Into the Bright Unknown audiobook

FANFREAKINGTASTIC! I have loved this series way more than I thought I would. I am kind of glad I waited for the final book to come out so I could read all three this past week. I loved the plot, characters, and well, everything about this series! This trilogy has been a great reading experience!

I adore this series as a whole and this was a great ending I think, fitting to the rest of the story. Full review and rating to come.

A great conclusion to a really terrific series. This final book had a bit less eminent danger than the previous two, and entailed more of a complicated advance plan than Leah and her companions have previously had in order to deal with their problems. The outcome therefore had a more permanent feel to it, giving a true sense of real peace and safety for the community of Glory, California in the future.This is a series I enjoyed from start to finish. Maybe I like western historical fiction more than I thought?

I think the covers of all three books got better each time, and this last one was the best of them all. Idk, why, but that first one was kinda creepy....? Anyway, I'm glad these characters got the closure and the ending they both needed and deserved ❤️ What a good ending to a beautiful trilogy. Leah 'Lee' Westfall is one of my favorite heroines out there.

This was a lovely end to the series. It's not as exciting as the previous books, actually it's a little mellow, but it works for a finale. And as always I adored the cast here.RTC

Into the Bright Unknown is the third and final installment in Rae Carson's young-adult historical fiction trilogy titled The Gold Seer. Set in the gold rush era, Ms. Carson puts her spin on history by adding a bit of magical realism which added some interest. Topics related to gender, race/slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, and corruption are brilliantly showcased in my opinion and added a depth that many YA authors could learn from. Overall, my investment in this trilogy as a whole ebbed and flowed, but I found this final installment to be engaging and satisfying. My favorite quote:"It's always the most vulnerable who suffer most."

This book definitely had a different feel from the first two in the series. Into the Bright Unknown is more like a heist and revenge plot of sorts instead of the hard drudgery of getting across the United States and then trying to set up your claim.Lee and a few others are off to San Francisco to get Becky’s house and belongings. Once they get there nothing but trouble happens to the crew. It just so happens that the man who funded Lee’s Uncle’s mine is in San Francisco too and he seems to have his fingers in everything and is causing nothing but trouble for the gang from Glory. “That man’s so low he has to reach up to rub the belly of a snake.” If they want to make it back to their claims alive and with everyone who came with them they are going to have to outmaneuver the slipperiest kind of snake and find a way to beat him at his own game, ruin his reputation and make sure he can’t ever take advantage of others like that again. “This is a good thing, right?” the Major says. “He’ll be out of California and out of our hair. We can go back to living our normal life.” “How can you think that?” I snap. The Major looks at me, genuinely confused. “He paid to exterminate Indians—whole tribes of them, all of their families, destroyed. Muskrat is probably dead, and it’s because of him. He ignores the rights of free men, and profits off buying and selling people’s lives. He takes advantage of the poor and people without legal protection, and gets rich by using the law to rob people of their hard-earned wages.” I point across the table at Becky and the kids. “He steals from widows and children. It’s bad enough that he does it out here, but what if he’s in charge of the whole country? Think about everyone he’ll hurt.” Lee isn’t wrong and I couldn’t think of a better villain for this book.I have come to like all of the characters from Glory and it was a lot of fun to have them in a different role. Everyone played their part in the scheme to make sure the man partially responsible for many of the woes they’ve had since coming to California can’t do it all over again. Jefferson and Lee have finally found their stride as a couple and sure they aren’t married yet but they are definitely teamed up. This was a pretty cool snap shot of how the gold rush probably was in San Francisco and how it was possible to find a lot of gold and still loose your shirt back in those days. It seems like many of the people running the show were pretty crooked and if you were Black/Chinese/Mexican or a woman it was easy to get taken advantage of. I’m very happy with where the series ended. I would definitely like to know a little more about Lee’s mother and what happened in Boston and how she ended up with her fiancé’s brother so I’m very much hoping there is a short story or a different series in there somewhere with those details. I know that you can’t always know who your parents were but I really wanted to get a little more on that front.This is a great story if you are interested in Historical Fiction and want to spend some time getting to California and starting a life with a witchy girl who can sense and move gold and the friends/family she makes for herself along the way.

A fabulous end to this gold rush story! This has a very colourful cast of prospectors, who have set out to make a life for themselves. With Hiram out of the way, Leah and the others now find themselves in San Francisco and up against Harwood, the power and finance behind Hiram’s scheme. How can they get the better of the man who rules the city? This is a powerful heist style adventure, where the sights, sounds, smells, lifestyle of San Francisco painted brightly by Rae Carson. I am a fan of historical fiction and this was the very best quality. If you are not a fan of hf and are reading this purely as a work of fantasy, you may well be disappointed, as the fantasy element, while crucial to the plot, is done with a very light touch. Recommended trilogy.

4.5/5.0Absolutely ADORED this trilogy!! I SO wish Ms. Carson would continue it. There are still a thousand different areas to be explored with Lee, Jefferson and their merry band of friends. It seems way too soon to leave them when they are just getting started! In this finale of the Gold Seer trilogy, Lee and friends travel to San Francisco only to find themselves caught up in all the deceitful manipulations of those determined to rise on the wave of the God of Gold and imminent statehood for California. Unlike the last book, which was filled with suspense, this one is more along the lines of a 19th century Ocean’s 11 where the reader gets the great enjoyment of figuring out all the angles and schemes right along with the gang as they dive in and work to out-maneuver all the manipulators. I do think Lee’s age really should have been a bit older to fit her actions and the storyline. It was a pretty big stretch to believe so many influential people of the day would take her so seriously, along with her being the leader of those twice her age and with much more knowledge about things. Still, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story - as long as I didn’t think about it and just pictured her as an full-fledged adult. Again, Ms. Carson does an incredible job of weaving true historical fact into a fabulous tale of fiction which allows the reader to learn so much about the reality of the gold rush era without even realizing they’re being educated. We are too busy enjoying the ride and out-smarting the villains!

Into the Bright Unknown was a very satisfying ending to The Gold Seer Trilogy. It takes place almost wholly in San Francisco during the California gold rush days in the 1800's. The historical aspects are based on real events that actually took place back then.In this 3rd book, Lee and her new family go to San Francisco to get Becky's belongings, which had traveled by ship to California, and bring them back to Glory. They encounter evil Hardwick who thwarts them every which way.In the meantime, Lee has a second sight of being able to sense gold and practices and learns what else she can do with her gold gift. I adored Lee and Jefferson! And Becky and Wally, and Jim, and Henry, and... Well... all of the cast!This book was a fun romp through historical San Francisco and I loved it.

Great conclusion to a great series!

Extremely satisfying ending to a great trilogy. These books have had everything: plenty of historical detail, romance, adventure, magic, intrigue, and this one has an Ocean's 11 style heist!

I am going to miss this series so much now that it is over. I loved the characters, the overall plot, the setting, all of it.

Mrs. Joiner, you’re my forever-girl!