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Kingdom of Grit #3
The Last Lies of Ardor Benn
The final book in an action-packed epic fantasy series set in a world with dragon-fueled magic where master con artist Ardor Benn takes a job to steal a living dragon.
Ardor Benn has taken his lies to a new level, infiltrating high society so he can steal a priceless resource. But now that he's on the inside, he finds himself poring through ancient texts, searching for answers to his deepest questions. He discovers something is coming. Something world-ending.
Now, an old enemy is extorting him for one last job. Steal a live dragon. He doesn't know how, and he doesn't know why. But he's got a feeling that it's a job he has to take. Only problem is, Ard's running short on time and shorter on lies. And his personal ambitions are alienating all of his allies.
With no one else to rely on, he'll have to trust the one person nobody else does: himself.
Ardor Benn has taken his lies to a new level, infiltrating high society so he can steal a priceless resource. But now that he's on the inside, he finds himself poring through ancient texts, searching for answers to his deepest questions. He discovers something is coming. Something world-ending.
Now, an old enemy is extorting him for one last job. Steal a live dragon. He doesn't know how, and he doesn't know why. But he's got a feeling that it's a job he has to take. Only problem is, Ard's running short on time and shorter on lies. And his personal ambitions are alienating all of his allies.
With no one else to rely on, he'll have to trust the one person nobody else does: himself.
784 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
56 people are currently reading
944 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
January 11, 2021
A solid conclusion to an amazing heist-based fantasy series.
Aaaaaaah! The Kingdom of Grit was one of the best series I discovered last year and it's bittersweet that it's finally over. Ardor Benn is one of my favourite protagonists ever and I'm sad I won't be reading about his antics anymore.
The Last Lies of Ardor Benn picks up a few years after the events of The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn and does a good job of tying up some loose ends and finishing the world-building arc that began in the first book. Though not my favourite of the three, The Last Lies still had the classic Ardor Benn moments - impossible heists and crazy plans that somehow work.
My only problem with the book was more of a personal preference as to how I want my endings to be (without getting into spoiler territory). But other than a few small complaints, I loved it!
The book introduced two new characters (or reintroduced a character all grown up) who ended up being my new favourite power couple (Salafan/Nemery and Mohdek have my heart!) and we also got some solid character development with the older characters. There's also a good chunk of dragon content (which is VERY important if you ask me). I devoured this 700 pg beast in just a few days and that's just how fast-paced all the books in this series is! Not a dull moment to be had. As always, I cannot leave without talking about the unique magic system which is derived from dragon poop, which I feel the need to mention over and over again.
All in all, I love this series and I'm so happy I found Ardor Benn in a time I needed a good laugh the most. This is definitely a series I'll keep rereading whenever I need something hilarious and fun.
Highly recommend the whole trilogy!
Aaaaaaah! The Kingdom of Grit was one of the best series I discovered last year and it's bittersweet that it's finally over. Ardor Benn is one of my favourite protagonists ever and I'm sad I won't be reading about his antics anymore.
The Last Lies of Ardor Benn picks up a few years after the events of The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn and does a good job of tying up some loose ends and finishing the world-building arc that began in the first book. Though not my favourite of the three, The Last Lies still had the classic Ardor Benn moments - impossible heists and crazy plans that somehow work.
My only problem with the book was more of a personal preference as to how I want my endings to be (without getting into spoiler territory). But other than a few small complaints, I loved it!
The book introduced two new characters (or reintroduced a character all grown up) who ended up being my new favourite power couple (Salafan/Nemery and Mohdek have my heart!) and we also got some solid character development with the older characters. There's also a good chunk of dragon content (which is VERY important if you ask me). I devoured this 700 pg beast in just a few days and that's just how fast-paced all the books in this series is! Not a dull moment to be had. As always, I cannot leave without talking about the unique magic system which is derived from dragon poop, which I feel the need to mention over and over again.
All in all, I love this series and I'm so happy I found Ardor Benn in a time I needed a good laugh the most. This is definitely a series I'll keep rereading whenever I need something hilarious and fun.
Highly recommend the whole trilogy!
March 18, 2021
I wasn't sure he could pull this off . . . and he did!
This book got very dark, and I was starting to get very upset. Whitesides has created a rich world, and a clever and almost scientific magic system, but it's also a dangerous world, and a magic system that could crash if the basis of the whole thing was to go extinct. (Because: dragons. The whole world, the magic, hinges on dragons. In case you didn't know.) As the book went on, I started to think, "He's writing himself into a corner! This can't work!"
I should have had more faith. I am sorry, Tyler.
The book, and the series, ends beautifully. Not all happiness and sunshine. But in a way that makes sense, that's satisfying, that did really bring a smile to my face.
I have loved this trilogy, and I recommend it all the time. If you've slept on this, hurry and get you a copy of The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn! You won't be sorry!
