5/5

For fans of: X-men, Children of Blood and Bone, empires, revolution, slow burn romance

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? Young adult fantasy, New adult fantasy

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Ramson is quick with words, wit, and charm

• Is it spicy? Fade to black

• Is it violent or gory? Oh boy, yes.

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? If you loved Blood Heir, absolutely buy it!

Synopsis: The Red Tigress, Anastacya Mikhailov, has lost the gift she was only beginning to realize defined her. Stolen from her during the battle in Bregon, her blood Affinity rests with Sorsha Farrald, a dangerous Affinite who is on the run, headed straight to Cyrilia and to Ana's aunt...the Empress Morganya.

Though she is weakened, Ana's course remains true--yet her return to her homeland reveals a Cyrilia on the brink of collapse. Morganya's tyrannical rule has transformed into a sinister quest for unquestioned authority, and she has set her sights far beyond Cyrilia. Morganya seeks a legendary ancient power, rumored to have once belonged to the Deities themselves. If she can locate it, she can rule the world.

What's more, Ana's allies, the insurgent Affinite rebels known as the Redcloaks, no longer support her. For their allegiance is with the people--and there can be no equality with a monarchy.

Ana faces enemies at every turn, and every day without her Affinity brings her closer to death. Yet she is determined to liberate her people and vanquish the legacy of her own imperial bloodline--the inequality sewn into the fabric of her land. Her only hope lies in the navy she recruited in Bregon, the courage of her band of friends, and the cunning crime-lord-turned-captain she's fallen for.

If Ana loses this fight, it will be her last. And Morganya's reign of darkness with consume the world.

Review: Here we are, the culmination of years of persecution, rebellion, and war. This book made me laugh, cry, and scream in frustration. We start off with our quartet of characters flung across the world. Ramson is in Bregon hunting down the remains of his old boss’s network that had been experimenting on Affinites. Nursing a broken heart, grappling with a future that will give him everything he had always desired, and hell bent on finding a way to save the girl an ocean away. Speaking of said girl, Ana has returned to a homecoming of epic proportions. Separated from her fleet and in the hands of her tyrannical aunt’s forces, she must find a way back and deal with the fact that her allies may not exactly want the same future she does: her on the throne. Add to the mix that she is actively dying from the siphon she needs to stand toe to toe against her aunt. Lastly, Kais and Lynn have made it to her home country as well, but it is a race against to warn the government of Cyrilia’s oncoming attack to gain the knowledge Morganya needs to become all-powerful.

This book frustrated me to no end as we switched POVs, crossing oceans, forests, mountains, I was EXHAUSTED keeping track of who was where, when, why, and how. The tension was immaculate and I ate it up. I love a plot-led book that keeps me on my toes. I may be a glutton for punishment in this scenario, but I like what I like. But you know what frustrated me more and not in a good way? Ana. I loved her story in so many ways, especially as she grappled with whether or not she agreed with Yuri’s desire for Cyrilia’s future to be decided by the people rather than monarchy and her potential role in a future that didn’t need her. But she frustrated me to no end with her selfishness about Ramson. That man wanted to be by her side and fought her every step of the way to be there, but she kept pushing him away. I get she thought she wanted to spare him and herself pain of her dying and they both had to learn the hard way how love is strength, but I was ready to throw the book across the room every single time they took two steps forward and one step back. Kais and Lynn, oh these two have my heart. Their relationship from jailor and prisoner to platonic soulmates just had me in a chokehold. Their relationship was so excellent in depicting two lost people broken by circumstance, finding each other, helping each other heal by just being there and supporting each other in whatever capacity is needed, and then finding purpose beyond what they ever imagined for themselves. I love them so much.

This final book is an excellent ending for the series. Action-packed, emotionally charged, the stakes cannot be higher, the future of the entire world is in the balance, and the ending is highly satisfying. An excellent ending to a great series.