Every time I read a book in this series (except the first, which I loved), I end up dreading picking it up by the middle. I almost didn’t read this book at all after finishing The Queen of Attolia. I generally hate Irene as a character, I don’t love the relationship with Gen, and this book goes out of its way to make you dislike most of Attolia just for the twist payoff in the end.

And that’s not a spoiler—every book in this series leads you through a long complicated series of events where you’re meant to think one thing, because you are explicitly told that thing, and then surprise! at the end, things were actually NOT the way they were presented.

I may or may not read the last book in the series. I’m not sure. I’m not sure I can suffer through another full novel just to enjoy the last chapter.