The Dragon and the Dove

The City of Fantome #3

by Catherine Doyle

To Be Confirmed SImon & Schuster UK.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Audiobook

512 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 24, 2026

About the author

Catherine Doyle grew up in the West of Ireland. She holds a first-class BA in Psychology and a first-class MA in Publishing. She is the author of the Young Adult Blood for Blood trilogy (Vendetta, Inferno and Mafiosa), which is often described as Romeo and Juliet meets the Godfather. It was inspired by her love of modern cinema. Her debut Middle Grade novel, The Storm Keeper's Island (Bloomsbury, 2018), is an adventure story about family, bravery and self-discovery. It is set on the magical island of Arranmore, where her grandparents grew up, and is inspired by her ancestors' real life daring sea rescues.

​Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.

Reviews

[S {Semi-Hiatus}]

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review!*

I can’t believe I got ar arc of the 3rd and final book of The City of Fantome as well.

[sabrina★ {your the moon} {matching with sofs} s.ia]

OMGGGG OCEANPDF HAS THIS BOOK EARLYY?!?!

[S S · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

-Pre reading-
Don't even need to read this to know it's going to be phenomenal like the last two.

P.S. I wish I had an arc... ♡♡♡ (You can have my first born in return!)

-After reading- Spoilers below~


Wow, that book was amazing just like the entire series. Cried when Theo died even though I saw it coming, cried harder when Fabian died, the poor child. 3

There are a lot of varying POVs from side characters which I didn’t mind. In the last book it was a bit of a mess managing all the extra characters with only Ransom and Seraphine’s POV but this was so much easier to read.

The middle was a bit of a bore to be honest, it kinda lost me because it felt very back and forth however the end really picked up well! Nadia and Lark are such a doomed romance I wish it didn’t end the way it did even though I saw it coming but oh my gosh, I did not expect to love Caruso and Val like I did!

And my babies Ransom and Sera. I am so grateful they got their happy endings. And Anouk and Pip survived. Ugh. My lightfire couple. I loved this series. So glad I got to finish it.

[_literati_]

2026 WILL BE THE YEAR I WILL BE LIVING ON THE STREETS WITH MY BOOKS

[Carly K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sad to leave this world and these characters, but what a satisfying end. Although I’ll admit a bit heartbreaking and tear filled 😭

This final installment started with a bang! You’re thrust back in to this world and reminded of the peril everyone is in and just how much you hate Andreas. Truthfully, the middle section started to feel a little redundant, and while I understand why (especially with the ending), the stakes felt like they were lowered for a bit. But then everything picked back up for the final 30%!

LOTS of different POVs thrown in the mix, which allows you to better understand each Saint and their mental state.

Also, can we talk about the epilogue??? Eyebrows are raised 👀

Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts! 💛

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great conclusion to an outstanding trilogy. Picking up right where The Rebel and the Rose left off, we jump into the action and it doesn't stop until the last page. I love that we got to see so many of our beloved characters become Saints, more quiet, intimate moments between Sera and Ransom, and epic battles. Best of all was the multi-POV, while the group as a whole went on a journey to save Fantome, they all had their own individual battles they had to navigate and overcome. It brought some of our side characters to the main stage, and I really loved seeing that side of these characters we've come to know and love through the trilogy.

I am so sad this series is over, but I can't wait to see what Doyle writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Expected publication is 11/24/2026.

[Steff · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great ending to this trilogy!

I had forgot a few things from the previous books but once we were in and flowing I really enjoyed it.

I did feel like we had strayed heavily from the original concepts in book one but tbh I enjoy it all anyway.

I loved all the POV’s and found myself deeply invested in all of the side characters.

I think it wrapped everything up nicely and let us have some happiness in the end.

My reason for removing a star is the epilogue … let’s stop now 🤣

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked this series and consider it a pretty solid YA trilogy. Seraphine and Ransom’s story was wrapped up neatly in this final book. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t quite as strong as the previous two novels.

Somehow, this book managed to be extremely fast paced without being particularly dense when it came to the plot. It’s not that nothing happened, but the story felt surprisingly simple. Most of it followed the same basic pattern of creating new saints, fighting a villain, and trying not to die. Speaking of the villain, he also felt a little cartoonish compared to what we got in the previous installments. Also a lot of the excitement seemed to rely on shock value and the emotional impact of seeing characters we already knew and liked die.

