Okay, first of all, I think maybe this could have been a 4-book series, rather than a trilogy, because this book was 600 pages long. But I read all 600 in one day, so, whatever, I guess it's fine.

Anyway, I've loved this trilogy, in spite of how many made-up places and names it tried to trick me into remembering. Joke's on you, book, I've already forgotten the names of the different tribes of angels.

I started this book off with a jolt of [b:Allegiant|18710190|Allegiant (Divergent, #3)|Veronica Roth|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1395582745s/18710190.jpg|15524549] panic--oh shit, was I supposed to remember this from the last book? What is happening? and then I realized that it starts off by introducing a new character. Whew. The new character, Eliza Jones, is a black scientist with a secret, and she's awesome.

Then we caught back up with Karou & company, and there was some stuff that I actually did not remember, but Laini Taylor did a solid job reminding me of everything important without it being exposition overkill. (Honestly, I wouldn't mind at all if series books just started off with a "Previously" chapter. Or did that Babysitters Club thing where the first chapter just reintroduces everyone.) Like seriously, it's been over a year since I read [b:Days of Blood and Starlight|12812550|Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #2)|Laini Taylor|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1337964452s/12812550.jpg|17961723], how am I supposed to remember so many fake people/creatures? I ask you.

this review has degenerated into me yelling at books to get off my lawn. Also I know I could just re-read series books before I start the next one, but that would cut into my twitter time.

SOOO ANYWAY the book itself.

Spoiler

Now that I'm actually sitting down to think about it, instead of just poring through it to find out how it ends... wow man there is a lot of complicated angel shit that went down, like, what even. Like if you forced me to write a plot summary, every sentence would end in a question mark. There were 13 tribes of angels? And they accidentally... broke the magical portals that connect worlds? And let evil gods in? Except for 1 super powerful tribe of angels who tried to stop them? And... their half-blood child Akiva... can... fix the sky portal? And... something...? And... they all live happily ever after... ish???

tl;dr I love this trilogy for its characters and magic and world-building, and for Taylor's gorgeous writing, and so I will forgive it being possibly too long and exposition-y for my own personal liking. A reader who didn't rage-quit the Game of Thrones books like I did would probably have no complaints about this book.

PS there's a cult in this one, and as we all know, cults enhance every story.