I have to start things off with an admission. I really dreaded reading this book. Which is absolutely ridiculous, based on how much I absolutely loved Seraphina! It was the winner of the prestigious MYRCA award (Manitoba Young Readers' Choice Award - well, it's important for us Manitobans anyway). It was even possibly THE best book I read in 2013, but here is where I ran into my problem. Almost two years had passed, and I had forgotten just about everything, except for how the book had made me feel. When I finally buckled down and started the book, I discovered the most marvelous thing! Rachel Hartman had predicted this exact problem, and she provided the best recap I have ever read! I now had my bearings, and was able to dig into Shadow Scale with the enthusiasm that it deserved. 
 I can't believe more people haven't read this series. It has been terribly overlooked and underestimated! Maybe this is because of the discouraging size? This is not a small book, and I don't just mean because of the nearly 600 pages. The cast is massive, the terminology daunting. I feel like I just learned a whole new language, and in a way, I suppose I did. I have picked up words in Porphyrian, Samsamese and Ninysh. The amount of research and world building that went into this series is evident by how immersed I was in the book. Truly, a fictional world this intense and thorough is far too rare. 
 I had always believed that Seraphina was destined to be a trilogy, but apparently not. What a great surprise! Just when I was prepared to spend another two years waiting for the third book. As a conclusion to the series, this was perfect. I was completely overwhelmed with a sense of calm. It ended just right, leaving just enough unanswered questions for my imagination to continue. I'm a little devastated that it's over, to be honest. I'm desperate for a spinoff, to follow the stories of the various ityasaari, but I would settle for anything else written by Rachel Hartman! I can't wait to see what she comes out with next! 
 I know that it must feel, after reading this review, that taking on this series is a giant task. Please don't be dissuaded by the magnitude of the commitment. It's a brilliant series, and I could have kept reading it forever. Just do it. 
 A copy of this book was provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.