Is there an infinity button to rate this book?
The Empire of Gold is my favorite book of 2020. Obviously.
I have not been this satisfied with a finale in a long time, and it’s truly in my top tier list of favorite books ever. I think I enjoyed it even more because I marathoned the entire trilogy one after the next once I got my hands on an ARC. Since it’s the finale, I won’t be going into too much detail besides a few non-spoilery thoughts.
Like the previous books, there’s fascinating politics, relationships, and surprises. These three points in particular have successfully carried the series, and it’s amazing to see the end pull off the best yet. This series certainly has done its fair share of brutality and death tolls, and while the finale doesn’t shy away from that, it adds something more powerful: hope. I think that’s the most important aspect to this novel, and I smiled like a damn idiot the entire time reading it. During quarantine I needed that hope to guide me into a healthier mood, and I can’t thank this book enough for it. It’s what I needed.
I cried. I laughed. I screamed. I most certainly gawked. Everything in the finale adds up into this stunning ending that meant everything to me. Nothing is better than loving a series whole heartedly and then the finale being the cherry on top to solidify your love.
I loved that Shannon extended the mythology. I loved that Shannon took risks. And I loved the fact that each ending, for our cast of characters, was perfect for their arc.
In my opinion, this book was one of the most well planned that I’ve ever read, which is partly why it’s so satisfying.
That’s really all I can say.
Oh and Nahri will forever be the thief from Cairo, and one of the best female leads in literature.
Also side note: one of the big twists in TEOG is incredible, and I’m content to say I saw it coming hehe.