Expanding the number of POVs wasn’t a bad idea per se, especially since Ransom and Sera’s dynamic wasn’t my favorite in this book. I actually enjoyed Caruso and Val’s banter a lot more. The problem was that with so many different perspectives, it started to feel like all of these characters were becoming protagonists in their own right. So by the end I found myself wishing they’d gotten a bit more closure too, instead of most of it being reserved for Sera and Ransom.

Still, despite my quibbles with this finale, I really enjoyed the trilogy as a whole. I got attached to these characters, and I’d happily spend more time with them.

[mo • lesmotsdemo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up for Goodreads and Netgalley.
It was a solid conclusion to the trilogy. The pace was steady and the overarching plot wrapped up effectively. Seraphine was probably the best character of the trilogy; she was strong and selfless. All of the other characters were well-developed and each had their own personality. The love interest was not memorable in any way, especially next to Seraphine. Their romance was fine, even though they sometimes felt too different: Seraphine’s selflessness and Bastian’s selfishness clashed. Also, I’ve seen that it was apparently marketed as young adult: it is not. It is a new adult romantasy trilogy, because of its sexual content (not the most graphic content but certainly not fade to black either) and its language.
Despite the mismarketing, I recommend this trilogy. It is well-written, and has a strong plot and a strong main female character.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

[Demi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you for the ARC of The Dragon and the Dove. This final book in the City of Phantome trilogy was an action-packed and emotional read from start to finish. The stakes felt higher than ever, and the characters were pushed to their limits. So many long-running storylines came full circle, making this a rewarding finale. The ending hit hard emotionally, and I found myself deeply feeling Nadia's heartbreak. Fans of the series won't want to miss this conclusion.

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC!! It was my most anticipated read of 2026!

3.5⭐️
I am so torn about this review because the first two books in this series were 6 star reads for me and this one fell short of the mark 😭
The Good:
-more POVs: these can often go so wrong but I loved getting more bits of the story, especially from Theo’s POV. My only issue here is that several of them from anouk or Nadia felt a little superfluous and a bit long.
-wrapped up nicely. The story had a solid ending that made sense, served the characters, and solved all the issues and closed all the holes so to speak
-Val and Caruso
-the magic system really is so unique
-Theo

The Bad:
-sera’s voice didn’t always feel like “sera”; she never seemed to fall back into character
- sera and ransoms dynamic felt stilted and generic for most of the book. I missed their original chemistry that made the series what it is
-it just felt so long. Every single part in it felt like it could have been considerably shorter while still getting the point across. I kept finding myself thinking “OMG GET ON WITH IT!!”, even during critical action sequences (which there were also one too many of)
-ransom turned into a very cliche, caricatured shadow daddy and I just didn’t love it

I’m so sad to have to write such a mid review esp bc I was looking SO forward to this book and since the second one was such a banger. But this one just couldn’t pull off the same flair and ended up lackluster. But it did have a satisfying ending so I’ll give it that…!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book, and I went through it quite quickly. I did think it dragged on a bit, but the plot was there and I loved the characters. My favourite part was how the characters interacted with each other. I loved Val and Caruso's dynamic, I honestly wish I got to see more of them throughout the book. Tobias was also an amazing character, I loved how I got to learn more about him during this book, as we only got to see small scenes with him during the last book.
Theo and Fabian...... may you both forever live on in my heart. I had a suspicion that something would happen to Theo (even though he was an amazing character and I loved his dynamic with Ransom.), but Fabian's death took me off guard, and I was on the verge of tears. I really didn't expect Catherine to kill such a curious little child, but I guess I was wrong.
I always knew Theo was never bad, even when he went to the Prince, my boy too loyal for that 🫡. I still loved his role in the end and how he saved Seraphine, dude tricked played the part so well that he tricked both sides. But his last moment with Sera was so sweet.
As for the bonus chapter, a sense a new series! I really hope that if this new series does happen, they will include Sera, Val, etc. I would love to read more about them and how they deal with the issues in a new series. (Maybe Val will come back with the Corkscrew? Loved the scene in the second book ❤️)
Overall, the book was great and I loved the ending, and I look forward to the new series!
Characters were amazing and I'm so happy and sad that the series is over 😢.
Will keep a look out for the next series coming! 🧐❤️

[Mere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon Teen for an e-arc of this book.