This book got very dark, and I was starting to get very upset. Whitesides has created a rich world, and a clever and almost scientific magic system, but it's also a dangerous world, and a magic system that could crash if the basis of the whole thing was to go extinct. (Because: dragons. The whole world, the magic, hinges on dragons. In case you didn't know.) As the book went on, I started to think, "He's writing himself into a corner! This can't work!"
I should have had more faith. I am sorry, Tyler.
The book, and the series, ends beautifully. Not all happiness and sunshine. But in a way that makes sense, that's satisfying, that did really bring a smile to my face.
I have loved this trilogy, and I recommend it all the time. If you've slept on this, hurry and get you a copy of The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn! You won't be sorry!
January 3, 2021
The previous two were my new fantasy find of the year, and it was nice to be able to finish the sequence with the others fresh in my mind. And whilst it continues the previous two will, developing and playing with the big themes, I am not sure it wholly sticks the landing. Oddly it has a similar problem to another trilogy I have recently read, where the stakes are huge, you have to be seen to be able to kill off major characters. But the reader and writer are invested, and so sometimes they come back. Whitesides, like his lead character, is full of tricks and so tries to have his cake and eat it. In the process he almost undermines the point of some of the narrative development, and leaves us with a happy ending which in both micro and macro terms would be seen as a disaster in any other terms.
This of course, makes it actually quite interesting, and beyond the Mission Impossible formulation, something that has been most interesting about the trilogy is the big swings it has continually gone for. Its fantasy that plays with big sci-fi ideas, which is great - except for every really good idea there is also something that is there for plot convenience and contingency. Some of the quirks of the world building are answered, but merely lead to more quirks. At the heart our criminal lead is torn between his spiritual and religious desires and his desire to be the smartest man in the room. This means that the other two leads, who shouldn't be slotted into the roles of his sidekick and his love interest, end up in that position.
All that said however, it only left me with qualms after I finished it, and yet again I devoured its seven hundred pages in a couple of days. I still think the world building is great, I think the risks it takes are really admirable, and whilst I don't think the ending quite works, it doesn't demean the rest and has definately been the most enjoyable trip I took in 2020.
This of course, makes it actually quite interesting, and beyond the Mission Impossible formulation, something that has been most interesting about the trilogy is the big swings it has continually gone for. Its fantasy that plays with big sci-fi ideas, which is great - except for every really good idea there is also something that is there for plot convenience and contingency. Some of the quirks of the world building are answered, but merely lead to more quirks. At the heart our criminal lead is torn between his spiritual and religious desires and his desire to be the smartest man in the room. This means that the other two leads, who shouldn't be slotted into the roles of his sidekick and his love interest, end up in that position.
All that said however, it only left me with qualms after I finished it, and yet again I devoured its seven hundred pages in a couple of days. I still think the world building is great, I think the risks it takes are really admirable, and whilst I don't think the ending quite works, it doesn't demean the rest and has definately been the most enjoyable trip I took in 2020.
June 13, 2025
Wow. Great final chapter in a great trilogy. Finishing the series feels like getting back home after a great vacation. I kinda want it to go on but I'm more than happy with the experiences along the way.
September 10, 2021
The third and final book in this series, The Last Lies of Ardor Benn, concludes a series that my son and I have truly enjoyed. As I said in the review for the previous book, The Shattered Realms of Ardor Benn, if you loved the first two books you’ve love this one.
By far the stakes are at their highest in this one, which is impressive because the first two books were quite severe. In this book, the very foundation of history and humanity is questioned, not to mention the future. This was head-spinning at numerous places and finished strong.
As always Ardor is the focal point, but he is by no means the only important character. Interestingly enough, the infamous ruse artist has decided to come clean and live a pious life … but is even that a ruse?!?! Given the chaotic nature of the world around him, Ardor gets pulled into the middle of the situation and must pull in all his clever tricks, must pull in all his favors, and must do it all to avoid catastrophe on a global scale.
I might even go as far as to say that all the supporting characters (some new, many old) shine even brighter than dear ol’ Ardor. Such a great cast!
Honestly, this is a thrill ride and a fitting end to a wonderful series. Josh and I loved them all and recommend each of the books! 4.6 stars out of 5. (Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. Our opinion was not influenced by this.)
By far the stakes are at their highest in this one, which is impressive because the first two books were quite severe. In this book, the very foundation of history and humanity is questioned, not to mention the future. This was head-spinning at numerous places and finished strong.
As always Ardor is the focal point, but he is by no means the only important character. Interestingly enough, the infamous ruse artist has decided to come clean and live a pious life … but is even that a ruse?!?! Given the chaotic nature of the world around him, Ardor gets pulled into the middle of the situation and must pull in all his clever tricks, must pull in all his favors, and must do it all to avoid catastrophe on a global scale.
I might even go as far as to say that all the supporting characters (some new, many old) shine even brighter than dear ol’ Ardor. Such a great cast!
Honestly, this is a thrill ride and a fitting end to a wonderful series. Josh and I loved them all and recommend each of the books! 4.6 stars out of 5. (Thanks to the publisher for a review copy. Our opinion was not influenced by this.)
