Harristan is a sweet cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs.

What a wild ride this was.

I want to scream right now. 

Without giving too much away I hate the emotion earthquake my heart just got put through. But I also stupidly enjoyed it. Clearly I’m a masochist. 

I have had this sitting on my up next pile for the last 3 months and I wish I’d read it sooner. I go through books quickly, but this one felt like a blink. I couldn’t stop myself from listening to it and was so invested in every branch of this story. I fell back in love with all the characters instantly. 

Cory is the ultimate morally grey book boyfriend. He and Harriston are put in truly terrible situations, and they both make bad calls, or are forced to pick the lesser of two evils often. Lochlan is a person who’s been backed into a corner and is ready to claw his way out and Tessa is a pure hearted woman who does lean to being naive but refuses to stop trying to do the right thing. This series explores so many morally grey characters and terrible choices from so many sides. Even “captain Blackmore” ends up being greyer than he starts out. This series forces you to think and face the fact that even the best of intentions can have costs and the worst seeming people have reasons for their behaviour. So if that’s up your alley start the series!!!! It doesn’t disappoint. Just be prepared to shed some tears. 

The end of the book might feel a bit rushed to some, but I appreciate that it’s not all wrapped up in a neat and tidy bow within weeks of the climax, as too much is left falling apart for that to be realistic, but I also recognize that to write months worth of detailed ongoings would have needed another book. So while at times it feels like a summary there are enough important moments inserted between the info dropping that I think it ended up being a good medium between the two options. 

Wow! I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It did not go in the direction that I thought it would, but it was entertaining from beginning to end.

The romance was definitely a little lacklustre in this one. But there was another romance that we got to enjoy to keep us satisfied. I absolutely love the romance between these two characters (I don’t want to say the names, as it could be a potential spoiler for people who have not read the first book). But if you know, you know.

I like that the romance between Tessa and Corrick was not rushed. It was very slow burn. Reuniting was so satisfying, and I loved every minute of it.

Lachlan was a surprising character development for me. I did not expect to love him as much as I did. The banter between him and Corrick was so fun and entertaining. And I really like how it shows two different sides of the same story. Sometimes making decisions for a kingdom is not easy.

The plot felt slow at times but because I love the character so much I didn’t mind. There was a lot of political intrigue in this book and very interesting character dynamics. This book had me guessing from beginning to end. There were some very shocking reveals that made me want to throw the book across the room.

My only gripe was I found the ending was very rushed, and I don’t know how I feel about the ending. In one way I am satisfied, but in another way, I wish there was a little more. 

Overall, this is my trilogy from this author. This is a YA fantasy trilogy that I will recommend to anyone that wants kingdoms, princes, kings, romance, adventure, banter, secrets, politics and more. 

I don't know how a 500+ page book seemed like it was so short, but that's how you know it's great! I didn't want Tessa's, Corrick's, Harristan's story to end. I fell in love with these characters last year, and I'm even more in love with them now! 

Destroy the Day picks up almost immediately after the events of Defend the Dawn, so we get to see all the grieving from Tessa thinking Corrick is dead to the bromance that builds between Corrick and Lochlan. The growth just between those two is everything I wanted, especially with how much Corrick grew into everything that he could be!

Harristan and Quint's growth and eventual relationship had me kicking my feet and grinning like a little kid! I found myself looking forward to Harristan's POV so much more then I did with Defend the Dawn. I also fully was not expecting to cry at work on Harristan's 2nd to last POV, but I'm so glad for a happy ending!

I love the side characters and how much they played into being a much bigger part of this book (aside from Karri, who sadly we didn't get to see her as much, but understandable considering the plot), which made this book even more enjoyable. 

Overall, this series is definitely going to be a comfort read, one that I'll be planning on reading at least once a year.