As many before me have said - Richard Swan stuck the landing.  This final entry into the Empire of the Wolf trilogy brought us to the completion of the story with intensity and strength.  The character growth and development were exceptional.  I kept thinking how interesting it was that the narrator was later in life but yet was narrating herself as a 20-year-old.  We saw the immaturity and lack of confidence of a 20-year-old but it was told with the gentle empathy and honesty of one looking back at their own life.

While overall this book was exceptional, I did have one sticking point.  The first 40% was a bit of a calm before the storm.  The story itself was not calm, but it didn't have the intensity of the rest and was hard to get through.  I found myself only reading a handful of pages before getting distracted by other things. 

Also, note that the supernatural horror aspects were very prevalent in this book.  My favourite book in the series is still The Justice of Kings.  The trial and law aspects of that book were exceptional, and Richard Swan's own experience as a lawyer shone through.  While I was not opposed to the supernatural horror aspects, it wasn't what I had expected when I started (and finished) The Justice of Kings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a digital advanced reader copy.  All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.