The third book in the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is a lovely ending to an amazing and inventive series. When I started this book, I basically put my life on hold in order to finish it. It’s that addicting.
The book begins with the introduction of a vital new character named Eliza and with the entrance of the Seraphim emperor and his army into Earth. Now, the combined Chimaera and Seraphim revolution, led by Akiva, Karou and Thiago, must find a way to stop the emperor from taking over the human world and destroying the remaining Chimaera.
As for Eliza, her story, along with a new story arc about the Stelians, wraps up some of the mysteries and plot lines from all three books. The ending of this book is not a cliffhanger — in fact, it’s very satisfying. But it did make me wish for a fourth book, just so I could keep reading about the characters.
It’s pretty hard to explain why this book is so incredible without giving away the most major reveal in the story. But I can say that the way the author ties everything together is incredible — definitely one of the best plot twists I have ever read. It wasn’t forced or cliché, it was exactly what the book needed, and somehow it managed to leave me saying the word DUH in extremely high volumes even though there are really no hints as to what this big reveal is.
The characters in this book are as vibrant and captivating as they are in the first two books. Their struggles speak out to the readers, and their inner voices are strong and realistic. They are presented as the heroes of the books, yet the way they respond to their situations is so relatable. It’s easy to feel sympathetic towards them — that’s one of the reasons that I didn’t put this book down until I was finished.
Some final books don’t read like the others in the series. The authors clearly just want to be done writing, and their style and story sort of falls apart. This is not one of those books. Laini Taylor’s distinctive voice shines through this whole series, and it keeps readers engaged. I love the way that Taylor writes, and I hope that someday she makes another series — or, if I’m super lucky, a continuation of this one.