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I loved this conclusion to the trilogy! Enough action to keep it interesting without it being a repeat of battle scenes from the previous two books. Lots of inner character work as the mains each grapple with trauma and loss from the first two books and work in their relationships to overcome that. Alex and Sage are heart eyes forever. I felt like every character got an ending I was happy with and made sense. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was how fraught the relationship was between Clare and Sage throughout but they come out of it in a good place. Highly recommend this series!!!
This book was just simply perfection! After adoring both of the previous books, I was slightly apprehensive that this wouldn't live up to expectations, or wouldn't be the perfect ending to the series, but it did not disappoint, at all! Following the explosive conclusion of The Traitor's Ruin, Sage is coming to terms with her injuries, and new position as ambassador. She luckily has Clare to rely on, but she herself is grieving the loss of her fiance, Lieutenant Gramwell, who died trying to help, and save, Sage. When they are called back to the capital, along with the Princess Lani, they know that they will soon have a mission that is their most important of all, talking with the Kimisar in a bid to stop the war, once and for all. While in Tennegol, Sage and Alex meet up again, but have very little time to be together, even with the law being changed for them to allow them to marry early. However, with Sage and Prince Robert being the main negotiating partners, with the Queen Regent, Zoraya, there is more on the line than just their romance, and when plots appear left, right, and centre, they need all their wits about them in order to survive until they can be together, properly.
Because of how much foreshadowing has been in the previous books about the relations between Demora and Kimisara, I hoped that we would see a good resolution to it all, and in this book, that's definitely what we got. Any questions we had from previous books, or from early on in this one, were definitely tied up by the end of the story, and there were no plot holes, anywhere. That's not to say not much happened in this book; rather, it was fast-paced, with action on just about every page, and you were completely invested in the plot, until the conclusion.
Like I've said in previous reviews, Sage and Alex are one of my ultimate OTP's, and all I wished from this book was for them to finally be happy together. There were ups and downs again, but I couldn't have been happier with their conclusion, and when they were together, the chemistry and true feelings for each other was apparent in every look and word. Beaty definitely knows how to write a proper relationship, and proper characters, and I definitely can't wait to see what she does next - I don't care what, but I'll be ordering it as soon as it becomes available. Don't sleep on this series anymore, get yourself a copy now!
Because of how much foreshadowing has been in the previous books about the relations between Demora and Kimisara, I hoped that we would see a good resolution to it all, and in this book, that's definitely what we got. Any questions we had from previous books, or from early on in this one, were definitely tied up by the end of the story, and there were no plot holes, anywhere. That's not to say not much happened in this book; rather, it was fast-paced, with action on just about every page, and you were completely invested in the plot, until the conclusion.
Like I've said in previous reviews, Sage and Alex are one of my ultimate OTP's, and all I wished from this book was for them to finally be happy together. There were ups and downs again, but I couldn't have been happier with their conclusion, and when they were together, the chemistry and true feelings for each other was apparent in every look and word. Beaty definitely knows how to write a proper relationship, and proper characters, and I definitely can't wait to see what she does next - I don't care what, but I'll be ordering it as soon as it becomes available. Don't sleep on this series anymore, get yourself a copy now!
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc of this book for free from Netgalley, but all opinions are my own and I have already purchased the hardcover of this book with my own money.
WOW! What an epic conclusion to this trilogy! I am literally in awe of the way that this series has become so complex and intricate with each passing book. It's easily one of my fave book series of all time and I already want to re-read it. I love the attention that the author paid to the injuries that Sage endured in the second book and the mental ramifications of it. I LOVE how the romantic pairings are just interwoven into the story and the drama that is in the story doesn't involve the romance. I cannot wait to see more from this author.
WOW! What an epic conclusion to this trilogy! I am literally in awe of the way that this series has become so complex and intricate with each passing book. It's easily one of my fave book series of all time and I already want to re-read it. I love the attention that the author paid to the injuries that Sage endured in the second book and the mental ramifications of it. I LOVE how the romantic pairings are just interwoven into the story and the drama that is in the story doesn't involve the romance. I cannot wait to see more from this author.
Being former military, there were so many small details in the trilogy that made my little Army heart happy. But the writing and character arcs really sold me on the series. the plots were well-thought-out and developed and nothing felt contrived.
100% would recommend to anyone who loves great plots, stellar characters and development, military strategy and strong female characters.
I'll even forgive the author for being a Naval officer
100% would recommend to anyone who loves great plots, stellar characters and development, military strategy and strong female characters.
I'll even forgive the author for being a Naval officer
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Okay, let’s pretend the regent is dead and see what everybody does? Just like the last book? I’m glad that didn’t play out like they thought but I was still disappointed with that plan.
