She took down the Nephilim queen—but can she and her brother save the kingdom?Sadie Larcen may have defeated the traitorous Queen Estancia, but she’s quite happy to be home with her family. Unfortunately, their fiendish neighbor, Mr. Marshall, is still up to no good. He’s called a press conference with plans to introduce the world to a living, breathing Bigfoot. As a Sasquatch expert, Sadie’s … expert, Sadie’s mother Amy is coerced into lending her expertise to the spectacle. When Sadie and her brother Brady spy nefarious, uninvited guests at the gathering, they know there’s trouble brewing in the Tethered World. The two are driven into separate, dangerous exploits as they are thrust back into the schemes of the forces of darkness. Schemes that include using their autistic brother Brock as leverage to seize control of the Flaming Sword and the Tree of Life. The Gargoyles and Trolls have an ambition that extends beyond dominating these powerful elements. They’ve set their sights on the Topside realm—with or without the help of Mr. Marshall.
Deception is rampant, the enemy is subtle, and love dares to tug at Sadie’s heart amid the turmoil below. Once again, she and Brady will cling to God’s faithfulness as they fight for the people and creatures they care for, and against the enemies they fear.
Will the cost be more than they can endure?
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It’s time to say good-bye to the Tethered World Chronicles… and I don’t wanna! 🙁 The Genesis Tree is the last of the trilogy and it was everything I’ve come to expect and enjoy plus.
Mythical creatures come to life – check.
Adventures to a secret underground world – check.
Loathsome villains – check.
Unexpected events that leave me incoherent – double check!
Plus I learned about some really interesting stuff I’d never heard of before – the Shanghai tunnels aka Catacombs of Portland, OR. (Which led to me learning about the Seattle Underground too. Fascinating history.)
Sadie and her brother Brady have grown up so much over the course of their adventures. It was a joy to see their courage and faith being lived out – especially as Sadie had been so reluctantly drawn into these adventures in the other books. And the romance – I waited patiently through the last two books and the payoff was worth it!
All together, this was a beautiful send-off to the series and I’m secretly hoping for a spin-off someday. If this review seems brief compared to my usual ramblings, it’s only because I’m afraid of saying too much for fear of spoiling the story. I highly recommend these books and I’m going to do what I can to get them in my daughter’s school library.
(I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy by the author. I was not required to write a positive review.)
Some books are about magic and some books are magic. The Genesis Tree is both. It is an engaging and entertaining conclusion to a remarkable series. I loved jumping back into this blended world of fairy tale and Biblical characters. It neatly closes up the trilogy but I, for one, will miss it. It’s a story that the whole family would enjoy.
So good! I love all the twists and turns!
What an incredible ending to this series! The Tethered World feels so real, and how I wish I could visit! And the characters are so relatable and lovable, I easily connect with them and care about them.
In “The Genesis Tree,” the final installment of the trilogy, Heather FitzGerald has the seemingly insurmountable task of tying together all the loose ends, and yet she somehow manages it in a truly meaningful way. From the very first page, I was drawn in and hooked. All three books do a good job of holding attention right away with mystery and suspense, but this one really intensifies the tension. I found myself unable to put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next, stuck in that endless cycle every avid reader knows all too well: “Just one more chapter.” With the exposure of the Tethered World and its inhabitants at risk, the pressure is very real and drips from every page. The Larcen family, particularly Sadie and Brady, have almost no down time. They’re constantly thrown one curve after another, forced to fight back and protect their family and friends.
Without giving away major spoilers (a difficult feat for this book), there are several big plot twists that will leave your jaw on the floor. There is especially one near the end that I did not predict and was totally unprepared for. All I’ll say is have your tissues handy for this one. There are more mature themes present in this book than in the others, for sure. Just to be clear, it’s still clean and family-friendly. Rather, the “mature” aspect has more to do with the difficulties the characters face at the end. It’s not one of those too-safe stories where the heroes escape with no sacrifice. Where violence is present, as there inevitably will be in a fight of this scope and magnitude, it is all done tastefully and doesn’t get overly graphic in my opinion, making it still appropriate for younger readers.
Overall, this is a fantastic ending to an equally fantastic trilogy. I highly recommend that all three books be read in order to fully submerge yourself in this unique and wonderful world. You won’t regret it.
One of my favorite parts of the whole story has been the growth of the main characters, Sadie in particular. At the beginning of the first book, she is fearful, resentful and often self-absorbed, focusing more on her own discomfort than on the needs of others. But she doesn’t stay in that place. I appreciated getting to witness her steady, although not always easy or perfect, growth and maturing into a strong, courageous young woman who learned to trust in God’s plan, to let go of her need for control, and to put the safety of others ahead of her own.
Thank you, Heather, for a truly magical and unforgettable journey!
There’s a vast well of material here that could easily be drawn upon for future stories, if she wanted to. Maybe, if we’re lucky, this won’t be the last we see of the Tethered World.
*Sniff*. Very good conclusion to the series. Review:
I know in reviews, the goal is to write them “spoiler free”; with “The Genesis Tree” I didn’t know just how difficult that statement would be. Sitting here, contemplating how to gather my thoughts into this review, I’m realizing that it shall be difficult to say much without wanting to give away anything!
The Genesis Tree is a wrap up of this series – it is tying everything together at last. What an adventurous series this has been!
I really enjoy the author’s creativeness and writing in these books – her imagination is spectacular and shows brightly through The Tethered World Chronicles. I am always thoroughly engaged reading her books. And I want a gnome. There was one part involving a gnome gaining access to a house through a doggy-door. That had me giggling!
Definitely read these books in order – that’s a must. Best way to enjoy them – and of course, follow the plot.
Oh, and I wanted to be sure to add that I would personally recommend these books to a little more mature readers (15+ maybe) – this one has a bit more serious plot, with some violence and “gore”. Nothing absolutely hideous, but still there were some gross moments.
The characters though! Getting to know them through each book has only made them more dear to me. And we got to see so much of Sadie and Xander in this one!!! Made me very happy. 🙂
And the ending. Very good.
I will say that there were aspects of this book that had me straight-out crying. But, no spoilers!
Mrs. FitzGerald can surely write a emotion-evoking book!
I love The Tethered World series!!! I am anxiously awaiting more books. Three was not enough! This series is on par with C.S. Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles!. Gteat for all ages!