I enjoyed this novel probably twice as much as the previous two. I think that's high praise since the first two were really enjoyable. 
 It was the end that was the best. There was a great deal of space devoted to the aftermath of the great battle, and while the great battle was quite great, it was the settling in afterwards that really made me squirm. 
 Make no mistake. The novel made me squirm with a lot of unease and a lot of sorrow, and yet it was absolutely unflinching in showing us all a dark and gritty reality as it is and not how we would prefer it. 
 The characters we'd grown to love had all turned out to be shit in the end, and yet we still root for them. We hope they'll get some measure of peace, some freedom, some vindication, or some small measure of optimism... but no. 
 The very end says it all quite nicely. 
 This novel was uncomfortable, but quite rewarding and engaging and glorious and disturbing. 
 Our heroes think they are all heroes, while in reality the mask comes off to show that they are all villains. Of a kind. The novel is nothing if not gray, after all. 
 I do believe I'll be thinking about this one for some time.