Even though I finished this a few days ago, my thoughts are still all over the place. I love this series with my whole heart, and I did enjoy this book, but the closer I got to the end, the more frustrated and disappointed I became. Let’s start with the positives. Somehow, despite being 863 pages long, this book never dragged. So much was happening that I was constantly invested in the story. Keri Lake also did a fantastic job with that dark, eerie atmosphere I already loved in the first two books. The relationship between Maevyth and Zevander was another highlight for me. The yearning, devotion, and vulnerability between these two were beautiful, and I love them so much. I’m so happy they got their HEA, even if getting there was hard and devastating. The trauma and loss they experienced had me sobbing, as did the endings of some other characters. Once again, I really appreciated how the author portrayed trauma and the different ways people deal with it. Unfortunately, the closer I got to the end, the more issues I had with the story. There were so many plot threads that either went nowhere or were resolved so quickly that they felt unsatisfying. Maybe there was simply too much going on? Some of the things introduced felt unnecessary because they weren't developed enough to have a real impact on the story. Without getting too spoilery, who was Adira and where did she suddenly come from? What happened between Khazimyr and Dravien, and why was their potential mate bond never addressed after it was hinted at? And Zevander possibly being Sagaerin’s son? His blood on the dagger seemed to confirm it, but then it was never mentioned again. I also wish we'd gotten to see more of Maevyth exploring her new powers. Morsana's power was repeatedly presented as essential to defeating Pestilios, yet Maevyth barely used it, and it never felt that important to the outcome. The final battle was another disappointment for me. We've spent three books building up Cadavros and Pestilios as these big antagonists, only for them to be defeated rather quickly. Cadavros especially didn't feel threatening when they finally confronted him. The infected almost felt like a bigger threat than the villains themselves (although of course they were a result of Pestilios). I think the ending would’ve been more satisfying if there had been more of a struggle to defeat Pestilios. The ending also felt rushed. After everything that happened, we barely got to see most of the characters again before Maevyth and Zevander's bonding ceremony, which takes place months later. So, even though this book is already almost 900 pages long, I honestly feel like it needed more pages to give all these plotlines the attention they deserved and deliver a truly satisfying conclusion to the series. I had a great time with most of this book, but the rushed resolutions left me feeling disappointed. I'm torn between 3.5 and 4 stars. My issues with the plot and ending make me lean toward 3.5, but I love this series so much, and had a good time overall with this one. Please don't come for me. I'm probably the most upset about this rating myself. 😭