"'Ruling isn't the only way to lead.'"

The King Will Kill You is the final installation of the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy, and while I think it's definitely necessary for the conclusion to the series, I'm not sure if I'm really a fan. The only reason this exists is because of a last-minute epilogue from the prior book that reintroduced an entirely irrelevant conflict, and for that reason, I think this book was destined to fall flat compared to the first two.
The first book was mostly action/adventure; the second was primarily politics but with a handful of action scenes...but this book was almost entirely politics and I'm just not really a big fan of political fantasies. There were only a few scenes that really intrigued me, and the ending felt very convenient and anticlimactic. Like I said, I think it's necessary for a satisfying conclusion to the series but whether or not it's worth it, I'm not sure. There are a handful of enjoyable scenes, but they're balanced with a bunch of scenes that I didn't really care for, and it all felt rather predictable.
Additionally, I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters in this one. Amarande finally reached a character arc, but she was always pretty strong to begin with, so she just gained a bit of depth. Honestly, I kinda found Luca to be irrelevant in this one. As much as it pains me to say it, he hasn't really mattered all that much to the plot for a while. Ferdinand and Osana's relationship came out of nowhere, but surprisingly Ferdinand really grew on me in this one (probably because he was the only subject of action scenes). I wish Ula and Urtzi got more page time because I really liked them. Also, Geneva is just Gisela Sencen from Keeper of the Lost Cities with all of her "legacy" crap, and the rest of the antagonists didn't impress me either.
The King Will Kill You provides a satisfying conclusion to the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky series, perfect for fans of romantic and political fantasies.
3.25/5

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