Well that was definitely not an ending that pulled punches. Wow. That was the perfect ending for this story. Going into this third book, I wasn't sure how to feel about it. The end of the second book (btw, potential spoilers for previous books...that should go without saying but I'll say it anyway) had Adelina thoroughly embracing her dark side. Driving her sister away, seizing the throne, letting the voices in her head run rampant...so I wasn't sure exactly where Marie Lu was going to go with this story. In my mind, there were only a few ways it could go. I will say that I was right about the fate of Adelina, but how that actually manifested was so much better than I could've imagined.

I love the trope of enemies working together toward a common purpose. The fact that many of these people weren't always enemies made it even more interesting. Also, the stakes are high here. The ending isn't made up of a bunch of conveniences and contrivances where everyone gets a happily ever after. But at the same time, the ending is hopeful. It's really bittersweet, which I appreciated.

I'm so glad I gave this series a chance, and really want to pick up the Legend series next.