I thought it was so easy to pick out she was going to be bad, so I guess I fell into everybody loves the protagonist and if they don’t they’re awful or misunderstand her.
I thought it was so easy to pick out she was going to be bad, so I guess I fell into everybody loves the protagonist and if they don’t they’re awful or misunderstand her.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Overall, I love this series. I think the matchmaker aspect is deeply intriguing, and it feels nicely original for Western YA. I also think that the emphasis on the complications of the diplomatic side of running a kingdom is AWESOME.
Like SUPER awesome.
I enjoyed how this installment kept the same small-cast feel, allowing readers to see the individuals develop and push the plot along. At the same time, however, because it needed to expand to show how the kingdom functions as part of a multi-kingdom, I didn't feel quite as connected to most of the middle-ground characters as I wanted.
Again, I deeply enjoyed the reading process and I feel it wrapped up the series very well, but as I've sat back further and spent more time thinking about it post-read, I am actually quite disappointed in how the whole crux of the plot revolves around the systematic underestimation of women, even by other women. That's just a boring plot twist at this point in time, despite the fact that the problem is still a prevalent issue in society.
I liked how the best friend characters has issues in their relationship, but it felt a little flip-floppy in a way that wasn't ever directly addressed... Like there were a few conversations about processing trauma and allowing individualized healing, but they were all self-realized revelations... like no one got advice from an older female about how brains do terrible things to people and it's not always their fault. If you're mature enough to recognize that your emotional reactions are inappropriate / disproportionate / or borderline irrational AND mature enough to self-explain why they're happening, you also should be mature enough to step back and pause. If you can't plausibly step back, it just doesn't feel viable that you'd be able to psycho-analyze yourself so precisely.
The lack of grown-ups also bothered me because the two main characters were the experts, literally. They were just teenagers thrown into a situation and thinking that they knew how to handle it, they were ACTUALLY the most qualified people in the room... and while the self-doubt they expressed was great and realistic, their qualifications didn't feel very impressive to a reader.
I did like the learning curve, and how each character had a subject expertise that they used to help inform the other characters in various teaching-moments.
Over all, it was an enjoyable story, a good wrap-up to the series, and a decently crafted narrative. I was left mildly disappointed, but not nearly enough to consider the idea of not recommending it. The first two books were fabulous enough to warrant promotion of the entire series.
It's wholly appropriate for audiences as young as 11, and I think that may be a part of what caused this third installment to be so unsatisfying. The target audience is just too young to make the subject material affect a grown-up with the rightly visceral impact.
Like SUPER awesome.
I enjoyed how this installment kept the same small-cast feel, allowing readers to see the individuals develop and push the plot along. At the same time, however, because it needed to expand to show how the kingdom functions as part of a multi-kingdom, I didn't feel quite as connected to most of the middle-ground characters as I wanted.
Again, I deeply enjoyed the reading process and I feel it wrapped up the series very well, but as I've sat back further and spent more time thinking about it post-read, I am actually quite disappointed in how the whole crux of the plot revolves around the systematic underestimation of women, even by other women. That's just a boring plot twist at this point in time, despite the fact that the problem is still a prevalent issue in society.
I liked how the best friend characters has issues in their relationship, but it felt a little flip-floppy in a way that wasn't ever directly addressed... Like there were a few conversations about processing trauma and allowing individualized healing, but they were all self-realized revelations... like no one got advice from an older female about how brains do terrible things to people and it's not always their fault. If you're mature enough to recognize that your emotional reactions are inappropriate / disproportionate / or borderline irrational AND mature enough to self-explain why they're happening, you also should be mature enough to step back and pause. If you can't plausibly step back, it just doesn't feel viable that you'd be able to psycho-analyze yourself so precisely.
The lack of grown-ups also bothered me because the two main characters were the experts, literally. They were just teenagers thrown into a situation and thinking that they knew how to handle it, they were ACTUALLY the most qualified people in the room... and while the self-doubt they expressed was great and realistic, their qualifications didn't feel very impressive to a reader.
I did like the learning curve, and how each character had a subject expertise that they used to help inform the other characters in various teaching-moments.
Over all, it was an enjoyable story, a good wrap-up to the series, and a decently crafted narrative. I was left mildly disappointed, but not nearly enough to consider the idea of not recommending it. The first two books were fabulous enough to warrant promotion of the entire series.
It's wholly appropriate for audiences as young as 11, and I think that may be a part of what caused this third installment to be so unsatisfying. The target audience is just too young to make the subject material affect a grown-up with the rightly visceral impact.