I am SO excited to be back in this world with Sera and Ransom. I do so enjoy their bickering! We pick up where we left off in the last book, and from there the pace is frantic. Omens and dread abound as the group races to save their home.

I love the characters in this book. They are all so unique, and as I previously mentioned I absolutely adore the bickering between Sera and Ransom. But I also love the relationships and friendships between all the other characters. It brings such charm and happiness to this book. Especially when it feels dark.

My favorite quote for this book was, "is the night evil, just because it lacks the light?" and I feel like that is the main theme of this book. Dark and light -- and grey. What is good and what is evil?

This was a fabulous ending to an amazing trilogy!

[Alessandra Falbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey so like… what the fuck do I do now?🧍‍♀️
If anyone expects me to be okay after this I’m not OK.

So life has been unkind to me lately hence why this took forever to finish but MY God, I actually LOVE this series. Every single thing about this book was perfect. Ransom just has my whole fucking heart. Homeboy was DOWN BAD for Sera and I absolutely devoured his POVs like they were my life support. 😭 Like the devotion??? The way he loves this girl??? I was SAT Every Single Time.

And SERA???? Girl, you scared the absolute shit out of me in this book. WHAT THE FUCK was going on with her and her powers??? 😭 I genuinely wanted to scream, cry and throw the book across the room at some points because watching everything happening to her was a lot. But even with all the bullshit she was going through, she still pushed through and continued being the strong baddie that she is. I love her so much because she never stopped fighting, even when things got fucking terrifying.

And her and Ransom’s love story in this book??? PERFECTION. Their relationship has that perfect combination of tenderness, angst, devotion and their undying love for each other I ate that shit UP. It makes me want to scream into my pillow.

I also loved getting multiple POVs from Theo, Val, Anouk, Nadia and Caruso, because it gave me so much more insight into them and their motivations. It made me understand them in ways I couldn’t before and I needed that. Getting inside their heads made the whole story feel so much bigger, especially because everyone is dealing with their own shit and carrying their own secrets.

The build up of the war was incredible every single moment was just outstanding, it was so worth it in the end OMG 😭

Do Not get me started on Prince Andreas I have nothing to say about him but curse words🤬

Everything about this was perfect, I have no words bye

[Zoey Scicluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this series and wish I could continue it. I love it so much like more than I could ever say. Just the writing is so encaptivating and it just fully drags you into the story and feel the characters. I don’t think I’ve ever had a fantasy book make me cry as much as this one did. I just didn’t want to put the book down for the last two hundred pages or so.

[˚˖❀ Isabela⋆.ೃ࿔*:･]

WHAAAAAAAAAAAT HECK YEAH I'M SPENDING MY MONEY ON THIS BOOK EVEN THOUGH I'M ON A BOOK BAN! WHO CARESSSS IT'S THE LAST BOOK TO THE TRIOLOGY!!!! *squeals*

[Mery · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Co to była za książka. Co to były za emocje.

Trzeci tom serii, którą pokochałam całą sobą, był pięknym ukoronowaniem historii.
Stawka poszybowała w górę o jakieś milion pięter, a bohaterowie stają przed wyborami niemożliwymi. Powstrzymanie Andreasa to najwyższy priorytet, ale wszyscy wiedzą, że zabić świętego jest rzeczą niemal niemożliwą… Chyba że ma się odpowiednie narzędzia.

Zazdrosny, zaborczy i terytorialny Ransom, absolutnie zakochany i z niemal obsesją na punkcie kobiety która kocha. Czasami wzdychałam trochę za bardzo na to, co robił, ale ostatecznie go rozumiem. Poza tym jego kartę tarota wytatuuje sobie na czole, bo to nadal jedna z moich ulubionych postaci pod słońcem.
Seraphine nadal pozostała takim samym badassem jakim była i to jak stawiała Ransoma do pionu, to był hit 😂
ALE NIEZAPRZECZALNYM ZWYCIĘZCĄ TEGO ROZDANIA BYŁ CARUSO. 😂 Chłop dosłownie wygrał moje serce, dzięki niemu było zabawnie i odświeżająco. Mogłabym o nim przeczytać całą serię 😂

Kocham, kocham, kocham. Jedna z najlepszych serii fantasy jakie czytałam.

[Stacyfrancesreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well…that's it. Stick a fork in me; I'm DONE. 😭 This series has been my entire personality for the last two books, and somehow, I'm now expected to accept that it's actually OVER?!

The Dragon and the Dove was everything I wanted from a finale: romantic, hilarious, chaotic, devastating, and full of callbacks to everything I've loved about this series from the beginning.

We pick up with Sera dealing with the consequences of becoming the Saint Maker, Ransom adjusting to being the newly resurrected Saint of Nightmares, and Andreas still being an absolute pain in everyone's arse. Sera's magic is taking its toll, Ransom's powers are increasingly unpredictable, and Fantome is basically one bad day away from complete chaos.

Meanwhile, Sera and Ransom remain completely and utterly obsessed with each other. As they should be.

“When you see me in my dress, you'll fall to your knees.”
“Already there, Spitfire.”

I loved seeing them at this stage in their relationship. They know exactly how they feel now, but they've also both experienced losing the other, and that fear sits underneath so much of their love.

“I don't just love you with my heart, Seraphine. I love you with every ragged piece of my soul.”

We also see more of Bastian beneath Ransom Hale through Anouk, who refuses to let him believe Sera is the only goodness in him.

“She is the goodness in me, Anouk.”
“Like hell she is.”

Sera might be his sun, but Anouk remembers the boy who found “colour in the grey” and cast “light in the dark” long before Sera knew him. I loved learning how their childhood shaped the man Ransom became.
And then:

“The sun will be up soon.”
“My sun's already risen.”

RANSOM HALE, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS. 😭

Then there's THEO. BLOODY. VERSINI., who has one of my favourite arcs in the entire finale. He's spent so long carrying the weight of the Versini name, and now he's terrified his new power and the darkness he feels might say something about who he really is.

“Because I know you. I know your heart. I know what you stand for.”

And THAT'S Theo. Not his name. Not his blood. Not whatever fate has decided he should be.

It's something Madame Fontaine sums up perfectly:

“It is intent that decides the flow of one's magic. And the worth of their soul.”

The Dragon and The Dove never simply reduces darkness to evil; it’s what these characters do with it that matters. This is what makes Andreas such a powerful villain: his compulsion removes choice completely, while he dangles “greatness” like a carrot in front of a Theo already frightened by his own ambition.

There is a tremendous difference between being great and being good.
BLOODY THEO. 😭

Fontaine, herself, just ABSOLUTELY SHINES. She is elderly, cryptic, grumpy as hell, and always acts as if everyone around her is wasting her time. Caruso insinuating she was a “blunt antique” and her responding, “You little fucker” was ICONIC.😂

Meanwhile, Nadia and Lark’s storyline was painful. Nadia had wanted Lark back for so long, but what does it mean to get someone back when they’ve been transformed beyond recognition?

“Magic has its own hunger. Be careful what it takes from you.”

And then we have Val and Caruso. At last.

I've been feral for these two idiots since they met in The Rebel and the Rose, and the payoff was EVERYTHING I wanted. Val is technically the Saint of Truth, yet she’s completely dedicated to lying to herself about Caruso, whose love language continues to be casual offers of murder.

“Who ruined your day, Valerie?”
“Oriel, I suppose.”
“Huh. I can't see my way to murdering her. Pick someone a little closer to home.”

But underneath all the stabbing, jealousy, and general unhinged behaviour:

“I feel like I'm losing my people.”
“I'll be your people.”

CARUSO DANTES, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. 😭

And don't worry, personal growth hasn't interfered with his commitment to murder.

“Last words?”
“Don't care.”

I HOWLED. 💀

And Val's version of admitting she has feelings?

“I care about you too. But if you tell anyone, I'll kill you.”

THE ROMANCE…🥹🔪 I need their spin-off even MORE now.

The found family and banter will forever be some of my favourite parts of this series, even when everything is going spectacularly to shit. There are some brilliant little callbacks from previous books in the City of Fantome series, including Ransom understanding the level of danger a fountain pen can pose because Sera once stabbed him with a letter opener and “it fucking hurt” . 😂

Then we reached the final part. This is where Catherine Doyle apparently decided I'd been emotionally stable for long enough. I cried. Recovered. Cried again. BLOODY THEO. Thought surely, we were finished?...

