Death Before Daylight by Shannon A. Thompson

Note: Since this is the last book of the trilogy, spoilers could not be avoided and there may be some ahead, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I have been wanting to read Death Before Daylight by Shannon A. Thompson since the moment I have finished reading the second book, Seconds Before Sunrise. There was so much I wanted to know. Who would win the battle? The Dark or the Light? Will Eric and Jessica end up together? I was also excited, and nervous, for identities to be revealed. Who is Darthon? Who is Luthicer? Who is Fudicia? Jessica, in the book, once said to Bracke, “I want to know everything”; and that is exactly how I felt in the beginning: I wanted to know everything. But as much as I did want to know everything, I was also afraid there was going to be a lot of deaths, what with the title and based on the fact that this is the last installment, which means an epic battle in the end (yay!). As much as I love epic battles, I also love a happy ending, and I don’t like my favorite characters getting killed. So before starting to read this book, I was kind of preparing myself for unwanted deaths, and what made it even harder was that my list of favorite characters kept on growing as I read. In the first book, it was basically only Jessica and Eric; in the second, I added a few like Mindy, Noah, and Crystal. But in the third one, there’s a whole lot; it’s almost everyone. With that, I loved how the author developed the characters; you really get to know them better, and she makes you eventually understand them and fall in love with, or at least like, them — yes, even those you used to hate! I mean, I couldn’t even imagine liking Fudicia, but in the end, I did!

The cover gave me hope, though, that Jessica and Eric were going to end up together.

This book was the perfect way to end this trilogy! There were a lot of twists and turns in the story, so I didn’t really have any idea on how it would all end. There were the battles I was waiting for. There were spells (and a shifting realm!). And most especially, there was the happy ending! I liked how Eric and Jessica worked separately to resolve the ongoing conflicts. I liked what happened to everyone in the story, despite some deaths, and I’m so glad it didn’t leave me frustrated, i.e., no cliff-hanger ending. There were also some parts of the book that made me tear up a little, like Camille’s grave, and parts that made me extremely happy, like Jada’s human identity. I loved the book — a lot! Also, I liked how the books just kept getting better and better, which is what I want in any series. In The Timely Death Trilogy, you just keep on wanting to know more. I’m still having a hard time picking a favorite book among the three though. I love the first because it introduced me to a whole new world, I love the second because it was where I truly fell in love with Eric *swoon*, and I love the third because it was just a fantastic finale! I love all of them equally, but at the same time, I thought the books got better as the series progressed. I am probably not making any sense right now.

On a related note, I liked how the author used colors in the book — Jessica’s purple powers, the lights’ white hair, etc. I just felt, after reading the whole trilogy, that colors are an important part of the story, so I think it’s amazing that the author was able to do that!

Here are some of the quotes I liked:

No one had won the battle, but the battle had beaten us all.

We had met at the river, and then, we met in school—two people, disguised as other identities, yet we found one another in both lives. Fate was tricky like that.

“We all have to do things we don’t like.” (Luthicer, to Jessica)

We were together even when we were apart.

If you want magic, epic battles, romance, and an exciting, edge-of-your-seat kind of read, then look no further than The Timely Death Trilogy. I absolutely, highly recommend and am totally in love with this series!

I’d like to thank Shannon A. Thompson for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Death Before Daylight, the third book in The Timely Death Trilogy, by Shannon A. Thompson releases on September 15, 2015.