
Side note: was I the only one unimpressed by Mirabella’s death? With all the hints that her death would have a meaningful impact on the war and on the island’s future, I was disappointed that it resulted in nothing more than the war that was going to happen anyway. She enticed me a little bit more in this book because she finally did something daring but even her death was lackluster. She never stood for anything or sided with anyone. Her whole character was to bring Arsinoe and Katharine together, but she wasn’t much of a person herself. Surprisingly, it didn’t end with all of them dead, which I had expected once Blake added the presence of the Legion Queen. This book was less about character development as much as it was about learning the fates of the three queens. The fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever.

In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Without him, who can she rely upon when Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce? As oldest and youngest circle each other, and Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share, the dead queens hiss caution-Mirabella is not to be trusted. But her attack on the rebellion exacted a high price: her beloved Pietyr. Queen Katharine’s rule over Fennbirn remains intact-for now. Arsinoe must find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist rests heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone.

Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, leaving her out of her mind and unfit to rule. After the battle with Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters.
