War is on the horizon and Iris is preparing not only to defend the duchy if it comes to that, but also ensure that her people are kept as safe as possible no matter how the war impacts the duchy. Meanwhile, the first prince must prepare to make a stand while also continuing to deal with his brother’s shenanigans. When some of the trash takes itself out, the princess makes an offer even the first prince can’t refuse, but how will it emotionally impact Iris?
I’ve been enjoying this series, so I was sad to be let down by the final book covering Iris’s story. We’re constantly being told what’s going on or what the plan is without letting the story show us what’s actually happening. I’m giving the story a pass on that because it was war time and everyone was running around making plans and putting them into motion, but the character’s stories really took a hit. Everything happens so fast, some of the characters are paired up but we barely see it actually happening, and then everything abruptly wraps up and it’s over.
The time jump at the very end barely scratched the surface. What happened to everyone after the war? Did anyone else settle down and have kids? How were some of the characters doing in their new roles? I’m left with way more questions than answers. I’m on the fence about whether or not I want to continue the series after this. As much as I like Merellis, aka Mer, I’m now afraid her story will end in a similar fashion even though we know what happens with her story anyway. Even though I love most of this series, this felt really rushed and it ended up being a huge letdown.
