What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dread Descendant #3
The Dread King
Release date coming soon, little vipers!
- GenresFantasy
Unknown Binding
107 people are currently reading
1219 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Cate Leake
4 books350 followersHi! Thank you so much for reading! It means the world to me to have gotten Maeve’s story into your hands. As a debut indie author I would love to connect with you. Feel free to message me personally to discuss The Dread Descendant. The entire reason I published was to be able to discuss this story with others!
Xoxo LC
TikTok @thedreaddescendant
Instagram @writer_lc
Xoxo LC
TikTok @thedreaddescendant
Instagram @writer_lc
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
November 3, 2025
If the series had to end, then at least it ended the way it did. Each book has been intoxicating to read from start to finish, and TDK was no exception. I gasped, I cried, I wanted to throw the book & rage at LC. I did, actually rage (affectionate) at LC. But I also laughed and swooned. And I wouldn’t change a thing about this book. After I’ve thoroughly processed the absolute rollercoaster of emotions LC put me through, I am excited to read the series in its entirety again so I can find all the easter eggs hidden throughout. LC isn’t afraid to explore complex emotions, characters, and concepts, and she navigates the trauma of loss especially well. The twists will leave you breathless or laughing maniacally. Or both. This book is so good, y’all. Definitely check out the TW for your mental health, as that always comes first, as this is definitely Dark Romantasy. But if you’re cool with all that, TDK is one you’re not gonna want to miss and one you won’t be able to put down.
November 4, 2025
I am unwell. This was beautiful, perfection and literally EVERYTHING.
November 4, 2025
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of TDK; and this is my honest review:
If you have not, I highly recommend that you go read the first two books of the Dread Series because this finale to the trilogy was…. Chef’s kiss 🤌🏼
When I first came across this series, it immediately intrigued me because of the cover art. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, so naturally I added books 1 & 2 to my Amazon wishlist. Then I started seeing LC’s reels… ‘a dark romance inspired by Slytherin and Anakin vibes’, YES BABE SIGN ME UP! 👀 I finally ordered them and binged them upon arrival. Regrettably, I hadn’t started doing reviews yet, so that is why we have an absence of TDD and TDP on my IG page (@whimsigothbooknook). But to complete this review I am paying an homage to them as well. 😉 I also highly recommend that you take a look at Lauren Cate’s IG page to get additional info on each book/ brief synopsis’s, art, and a good feeler for the vibes/ journey you will embark on.
Now, onto The Dread King.
I had to allow myself some time to process the ending of The Dread King before writing this review because I was just left with my head spinning.😅 I could probably write a whole book myself on the thoughts that I have been left reeling over. 🤣
This book (the entire series actually) had my emotions all over the place. I was so stressed out going into this one because I honestly had no idea where this storyline could possibly go. I knew this was the ending to the entire journey… and I wasn’t prepared. I. Wasn’t. Prepared. What a freaking finale?! LC has packed these pages with a riveting conclusion.
You are truly not prepared for the plot twists/ reveals that come to light in this book alone. Much less the entirety of the trilogy. The storyline was beautifully composed especially once you realize the absolute MAGNITUDE of what has occurred and led up to this final book. The dedication and sacrifices of each of the main characters throughout their individual stories is heavy and LC made sure to evoke the weight of it all in her readers. You will fall madly in love with some of the characters and be absolutely disgusted by others; you may even be surprised when those feelings flip flop a time or two. I laughed, sobbed, and raged while reading this. Every one of their backgrounds and the story-building behind it really just amazed me. LC poured so much thought into the intricacy of this story that ties Maeve, Malachite, and Reeve. Not to mention all of the additional characters that she has tied in along the way; family, friends, and yes, even the enemies. I’m truly blown away and so, so thankful to have been on this Street Team.
The end of the series both destroyed, and completed me. Very well done, very well done indeed.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍
Plot:🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
Spice: ❤️🔥- yearning/ teasing more than actual open door scenes
If you have not, I highly recommend that you go read the first two books of the Dread Series because this finale to the trilogy was…. Chef’s kiss 🤌🏼
When I first came across this series, it immediately intrigued me because of the cover art. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous, so naturally I added books 1 & 2 to my Amazon wishlist. Then I started seeing LC’s reels… ‘a dark romance inspired by Slytherin and Anakin vibes’, YES BABE SIGN ME UP! 👀 I finally ordered them and binged them upon arrival. Regrettably, I hadn’t started doing reviews yet, so that is why we have an absence of TDD and TDP on my IG page (@whimsigothbooknook). But to complete this review I am paying an homage to them as well. 😉 I also highly recommend that you take a look at Lauren Cate’s IG page to get additional info on each book/ brief synopsis’s, art, and a good feeler for the vibes/ journey you will embark on.
Now, onto The Dread King.
I had to allow myself some time to process the ending of The Dread King before writing this review because I was just left with my head spinning.😅 I could probably write a whole book myself on the thoughts that I have been left reeling over. 🤣
This book (the entire series actually) had my emotions all over the place. I was so stressed out going into this one because I honestly had no idea where this storyline could possibly go. I knew this was the ending to the entire journey… and I wasn’t prepared. I. Wasn’t. Prepared. What a freaking finale?! LC has packed these pages with a riveting conclusion.
You are truly not prepared for the plot twists/ reveals that come to light in this book alone. Much less the entirety of the trilogy. The storyline was beautifully composed especially once you realize the absolute MAGNITUDE of what has occurred and led up to this final book. The dedication and sacrifices of each of the main characters throughout their individual stories is heavy and LC made sure to evoke the weight of it all in her readers. You will fall madly in love with some of the characters and be absolutely disgusted by others; you may even be surprised when those feelings flip flop a time or two. I laughed, sobbed, and raged while reading this. Every one of their backgrounds and the story-building behind it really just amazed me. LC poured so much thought into the intricacy of this story that ties Maeve, Malachite, and Reeve. Not to mention all of the additional characters that she has tied in along the way; family, friends, and yes, even the enemies. I’m truly blown away and so, so thankful to have been on this Street Team.
The end of the series both destroyed, and completed me. Very well done, very well done indeed.
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍
Plot:🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️
Spice: ❤️🔥- yearning/ teasing more than actual open door scenes
November 20, 2025
The first book was my favorite book of the year, I fell hard for mal and maeve. I adored them. In book two i felt the story going this direction and was hoping Lauren was gonna plot twist us and change it around. Because how couldn't maeve and mal end up together???? Lauren sold this book as "if you loved anakin" created a character in his image, only to destroy his character to drive another romantic plot. I feel betrayed on behalf of mals character and conned out of the love story she advertised. Just horribly disappointed in this series.
