I didn't love this as a final sendoff to the Simon Snow series. It kind of felt like 600 pages of epilogue. Or like the worst parts of Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows, and Prisoner of Azkaban all mashed into one, long book: A lot of genealogy lessons, and a lot of questions with no answers. Sure, that's kind of the point: Life is about the living, not the ending, and it's ok to not have a fated path, but rather to figure it out one choice at a time. It was nice to finally see Simon and Baz beginning a healthy relationship. But Shephard became a bit of a tool once you realized what a serial liar he was. And Agatha and Naimh's whole thing was just weird and dissatisfying. It was kind of nice that the author took the whole trope about happily ever after and soulmates and such, and highlighted how actually - even between the deepest loving couples - relationships still have awkwardness, arguments, melancholy moments... What's important is not a fairytale fit, but the care to try and reach out/see from the other's perspective. But in the end, everyone still found a perfect romantic partner to make them feel empowered, and I thought that was disingenuous to the characters. The three couples arcs barely crossed paths, either, and I think they would have read better as 3 separate novellas, rather than one book. Or, as an omnibus with three parts, rather than alternating chapters.

I think the homages to The Series Which Shall Not Be Named were less obvious in this book, too. Except for one: Gilderoy Lockhart/ Smith Smith-Richards. And... of all the characters to put front and center as a villain, why him, why now? I mean sure, this is a book which highlights the idea of living authentically, rather than following a script, and Gilderoy/Smith's fakery is the obvious antithesis to living authentically. But he comes across as campy and unnecessary, and not in a fun way. He is very easily recognized as The Bad Guy, swiftly defeated, and doesn't really effect anyone's character arc (other than Simon for a hot minute).

Overall, I think the jacket summarized it best: This is a book "about catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us." It was good to see Simon, Baz, Penny and Agatha readjust, question their pasts, own their mistakes, and turn to the future renewed (in themselves and in their faith in one another) and hopeful. But it was somber, almost TOO real, that there was a lot of pillow talk and speculation over sandwiches, rather than adventure and fantasy. A cozy, sobering, sometimes tear-jerking finale.