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.