November 4, 2025
I am unwell. I just turned the last page of The Dread King and am now sitting here trying to write a review with a lump in my throat and watery eyes.
To understand this plot is to accept that you never fully understood it all. Every detail is beautifully and painfully unraveled and I was left reeling as each revelation clicked into place.
Maeve is so complex, with abilities that surpass even her own expectations. Her journey is a paradox that had me feeling hollow yet satisfied. Seeing the cost of her choices was often heartbreaking but I love where she ended up.
Mal, oh Mal. What a tortured soul. Maeve's match in complexity and questionable morality. His depravity is not wholly his fault, yet you find yourself conflicted on what actions were a result of his own possessive love or need for control and which were beyond his control.
And then there's Reeve. So many questions from books 1 & 2 answered. In a world of cold, he is warm. He is steadfast amongst the chaos.
I WISH for and I NEED more. Lauren delivered a heart wrenching, beautiful end to this trilogy but I fear I can't accept it's over. This is without a doubt a top tier trilogy for me. It scratches so many different itches and since reading The Dread Descendant a year ago I haven't been able to get it out of my head.
To understand this plot is to accept that you never fully understood it all. Every detail is beautifully and painfully unraveled and I was left reeling as each revelation clicked into place.
Maeve is so complex, with abilities that surpass even her own expectations. Her journey is a paradox that had me feeling hollow yet satisfied. Seeing the cost of her choices was often heartbreaking but I love where she ended up.
Mal, oh Mal. What a tortured soul. Maeve's match in complexity and questionable morality. His depravity is not wholly his fault, yet you find yourself conflicted on what actions were a result of his own possessive love or need for control and which were beyond his control.
And then there's Reeve. So many questions from books 1 & 2 answered. In a world of cold, he is warm. He is steadfast amongst the chaos.
I WISH for and I NEED more. Lauren delivered a heart wrenching, beautiful end to this trilogy but I fear I can't accept it's over. This is without a doubt a top tier trilogy for me. It scratches so many different itches and since reading The Dread Descendant a year ago I haven't been able to get it out of my head.
November 9, 2025
Anxiety inducing, wild ride.
I know little of you, and yet I know that you are mine.”
“If you can read me so easily, then why don’t you just answer it?” “Because someone’s got to teach you how to communicate with words.”
“One day you will understand,” said Reeve. “Her loyalty isn’t to be feared. It’s her greatest strength.”
I know little of you, and yet I know that you are mine.”
“If you can read me so easily, then why don’t you just answer it?” “Because someone’s got to teach you how to communicate with words.”
“One day you will understand,” said Reeve. “Her loyalty isn’t to be feared. It’s her greatest strength.”
November 10, 2025
Woof. This final installment of the Dread Series is for the Maeve girlies. For the ones that love with their whole beings and will sacrifice everything to help the ones they love. So many things were unraveled in this book to the point that I was wondering if anything we were told in the last two books actually happened. The plot twists, the battles, the love, the sadness, Maeve Sinclair will do whatever it takes. I do like that we got to see the softness of Maeve in the middle of the book before her badassary came back into play. Although the series is over, the story was wrapped up nicely in the end but I fear Malachite Peur, Maeve Sinclair, and the High Lord of Aterna Reeve, will forever be stamped on my heart.
May 16, 2025
THE WAY I GASPED
IM NOT OKKKK💖😍😍💖💖
IM NOT OKKKK💖😍😍💖💖
November 10, 2025
I can't put into words how I feel at this moment, typing this. This series has been a very prominent read for me and my friend this year, and this being the ending hurts more than I can say. It was beautiful. It was intense, and there were several twists that came out of nowhere. It was HEARTBREAKING. Absolutely ripped me apart in the best and worst ways. Unforgettable. I truly cherish these characters and this story, and now that it's over I know I'll never forget how these books made me feel. Thank you Lauren, truly, for creating this magical world that had me from page one.
November 20, 2025
I am UNWELL RIGHT NOW.
HOW DARE SHE DO THIS TO MAL 😭😭 my heart is torn…. This whole book was so good and the plot was so good but I just can’t agree with the direction the story went in. I am heartbroken FOR REAL THIS TIME GUYS!
I was so hooked on this whole trilogy and I’m devasted it is over :( but again I can’t believe she done this to Mal and I will not read another book without him
HOW DARE SHE DO THIS TO MAL 😭😭 my heart is torn…. This whole book was so good and the plot was so good but I just can’t agree with the direction the story went in. I am heartbroken FOR REAL THIS TIME GUYS!
I was so hooked on this whole trilogy and I’m devasted it is over :( but again I can’t believe she done this to Mal and I will not read another book without him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
I just would like to lay on the floor and reflect on this book for a week. It was…. Gosh, wow. So good.
November 10, 2025
Lauren has done it again 😭
I loved every second of this book, just like the other two, this was a beautiful way to end the series and all I have to say is be ready guys…. And have your tissues 🤧
I loved every second of this book, just like the other two, this was a beautiful way to end the series and all I have to say is be ready guys…. And have your tissues 🤧
January 5, 2026
I want to start off by saying I haven’t cried that much in awhile from a book and it felt glorious! No spoilers here but that ending was chefs kiss! This last book in the series made me feel sick to my stomach and the darkness was pure evil. The complexity of the emotions and the twists and turns were so unique and not predictable. My heart ached at so many moments between these characters who have fought with their hearts and souls for their magic and their people. I adore that even with all those intense emotions, Lauren still gives us moments of banter and laughter and butterflies that make your toes curl. I have grown so attached to all of these characters and I can’t say enough good things about this series. It will be one I re-read and cherish!!
November 22, 2025
I don't even know what to say in this review without spoiling the whole book. I guess I'll just say, I did not really see the ending coming at all, and I am currently sobbing at 2 am as I finished it. The ending is so bittersweet that I honestly don't know how to feel. I'm going to try to talk about things objectively or generally so I don't have to mark my whole review as a spoiler, but I'm sorry if anyone gets spoiled or figures it out, I guess I'll give a warning anyway.
If I told myself who read the first book in November of last year that this series was going to end this way, I would have laughed in my own face. I couldn't have even guessed a year ago that this is how things would end up. Some parts of the end I'm really pissed about, even though I can see why they happened or had to happen, but I'm still distraught about it. But I'm also happy that there is peace. Like I said I really have bittersweet feelings about this. I'm still giving the book five stars even though it was probably my least favorite of the three books (probably because it caused me the most emotional distress lol). But that's the thing, this book and this series in general made me feel something, when I'm feeling the emotions with the characters and am so emotionally invested that I can't stop thinking about a book or series for weeks after I read it, that's how I know the author did a good job.
