::rambling::

A fitting end. Every loose end is tied with a bow. Everything’s still depressing, death and darkness everywhere. Joy? Can’t relate, boo. Sexual tensions run high with the couples, but it’s well-paced and earned. Elias and Laia’s relationship foundation was insta-lovey, but the soap opera yearning endeared me to them. Every time Elias started up his “Me Soul Catcher, not Elias” spiel, I wanted to throw a turkey leg at his head. Darin was utterly useless and nonexistent even to the bitter end. I loved how the Tribespeople took on a more prominent role.

I don’t regret reading this series, but, man, was it stressful. I felt for the characters though. Helene was my favorite surprisingly so. Laia I wanted to like but never really could in that way. Elias was just there but not annoying.

Major ending spoiler:

The forgiveness message may disappoint some people. The bottom line is “hate is not the way.” Trying to destroy the Nightbringer, without acknowledging his own rightful grief, just beget more suffering for everyone. A terrible cycle. It works, but a carnal part of me wanted his (and Keris) comeuppance to be grand.

Keris being shunned by her mother is tough, but I wanted her to die in an agonizing way. She reveled in people’s pain way too much and was too OP. She was too raggedy for that backstory. I get her killing the guys who killed her lover, but her undying thirst for blood was too much.
Y’all killed Harper just to be nasty. Like, an injury that caused him to never be a solider again would’ve sufficed but whatever.

I’ll always feel a little squicky with the wet nurses for reasons I won’t get into, especially since they’re Marcus’ dark-skinned cousins.

Musa and Helene? Eh, I don’t hate it. Potentially trauma-bonding but they also understand each other more than anyone else would 

Mauth’s raggedy-behind was playing favorites. He put Elias through the ringer but had kitten gloves for Mirra. Maybe because she was froggy enough to fight death itself or because Elias showed him emotion is not all bad,

That fact the the Scholar people never had a defining look or trait will always baffle me. How would the Martials know who to enslave if their looks run the gamut??? Was being a Scholar more of a cultural heritage, I don’t know.