Given the explosive end to the second book in the series, I couldn’t wait to get started on this one. But unlike the first two which I devoured in days, this book took me weeks to get through. I just didn’t find the pace as quick as the first two and I wasn’t gripped like I thought I would be.

The plot was great, full of twists that I didn’t see coming, full of bright moments despite the despair they were all feeling, but I just felt like the connection I had to Alina in the start of the series had kind of drifted.

I was still invested in her, I really wanted her to find happiness, but through some of the plot twists, it seems like that might just never happen.

“In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”

Once I got through the middle section of the book, I did find the pacing increased and I thought the ending was fantastic. I’ve seen reviews that really hated the way the book ended, but I was so glad that after everything that happened, Alina and Mal could have a happy ending.

One of my favourite parts of the book was getting to know more of the minor characters, Zoya, Tolya, Genya, I loved them all possibly more than Alina and Mal. I was unsure about Genya for a while, thinking she might be a ‘bad guy’ for poisoning the king, but it turns out that she was just getting revenge on him in the best way possible for one of the worst things possible.

Even though I didn’t get on with this book as much as the first two, I still can’t wait to dig into more of the Grishaverse with the other series – Six of Crows has already arrived and I’ll be getting stuck in soon!