The author spent far too much time just recapping events from the first two books, which made it bloated and SUCH a chore to get through. I only continued reading since I’d already made it through two thirds of the series. This finale could have been cut in half and been more satisfying. The character deaths felt so rushed at the end like the author knew people had to be sacrificed for there to be any realism or meaning to the story. And although it made sense for Deka’s emotions and confidence to constantly waver, it was incredibly frustrating to see her waffling over and over again over the course of this novel and the one prior to it. I honestly am so bummed by how irritating the series and Deka as a character became after such a strong start in The Gilded Ones.