Back of the book
Nathan has seen his own death.
With the stakes higher than ever, it's up to Nathan to capture a heavily guarded magical artifact with the power to win the war. But amidst a longing for revenge, haunting visions of his future, and struggles with his closest companion, the person who most needs saving...is Nathan himself.
My thoughts
Once again, a little slow to start, with Nathan being obsessed with his revenge of Annalise. His ideals of revenge get a bit tiring but I think it's supposed to; everyone around him is also frustrated and a little worried by this fixation. Nathan is really starting to lose himself to this war, and perhaps tread on the wrong side of the moral line, but Gabriel brings him back. Moreso, Nathan chooses to really lean into Gabriel more and love him more and this makes me heart swell.
I love how Nathan and Gabriel's relationship develops in this. Gay relationships in books always make me happy but this one is done especially beautifully, specifically Nathan saying sorry scene. Their love is so natural and just right. This is the perfect example of an LGBTQ+ book that is not about being gay, it just exists in the world. I feel that the homophobic comments thrown in by other characters were almost an afterthought. Of all the self-discovery Nathan goes through, loving Gabriel is never something he worries about in terms of his identity. I feel that a lot of books try to be inclusive and insert queer characters on the side but sometimes it feels forced and has a little spotlight on it: "Hey look at me, it's the gay sidekick!". This never feels forced and just exists which is beautiful, and how a perfect utopian society should work.
I liked that Nathan never forgave Annalise, but he also didn't kill her. Of all the people he killed, this one seemed morally significant and the fact he didn't do it seems to bring him back to the moral 'good' side.
The ending was perfect. It hurt, a lot. It was perfect because it hurt. These books were too gritty and edgy, to pull off a happy ending realistically and believably. Also with Nathan's family history it would not have seemed right if somehow he got to live happily ever after. As much as I wished it ended differently because of how heartbreaking it was, I know I wouldn't be happy with a different ending because it wouldn't have felt real. Alas, fanfiction can continue Nathan and Gabriel's love story indefinitely.
TL:DR
Nathan falls properly in love with Gabriel, doesn't kill Annalise and the war is won but... A heartbreaking ending to a fantastic series that I hated and loved and wouldn't change a thing.
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Spoilery Book Reviews
Non-FictionBook reviews written by me. All reviews will contain spoilers. Some books are ones I have read millions of times and are my well known favourites. Some books are really random and bizarre picks for me that were complete surprises.