This series as a whole has blown me away, and I've messaged with the author Lauren on Instagram a couple of times before and she is such a sweet person 💚, I will definitely read whatever she choses to release next. I would highly recommend this series, just when you are reading the third one, have a box of tissues near you, because if you get as emotionally invested as I did, you will need them, and there will always be a place for Maeve and Mal in my heart.
If I told myself who read the first book in November of last year that this series was going to end this way, I would have laughed in my own face. I couldn't have even guessed a year ago that this is how things would end up. Some parts of the end I'm really pissed about, even though I can see why they happened or had to happen, but I'm still distraught about it. But I'm also happy that there is peace. Like I said I really have bittersweet feelings about this. I'm still giving the book five stars even though it was probably my least favorite of the three books (probably because it caused me the most emotional distress lol). But that's the thing, this book and this series in general made me feel something, when I'm feeling the emotions with the characters and am so emotionally invested that I can't stop thinking about a book or series for weeks after I read it, that's how I know the author did a good job.
This series as a whole has blown me away, and I've messaged with the author Lauren on Instagram a couple of times before and she is such a sweet person 💚, I will definitely read whatever she choses to release next. I would highly recommend this series, just when you are reading the third one, have a box of tissues near you, because if you get as emotionally invested as I did, you will need them, and there will always be a place for Maeve and Mal in my heart.
November 14, 2025
5/5 stars. I wasn’t able to read the first two books beforehand but I do have the physical copies and will be going back to read the entire series. This book had me ugly crying by the end of it.
It’s a very well-written story and I loved seeing glimpses of the past which helped me make sense of what was going on. I feel for Maeve, but she is such as badass. I really don’t know what else to say other than this is a must read.
Spice is low 1/5 but I read it because of the romance and plot. The love that Mal and Reeve have for Maeve is something I am not going to be able to get over for a while.
Would highly recommend to readers who enjoy low spice fantasy books. Also recommend to those who like love triangle vibes, badass FMCs, magic, and men who will do anything to the woman they love even if the result isn’t what they want.
Thank you Lauren for approving me to be a part of your ARC team. I am so glad I found your book on TikTok & IG!
It’s a very well-written story and I loved seeing glimpses of the past which helped me make sense of what was going on. I feel for Maeve, but she is such as badass. I really don’t know what else to say other than this is a must read.
Spice is low 1/5 but I read it because of the romance and plot. The love that Mal and Reeve have for Maeve is something I am not going to be able to get over for a while.
Would highly recommend to readers who enjoy low spice fantasy books. Also recommend to those who like love triangle vibes, badass FMCs, magic, and men who will do anything to the woman they love even if the result isn’t what they want.
Thank you Lauren for approving me to be a part of your ARC team. I am so glad I found your book on TikTok & IG!
November 28, 2025
Wow, what a plot. The storyline and twists in this book were so unique and well executed. I truly had no idea how it would all end. My emotions were running high from start to finish.
This finale ended up being my favorite of the trilogy, and the series as a whole was incredibly well done. I especially loved the FMC’s growth; seeing her journey from her younger years to who she becomes was a highlight for me.
I did struggle a bit to situate myself in the first few chapters, so I’d definitely recommend rereading the second book (or at least its final chapters) to get your bearings. And Maeve’s stubbornness had me grunting out loud at times, but it fit her character perfectly. I wouldn’t change it.
A well-deserved 5 stars.
Thanks for the ride, LCL.
This finale ended up being my favorite of the trilogy, and the series as a whole was incredibly well done. I especially loved the FMC’s growth; seeing her journey from her younger years to who she becomes was a highlight for me.
I did struggle a bit to situate myself in the first few chapters, so I’d definitely recommend rereading the second book (or at least its final chapters) to get your bearings. And Maeve’s stubbornness had me grunting out loud at times, but it fit her character perfectly. I wouldn’t change it.
A well-deserved 5 stars.
Thanks for the ride, LCL.
November 15, 2025
Where do I even begin? This book ruined me. I always knew it would. The series is absolutely like no other. You could never find characters like these anywhere else. The way Lauren Cate writes is absolutely beautiful. This is a world I will gladly stay in. The twists and turns of the series and this book alone has toyed with my heart in a way no other has. I highly highly recommend this book to any and all.
November 16, 2025
Oh this book killed me!
I received this book as an ARC, it gets 5 ⭐️.
I waited for this book for what felt like forever and now that it’s over I am sad…I wish I could read this all over again and experience it the same way.
This book instantly grabbed your attention and sucked you in.
Maeve, Mal and Reeve are such powerful characters. Maeve’s growth and change throughout the series was amazing, she was willing to do whatever it took for those she loves. The complexity of Maeve’s magic was very well written. Mal was a storm of complexity that made my head spin….he was always walking that fine line. Reeve…I have loved him since the beginning, he was always there for Maeve whether she wanted him or not. When Reeve was finally able to break free and let Maeve know the truth of their bond…I was in tears!
This trilogy was perfect and I am satisfied with the ending. I am so thankful to have been allowed to read this as an ARC and be on the street team.
Read this if you love -
*Dark Romance Fantasy
*Morally Grey Characters
*War and Redemption
I received this book as an ARC, it gets 5 ⭐️.
I waited for this book for what felt like forever and now that it’s over I am sad…I wish I could read this all over again and experience it the same way.
This book instantly grabbed your attention and sucked you in.
Maeve, Mal and Reeve are such powerful characters. Maeve’s growth and change throughout the series was amazing, she was willing to do whatever it took for those she loves. The complexity of Maeve’s magic was very well written. Mal was a storm of complexity that made my head spin….he was always walking that fine line. Reeve…I have loved him since the beginning, he was always there for Maeve whether she wanted him or not. When Reeve was finally able to break free and let Maeve know the truth of their bond…I was in tears!
This trilogy was perfect and I am satisfied with the ending. I am so thankful to have been allowed to read this as an ARC and be on the street team.
Read this if you love -
*Dark Romance Fantasy
*Morally Grey Characters
*War and Redemption
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2025
I’m so grateful to have received the ARC for TDK! This series is so close to my heart. The Dread Prince was my first ever ARC that I requested, and The Dread Descendant was the first indie book I ever picked up, so from that moment on this entire world has taken over my head and my heart. It’s so encapsulating and it makes me feel like I’m stepping into another realm, almost in the same way Harry Potter did when I was younger. Lauren’s writing has so many layers, and the emotion she puts into her stories transfers me straight into the world of her books every time I read them.