April 14, 2021
I'm torn here. I really enjoyed the first book, and the second book was also solid if perhaps a little repetitive. I'd honestly give this 3.5 stars, but it's closer to 3 than 4 in my mind so it gets 3. I just couldn't get past several of the decisions Ard made as he went along in this book. His logic was simply confounding and frustrating. I'm glad I read it, but it was a bit wordy and drawn out for my liking. I don't mind long books, but I found much of the descriptions and lead-up to be overkill. I was skimming quite a bit of text the last 200 pages and I don't think I missed any salient points. The ending was unexpected and interesting. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about the epilogue. My initial reaction was negative, but as I think about it, it doesn't seem that out of character for Ard. I will never love it, but the initial dislike is already softening. I will absolutely buy the next book Tyler writes. My issues with this book are personal and nitpicky. He's a very good writer who builds engaging characters and interesting worlds. This series is better than 80% of the epic fantasy I've read in the past few years.
October 19, 2021
Very good book but such a sad ending. Ard dies and can't be together with Quarrah and Raek. And he feels a lot of self hatred and that he shouldn't live and his friends are better off without him. Seeing how he was so confident and arrogant in the first book and to see him now thinking so lowly of himself is sad to see.
I wanted him to live and to improve and become a better person like he told Quarrah he would. I wanted him to improve his relationships and mend any problems in them. Then he and Quarrah could be together and he wouldn't feel so negatively of himself.
But though I don't like the ending, it was very well written. It was very heartbreaking and emotional. Ard's book towards Quarrah was really well done.
This was a wonderful series with great characters and a fun world. I'm sad to see the series end.
I wanted him to live and to improve and become a better person like he told Quarrah he would. I wanted him to improve his relationships and mend any problems in them. Then he and Quarrah could be together and he wouldn't feel so negatively of himself.
But though I don't like the ending, it was very well written. It was very heartbreaking and emotional. Ard's book towards Quarrah was really well done.
This was a wonderful series with great characters and a fun world. I'm sad to see the series end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
As with the first two, this one took me a very long time to read. Honestly, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the novels at all. All three in this trilogy are really good.
But good lord, they're all looooooonnnng books, though when you're finished them, you don't feel like there's a lot of filler that was tossed in there. Whitesides has obviously taken care to build his plots carefully, and construct all the magic and cultures and races with care.
And overall, in a trilogy like this, the reader expects an epic finish, and the trilogy delivers. And honestly, it went in a weird way that I didn't expect, but quite enjoyed.
It was a good trilogy, and a fun one. But with close to 2000 pages, I am glad it's over, too.
But good lord, they're all looooooonnnng books, though when you're finished them, you don't feel like there's a lot of filler that was tossed in there. Whitesides has obviously taken care to build his plots carefully, and construct all the magic and cultures and races with care.
And overall, in a trilogy like this, the reader expects an epic finish, and the trilogy delivers. And honestly, it went in a weird way that I didn't expect, but quite enjoyed.
It was a good trilogy, and a fun one. But with close to 2000 pages, I am glad it's over, too.
November 22, 2020
A little devil on my shoulder wants me to give this book 1 star - just because it's the last in the series, and that's really disappointing. However, it's a fantastic book and a fitting conclusion to the "Kingdom of Grit" series. I've thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books. The story, characters, writing, and world-building are all first class. I hope there will be more adult fantasy from Tyler Whitesides in the future.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
September 21, 2021
The plot was great and completely spellbinding all the way to the end. However the character arc of Ardor Benn was really disappointing. How does this character go through everything he went through without ever improving as a person?! Instead he just gets worse each book. That's not how it's supposed to work. Ugh, I was very disappointed in this conclusion to a really good series.
January 28, 2022
The problem with having everything become catastrophically bad in terms of plot is that it's really difficult to stick the landing, and this book doesn't really do that. A pretty dissatisfying and unclear ending.
February 8, 2022
Bottom line, I think I would have been better off reading something else. The only likeable characters in the series are in the supporting cast. Too many words were taken up in the writing of this series
August 21, 2023
Wow. That was a rollercoaster.
There is so much new information about this magic system that pulls everything together in the end. I love the many different plot twists.
The reason that this book didn't get five stars like the other books for me was because there were very clear parts to the book, it wasn't as seamless as the other 2. Also, the very important magic system bits were sometimes skimmed over. It was still understandable, but sometimes it was confusing what was happening. Of course, that may just be because of the type of magic we learned about.
Ard as a character is very well written, and I love the real world way the author pulled in Raek's Heg addiction.
Also, the epilogue! It is awesome, and I love (small spoiler) Ard's letter to Quarrah and how he lets her make the final choice.
Overall, beautiful, pulling story that keeps you reading. Highly recommend!
There is so much new information about this magic system that pulls everything together in the end. I love the many different plot twists.
The reason that this book didn't get five stars like the other books for me was because there were very clear parts to the book, it wasn't as seamless as the other 2. Also, the very important magic system bits were sometimes skimmed over. It was still understandable, but sometimes it was confusing what was happening. Of course, that may just be because of the type of magic we learned about.
