I am so very 
 in love 
 with this series. 
 Fantastic world building, unique magic, beautifully fleshed out characters that had me weeping with happiness, regret, grief and anything else you can think of. 
 This book, and the series ending, left me with that inexplicably raw feeling you only get when you have to say goodbye to characters and a world that you have taken into your heart and locked inside. 
 book hangover of note! 
 How, I wondered, was one meant to live without killing, when killing sought one out at every turn? The world made its monsters indeed. 
 I could not help but love Isadora, because she doesn't feel deserving of love. But she is. My heart broke for her multiple times. 
 My heart hurt for Falco as well. To live his whole life pretending to be less than he is, with no one knowing he truly is... how horribly lonely. 
 It was wonderful to spend time with all of the old characters that I love so much. They continue to progress, and man oh man did SO many traumatizing things happen in this book. McConaghy did not pull her punches. 
 The character growth and relationship growth continued to be sublime, and while it was brutal to witness, there was beauty in the brutality because of the writing and character depth. 
 The plot line remained engaging - beyond the characters. Kingdoms at stake. Lives lost for the cause. 
 This series is so amazing, I would recommend it in a second!