A review by panxa
Forged in Blood II by Lindsay Buroker

3.0

I liked most of this book, and most of it felt like a really good conclusion to the series. But I found the denouement really unsatisfying, in a dramatic and emotional sense.

Rather than have the pivotal, concluding battle be against any of the pretenders to the throne, it was against wild beasts and a mob of citizens and gang members. And Books death, the only member of Amaranthe's direct crew to die, happened off screen and lost a lot of the emotional impact if should have had. Finally, calling the death of all those people, even if they were gang members, a net good didn't sit well with me.

The epilogue was more in keeping with the rest of the book, but that big fight scene really left a bad taste in my brain and lessened some of my enjoyment of the rest of the book.

I still recommend this series, it's just too bad the last book doesn't quite live up to the promise of the whole.