Ard as a character is very well written, and I love the real world way the author pulled in Raek's Heg addiction.
Also, the epilogue! It is awesome, and I love (small spoiler) Ard's letter to Quarrah and how he lets her make the final choice.
Overall, beautiful, pulling story that keeps you reading. Highly recommend!
December 20, 2025
2 Stars: Sad ending for the series
I really liked the first book, enjoyed the second, and was happy to dive into the third. Tyler Whitesides is a very talented author; as you read this installment, you can tell he was trying to break the typical mold of a trilogy's finale. Without going into spoilers, I think some of those choices worked well, while others didn't resonate with me.
So, why did I give it two stars? Simply put, it wasn't as strong as the first two books. There was a specific event I wanted to see happen between the main characters, Ard and Quarrah, and I’m disappointed it never happened.
tags: Sad, Clean language
I really liked the first book, enjoyed the second, and was happy to dive into the third. Tyler Whitesides is a very talented author; as you read this installment, you can tell he was trying to break the typical mold of a trilogy's finale. Without going into spoilers, I think some of those choices worked well, while others didn't resonate with me.
So, why did I give it two stars? Simply put, it wasn't as strong as the first two books. There was a specific event I wanted to see happen between the main characters, Ard and Quarrah, and I’m disappointed it never happened.
tags: Sad, Clean language
July 21, 2022
Although I highly enjoyed this final installment in the series, I think this one is the weakest because of the ending. It was not as satisfying as I was expecting, even though the climax was more than I hoped for. That said, I think that Tyler Whitesides should write more adult fantasy books, because he proved he can write memorable characters, and a very intricate plot.
September 21, 2025
A perfect ending to a perfect series!!!
September 6, 2021
Big fan of this trilogy. It was a random find at the bookstore. Definitely for fans of fantasy heists
January 6, 2021
This is the fabulous finale in the KINGDOM OF GRIT series, and I have to say I loved it all the way through. It is fantasy that is very non-standard, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants, and very smartly written. The KINGDOM OF GRIT books are a lot of fun to read, if you are willing to suspend believe for 2,000 pages or so.
December 10, 2020
This series delivers everything it advertises, and there's so much more that's not even mentioned in the blurbs.
June 14, 2022
DNF.
Such wasted potential.
No more heists. Nope. Winging it every time is not a heist, authors.
Everyone is an asshole now. Only they don't realize it. Ardor becomes an insecure priest. Raek is still a junkie. Quarrah fully transitions into that sulky ex who sticks around because--- reasons?
You'd expect time travel to be the main selling point to this last installment. As in... time heist. Maaan, that'll be cool af. Well, no. Let's have these weird demigods we somehow conjured during the second book to start running around threatening with... a utopian society where people don't need to lie, steal or murder... uugghhh.
And then there's the new fourth character: Nemery, the harvesting crew girl from book one, turned badass survivalist. I kinda liked her. Tood bad. Oh Yeah. The fourth character always dies in a tragic fashion. First Isle Halavend, then Professor Portsend. I'm not sticking around for that can of worms.
Overall, it's just a condescending read. A strange childishness permeates an otherwise adult plot. Like the preferred swearing of the Greater Chain "Sparks!" But that's just symptomatic. The fact that, despite knowing all the same info the reader has this supposed mastermind ruse astist extraordinaire has not caught on as to what is happening... it boggles the mind.
Nope.
Such wasted potential.
No more heists. Nope. Winging it every time is not a heist, authors.
Everyone is an asshole now. Only they don't realize it. Ardor becomes an insecure priest. Raek is still a junkie. Quarrah fully transitions into that sulky ex who sticks around because--- reasons?
You'd expect time travel to be the main selling point to this last installment. As in... time heist. Maaan, that'll be cool af. Well, no. Let's have these weird demigods we somehow conjured during the second book to start running around threatening with... a utopian society where people don't need to lie, steal or murder... uugghhh.
And then there's the new fourth character: Nemery, the harvesting crew girl from book one, turned badass survivalist. I kinda liked her. Tood bad. Oh Yeah. The fourth character always dies in a tragic fashion. First Isle Halavend, then Professor Portsend. I'm not sticking around for that can of worms.
Overall, it's just a condescending read. A strange childishness permeates an otherwise adult plot. Like the preferred swearing of the Greater Chain "Sparks!" But that's just symptomatic. The fact that, despite knowing all the same info the reader has this supposed mastermind ruse astist extraordinaire has not caught on as to what is happening... it boggles the mind.
Nope.
June 29, 2022
Let me start by saying that the 4-star rating is more the product of my loving books 1 and 2 so much, and less-so because of the merits of book 3 alone. That being said, I was so curious to find out how it all came together that I tore through book 3 in just a couple of days.
Unfortunately, as we're taking this book on its own, I would probably have to give it a 3, maybe even a 2.5. What didn't work for me was mainly the latter half, and ultimately, the ending.
