5/5 stars — an emotional, satisfying conclusion to Isabella Trent's story

Somehow, I missed that this was the last book in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series until I was almost halfway finished. I've loved these books so much that I almost went back and listened to the audiobook from the beginning at that point (so I could enjoy it harder, I guess? idk), but then I was too caught up in the story to wait to find out how it ended. I could—and have, in reviews of the previous four books—rave about Marie Brennan's voice, prose, and sheer imagination, but I think my personal experience speaks for itself here.

I'm sad I've finished all of Isabella's adventures with dragons and world travel, but Within the Sanctuary of Wings was a dramatic ending to the story of a character with a dramatic life. Isabella faced new heights of danger (some pun intended) and rose to the occasion with her usual mix of "deranged practicality" and stubborn determination to succeed. As always, Isabella and her companions ended up neck-deep in international politics.

Although this time, the stakes were higher because there were also inter-species politics to contend with. Can I just say that I loved the introduction of the Draconeans? They provided the perfect high-excitement finale to all Isabella's exploration and discoveries so far.

I was pleased with how Brennan tied off all the important plot threads at the end.

To anyone who enjoys historical fantasy, sharp-tongued female characters, and of course, dragons, I definitely recommend this series! (Just don't start with this book; you'll be very confused.) I listened to this whole series as audiobooks, and Kate Reading's narration was wonderful—just don't ask me to spell the names of any people/places!