I got about a quarter of the way through The Dread King on my kindle and made myself stop because I wanted to end this series the same way I started it, with a physical copy in my hands. I don’t know why I’m this emotional about leaving the world she built, but I attached to it so easily and it truly felt like home.
I’m going to her signing for The Dread King tomorrow, and once I finally have the book in my hands to finish it, I’ll update this review.
I got about a quarter of the way through The Dread King on my kindle and made myself stop because I wanted to end this series the same way I started it, with a physical copy in my hands. I don’t know why I’m this emotional about leaving the world she built, but I attached to it so easily and it truly felt like home.
I’m going to her signing for The Dread King tomorrow, and once I finally have the book in my hands to finish it, I’ll update this review.
December 3, 2025
SOBBING
I don’t think I’ve ever written a review for a book but this series shook me to my core. I felt all of it. I just finished and I cannot stop crying!! I will definitely carry this story with me “forever and always”. 💗 thank you Miss Lauren!
I don’t think I’ve ever written a review for a book but this series shook me to my core. I felt all of it. I just finished and I cannot stop crying!! I will definitely carry this story with me “forever and always”. 💗 thank you Miss Lauren!
November 28, 2025
All I’m saying is I have no idea how to feel. I need 3-5 business days and a Reeve prequel
November 24, 2025
He nearly smiled as he said. “I have no doubt you’ll be the last one standing.”
These books never fail to do it for me.
PSA, I’ll definitely have some spoilers below; read with caution even though I’ll aim to make things vague.
I genuinely felt like I was in a toxic relationship while reading this because I was literally accepting scraps from Mal at the beginning here.
Coming off of tDP, I was team Reeve, mostly because continuing to back Mal was getting hard when he was genuinely appalling at times. But, I will say, Lauren had me confused at the start of this. I was like, wait, maybe he can be saved; maybe this can end with him. And then, when Reeve comes in, it’s like my entire reality shatters. As though I was unknowingly living in the dark, and then a window was smashed, revealing that there was light in the world the entire time and I’d merely grown accustomed to surviving off the scant glow of the moon.
All at once, I understood what Maeve was truly missing. Someone wholly devoted to her. Like the freaking earl grey tea thing? Come on. Mal just didn’t have that in him. He was cold, dark possession—mad with an infatuation for her power and loyalty to him. And we loooove a moody, I-love-nobody-and-nothing-but-her, kind of MC at times, but at a point I needed my girl to get a BREAK from the pain and insanity of loving someone lost to the darkness. But then I saw him trying to reach her and I was withering at the despair of it all.
Now don’t get me wrong. I sobbed like a million times reading this. I love Mal. I love all his twisted, horrific, irredeemable glory. But there was a point where I felt that if he did make it out in the end, he would not want to live with the fallout of what he went through. I was heartbroken for him. And a part of me genuinely died in the final chapters.
I am truly impressed with the way this was written. The layers and complexity, the way I could never trust my instinct and never trust Maeve’s. The way I did not agree with how she did everything, but I cared for this character so deeply and felt for her loss—for how unfairly misunderstood she was. I admired her ambition, her dedication. I would have GIVEN TF UP a million times and she kept fighting.
Okay let’s talk about the memory stuff? I mean wow. This added such beautiful layers. I felt so sad at points in this, hopeful, and crushed. I loved Reeve. I missed Mal. I hated Mal. I changed my mind five thousand times, and ended up resenting nobody but Shadow when all was said and done.
Okay but back to Reeve. Their banter is unmatched; I just love him.
And then his sweet side too.
5/5
Very few books can surprise me and reel me in continuously, especially throughout 3 novels. Well done to the author!
These books never fail to do it for me.
PSA, I’ll definitely have some spoilers below; read with caution even though I’ll aim to make things vague.
I genuinely felt like I was in a toxic relationship while reading this because I was literally accepting scraps from Mal at the beginning here.
His voice was velvet. “You are in the dead blooms of hydrangea in the gardens. Your scent lingers in my chamber bed. In the Entrance Hall, I taste blood, and I know it is yours. I know little of you, and yet I know that you are mine.”
Coming off of tDP, I was team Reeve, mostly because continuing to back Mal was getting hard when he was genuinely appalling at times. But, I will say, Lauren had me confused at the start of this. I was like, wait, maybe he can be saved; maybe this can end with him. And then, when Reeve comes in, it’s like my entire reality shatters. As though I was unknowingly living in the dark, and then a window was smashed, revealing that there was light in the world the entire time and I’d merely grown accustomed to surviving off the scant glow of the moon.
All at once, I understood what Maeve was truly missing. Someone wholly devoted to her. Like the freaking earl grey tea thing? Come on. Mal just didn’t have that in him. He was cold, dark possession—mad with an infatuation for her power and loyalty to him. And we loooove a moody, I-love-nobody-and-nothing-but-her, kind of MC at times, but at a point I needed my girl to get a BREAK from the pain and insanity of loving someone lost to the darkness. But then I saw him trying to reach her and I was withering at the despair of it all.
“Mal,” she cried, unable to keep silent any longer. The words spilled from her lips like a broken and begging prayer, soft and defeated. “I’m so sorry.” Her words landed like a physical blow. Mal recoiled, his eyes closed sharply, and his face twisted in agony as his fist raised and slammed against the table. Magic rippled in multiple pulsing waves as he stood. Reeve kept them all from landing on himself and Maeve, pulling her flush against him at last. Mal’s arms raised, and he hunched violently over the table, palms slamming flat against the surface. His fingers retracted in torment, scraping as they clawed into the wood. His eyes were feral as he looked up at them.
Now don’t get me wrong. I sobbed like a million times reading this. I love Mal. I love all his twisted, horrific, irredeemable glory. But there was a point where I felt that if he did make it out in the end, he would not want to live with the fallout of what he went through. I was heartbroken for him. And a part of me genuinely died in the final chapters.
Mal’s other hand joined at her face, trembling and cold knuckles brushed against her bruised and blood-smeared skin. “I love you, Little Viper. In another world, perhaps I will again.”
I am truly impressed with the way this was written. The layers and complexity, the way I could never trust my instinct and never trust Maeve’s. The way I did not agree with how she did everything, but I cared for this character so deeply and felt for her loss—for how unfairly misunderstood she was. I admired her ambition, her dedication. I would have GIVEN TF UP a million times and she kept fighting.
