Ahhhhhhhh yes...this was the conclusion I was looking for. I love each of the characters Schwab created and developed and it was so EASY to slip back into their stories. And I read this slow, like it took me almost 5 days, because I just wasn't ready to say goodbye. I dragged it out like nobody's business. But, as they say, all good things must come to and end. And what an end it was. [WARNING: moving forwards, there will likely be spoilers.]

It's hard to write through all my feelings, but bottom line is: what a whole lot of growing up happened here. I mean, the most obvious was Rhy, in his interactions with Alucard, his "for the people" attitude, his ascension after his parents deaths (and hot damn, that was a blow) - he just stepped right up and became the leader he was always meant to be (prior rogueish-ness falling fully into his past). And coming to terms with, re-learning, who/what he is after Kell's life-saving spell/connection. For Lila, the ability to admit that creating connections is worth it - the consistency and support and, possibly (though sneakily, and within character for her, it's never confirmed), love - it's worth the fear of loss that comes with it. But she keeps her snark, her spark, and her impossible-ness...the borderline anti-heroine that we fell in love with was never lost or compromised. And THAT, honestly, might be the most impressive part of this saga and something I respect the hell out of the author for being able to make happen. Kell, well he learned a bit about his own limits and fallibility, which as clearly sobering, but was also able to come to accept himself, his gifts and his role, and that, in the end, he deserved the place and the family he had. I LOVED that he, and we, never never found out about his past (that he chose not to). What an acceptance from him, to settle into the full knowledge that what he has/had was enough. It was worth fighting and losing everything for, for him, so what more could you ask for/need? And then, after that (and with the super sad loss of Maxim and Emira), his chance to let go of the responsibility and fear and be able to take a chance to go see the world, to travel, to spend time with Lila and go on adventures with her, for himself. Good for him. And for Rhy, in understanding and letting him go. Alucard, I mean his was letting go of his past (his family, his mistakes, his weaknesses) and working to be brave/ready enough to share his truth, so that the past would stop affecting his present and his future. He fought for his love. And he and Rhy just make my heart smile SO big. Two such intense, confident, outward rogues who are so tender and unsure with each other. It's beautiful. Parallel-ly, I enjoyed the Kell-Alucard interactions, both with Rhy as first in their heart and the protection and jealously they harbor against each other because of it was very real and very fun to read. And finally Holland. Oh, Holland. I loved his character from book 1 and he just became more and more the gold standard of character development throughout the trilogy. What a tragic character he is - romantic (in the traditional sense, not with the ladies, of course), abused, betrayed, let down, hopeful and, in the end, redeemed and exhausted. He is everything. I enjoyed so much the snippets of his past, how much more we got to know him and his story, and how much insight they gave. His already sympathetic character was even further developed down that line. He wasn't able to save his own world the way he wanted to, but he was able to save another, and then he was able to end his life on his own terms. His own terms - something he'd been denied his whole life. His interactions with every single character, both upon (generally negative) first meeting and all the way through to the end, when they all began to "trust" him. He came the farthest, the others came the farthest for him, and he was both the secret and not so secret focal point of this story. I just can't say enough about him. Then there's Osaron, his actions and goals and final defeat. What a cool "big bad." All ethereal, intangible power. Really interesting. And Ned, I loved his cameos and the role he played. Just adorable. And, as a person living in a world without magic, definitely someone I identify with. I'd worship Kell too. Maris was an awesome new side character...like of all the characters in this trilogy, if given the choice, I think I'd be her. She has to have seen SO much, she must know so much - what a cool character. Hastra - oh, my heart. I still can't deal.

Just all in all, a rousing adventure, a gorgeously written set a relationships, an exciting plot line. The pacing was perfect (I love the short chapters - compulsively page-turn-able.) The writing and dialogue was on point. A perfect wrap-up with the exact right number of happy and sad endings.

Also, don't think I didn't notice that Lila still owes Maris a favor that wasn't called in on during this book. Honestly, I loved that - it's a bit of a loose end, you could argue that, BUT it's one of those open ended favor/promises that always tends to come up at the worst/best time and, often, is a super transparent plot device. I like that way it was handled differently here. And reasonably so...Maris is an experienced, calculating person and that favor is the kind of thing you hold onto. It would have been outside her character to call it in as quickly as it would have had to be, in order to fit within the time scope of this novel. Plus, it gives me hope that we'll see Lila and Kell back again...maybe a spin off, chronicling their travel adventures? My fingers are crossed.