I’ll be honest, this fell flat for me. I had high hopes for the conclusion of Sage, Kade and the rest of the Maidens. I felt like there was so much potential for this unit to overcome the hurt and trials that they’ve endured in Neviah, especially after the immense loss that occurred at the end of book 2, to triumph over both the Hands and the Demon King, to succeed in restoring Sage’s soul, to unite the people of this world under a peaceful leader. so much was going on, and I was ready for the threads to be neatly tied off. while I enjoyed the book, I just couldn’t help but feel that what could have been momentous and gut-wrenchingly emotional was lackluster and rushed.

Sage’s character development felt stagnant. I could see the attempt at her growth while watching her struggle to overcome the dark hole she was in for the beginning of this book. it felt real and visceral, a wonderful portrayal of PTSD and denial and all the torrid of hurt that comes with grieving, but instead of watching her fight that pull to the dark, it felt like she simply woke up one day and was ready to fight back. her romance with Kade feels like an after thought, even though he carried this book for me. the crumbs of soft Kade caring for her were why I kept reading hahahah. but even his character arch felt a little abrupt.

as a whole, it was such a soft ending to this trilogy. I liked the characters, but wished I could grown to love them!

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and CM Tillman, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.