“Stop,” he said coolly. She obeyed, annoyed. “Show them you are not broken, even if you think you are, show them you are not. Show him, with those pretty lips and the gown you are pretending to hate, that he should desire you above all. Remind him it is you he should bow to.”
Okay let’s talk about the memory stuff? I mean wow. This added such beautiful layers. I felt so sad at points in this, hopeful, and crushed. I loved Reeve. I missed Mal. I hated Mal. I changed my mind five thousand times, and ended up resenting nobody but Shadow when all was said and done.
Okay but back to Reeve. Their banter is unmatched; I just love him.
“I f**king hate this whole thing,” said Maeve, arms folded over her chest as she observed herself in the mirror.
“Yeah,” said Reeve with a controlled sigh behind her. “And you look hideous, too.”
And then his sweet side too.
His voice was smooth and dark. “I am still standing.” Her fingers shook against his cheek. “I will stand by you until the end.”
5/5
Very few books can surprise me and reel me in continuously, especially throughout 3 novels. Well done to the author!
November 14, 2025
A well rounded end to the series that has made me friends and opened opportunities. Big thanks to the author for letting me be an ARC reader.
January 19, 2026
Right.
Oh god, what to write and how to write it.
I am just… not ok.
I understand the ending, or rather the choices that lead to it and effectively the essence na facts of it. But I fondamental disagree and reject the structure of it. Don’t get me wrong it was the right thing and I’m glad it came to be and I soo relived by it however the actually writing and structural decisions of it I am thoroughly disappointed in. I’ll be explain more in this later.
Let me start by saying, this book and series HURT. Fundamentally, inexplicably, truly Hurts. It explores unapologetically themes of love, trust, consent and toxicity itself . It takes them apart and lays them bare.
The toxic themes are explored with many, even Alphard to some extent but it is with Mal that it really takes place. I explored this in my review of the first book. Where I am convinced and concerned about their relationship because of how toxic it is and that toxic love like they have resembles more abuse than love. Toxicity is abuse and abuse isn’t love. That is what her and Mal boil down to in the end. If there was redemption for them as a couple it needed to happen at the start of the second book where Mal’s own faults about love (and they are there, deep, dangerous and pain inflicting because it’s twisted and toxic on its own) before he is taken by Shadow. But that isn’t done and so his own wrong idea of possession mixed with love are merged with insane evil and that is where things become so bad. I knew pretty early on they logically they wouldn’t end up together if relationships were based on something remotely healthy in this story. But of course this author is so good and unpredictable that I genuinely want sure, I knew what I wanted to happen that they wouldn’t be together because of too much abuse but still doubt lingers.
I was right in the first book review that to me at least (I wasn’t sure if the authors would see it my way too) that Mal’s actions were unforgivable and irreversible. Logically: how could we as a reader, as a humans who might experience love like this, as women, as daughters and mothers possibly forgive Mal and not just love him (love isn’t removed and we see that beautifully) but choose him regardless. How could she look last everything ? She says herself his magic becomes something she shakes at, his abuse and torture or him something she dreads and his voice in her head and grip on her making her break and dread more than anything. Not to mention all the vile things he says, the degradations her father. A loss we continue to feel so keenly aven now. Degradation is not and can never be love. Or healthy.
Mal’s path to glory was his own ambition before shadow and his control in some areas of his possession makes it hard to decipher how much of this abuse came from Shadow and which bits he himself took too far and deep down Maeve knows that. It’s why she makes her choice the way she does. My thoughts that I gripped to throughout the book was: how could the author, after everything, (iykyk) still have Maeve give in to Mal, that wound contradict her growth, all her sacrifices to ensure those she loved were protected from him. How could she give weight and credibility to such toxicity to her readers ? But still while I came to hope that they wouldn’t end up together I wasn’t sure there wouldn’t the some complete redemption, and part of me wished for that.
Until we got to Reeve. Reeve actually showed her what love is truly like. In my opinion but I’d say more than that. He shows her love and protection without possession that borderlines on ownership and slavery and edge that she fell of with completely with Mal (and that’s my point- it went above and beyond love and the possession they we may crave into something truly beyond). Reeve is everything, truly. And I almost hate it. Because I am fervently against love triangles- real love triangles like this one are usually something I despise because I value love and loyalty but here I was so torn because how could she do this to Mal her first love ? But then of course he wasn’t. I became sure that I was team Reeve quite early on in book 3. I loved how we explored and saw their relationship and I remember reading and begging for him to be her choice and her ending but I was so afraid. I was terrified she’d go back to Mal but I would never forgive that because I believed deeply that How could she do that to Reeve ? He is completely good, not golden retriever good mind you. He is just as intoxicating and possessive as Mal but with a safety to him that is so attractive and reassuring it makes him the obvious choice whereas mal had a danger and unpredictability to him that wasn’t sane. Mal was cold and his idea of love required Maeve to be beneath him, plaint and willing and ok to bleed out for him and love herself. His love for her required her braking whereas Reeve shows her what she deserves.
And that is why her being with Reeve is so important and right. He shows her healthy, he values her choices and she’s her safety whilst still growling in possession and finding out he was her first love was everything. They loved each other first and deeply and even though I LOVE the first book and choosing another goes against everything I believe in- my grown woman self fundamentally agrees and chooses reeve. It does feel like a betrayal to mal but to me- for them to have ended up together like I hoped and wished more than anything in the first book just for how much I loved them- The story needed to be different, maybe end sooner- in the first book. But for the vents that happen then Reeve or the right path.
But for that to happen I knew what needed to take place. It was obvious she was still torn even though she chose Reeve Mal still was so present. I knew he would die killing shadow that I guessed simply because in terms of magic it made sense but mainly because it felt wrong and impossible that she would exist with reeve if he was still there because his sway on her and his hold was just so strong. So he had to die.
And that is where my issue with the ending lie. I have since anger at this. Usually from a reader’s perspective I want more of characters I love and k ow are written well and I trust in these authors. And this is why I am so fucking angry at this. This is no doubt a top tier series don’t get me wrong. I admire this author so so much for doing this and writing this so well as a DEBUT series. The themes explored and relationships are so deep and raw and real. But how could the ending be structured as such ??!!! HOW ?! I am so MAD about this.
We almost undo all of the growth between Maeve and Reeve. I understand Mal had to die and it hurts. It hurts Maeve deeply and it hurts us for what could have been but there needed at least another page or epilogue which constructed her and Reeve. Because of how it ended it feels like she wanted, in her last moments, Mal. How she acts with Reeve and his tears it’s not right how that isn’t built on even in a few sentences. I understand why audiences might still want Mal because we don’t see enough love physically between Reeve and Maeve. What we see it perfect all the way until the end. It makes them real but then Mal dies and we never see them come together post Mal and that is. Huge mistake.
