27 Jun Book Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Reckoning is the final book in Kelley Armstrong’s Darkest Powers trilogy, a series that helped shape the early wave of supernatural YA in the late 2000s. Armstrong, already known for her Women of the Otherworld adult urban fantasy series, brought her talent for eerie atmosphere and grounded paranormal lore to a younger audience — and honestly, she did it with real finesse. This final installment delivers on the promises of the first two books, giving us more action, more heartbreak, and the kind of messy, earned growth that makes you want to hug these characters and also shout at them.

What’s it about?

We pick up exactly where The Awakening left off — Chloe Saunders, necromancer extraordinaire (and reluctant ghost magnet), has escaped the Edison Group’s clutches yet again, along with Derek, Simon, and Tori. They’ve landed in a supposed safe house run by Andrew, a member of the resistance against the Edison Group and a friend of Simon and Derek’s dad.

But safety is an illusion. While the house offers temporary shelter, it quickly becomes clear that not everyone in Andrew’s crew is trustworthy. The kids are being observed, and not in the warm “you’re safe here” kind of way. There’s tension in the walls, a sense that even here, they’re being studied — maybe even used.

Chloe is still struggling to control her powers. She’s not just raising ghosts anymore; she’s calling up bodies, sometimes unintentionally. The weight of her abilities — and the potential danger they pose — is starting to crack her confidence. Her training sessions are intense, but the fear that she’s too powerful, too unstable, looms large.

Meanwhile, Derek is dealing with his own beast — literally. His werewolf transformations are looming closer, and the changes are increasingly violent and painful. He’s fiercely protective of Chloe, but he’s also terrified of what he might do to her if he loses control. Their relationship is tense, tender, and built on the kind of slow-burn trust that feels earned.

Simon, always the optimist of the group, tries to keep the peace, even as his feelings for Chloe still hang unspoken in the air. And Tori — snarky, defensive, complex Tori — starts revealing sides of herself that go way deeper than her earlier mean-girl façade. The group dynamic here is one of the highlights of the book: layered, evolving, and filled with just enough teenage chaos to keep it real.

As the kids dig deeper into the Edison Group’s history, they uncover even more disturbing truths about the experiments conducted on them. The group’s plans for supernaturals go far beyond simple observation. They’re building something — and Chloe, with her unusually strong powers, might be at the center of it.

Things escalate fast. There’s a betrayal (of course), a capture (again), and a showdown that brings both physical and emotional stakes. Chloe has to summon every bit of courage — and power — to protect her friends and get them out alive. The climax is messy, cathartic, and surprisingly grounded for a story with necromancy and werewolves.

The book ends on a note that’s not exactly a perfect bow — which I actually loved. There’s hope, but no guarantees. The kids are still fugitives. The Edison Group still looms. But for the first time, they feel like a found family — scrappy, scarred, but stronger together.

What This Chick Thinks

A Series That Actually Sticks the Landing

Let’s just take a second to appreciate how rare it is for a trilogy to end well. So many YA series lose steam by book three — but not this one. The Reckoning keeps the tension high, the character arcs moving, and the emotional stakes sharp. It doesn’t try to wrap everything up too neatly, and that’s part of what makes it satisfying. Life doesn’t tie itself up in perfect bows, especially not for kids with supernatural mutations and a trail of ghost-related trauma.

Chloe is the Kind of Protagonist I Root For

She’s not fearless, she’s not perfect, and she doesn’t always know what she’s doing — but that’s what makes her feel so real. She cares deeply, especially when it’s inconvenient. Her powers are scary, and she doesn’t want them to define her, but she also doesn’t run from them. Watching her learn to own that part of herself — and use it to protect the people she loves — was honestly kind of powerful.

Derek and Chloe? Yes, Please.

The romance here is still a slow burn, but it’s reached the point where there’s real payoff. I loved that their connection wasn’t about grand declarations but about trust, loyalty, and just… showing up. Again and again. They challenge each other. They annoy each other. But they also really see each other. And in a story where everyone’s hiding or manipulating or pretending, that kind of honesty hits hard.

A World That Feels Bigger Than the Page

One thing Armstrong does well is make the world feel lived in. The Edison Group, the Cabals, the resistance — none of it feels like background noise. It’s hinted at, tangled, and realistically messy. Even though this book closes Chloe’s arc, you can tell the world keeps going. That’s a sign of good series writing: you leave the final chapter and feel like you could walk right back in.

Final Thoughts

The Reckoning is everything I want from the final book in a YA paranormal trilogy. It’s smart about power — who has it, who abuses it, and how terrifying it can be to hold it yourself. It treats its characters like people first, supernaturals second. And it lets them be messy, scared, brave, and loving — sometimes all in one scene.

If you’ve read the first two books, you’ll be more than satisfied with how this one lands. If you haven’t? It’s absolutely worth starting from the beginning.

Rating: 9/10

Try it if you like:

• The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black – Vampires, rebellion, and a sharp female lead trying to survive a world full of monsters.
• The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare – A historical paranormal trilogy with love triangles, dark family secrets, and beautifully tormented teens.
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake – A necromancer boy meets a ghost girl in this creepy, stylish, and unexpectedly emotional horror-tinged romance.