content warnings:

Spoiler

major char death(s), grief & guilt, violence, consensual marital infidelity/open (formality-only) marriage, waterboarding, trauma (incl. flashbacks), ableism, implied sexual content

rep:

Spoiler

bi/pan MC [Maven], lesbian MC [Evangeline], MLM POC-coded secondary char [Davidson], bi/pan secondary char [Gisa], established F/F relationship, established M/M relationship, mentioned past M/M relationships, diverse minor char's

★ 3.5 stars ★

"History favors the underfoot and the oppressed, Your Majesty."

While I'm not entirely convinced that this book needs to be as long as it is, on the whole I found it a satisfying conclusion to the series. It skirts the balance between grimness and unrealistically-neat resolutions; each POV character is portrayed with nuance and consistency; the plot goes kind of Game of Thrones but with less gory murder.

This series has really developed since the first book: from "just another YA dystopia with superpowers" to a fairly thoughtful commentary on systemic oppression, revolution, trauma, faith, redemption, and more. Rather than fighting over the princes (whether for personal or political motives), the young female leads —

Spoiler

Mare, Evangeline, Iris

— are Queens in their own right, figuring out how to wield great power and great responsibility.

[I have a lot more notes and comments so I may come back to this review, but I think the above sums up my feelings well enough.]

>> Series buddy read with Amanda!

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CONVERSION: 9.73 / 15 = 3.5 stars

Prose: 6 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 7 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5