The first two novels definitely ramped up the stakes/complexity steadily throughout, but this one all but jumped the shark for me. Without getting into spoilers, I expected the plot of this novel to unfold at a certain pace, and over the span of a few dozen pages those expectations were blown out of the water. Is a large part of this on me? Of course - I can't expect every book to tailor to where I *think the plot should/will go. Unfortunately, it just felt like too much happened way too quickly, and the stakes became overly grandiose. In my opinion, sometimes the scale can be too epic, especially when the previous installments were pretty grounded (at least as far as a series with Dragons and magical excrement can go, at least).
The good - the writing is right up to par with the rest of the series in terms of actual prose. I would consider these books akin to a AA videogame. If games aren't your thing, think of it like an extremely well crafted indie film, or if you're familiar with the term "B Movie," this is more like an "A-" movie. If you know that going in, all 3 of these novels read wonderfully. I also still quite enjoyed reading about Ard, Raek and Quarrah, as I enjoyed the three of those characters right through to the end. Also, as stated above, I absolutely had to find out how this story concluded. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and it's only after 24 hours of ruminating on this book that I feel comfortable enough to express my disappointment.
So, it is with much regret that I do confess myself disappointed (yes, that is a reference). As some other reviewers have pointed out, Ard just didn't feel quite like Ard this time around. From page 1 (again, no spoilers) I was a bit concerned, but intrigued about his development. As the story went on, I couldn't help but feel like Whitesides was trying to retain Ard's essence while still progressing the character on his arc, but I felt that both aspects ended up falling flat.
Another criticism I have, also mentioned by others before me, is that this book is just too long. I'm a huge fan of Rothfuss and Sanderson, so I'm not afraid of long works. However, this one felt unnecessarily verbose. I found myself growing weary in the latter third - the result being that I quickly scanned through entire sections/chapters and felt like I hadn't missed anything of import. I did feel this way a bit during the first 2 entries, but this one took the descriptions, exposition and tedium up one notch too many for me. This is very much a personal preference, but by the end I was skipping chapters for a certain point of view character almost entirely. (One who played a part in book one but didn't reappear until now). I just didn't care for those sections at all, mainly because every single one was basically "Pekal is beautiful, save the dragons" over and over for dozens of pages at a time.
What really put the nail in the coffin for me, however, was the ending.
(Slight spoilers about the overall plot, but not about the ending in particular forthcoming)
I am a massive fan of time travel mechanics, and am almost always excited when they enter into a story. While this part of "Last Lies" comes kind of out of nowhere, I was still onboard at the beginning. However, I just don't think it was executed to its full potential. The revelation at the end was kind of satisfying, even going so far as to have a Bill-and-Ted-esque moment involving a clock under a mattress, but I felt that it was resolved in a flash. Every time a character uses the time mechanic, it's glossed over in the most superficial way possible. Also, as previously stated, the stakes just become out of control. We go from one deity, to two, to a dozen plus an even HIGHER deity thrown into the mix, to literally hundreds of thousands of gods running around. I understand that the plot kind of had to go where it did once the die was cast, but understanding doesn't equal enjoyment.
(SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1, 2 and 3 AHEAD)
Ardor Benn took on a crooked king in book 1 - very cool, very satisfying. In the follow-up, he took on a criminal organization that's been ruling from the shadows for hundreds of years - also cool, I'm still with you. In book 3, Ardor Benn takes on 500,000 gods with the help of an even god-ier god, while the world literally crumbles into a creepy-as-hell utopia with zero chance of stopping it....yeah, you lost me.
(END OF SPECIFIC SPOILERS)
(Vague Spoilers Ahead)
The actual ending itself i.e. the last 30 pages or so, just didn't do it for me. I am not opposed to a bittersweet ending whatsoever - in fact, I've read a few books in the recent past that I thought would have been greatly improved by adding some bitterness to the ending. This one, though, felt almost pointless. Happy to have a discussion about what it all means for our heroes in the end, but without giving anything away, I felt like a series with this much optimism ended with a little too much bleakness for me.
(END OF ALL SPOILERS)
To conclude, I feel like I just read a ~2100 page series that tripped and fell flat on its face right at the finish line. I can't recommend the first two novels enough - I thought they were brilliant, if not a touch long-winded. I would tell anyone who enjoys fantasy to check those out. I would caution, however, not to get your hopes up too high for the final installment.
All of that said, the next book Tyler Whitesides releases that's aimed at adults will be bought and downloaded to my Kindle on day one. His prose is solid, character and world building very well done, and his plotting is (mostly) incredibly engaging. Looking forward to what comes next from this author, for sure.
And hey, based on the many 4 and 5 star reviews for this book, I would say that the final entry satisfied a ton of readers, so perhaps take my assessment with a grain of salt.
Unfortunately, as we're taking this book on its own, I would probably have to give it a 3, maybe even a 2.5. What didn't work for me was mainly the latter half, and ultimately, the ending.
