Normally I'm content to let a series stop at its natural ending points and feel like more isn't necessarily better, but in this case I was SO sad to find out that this is planned as the final installment of the Tithenai Chronicles. Even though I'm satisfied with where Velasin and Caethari are and how their story wraps up, I would literally just keep reading books about them forever tbh </3. So obviously I enjoyed this sequel a lot! I'm tempted to go back and reread A Strange and Stubborn Endurance over again ASAP too :'^).

My favorite part (of many) definitely has to be just Velasin and Caethari themselves, and of course their romance. I love Velasin SO much and just want nice things for him--I love how inquisitive and driven he is, I love his kindness towards others, I love that he's fully capable of being rude and petty and cunning when he needs to be! On that note, I really appreciated how Velasin's trauma was handled in this book, both in the fact that he is still very much dealing with it in a realistic way and the fact that he's allowed to be unreasonable, and unkind, and cause conflict, rather than just suffering in perfectly nice and pretty ways, I suppose. And of course I adore Caethari! He's just so sweet and charming and a little stupid, but also extremely competent in the areas where his strengths lie. And he loves Velasin so much :,^). I am always talking about how sheer devotion is a huge factor in selling me on a romance, and BOY does Caethari meet that standard. I am obsessed with

him being shot in the shoulder and then a few days later having to save a bunch of drowning nobles In a freezing river, getting kicked in the shoulder he just got shot in during the process, and then having to carry one of those nobles a mile through the rain. and he STILL tries to get Velasin a warm bath  first before he even thinks of himself. OUGH. Now that's what it's all about!!!

I also loooove the balance of romance and politics and worldbuilding in All the Hidden Paths just as I did in the first installment. The pacing might be a little slow for some, but I actually adore getting an emotional or dramatic moment followed by paragraphs just describing the city or explaining exactly what social slight has been made. I was both invested in the over all mystery and having theories, but still pleasantly surprised by the final reveal! I also enjoyed that, even with all the high stakes and tension, there were plenty of moments of rest and kindness that kept it from being overwhelming. I especially adored how Velasin and Cae keep meeting strangers and very minor characters who they still connect with in some small way, finding a lot of kindness out in the world despite their troubles.

In fact, I would call this series kind-hearted at its core. There's a lot of very dark stuff going on, violence and political scheming and bigotry, all of which plays an important role in the characters' journeys and which I really do appreciate, but I also think that it makes the love story at the center of these books shine even brighter in comparison. On that note, I continued to love the comparisons in culture, with Velasin struggling to live his life openly and even Asrien having to deal with this way more accepting culture. The discussions about gender nonconformity and loving your home even when it doesn't love you back... hoo boy. 

Anyways, this is not my most coherent review, but it's hard to have serious critical thoughts when I just love this book series with my whole heart and enjoyed every second of it. I read the last 200 pages of this in basically one sitting and would read 1,000 more just to see every small moment between these characters  in Foz Meadows' writing, even though I truly appreciated this ending.