Ember Queen

Why make a story about a heroine with superpowers and then make her a blithering idiot, too weak and sentimental to use them on anyone? Involuntary eyerolls abound!The author spends a book and a half convincing us Cress is the worst villain ever, but then when our heroine has a chance to kill her and end the war, saving thousands of lives, she decides Cress will just be replaced with someone worse than her. Who? Who is worse than Cress?The whole series seemed to drag on and on. In the end, I just wanted it to be over, without much care for who won the war.

Not as good as the first two books. A lot of flaws and holes with justifications that aren’t believable. It’s like when doing a draft and she thought Blaise had to die in the end a hero, self -sacrificing bit but the execution leaves much to be desired. Same with Cress, the working draft of the book is that she shouldn’t die at the hands of Thora and so even if Thora could’ve killed her sooner, she didn’t justifying that she knew her best and therefore better an enemy you know than one you don’t know. Even when Cress has proven that she equals the Kaiser in cruelty and has proven time and time again to be dangerous and smart. If she killed her then Soren would have taken the “throne” and just handed it back to Thora and surrender. But that’s too easy and so the convoluted and underwhelming ending and deaths that are unnecessary. It leaves an unsatisfying aftertaste.

After following the lives of Queen Theodosia, Prinz Soren, Blaise, Artemisia, Cres, Eric & Dragonsbane in Ash Princess and Lady Smoke, I really needed an ending for this trilogy that made sense and did justice to these characters and relationships. And Ember Queen delivered! This is the story of the final battle between a band of rebels from multiple kingdoms that have been plundered and ruined by the savage Kalovaxians. Where do I start without giving away the plot with spoilers?Two points that make this book wonderfuls is 1) the brilliantly conceived battle and political strategies from the other two books shine here as well. The author achieves the same sort of Game of Thrones suspense that has you guessing until the last minute how each maneuver by the rebels will fail or succeed. And just when you think that all hope is lost, another brilliant turn of events changes everything. No TSTL characters here. And 2) the amazing character development means that every major and minor character is different and interesting. The authors builds a variety of different, complex backstories that explain and shape the various complicated relationships. We see the beauty and complexity of mother/daughters, of friends, siblings, parents, allies, slaves or people who survive abuse and adversity. All of it unique, none of it obvious or overly simple. Anyone who says that this book is like any other trilogy out there and doesn't offer anything new and special, just isn't paying attention.

The progression of Theo's character is nothing short of fantastic. From a timid, scared girl at the start of the first book to a strong, proud queen in the third. Though she may fight to retake her birthright -- the crown her mother wore more than ten years ago -- she always remembers the girl she was. Theo's relationship with those around her really blossoms in this book. Soren -- a Kalovaxian prince who dedicates himself to absolving his sins in her name. Blaise -- an old friend from childhood who holds more power than anyone should; a power that drives him to the edge over and over again. Artemesia -- a sassy and strong Water Guardian who happens to be Theo's cousin. Heron -- the steady and steadfast Air Guardian with a heart bigger than anyone else... The cast of characters goes on and on, but at the core, these are Theo's closest friends and trusted allies. The complexity of their relationship is outstanding.The book wasn't pulse-pounding or action-packed, but it definitely had its moments to shine bright. Is it worth the read? Absolutely, especially if you are already two books deep in the series. Was it a page-turner? Not nearly as much as the second book, Lady Smoke, which is why I only give it 4 stars. But I still enjoyed the ride.

This is the third and final book of the trilogy. I found the ending a little rushed - the war ended a little too easily after the struggles along the way. I also did not feel like there was good resolution. At the end of the book the war was over, but the vision of the new kingdom had not really been resolved.Throughout the series, I felt too much time was spent on dialogue that reflected self doubt.I am an adult reader, but usually enjoy a good young adult story. I found this trilogy to be a little to repetitive and less mature than many other young adult stories I read. This series, while enjoyable, does not meet the quality of a Sarah J Maas story.