The first two novels definitely ramped up the stakes/complexity steadily throughout, but this one all but jumped the shark for me. Without getting into spoilers, I expected the plot of this novel to unfold at a certain pace, and over the span of a few dozen pages those expectations were blown out of the water. Is a large part of this on me? Of course - I can't expect every book to tailor to where I *think the plot should/will go. Unfortunately, it just felt like too much happened way too quickly, and the stakes became overly grandiose. In my opinion, sometimes the scale can be too epic, especially when the previous installments were pretty grounded (at least as far as a series with Dragons and magical excrement can go, at least).
The good - the writing is right up to par with the rest of the series in terms of actual prose. I would consider these books akin to a AA videogame. If games aren't your thing, think of it like an extremely well crafted indie film, or if you're familiar with the term "B Movie," this is more like an "A-" movie. If you know that going in, all 3 of these novels read wonderfully. I also still quite enjoyed reading about Ard, Raek and Quarrah, as I enjoyed the three of those characters right through to the end. Also, as stated above, I absolutely had to find out how this story concluded. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and it's only after 24 hours of ruminating on this book that I feel comfortable enough to express my disappointment.
So, it is with much regret that I do confess myself disappointed (yes, that is a reference). As some other reviewers have pointed out, Ard just didn't feel quite like Ard this time around. From page 1 (again, no spoilers) I was a bit concerned, but intrigued about his development. As the story went on, I couldn't help but feel like Whitesides was trying to retain Ard's essence while still progressing the character on his arc, but I felt that both aspects ended up falling flat.
Another criticism I have, also mentioned by others before me, is that this book is just too long. I'm a huge fan of Rothfuss and Sanderson, so I'm not afraid of long works. However, this one felt unnecessarily verbose. I found myself growing weary in the latter third - the result being that I quickly scanned through entire sections/chapters and felt like I hadn't missed anything of import. I did feel this way a bit during the first 2 entries, but this one took the descriptions, exposition and tedium up one notch too many for me. This is very much a personal preference, but by the end I was skipping chapters for a certain point of view character almost entirely. (One who played a part in book one but didn't reappear until now). I just didn't care for those sections at all, mainly because every single one was basically "Pekal is beautiful, save the dragons" over and over for dozens of pages at a time.
What really put the nail in the coffin for me, however, was the ending.
(Slight spoilers about the overall plot, but not about the ending in particular forthcoming)
I am a massive fan of time travel mechanics, and am almost always excited when they enter into a story. While this part of "Last Lies" comes kind of out of nowhere, I was still onboard at the beginning. However, I just don't think it was executed to its full potential. The revelation at the end was kind of satisfying, even going so far as to have a Bill-and-Ted-esque moment involving a clock under a mattress, but I felt that it was resolved in a flash. Every time a character uses the time mechanic, it's glossed over in the most superficial way possible. Also, as previously stated, the stakes just become out of control. We go from one deity, to two, to a dozen plus an even HIGHER deity thrown into the mix, to literally hundreds of thousands of gods running around. I understand that the plot kind of had to go where it did once the die was cast, but understanding doesn't equal enjoyment.
(SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1, 2 and 3 AHEAD)
Ardor Benn took on a crooked king in book 1 - very cool, very satisfying. In the follow-up, he took on a criminal organization that's been ruling from the shadows for hundreds of years - also cool, I'm still with you. In book 3, Ardor Benn takes on 500,000 gods with the help of an even god-ier god, while the world literally crumbles into a creepy-as-hell utopia with zero chance of stopping it....yeah, you lost me.
(END OF SPECIFIC SPOILERS)
(Vague Spoilers Ahead)
The actual ending itself i.e. the last 30 pages or so, just didn't do it for me. I am not opposed to a bittersweet ending whatsoever - in fact, I've read a few books in the recent past that I thought would have been greatly improved by adding some bitterness to the ending. This one, though, felt almost pointless. Happy to have a discussion about what it all means for our heroes in the end, but without giving anything away, I felt like a series with this much optimism ended with a little too much bleakness for me.
(END OF ALL SPOILERS)
To conclude, I feel like I just read a ~2100 page series that tripped and fell flat on its face right at the finish line. I can't recommend the first two novels enough - I thought they were brilliant, if not a touch long-winded. I would tell anyone who enjoys fantasy to check those out. I would caution, however, not to get your hopes up too high for the final installment.
All of that said, the next book Tyler Whitesides releases that's aimed at adults will be bought and downloaded to my Kindle on day one. His prose is solid, character and world building very well done, and his plotting is (mostly) incredibly engaging. Looking forward to what comes next from this author, for sure.
And hey, based on the many 4 and 5 star reviews for this book, I would say that the final entry satisfied a ton of readers, so perhaps take my assessment with a grain of salt.
January 17, 2021
The Kingdom of Grit Trilogy accomplishes something that I really don’t experience too often - A book 1 that contains all things familiar and, by book 3, completely subverting expectations.
The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn: “Yeah, yeah, I know where this is going.”
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn: “Hmm. That kind of took a different turn.”