We need her choice to be cemented and IT IS NOT. We see her falter, we see her grieve and grieve but we end on her still grieving and that is wrong. That is why I fundamentally disagree with the ending not the death just literally the last page. That page hold all my rage. How could we end on her still pining, almost, for Mal when we know and have explored her LOVE FOR REEVE. This needs to be addressed as we are so close to perfection on this but the last page takes it away !! We need another chapter, a bonus scene something with her and Reeve. Something happy and concrete. Because right now Reeve is done dirty, how could we do that to him ? He deserves so much better and we needed to see their love and relationship as deep and raw in some way. In the future with some sort of love scene that doesn’t have to be explicit but just mentioned and cemented in their choice. Her choice. Because the last page takes it away almost. As if instead he was what she was left with instead of the love, safety and chose and deserves. And I am so angry and so disappointed as I know this author is great, she has my trust in her soties being overwhelmingly unpredictable and fear inducing but this is a problem. It does her a disservice. It does her characters and beautiful story a disservice and I am so sad and disappointed in that. Just that one page. Everything else is painful perfection but that one page at then end is not enough and that is devastating. Made worse by how brutally flawless everything is else is I had hateful to be left with that bad taste in my mouth that it was just not enough on that damned page.
I know for a fact this is the kind of story I can’t re read. Too painful. But that also how I know I loved it. I can live a boom by re reading it forever or by never looking at it again they are my two ends of the spectrum but that are equally loved and important and life changing. But fuck this hurts. We just needed a little more. And the sort was just… devastating. I am just empty now, gods Mal. I loved him to much. Him and Maeve were perfect… for a while. Then Reeve. He deserved better. But that could have just wallah been fixed but a few more sentences and I am Raging.
Anyway this is my thoughts so far. I’ve not explored the other themes of consent and magic and loss of other relationships I don’t have the strength this drained me. I’ve not slept in days. And I am exhausted and sad and just …. I don’t know. I think of the ending they could have had in another life. But then that devastates me for Reeve. And at then end Mal left an odd taste in my mouth as for so long he and his behaviours disgusted me even though they weren’t from him. Or not all from him I feel it’s important to point out. Some of it was and that’s why deep down I do not think he was the right choice- Reeve always was but then that needed just a little more. Wow. I can’t even with this book. I can’t ever speak of hook two I don’t think. But book three and our time in Aterna was perfection, in a world post the events of the Dread lands of course and boom two and the stay of book three. Post Vaukore; and when the events of book one were no longer achievable or an option.
I am drained I just can’t. One more chapter please to fix almost everything. What the characters and we needed was a Maeve without Mal, free from his grid and hold on her we needed to see that when she was Edith Reeve without ma standing in the way somehow and we didn’t and that to me is what went so wrong in a book that is so so good. I’m blown away by the author but it fell short at the very very end.
We never get to see or truly feel the finality of their ending together and that is what wrecks me beyond repair
We got an ending but not the closure it should come with.
Oh god, what to write and how to write it.
I am just… not ok.
I understand the ending, or rather the choices that lead to it and effectively the essence na facts of it. But I fondamental disagree and reject the structure of it. Don’t get me wrong it was the right thing and I’m glad it came to be and I soo relived by it however the actually writing and structural decisions of it I am thoroughly disappointed in. I’ll be explain more in this later.
Let me start by saying, this book and series HURT. Fundamentally, inexplicably, truly Hurts. It explores unapologetically themes of love, trust, consent and toxicity itself . It takes them apart and lays them bare.
The toxic themes are explored with many, even Alphard to some extent but it is with Mal that it really takes place. I explored this in my review of the first book. Where I am convinced and concerned about their relationship because of how toxic it is and that toxic love like they have resembles more abuse than love. Toxicity is abuse and abuse isn’t love. That is what her and Mal boil down to in the end. If there was redemption for them as a couple it needed to happen at the start of the second book where Mal’s own faults about love (and they are there, deep, dangerous and pain inflicting because it’s twisted and toxic on its own) before he is taken by Shadow. But that isn’t done and so his own wrong idea of possession mixed with love are merged with insane evil and that is where things become so bad. I knew pretty early on they logically they wouldn’t end up together if relationships were based on something remotely healthy in this story. But of course this author is so good and unpredictable that I genuinely want sure, I knew what I wanted to happen that they wouldn’t be together because of too much abuse but still doubt lingers.
I was right in the first book review that to me at least (I wasn’t sure if the authors would see it my way too) that Mal’s actions were unforgivable and irreversible. Logically: how could we as a reader, as a humans who might experience love like this, as women, as daughters and mothers possibly forgive Mal and not just love him (love isn’t removed and we see that beautifully) but choose him regardless. How could she look last everything ? She says herself his magic becomes something she shakes at, his abuse and torture or him something she dreads and his voice in her head and grip on her making her break and dread more than anything. Not to mention all the vile things he says, the degradations her father. A loss we continue to feel so keenly aven now. Degradation is not and can never be love. Or healthy.
Mal’s path to glory was his own ambition before shadow and his control in some areas of his possession makes it hard to decipher how much of this abuse came from Shadow and which bits he himself took too far and deep down Maeve knows that. It’s why she makes her choice the way she does. My thoughts that I gripped to throughout the book was: how could the author, after everything, (iykyk) still have Maeve give in to Mal, that wound contradict her growth, all her sacrifices to ensure those she loved were protected from him. How could she give weight and credibility to such toxicity to her readers ? But still while I came to hope that they wouldn’t end up together I wasn’t sure there wouldn’t the some complete redemption, and part of me wished for that.
Until we got to Reeve. Reeve actually showed her what love is truly like. In my opinion but I’d say more than that. He shows her love and protection without possession that borderlines on ownership and slavery and edge that she fell of with completely with Mal (and that’s my point- it went above and beyond love and the possession they we may crave into something truly beyond). Reeve is everything, truly. And I almost hate it. Because I am fervently against love triangles- real love triangles like this one are usually something I despise because I value love and loyalty but here I was so torn because how could she do this to Mal her first love ? But then of course he wasn’t. I became sure that I was team Reeve quite early on in book 3. I loved how we explored and saw their relationship and I remember reading and begging for him to be her choice and her ending but I was so afraid. I was terrified she’d go back to Mal but I would never forgive that because I believed deeply that How could she do that to Reeve ? He is completely good, not golden retriever good mind you. He is just as intoxicating and possessive as Mal but with a safety to him that is so attractive and reassuring it makes him the obvious choice whereas mal had a danger and unpredictability to him that wasn’t sane. Mal was cold and his idea of love required Maeve to be beneath him, plaint and willing and ok to bleed out for him and love herself. His love for her required her braking whereas Reeve shows her what she deserves.