Then I read the epilogue.

Big mistake. 💀😭

I'm saying nothing, but the way these arcs come full circle is genuinely beautiful. We have things from The Dagger and the Flame that matter. People’s names matter. The themes of light and darkness matter. And, after three books brimming with power, revenge, death, and destiny, I really love that the ending asks something much simpler: what comes next?

“Move in with me.”
“All right.”
“Adventure with me.”
“Gladly.”
“Grow old with me.”
“With pleasure.”

I'M FINE. 😭

Looking at my Kindle, I apparently made 797 highlights while reading this, which should tell you everything you need to know about how I feel about this series. 😂 I fell in love with Fantome in The Dagger and the Flame; The Rebel and the Rose became my entire personality, and The Dragon and the Dove was the most perfect ending to the series.

I couldn't have asked for a better book to bid farewell to this hilariously dysfunctional little found family. The Dragon and The Dove reminded me why The City of Fantome is, and will forever remain, one of my absolute God-tier romantasy series.

Infinity stars. ✨🖤

Now I’m off to scream into my pillow or something because I’m devastated that there is no longer a “next book” to wait for. 😭

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Children's UK, Catherine Doyle, and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

[the_bookishbee_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Review of advance copy received from publisher •

I just loved this!!

Suffice to say this was one of my most anticipated reads and it completely delivered. The Dragon and the Dove is EVERYTHING I wanted from the finale to this trilogy, and now I’m just over here super sad that it’s all over!

I feel like this series has genuinely gotten better with every book, and I love that each instalment felt like it had its own story to tell, rather than just sticking to the same plot. It was really fast paced with super high stakes and honestly I was LOCKED IN from the beginning.  I did read The Rebel and the Rose and launch straight into this soooo that’s probably why I was so feral lol. There is war, dangerous magic, sacrifice, shifting alliances and enough emotional devastation that I was crying more than once. Can confirm I was absolutely not prepared for some of those losses. One in particular (I won’t spoil!)…I’m still not ok.

Sera continues to be the most incredible FMC. She’s powerful, strong and completely selfless, I loved seeing her character come together and grow. Ransom as per usual, is amazing…still our devoted cinnamon roll boyf, flexing his shadows 🤣, his relationship with Sera had SO MUCH emotional weight in this final book. Their journey to get to this point has easily been one of my fave parts of the trilogy and the payoff was just perfection.

I have to say though…VAL and CARUSO. Eeep, they were just so good together! Banter that is genuinely hilarious / mildly threatening and a chemistry that just bounces off the page at you?? SO GOOD. I am first in line if there a spin off series for these two because I need more 🤣All the extra POVs were perfectly slotted into the story, honestly I was intrigued about everyone’s development and journey through the story.  Throw in the magic system and the action packed final battles (and ofc that beautiful epilogue…tears, again!) and I felt that everything wrapped up so satisfyingly.  It also did still leave me reluctant to leave though…I would have happily lived in this world for so much longer.

So I will wrap up by saying I’m emotionally devastated, completely obsessed and just… not ready to say goodbye.  This trilogy has been such a wonderful combination of fantasy, romance, humour, heartbreak and found family… and I loved every second.

Five stars, obviously.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Shelley O’Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5/5 — NO NOTES.

I am an absolute mess. 😭

What a way to finish this series.

Book 3 was action-packed, tense and completely unputdownable. The world-building expanded even further, and I loved getting to see more of this world while everything we’d built through the first two books came together.

And the TENSION?! I spent so much of this book on the edge of my seat, especially towards the end. By the time I had only 50 pages left, I was genuinely terrified about what was going to happen and who would survive.

And then those last few chapters…

I’m crying. I’m emotionally destroyed. I’m not okay. 😭

There were moments where I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was reading. After becoming so invested in these characters over three books, the emotional payoff hit HARD.

The FMC and MMC, the tension, the found family, the enemies, the world-building — this series has given me everything I want from a fantasy read.

I’m honestly not ready for it to be over.

