While this was better than the second book (not a high bar), it still had a lot of flaws that the first two books had. The worldbuilding was not integrated well- it felt very much like tell not show and what little was shown felt surface level instead of actually diving into a deeper understanding of the different people, cultures and especially religions practiced.

We’ve seen the names of some gods so far and have deduced their domains, but I don’t feel like I have a solid grasp on how the average citizen feels about the pantheon of gods or how religion is viewed or practiced. How are gods honored? Are there festivals? How does religion impact everyday life? Because everything in this series so far shows us that religion has little impact beyond praying to a certain deity when in need. If these questions were answered in the first or even second books, I think the plot points in this book would have felt more natural and integrated in the story rather than coming out of nowhere.

The have the same gripes with the different cultures and peoples that we get to see in this book- i think doing the legwork and integrating them into the story earlier- even if it’s just rumors and tales characters might hear- would be incredibely helpful to the story.

Unlike the last book, this one did actually have a plot which was… fine i guess?

And characters… i still find any character other than Violet 1000% better and more interesting. Violet always gives me Mary Sue energy (unrealistic and lacking flaws/weakensses) and her lack of flaws is to her character’s detriment. If she cares too much abt her loved ones (Xaden), make her make decisions to save them that are contrary to the war effort. If she’s tough, make her also tough emotionally and hesitant to or outright against letting others in. If she’s not physically strong, let her come up with unique strategies that give her a leg up in combat. Having flawed characters is immensely important to the growth of the character and often drives the plot of a story forward. And again, with her character it’s very much tell not show.

I do not recommend this book nor this series. It breaks my suspension of disbelief in a hundred different ways and doesn’t have a message beyond “war bad :(“