The Last Lies of Ardor Benn: “What the heeeeeell.”
Forget Ardor Benn, Tyler Whitesides was the greatest ruse artist all along.
The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn: “Yeah, yeah, I know where this is going.”
The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn: “Hmm. That kind of took a different turn.”
The Last Lies of Ardor Benn: “What the heeeeeell.”
Forget Ardor Benn, Tyler Whitesides was the greatest ruse artist all along.
November 12, 2024
Meh. There was one really cool twist (the answer to Hedge's knowledge of the future), but otherwise this one didn't really come together as well as the rest of the series. The conclusion was pretty lame, and Ardor was insufferable for this entire novel.
September 27, 2023
This concluding volume to the Kingdom of Grit trilogy is definitely a step down from the earlier novels in the series. Lots of spoilers here, which cover the series as a whole as well as this final entry.
I enjoyed quite a few things about these novels. The system of "magic" was imaginative and unique. Within that magical system, the limits of the possible make sense, and many of the practical implications of "grit" on systems and economies were thought through. The first two novels in particular were heavily character-driven, with the protagonists reacting to events and then taking action as they came to realize the true challenges they faced. The books (particularly the first two) had moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Finally, I'm always a sucker for a good heist novel.
All three novels shared some similar flaws, which grew more pronounced in the third volume. One issue is that, in every case, the Big Reveal turns out to be a magic-related twist that so far beyond anything that's been part of the world so far that it completely breaks the reader's suspension of disbelief. Examples:
a) In the first novel (Thousand Lies), Ardor Benn is racing to acquire the story McGuffin "Paladin Visitant grit", which is believed to summon a holy "angel" who destroys enemies and sets things right. Turns out that the McGuffin actually creates time travel where someone can reset history.
b) In the second novel (Shattered Realm), new kinds of Grit are discovered. The climax comes when it turns out that one of the mystery grits can transform a human into a being of vastly superior strength, intelligence, and ability to manipulate grit. The newly created "superhero" is instrumental in solving the story problems.
c) In the final novel (Last Lies), the secret of "transformation grit" is out, and the villain is creating an army of superpeople who will kill anyone who opposes their vision of transformed humanity and elevate the rest to superhuman status as well. The solution is to use transformation grit on a dragon and turn her into a god.
The other big let-down from Last Lies is that it essentially uses the multiverse to avoid actual character development. Ardor Benn spends most of the novel enacting his own worst character traits and damaging every relationship he has. (This includes a minor character elevated to a point-of-view character for several chapters primarily to emphasize how much Ardor is following this path). As part of the climax, Ardor recognizes this problem in himself. But the solution is, "I die, and you can pull a better version of me out of the multiverse to replace me."
Language: PG
Violence: R
Sexuality: G
I enjoyed quite a few things about these novels. The system of "magic" was imaginative and unique. Within that magical system, the limits of the possible make sense, and many of the practical implications of "grit" on systems and economies were thought through. The first two novels in particular were heavily character-driven, with the protagonists reacting to events and then taking action as they came to realize the true challenges they faced. The books (particularly the first two) had moments of laugh-out-loud humor. Finally, I'm always a sucker for a good heist novel.
All three novels shared some similar flaws, which grew more pronounced in the third volume. One issue is that, in every case, the Big Reveal turns out to be a magic-related twist that so far beyond anything that's been part of the world so far that it completely breaks the reader's suspension of disbelief. Examples:
a) In the first novel (Thousand Lies), Ardor Benn is racing to acquire the story McGuffin "Paladin Visitant grit", which is believed to summon a holy "angel" who destroys enemies and sets things right. Turns out that the McGuffin actually creates time travel where someone can reset history.
b) In the second novel (Shattered Realm), new kinds of Grit are discovered. The climax comes when it turns out that one of the mystery grits can transform a human into a being of vastly superior strength, intelligence, and ability to manipulate grit. The newly created "superhero" is instrumental in solving the story problems.
c) In the final novel (Last Lies), the secret of "transformation grit" is out, and the villain is creating an army of superpeople who will kill anyone who opposes their vision of transformed humanity and elevate the rest to superhuman status as well. The solution is to use transformation grit on a dragon and turn her into a god.
The other big let-down from Last Lies is that it essentially uses the multiverse to avoid actual character development. Ardor Benn spends most of the novel enacting his own worst character traits and damaging every relationship he has. (This includes a minor character elevated to a point-of-view character for several chapters primarily to emphasize how much Ardor is following this path). As part of the climax, Ardor recognizes this problem in himself. But the solution is, "I die, and you can pull a better version of me out of the multiverse to replace me."
Language: PG
Violence: R
Sexuality: G
September 23, 2025
I wish this would feel like a bittersweet ending, but it didn't.