And that is why her being with Reeve is so important and right. He shows her healthy, he values her choices and she’s her safety whilst still growling in possession and finding out he was her first love was everything. They loved each other first and deeply and even though I LOVE the first book and choosing another goes against everything I believe in- my grown woman self fundamentally agrees and chooses reeve. It does feel like a betrayal to mal but to me- for them to have ended up together like I hoped and wished more than anything in the first book just for how much I loved them- The story needed to be different, maybe end sooner- in the first book. But for the vents that happen then Reeve or the right path.
But for that to happen I knew what needed to take place. It was obvious she was still torn even though she chose Reeve Mal still was so present. I knew he would die killing shadow that I guessed simply because in terms of magic it made sense but mainly because it felt wrong and impossible that she would exist with reeve if he was still there because his sway on her and his hold was just so strong. So he had to die.
And that is where my issue with the ending lie. I have since anger at this. Usually from a reader’s perspective I want more of characters I love and k ow are written well and I trust in these authors. And this is why I am so fucking angry at this. This is no doubt a top tier series don’t get me wrong. I admire this author so so much for doing this and writing this so well as a DEBUT series. The themes explored and relationships are so deep and raw and real. But how could the ending be structured as such ??!!! HOW ?! I am so MAD about this.
We almost undo all of the growth between Maeve and Reeve. I understand Mal had to die and it hurts. It hurts Maeve deeply and it hurts us for what could have been but there needed at least another page or epilogue which constructed her and Reeve. Because of how it ended it feels like she wanted, in her last moments, Mal. How she acts with Reeve and his tears it’s not right how that isn’t built on even in a few sentences. I understand why audiences might still want Mal because we don’t see enough love physically between Reeve and Maeve. What we see it perfect all the way until the end. It makes them real but then Mal dies and we never see them come together post Mal and that is. Huge mistake.
We need her choice to be cemented and IT IS NOT. We see her falter, we see her grieve and grieve but we end on her still grieving and that is wrong. That is why I fundamentally disagree with the ending not the death just literally the last page. That page hold all my rage. How could we end on her still pining, almost, for Mal when we know and have explored her LOVE FOR REEVE. This needs to be addressed as we are so close to perfection on this but the last page takes it away !! We need another chapter, a bonus scene something with her and Reeve. Something happy and concrete. Because right now Reeve is done dirty, how could we do that to him ? He deserves so much better and we needed to see their love and relationship as deep and raw in some way. In the future with some sort of love scene that doesn’t have to be explicit but just mentioned and cemented in their choice. Her choice. Because the last page takes it away almost. As if instead he was what she was left with instead of the love, safety and chose and deserves. And I am so angry and so disappointed as I know this author is great, she has my trust in her soties being overwhelmingly unpredictable and fear inducing but this is a problem. It does her a disservice. It does her characters and beautiful story a disservice and I am so sad and disappointed in that. Just that one page. Everything else is painful perfection but that one page at then end is not enough and that is devastating. Made worse by how brutally flawless everything is else is I had hateful to be left with that bad taste in my mouth that it was just not enough on that damned page.
I know for a fact this is the kind of story I can’t re read. Too painful. But that also how I know I loved it. I can live a boom by re reading it forever or by never looking at it again they are my two ends of the spectrum but that are equally loved and important and life changing. But fuck this hurts. We just needed a little more. And the sort was just… devastating. I am just empty now, gods Mal. I loved him to much. Him and Maeve were perfect… for a while. Then Reeve. He deserved better. But that could have just wallah been fixed but a few more sentences and I am Raging.
Anyway this is my thoughts so far. I’ve not explored the other themes of consent and magic and loss of other relationships I don’t have the strength this drained me. I’ve not slept in days. And I am exhausted and sad and just …. I don’t know. I think of the ending they could have had in another life. But then that devastates me for Reeve. And at then end Mal left an odd taste in my mouth as for so long he and his behaviours disgusted me even though they weren’t from him. Or not all from him I feel it’s important to point out. Some of it was and that’s why deep down I do not think he was the right choice- Reeve always was but then that needed just a little more. Wow. I can’t even with this book. I can’t ever speak of hook two I don’t think. But book three and our time in Aterna was perfection, in a world post the events of the Dread lands of course and boom two and the stay of book three. Post Vaukore; and when the events of book one were no longer achievable or an option.
I am drained I just can’t. One more chapter please to fix almost everything. What the characters and we needed was a Maeve without Mal, free from his grid and hold on her we needed to see that when she was Edith Reeve without ma standing in the way somehow and we didn’t and that to me is what went so wrong in a book that is so so good. I’m blown away by the author but it fell short at the very very end.
We never get to see or truly feel the finality of their ending together and that is what wrecks me beyond repair
We got an ending but not the closure it should come with.
November 12, 2025
Once again, another fantastic read from Lauren!
I was so ready to FINALLY get into this book. I feel like I've been with Lauren since the beginning last year! I was lucky enough to read Book 2, The Dread Prince, as an ARC earlier this year and so I was thrilled to get to read The Dread King before its release.
This book really just completely topped my expectations and took me on the most wild ride. I was NOT ready but also yet, sooo ready. I think that really getting to the penultimate end of this book was fantastic!
At first, it was crazy to see just where things had ended after book 2. I had almost forgotten what Maeve had done at the end and where we were starting out. I think that Maeve and Mal in the first few chapters really made me hopeful for them and how Mal was doing but BOY was I not ready for just how destructive their relationship would become.
Overall, a great read and a great finish to this trilogy. Also - long live all my Reeve girlies. I'm here with you!
I was so ready to FINALLY get into this book. I feel like I've been with Lauren since the beginning last year! I was lucky enough to read Book 2, The Dread Prince, as an ARC earlier this year and so I was thrilled to get to read The Dread King before its release.
This book really just completely topped my expectations and took me on the most wild ride. I was NOT ready but also yet, sooo ready. I think that really getting to the penultimate end of this book was fantastic!
At first, it was crazy to see just where things had ended after book 2. I had almost forgotten what Maeve had done at the end and where we were starting out. I think that Maeve and Mal in the first few chapters really made me hopeful for them and how Mal was doing but BOY was I not ready for just how destructive their relationship would become.
