first of all, holy fucking SHIT was that amazing. i've seen a lot of people rating this much lower than the other books in the series, but i don't get it because i thought this was exactly the way it should've ended. there were some things that upset me, but it wasn't because i thought they didn't fit with the plot; it was because i wanted it to be happier than it ended up being, but there is also hope in the end that things will get better and that there can still be happiness. as always, the characters are what stand out here, more than just about any other aspect of the story. i adored victoria!! she was such a sweet soul and such an interesting character with such an intriguing perspective into the events that were occurring around her. there were some things left unanswered when it comes to her character - as well as with the plot in general - but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of her story and the story as a whole. the chapters from thorn's perspective basically confirmed what i'd already believed about him (he definitely has ocd), but i also loved how it showed the way the genealogists manipulated him into doing what they wanted him to do and, in the end, made his ocd symptoms worse. the relationship between him and ophelia deepened and ended up having me sobbing by the end of the story because of the way they left it, but, like i said, there was still hope at the end. ophelia's character development from the first book to the last one is a massive leap; there's so much about her that grows and strengthens and i was so proud of her by the end. also second was such an interesting addition to the story. i wish we'd learned more about her, but, in the end, i do think that what we were told was exactly what we needed to be to further the plot, etc. the linework, as usual, reminded me so so much of a studio ghibli film: beautiful, but also with that touch of fantasy i grew up loving in the children's and middle grade books that i would read. i feel like there should be more for me to say, but, truly, i was left in a state of awe at the end of this book and generally speechless in the very best way. all in all, the perfect end to a series. i Do wish there was one more book for reasons that will are obvious at the end of the story, but i also understand why it ended where it did. 10/10. would recommend.

this series just keeps getting better and better the further into it i get!! if you're looking for a book that's his dark materials mixed with a studio ghibli film, then look no further!! the character development in this book supersedes the two books that came before this one by a long shot. if i loved thorn and ophelia before, then it's nothing compared to how i feel about them now!! the way thorn is with ophelia is Exactly the kind of romance i enjoy in any novel!! definitely adding him to my list of book boyfriends. also that boy Definitely has ocd and it's nice to see someone who has that illness like i do where he's not villainized for it or turned into some sort of freak. same with ophelia who, to me, is very autistic coded. there were so many bits in this book that i adored and omg it's so difficult trying to write this review without spoiling anything. the side characters, as usual, stand out so much!! octavio, my beloved. i hope we see more of him in the next book. i hated him at first, but this author does a very good job of making you feel the emotions about her characters that she wants you to before doing some sort of reveal that they're not at all what you're assuming them to be. i'm also very curious about victoria!! Something is going on with her, i just can't figure out what. i thought i did at one point during this book, but, as usual, the author did a great bait and switch with her character. the setting is even more akin to castle in the sky in this book with the introduction of automatons, and babel reminds me a bit of piltover and zaun in arcane!! though i would never want to live there; the authoritarianism in the babelian government reminds me far too much of what's happening in the usa at the moment except much, much worse. the linework is beautiful and so very engaging. this is the first time the book really starts to pick up and reveal what everything in the story is about, but, because the author is very good at what she does, she keeps you completely occupied until now so it doesn't ever once feel like this book series is slow to get to the main plot. there's so many things that happen in this book that set up the finale so well and i cannot wait to get to it, but i'm also not ready to leave this world quite yet. all in all, this book was amazing and definitely the best in the series so far!! i'm Very curious and excited about the last book in the series!!