5 stars. No notes. Just tears. 🗡️🔥😭

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great conclusion! I feel like I’ve had trouble staying interested all the way to the end of a series lately, but I’m happy to report that was not the case here. Seraphine and her Order of newly made Saints face off against Andreas and his compelled army once and for all. The fate of the world is at stake, sacrifices are made, and not everyone will make it out alive.

Sera and Ransom are definitely going through it, but I was happy to get more romantic moments between them. I also absolutely loved Val and Caruso! I would eat up a spinoff about them. The ending was perfect and had me holding back tears. If you’re looking for a good completed romantasy series, definitely check this out!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Sophia Lightwood Herondale Carstairs Fairchild · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sooooo good, in the third last chapter I cried because it was soo touching and ohhh Theo, I love you man, I had very mixed feelings on him but he is good and loyal to the bone🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹💗💗💗💗💖💖💖💖💖💖💕💕💕💕💕💕
I would definitely recommend, it’s so good and keep you up reading and is just an absolute masterpiece 😍😍😍😍✨!!!
I need to get this book for my birthday, it’s one of those books you borrow from the library but then you fall in love with 😍 it so you neeeeeeeed to get it!!

I love Theo in book 2 I imagined shipping him with Nadia but she was still too hung up on Lark and he, I see now it all works out he defied fate and stayed loyal and good to the bone🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[Amy Stocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book like I did the first, yet I just didn't. There was a lack of action and the plot didn't progress as quickly as it could. I love the characters, but there wasn't much development. Maybe I'm getting too old for YA now, maybe not. I just feel this could have happened in a lot less pages with a lot more emotional charge and backgrounds.

4.3/5

[CINNIDH]

Let me guess. He’s the dragon and she’s the dove? 🤨 Gotta make her seem weak, right ladies?

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good conclusion to the trilogy and much better than book 2. Really liked the magic system and the characters, especially Caruso in this one!

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

easy 5 stars for my men ransom and caruso

[Mads · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Caruso I love your stabby stabby heart 💛
genuinely one of the best YA fantasy series out there I swear, I’m sad it’s over

[Sherrise · Rating 3 out of 5]

girl whatever 😭😭

[Maja Ekängen Kindberg · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

It was a solid ending for the city of Fantome!
Didnt get as hopked as the two first books but still a very avtion packed enjoyable read. Absolutely love Val and Caruso🤌 Epilouge and bonus chapter seems like a setup for a new story but just the epilouge would have been enough thank u.

[Daniela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like we have really strayed from the plot here. In the third installment of the City of Fantom trilogy, we went from a pretty grounded plot of thieves verses assassins, battling a turf war with the help of a drug that turned people monstrous.

Now, by book three we have saints, super powers, and a villain that feels cartoonish compared to the well-rounded book 1 villain. I was struggling to even understand what was happening and why with this villain. These not longer felt fleshed out, and I just felt like we completely lost the plot here.

We follow Seraphine and are friends as they prepare for battle against the prince for the safety of Fantom. The relationships have become stronger by this point with the secondary cast, however, Sera and Ransom become complete side characters in their own novel. Neither seemed to really spearhead their scenes, and their POV chapters weren’t as entertaining or gripping as the others.

With the saint making and superpowers, I started to wonder what book I was reading and how much it strayed from the original material. Maybe it just wasn’t for me, but it just felt like the plot of the CW shower Riverdale, where you have a solid and grounded first season, then shit hits the rails and you’re like, “What is happening? Why are there superpowers?” But not as bad as Riverdale.

The reactions from characters to certain things continued to make me scratch my head wondering what these people were thinking. We have more death of characters and everyone is kind of just like “meh” about it. How are we not more effected by these deaths? These were your friends, despite what path they may have fallen towards, when someone you once cared about dies, you kind of forget the shitty things they did and mourn them in one way or another.

There were a lot of scenes that started to set something up, and then did a short time jump not to show it. Like talking about getting everyone ready for a meeting, then having the meeting over in the next sentence. It didn’t really make sense, and happened often.

The ending was also really rushed and felt jarring after the snail’s pace the book was going in. I think this series would have been better as a duology and hinted more at this sainthood stuff better in book 1.

I enjoyed it as a whole, but I have a lot of grievances with the pacing as well as the character’s responses to things. I wish we stayed more grounded with the plot, and kept the villain of book 1 throughout the entirety of the story, because he was far more compelling.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and the author for the ARC!