Overall, a great read and a great finish to this trilogy. Also - long live all my Reeve girlies. I'm here with you!
November 16, 2025
I didn't like the direction it went in and felt misled by the first 2 books. I am a reader who likes when there is one love interest and it does not switch in the last book. That's just my personal opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2025
OH MY GOD WE HAVE A TITLE
If this ain’t another five star read then too bad yes it is.
If this ain’t another five star read then too bad yes it is.
February 3, 2026
So Much Better Than I Expected
⭐️ 4.5
This was so unexpectedly beautiful!
I read the first two books back in February 2025 on KU, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the revised version, and honestly, I didn’t enjoy them much. There were quite a few inconsistencies, and the story was hard to follow at times. The concept was interesting enough to keep me reading, but overall they didn’t work for me. I’ll definitely be giving them another try now.
But this book? Wow, I did not expect that! I devoured it in two days, the pacing was smooth, the story flowed effortlessly, and the character growth was both beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking.
If you’re like me and unsure about the first two books, I definitely recommend giving this one a chance. It might surprise you too!
⭐️ 4.5
This was so unexpectedly beautiful!
I read the first two books back in February 2025 on KU, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the revised version, and honestly, I didn’t enjoy them much. There were quite a few inconsistencies, and the story was hard to follow at times. The concept was interesting enough to keep me reading, but overall they didn’t work for me. I’ll definitely be giving them another try now.
But this book? Wow, I did not expect that! I devoured it in two days, the pacing was smooth, the story flowed effortlessly, and the character growth was both beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking.
If you’re like me and unsure about the first two books, I definitely recommend giving this one a chance. It might surprise you too!
September 15, 2025
Oh my goddd! I can't wait!
November 17, 2025
4/5
Physical book
The first two books beat you over the head with the idea that Maeve is for Mal. She loves him so fiercely she’ll shrink herself for him, bleed for him, lose herself if it means saving him. Then he becomes corrupted—and no matter how desperately she tries to pull him back, it overtakes him. She’s forced to flee for her life.
Somewhere in book two we get the wild reveal that Maeve and Mal actually had a son… a son no one remembered because Maeve wiped their memories after a prophecy said Mal would steal their child’s powers. When Mal discovers what she did, she erases memories again, removing herself entirely just to protect their son. Mal, once he pieces it together, spirals into rage and obsession with taking that power anyway.
Maeve, desperate, funnels all her magic into their son to protect him. Mal then sees her as useless—a shell without magic—and she’s “sold” to High Lord Reeve, who she’s also bonded to. And of course, this is when we start liking Reeve more… only for it to be revealed that Maeve wiped everyone’s memories when she was 19 to protect her werewolf brother. That mind wipe erased her entire relationship with Reeve, so now we’re learning their whole tragic backstory.
Meanwhile, Mal marries the elven queen who corrupted him. She’s been leeching his power while he chases his dream of ruling everything under his crown. Then Maeve starts getting visions of Mal and that queen together—and it is gross on every level.
Eventually Maeve manages to pull the corruption from Mal, but he’s just a shell afterward. Their magic keeps snapping back and forth between them, leaving Maeve stronger while Mal deteriorates. He fights the queen and ends up fulfilling the prophecy—he kills himself. And I’m upset. I’m annoyed. I’m grieving. It did not have to go like that.
Then the ending hits, and honestly? It felt weird. Part of me feels like the story was leaning toward a throuple, but that would never work with how possessive each man is. I’m still not sure Mal deserved the ending he got, especially after spending so much time building Maeve and Mal’s relationship. It feels like we left so much on the table.
But—credit where it’s due—I felt fully raptured reading this. I had to know how it ended. There were some jumpy transitions, but the author is definitely finding her voice. There was less of that chaotic collision of ideas from earlier books, and this one felt more sussed out and confident.
Maeve chooses Reeve in the end, sure… but we’re left with a thousand unanswered questions:
• Are the Dread Lands inhabitable again?
• Who inherits Mal’s territory?
• What is the fallout for the magical populations across the (yes) multiple planets??
• What does this world even look like now?
We got an ending, but not the closure.
Physical book
The first two books beat you over the head with the idea that Maeve is for Mal. She loves him so fiercely she’ll shrink herself for him, bleed for him, lose herself if it means saving him. Then he becomes corrupted—and no matter how desperately she tries to pull him back, it overtakes him. She’s forced to flee for her life.
Somewhere in book two we get the wild reveal that Maeve and Mal actually had a son… a son no one remembered because Maeve wiped their memories after a prophecy said Mal would steal their child’s powers. When Mal discovers what she did, she erases memories again, removing herself entirely just to protect their son. Mal, once he pieces it together, spirals into rage and obsession with taking that power anyway.
Maeve, desperate, funnels all her magic into their son to protect him. Mal then sees her as useless—a shell without magic—and she’s “sold” to High Lord Reeve, who she’s also bonded to. And of course, this is when we start liking Reeve more… only for it to be revealed that Maeve wiped everyone’s memories when she was 19 to protect her werewolf brother. That mind wipe erased her entire relationship with Reeve, so now we’re learning their whole tragic backstory.
Meanwhile, Mal marries the elven queen who corrupted him. She’s been leeching his power while he chases his dream of ruling everything under his crown. Then Maeve starts getting visions of Mal and that queen together—and it is gross on every level.
Eventually Maeve manages to pull the corruption from Mal, but he’s just a shell afterward. Their magic keeps snapping back and forth between them, leaving Maeve stronger while Mal deteriorates. He fights the queen and ends up fulfilling the prophecy—he kills himself. And I’m upset. I’m annoyed. I’m grieving. It did not have to go like that.
Then the ending hits, and honestly? It felt weird. Part of me feels like the story was leaning toward a throuple, but that would never work with how possessive each man is. I’m still not sure Mal deserved the ending he got, especially after spending so much time building Maeve and Mal’s relationship. It feels like we left so much on the table.
But—credit where it’s due—I felt fully raptured reading this. I had to know how it ended. There were some jumpy transitions, but the author is definitely finding her voice. There was less of that chaotic collision of ideas from earlier books, and this one felt more sussed out and confident.
Maeve chooses Reeve in the end, sure… but we’re left with a thousand unanswered questions:
• Are the Dread Lands inhabitable again?
• Who inherits Mal’s territory?
• What is the fallout for the magical populations across the (yes) multiple planets??
• What does this world even look like now?
We got an ending, but not the closure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews