Genre: Epic Fantasy
Rating: Five stars
This was a spectacular finale to a spectacular series. I still can’t fully process the complex and interesting cast of characters, the beautiful blend of politics and religion, and the unpredictable and devastating plot twists. The world is rich and enticing and this series is the epitome of epic fantasy.
I loved seeing Rin establish her power and authority in this book. It was never easy and she faced so many betrayals but one of the most admirable things about Rin is how determined she is. From the very first book when she never slept and burnt herself whilst studying for the Keju, to leading the South and facing betrayal and crippling battles, she never gives up. She always forges on and, while she has some very selfish and corrupt motives, her perseverance is admirable.
One of my favourite scenes in the entire book- maybe the entire series- was when the Republic attacked Tikany and Nezha and Rin went face to face for the first time. The display of Nezha’s control over his powers was breath-taking and it was a brutal and bloody fight. Watching these two characters who once had so much love for each other fight with such ruthlessness was a stab to the gut. They know exactly where to hit each other to cause the most pain. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and I’m pretty sure I was holding my breath throughout this entire scene.
I also loved that we saw more of the Trifecta in this book. I would still love an entire prequel on their story but I’m so glad we got Jiang back and that he sacrificed himself in the end to protect Rin and rid the world of Riga.
I also loved seeing Rin create new shamans. It was like the Cike was starting all over the again and it was fascinating to see the different powers that manifested from different Gods. I’m sad they didn’t last very long but it was cool to see them in action.
The defeat of Arlong was pretty epic but I loved that we got to see the struggles of the aftermath. So many books end at the war or the battle being won and everything returning to normal. But we got to see the harsh reality of war- the famine, poverty and destruction of the country that can’t be fixed overnight. Rin and Kitay were trained to be soldiers and it was so clear how out of their depth they were.
Venka’s fate also tore my heart to pieces. I love Venka- I think she’s such a strong and resilient character. There’s a little bit of uncertainty around whether she was a traitor or not and I kind of like that the reader can decide whether she’s innocent or guilty. I personally think she was a spy for Nezha. I love her and I genuinely think she grew to love Rin but her deep seated disgust of Southerners was too embedded into her perspective of the world. She’s always been prejudiced and I don’t think that would have changed overnight. She played the part and earned herself a place in Rin’s inner circle and I think she had to be the traitor.
Once we defeated the Republic, it became clearer and clearer that Rin could not survive this book. She has said so many times that she is a soldier, a general, and war is the only thing that she’s ever been good at. I think Rin would always be seeking out the next enemy, always searching for another war, and that’s not what Nikara needs. She would always have another foe to defeat and she would have burned down the entire world trying to be rid of them all. She is the Phoenix and the Phoenix’s purpose is to destroy.
And I knew Kitay would see that. As Rin became more corrupt and paranoid and volatile, Kitay would realise that she’s not the best ruler for Nikara. He’s too logical to think any differently. I think Kitay truly realised this when they were having their final talks with Nezha. All Rin wanted was to destroy the Hesperians, to dive headfirst into another war. All Nezha wanted was to end the war and provide a better life for the innocent civilians of Nikara.
So, it was simply a matter of who would kill Rin first – Nezha or Kitay. I honestly put my money on Kitay- I thought he would drive a knife through his own heart to stop her. But I like that Rin finally came to her senses and also realised she would only reduce the world to ash. I like that she was the one to sacrifice herself in the end- she was in control and made that decision herself.
It's a bittersweet and devastating ending but I genuinely think Nezha is the best person to rule. It made my feelings for Nezha so much more complicated. Throughout the majority of this book, I had nothing but hatred for him. But as we read more of Rin’s corruption and blatant disregard for compromise or acting in the best interest for the country, I realised that Rin is actually the villain of this story and it made me hate Nezha less. He’s done some unforgivable things and made plenty of wrong decisions but I think his heart has genuinely always been in the right place. He has always been fighting for a united Nikara and I can’t fault him for that. I respect him for all the hard decisions he's had to make.
That’s the best part of this series for me. None of the characters are wholly good or bad. They’re all complex and can be seen as heroes and villains at different angles. They are messy and flawed and that made me feel so much love for them.
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