I was reasonably satisfied with the ending to this series. What I really wanted was for Riley to be able to move on from his connection to Ember. I also wanted to see a bit more development of Ember's relationship with Garrett and some form of redemption for Dante. Thankfully, Kagawa was able to deliver quite well. It was still upsetting to see Dante go down the crazy rabbit hole with the Elder Wyrm until almost the end, but he was a great antagonist for the series. I kept up the hope that Dante would reconcile with Ember without having to die, but as the books developed it was quite clear by the last book that he was either going to die or be punished permanently for his actions because he was beyond anything other than some extreme form of redemption. It kind of sucks he ended up dying, but at least he was able to give Ember and his relationship closure. As for Riley, I was happy to see his attraction to Mist grow as they spent more time together. I never liked him for most of the series, but it mainly had to do with him pushing the responsibility of a relationship on Ember that she wasn't sure she wanted. Once he moved on he became immediately more likeable.

I expected Garrett to go full on dragon after getting that blood transfusion from Riley, but he didn't. I think it actually made his character more interesting because despite healing faster now, he still had to use his wits to get out of dangerous situations. Even while being at an apparent physical disadvantage with the dragons, he was still resourceful and was able to help. It shows that a character doesn't always have to have cool and flashy powers in order to serve an important role or be interesting. On top of that, Ember and him don't have to worry about the life span disparity they used to have. They each seem to have found a role to play in the restructuring of Talon and St. George. It was interesting to see Ember in a role that seemed to be what she had been fighting this whole time, but it shows character growth on her part and highlights her ability to put the safety and needs of the world above her own wants. She'll probably retire from the position at some point in the future so she can relax, because honestly, she needs it. Great final installment overall. I'd be happy to pick up more books written by Julie Kagawa, so I guess I found a new writer to follow.