this series is one that I truly recommend to all.

SpoilerI will say, the betrayal of Solomon actually broke my heart. That little fugger was the highlight of reading book 2, and I was upset that he turned on Cricket and Abe and the rest when Libertas released him from the Three Laws. I do give Jay Kristoff props for really tugging my leg at Solomon's deceit, that I did not expect. And while, with Preacher, I should have expected his constant betrayal, I just enjoyed his crude character so much I held out time and again. Though his just desserts was mighty fine, too.


It is a bittersweet ending coming to the conclusion of TRUEL1F3, and while I wasn't sure where this book would eventually end up, the way everything ties together is somewhat nice and wholesome
Spoileras Eve scrounges up spare parts to bring back Cricket, and the original group is almost all together again with a hopeful future
. The characters that really shine in this installment are Lemon Fresh (but she honestly shone bright in all three books), Ezekiel, and even Eve, who has been a rough character for me to read as she undulates from hero to anti-hero throughout the series.

With an enjoyable fight scenes and final battle scene, character deaths that stung and others that were so, so well-deserved, and an ending that tied a ribbon on it all, I am both happy and sad say goodbye to these wonderful cast of characters.