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oldladysadie's review
I really wanted to see how this series wrapped up, but I just can’t with this book. I find it so frustrating to deal with the new supposedly critical characters we’re introducing partway through a final installment, and watching Niall’s grief spiral after Irial’s death …look how they massacred my boy, man. The fact that Keenan abdicates the Summer Throne 2/3 of the way through only makes it that much worse that we’ve sat through all of the toxic, wishy-washy pining all this time. Aislinn’s love triangle has been the hardest aspect for me to swallow all this time, and that resolution makes me wish it happened ages ago so we could’ve spent time exploring more interesting uncharted waters in courtly politics all this time.
Also, Leslie has always deserved better. That is all.
Also, Leslie has always deserved better. That is all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
No matter how many times I reread this book, it never fails to make me emotional. I keep expecting that one day I'll read it and not feel tears prick at my eyes, but so far that day has not come. It's a fantastic ending to this dark, moody, fantastic series.
Throughout this reread of the series, I've gone back and forth a dozen times over which book is my favorite and now I can say, for sure, this is it. I read almost the entire book in one sitting, gobbling it up despite already knowing what was coming next. When it ended, I was genuinely sad to let it go.
Darkest Mercy is the perfect culmination of all the events that transpired in the previous four books. While there are just a couple of new characters introduced, there's nothing completely off-putting with their addition. They make sense and they don't throw off the storyline in any way.
Mostly, there are several moments where I just want to shake Keenan and say, "why didn't you think of that sooner?" Or I want to slap Niall and say, "why are you being such an awful person?" But it all makes sense by the end and the many emotions you feel as you read make the journey even better.
Once again, I'm floored by Donia and her power and grace despite everything she's experienced. She really is the definition of a badass female character in every way, shape, and form. In addition, Aislinn seriously comes into her own in this book as well, creating a truly phenomenal dynamic between Winter and Summer.
This has been one of my favorite series since the very first time I read it almost 10 years ago. It gets a 5-star rating overall and I don't see that changing - no matter how many times I read it!
Throughout this reread of the series, I've gone back and forth a dozen times over which book is my favorite and now I can say, for sure, this is it. I read almost the entire book in one sitting, gobbling it up despite already knowing what was coming next. When it ended, I was genuinely sad to let it go.
Darkest Mercy is the perfect culmination of all the events that transpired in the previous four books. While there are just a couple of new characters introduced, there's nothing completely off-putting with their addition. They make sense and they don't throw off the storyline in any way.
Mostly, there are several moments where I just want to shake Keenan and say, "why didn't you think of that sooner?" Or I want to slap Niall and say, "why are you being such an awful person?" But it all makes sense by the end and the many emotions you feel as you read make the journey even better.
Once again, I'm floored by Donia and her power and grace despite everything she's experienced. She really is the definition of a badass female character in every way, shape, and form. In addition, Aislinn seriously comes into her own in this book as well, creating a truly phenomenal dynamic between Winter and Summer.
This has been one of my favorite series since the very first time I read it almost 10 years ago. It gets a 5-star rating overall and I don't see that changing - no matter how many times I read it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, and Torture
Minor: Self harm
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