3.25 stars

Thank you Hachette Audio and Net Galley for the audiobook ALC! 

This Ends in Embers is a satisfying enough conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology.

In strengths, I liked the character reflection and growth journeys the characters went  through. I think both were indicative of where they were as book began: Faron with Iya reckoning what that means for her values and who she is and Elara as the new Empyrean and the new status and power that gives her. I appreciated more discussion on the impact war has had on them, which was one of my notes of the first book I think. We got to know a bit more about some of the side characters and the surrounding countries. I felt more confident in Elara and Sidney’s relationship as that was the one that actually developed. Farron’s romantic plot line still felt very underdeveloped. Last, having not reread the first book, there were recap sentences throughout the book which did help jog my memory and I was able to understand what was happening without a reread. 

What I wanted more of was deeper integration. There was mention and slight development in the involvement of other countries and characters, but I didn’t feel its impact across the story. I think because the recurring cast of characters stays the same across books, it makes the world/cast feel very small. And that’s for both sides of the war. I didn’t realize the dragon population was so minuscule (that could have been because of the previous war and mentioned in the first book, but I can’t recall). For example the involvement of the other countries or the protests are here and there and very quickly wrapped up in the last 10 or so minutes of the book. There were two big moments in the book where I felt less emotionally moved because I don’t think I knew the characters or dragons enough to feel the impact

(Iya taking over Jesper’s body and the severing of dragon bonds/leaving of the dragons)

. Sidney’s comments helped a bit, but I still felt less emotionally invested given we only have the sister’s POV and what was or wasn’t given in this book alone (e.i. dragon input aside from Lightbringer). Also, there were several moments where I wish sections were shown more than just told they happened. 

Overall, I enjoyed the development from the first book, but I don’t think this series for me. Both books I felt very middle on, but I think it’s a series that others and teens will find enjoyment in. The new cover design direction is beautiful and I think capture the story more.

Audiobook wise, I enjoyed the narration. I liked having the carry over of the two different narrators for the sisters. I was more drawn to Elara’s narrator (Keylor Leigh?) in personal preference. In Faron’s narration, I was really feeling the sentence structure and the slightly flatter inflections. I didn’t change the speed between narrators so that may have been my issue