Definitely an improvement from the first two. Mal and Alina are both much less angsty and start taking responsibility for their actions. Awesome plot twists, good character arcs, a strong climax.

But of course, there has to be a moment where Alina wonders why on earth Mal, the handsomest and best man she's ever met, would like her, the plainest and most boring girl ever to exist. Of course. Meanwhile two other handsome and charming men also like her. Why must there always be such surface-level attraction from multiple guys in YA novels?? Why must the heroine always find herself unattractive when it's clear she is anything but?

Spoiler

I'm slightly disappointed she didn't end up with Nikolai, but I'll reserve judgment on that until I read King of Scars.

I found this an emotionally and thematically satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Looking forward to the Nikolai books :)

content warning:

Spoiler

this book (unlike its predecessors) features a same-sex couple and a non-explicit sex scene.