Hooo boy, that was a wild ride! Dark Artificer was the perfect addition to the Princesses of Ruin series. I know the author warned and warned and warned that it was really dark, but I actually didn’t think it was that bad. I personally don’t think it’s necessary to separate out the triggering passages of chapters because the reader is duly warned up front, but it doesn’t really disrupt the flow of the book at all. I absolutely loved Alyse and Kazimir and how they helped each other grow so much. They complemented each other perfectly. I don’t think Alyse’s magic ever would’ve grown so strong without Kazimir. I wish we had a bit more time with them together in person. The pacing of the book was really slow for most of the book, but then at the end, when they can finally be together, boom, we speed up. Although, the magic s*x was 🥵🥵🥵 Like, can we have more of that in books please? Overall, great book, and I can’t wait for the conclusion of this series! I love the direction the plot took at the end. 

I received an ARC of Dark Artificer from the author, Ember Holt, for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.