*A few spoilery moments ahead*
Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.
Grey has evolved so much over the course of this series and I am really happy with his character arc and the way his story ends. I think he definitely got what he deserves and even though he has always been a main protagonist he was overlooked by everyone in power and came into his inheritance I feel the right way. I really enjoyed the fact that he didn’t immediately agree to Harper’s request straight away and put his burgeoning relationship with Lia Mara first.
Harper and Rhen both got on my nerves in this book. The majority of the conflict between them was miscommunication and that trope is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. If they would of just sat down and explained their feelings and their motivations for their actions a lot of their issues would have been resolved. I think it was a bit selfish of Harper to just expect Grey to drop everything to save Rhen after everything that has happened. I think if she would of had more humility when she showed up in Syhl Shallow I think everyone would of been more welcoming. She came across a little bratty and entitled to me.
Rhen I can understand and appreciate how much he has been through with Lilith and how terrified he becomes of magic, but I just can’t overcome what he did in the last book. He just keeps all these secrets and thinks he needs to be the one to handle everything all the time and not be honest with those closest to him. I thought he was petty and irrational at times and I’m kind of glad that he didn’t end up being king in the end.
The plot was stagnant at times and there were moments that I felt were given way to much attention and other I feel more significant moments were rushed along. I think when Grey and Harper finally make their way back to Emberfall to save Rhen from Lilith there should of been way more detail and the scenes should of been drawn out a lot longer. I would of liked to see them entering the castle from Grey’s perspective, seeing all the bodies and blood and then coming across Rhen and getting his initial reaction and thoughts. Rhen being woozy and out of it from his wounds made the whole reunion less impactful.
⭐️3/5 My least favourite of the books in this series, it felt a little anticlimactic and almost rushed in a way.
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