I am done. I have finished.

What did I think? I find myself fairly weary by the end.

This is such a mixed book it's hard for me to order my thoughts. When this book is good, it's really good. Like, seriously. So very good. When it's not. It's not ... awful but it's not as interesting.

The Bad

Mal: I'm so sorry Ms. Bardugo, but hot damn do I not like Mal. I don't dislike the guy, per se, but I'm not as intrigued by him as say someone like Nikolai.

Spoiler

Also, his being the last amplifier. I have mixed, ineffable feelings. I felt that if he were to die, he should have stayed dead. I think that would have made for some more powerful reading. Alina gave up everything: her powers, and her love's life for the future. Then she fades into obscurity alone, having being triumphant but significantly changed. I respect authorial autonomy, but I think it was a little safe. But that's just me. I might just be too demanding.

The ending: Beautifully written, but very safe. There is some real darkness in this book. Really awful things happen that were gripping to follow, so the ending felt strange and a little incongruous. To be honest, despite its safety, there was a lovely bit of the ending where you see that despite there being happiness, there's something of the darkness that is left within the people most affected. I thought that was neat: the very clear signs of change in them.

The side characters: I don't ... actually remember who was who. Zoya, Genya, David. The twins, Tolya and Tamar (though I always think that Tolya is the girl. Probably because of the name ending. Anywho). Fine. Crystal clear on them, but Adrik and Harshaw? Stigg? And many of the others ... I did not care for, sadly. I don't know if it was because they were poorly fleshed out or because I read it with too many breaks. If I could spend a minute honing in on Zoya, I'd like to say that I was a bit disappointed that there was a lack of character development for her there as well. I could nitpick further but I've said more than enough.

The Good

The opening: Navigating a position of weakness and turning it into strength? I thought the beginning was a blast, right the way up to the Nikolai reunion before its middle suffered a bit.

The twists: For the most part, the twists were super solid. Lots of genuine surprises in this book which actually had me calling out in glee.

The magic: Simple, easy to follow, and used very creatively. Easily one the best things about this book. Not much more that needs to be said.

The Darkling: A lot of people disliked the Darkling in this book but

Spoiler

I feel like with someone like him you have to make a choice. You either make a redemption arc for him or you show his truly twisted nature and accelerate it. Many hundreds of years of darkness will twist someone. Bardugo chose the latter option of showing his villain gambit, eschewing his previously anti-villainous goals for full-scale terror and Darkness. Either one would be bittersweet. I liked it, in a cruel way. The fact Bardugo was bold to twist a character like that, one of great torment. I did feel his death was a little easy, considering how impervious he was before but I shan't complain as we all must find an end.

Morozova's backstory: Hoo-boy. Just when I thought I couldn't be surprised. Excellent bit of the book.

"I know metal" David and Genya: Intensely moving scene. Great stuff. I remember continuing and having to flip back. Many feels were had.


So overall this series has left me exhausted, but oddly satisfied. I'm excited where her future books will take her.

Things to consider:

This isn't praise/criticism exactly, so I added this as an addendum but I'd love to know more about the mystical creatures of the world. The wildlife is fairly regular but they stick out. Not the least because of their properties. Like, how did they come about and how they survive. Something like the sea whip surely should have been spotted before? I wish there was more on them fitting into the world as opposed to them being in places designed for Plot. I loved them all though.