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Aug 24, 2018PimaLib_ChristineR rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Just really good. I can see Bardugo's writing improving from the first book to this end of the trilogy. I like that it's not a happy ending with everything unicorns and rainbows, but it's happy enough that I didn't feel like throwing myself off a cliff. I think perhaps Bardugo had read the St. Crispin's Day speech a few too many times. Lots of thinking on "our little band up against the odds" by Alina. Despite that, the plot drives forward and the characters are well-written. She may have taken the easy way out regarding the Alina-Mal-Nikolai triangle, but to be fair, it's always going to be difficult when there are three likable characters. Overall a satisfying read that I can see myself revisiting and recommending. For this type of Fantasy YA, I don't think there are many people who are better writers of plot, world or character. Like Laini Taylor, the writing keeps getting better, so I almost have to ask that readers new to these authors read their older works first, so they can fully enjoy them, before they see how much better the writing keeps getting.