What I realised from reading this third book, is what a great piece of fantasy writing the first book was. Looking back, I was so enthralled by everything in the first book, I was amazed at the amount of adventures condensed into one book. And then to get to the final instalment, which took me considerably longer to read compared to its predecessors, simply because I wasn't into it. I really couldn't have seen that coming. Only once while reading this did I feel the same giddiness which I felt reading the first book. I was most disappointed with the trajectory this book took. If you told me this is where the series would be heading right after I finished the first instalment, I would probably drop my jaw and hope you were spewing nonsense. The only way I can kind of give a directional tone without spoiling it, (this is very niche, I know) is if you would combine The Toll by Neal Shusterman and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice. Combine the plot of the former and the Atlantis people of the latter, and you will get The Last Lies of Ardor Benn.
I might even go as far as recommending people to only read The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn and not continue the series if you want a really smart, fun and high adventure fantasy. I feel like if you liked The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams, you will want to continue this series. With that, I mean to say that if you aren't easily discouraged by "weird" fantasy, then you will like this.
My reaction to how things wrapped up was very telling, I literally didn't feel a thing. I have read 2100 pages getting invested in these characters, only in the end to not feel very much during the epilogue. This again had to do with the trajectory of the book, and for that reason, it felt like a cop out, not going for a more raw, permanent ending, but instead going for a fan-service ending.
Don't pay attention to the four-star rating, I simply don't know how to rate it having just finished the book moments ago.
What I realised from reading this third book, is what a great piece of fantasy writing the first book was. Looking back, I was so enthralled by everything in the first book, I was amazed at the amount of adventures condensed into one book. And then to get to the final instalment, which took me considerably longer to read compared to its predecessors, simply because I wasn't into it. I really couldn't have seen that coming. Only once while reading this did I feel the same giddiness which I felt reading the first book. I was most disappointed with the trajectory this book took. If you told me this is where the series would be heading right after I finished the first instalment, I would probably drop my jaw and hope you were spewing nonsense. The only way I can kind of give a directional tone without spoiling it, (this is very niche, I know) is if you would combine The Toll by Neal Shusterman and Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice. Combine the plot of the former and the Atlantis people of the latter, and you will get The Last Lies of Ardor Benn.
I might even go as far as recommending people to only read The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn and not continue the series if you want a really smart, fun and high adventure fantasy. I feel like if you liked The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams, you will want to continue this series. With that, I mean to say that if you aren't easily discouraged by "weird" fantasy, then you will like this.
My reaction to how things wrapped up was very telling, I literally didn't feel a thing. I have read 2100 pages getting invested in these characters, only in the end to not feel very much during the epilogue. This again had to do with the trajectory of the book, and for that reason, it felt like a cop out, not going for a more raw, permanent ending, but instead going for a fan-service ending.
Don't pay attention to the four-star rating, I simply don't know how to rate it having just finished the book moments ago.
December 21, 2021
The final installment in the Kingdom of Grit should not disappoint for those who enjoyed the first two. We return to the same cast of characters as the plot points developed in the first two books come together in this final entry, with more swashbuckling, crazy Ardor Benn antics.
This book was perhaps the grittiest of the three in terms of violence. It also contained the most action I would say. As usual, the story was a fast-paced, ploy-driven romp. Tyler Whitesides continued to show off his mastery of plot weaving and world building from the first two books, and he left none of the open ended pieces of the first two books undone.
That said, this book does, admittedly, suffer the same weaknesses as the first two. Character development is lacking, and I continued to feel disconnected from the characters. The trilogy as a whole feels a bit like a very complex series with content written with a younger audience in mind. For those who prefer darker, heavier settings or more adult content, this series may be lacking for you.
Nonetheless, I really did enjoy this book, and I'm super glad I read this trilogy this year. I look forward to Whitesides' future projects and hope he writes more adult fantasy.
**Mild series spoilers
The main reason this one didn't get a 4.5 for me as the second installment did is due to the ending. Whitesides brings the time travel elements of the trilogy to a head in this book, and he makes some interesting choices at the end that I found a bit distasteful. I could not say I was entirely satisfied with the ending, and it felt a bit rushed to me. While I would have liked a slightly different ending, I do really love the way Whitesides explored a concept as overused as time travel in a way that felt the really fresh to me.
This book was perhaps the grittiest of the three in terms of violence. It also contained the most action I would say. As usual, the story was a fast-paced, ploy-driven romp. Tyler Whitesides continued to show off his mastery of plot weaving and world building from the first two books, and he left none of the open ended pieces of the first two books undone.
That said, this book does, admittedly, suffer the same weaknesses as the first two. Character development is lacking, and I continued to feel disconnected from the characters. The trilogy as a whole feels a bit like a very complex series with content written with a younger audience in mind. For those who prefer darker, heavier settings or more adult content, this series may be lacking for you.
Nonetheless, I really did enjoy this book, and I'm super glad I read this trilogy this year. I look forward to Whitesides' future projects and hope he writes more adult fantasy.
**Mild series spoilers
The main reason this one didn't get a 4.5 for me as the second installment did is due to the ending. Whitesides brings the time travel elements of the trilogy to a head in this book, and he makes some interesting choices at the end that I found a bit distasteful. I could not say I was entirely satisfied with the ending, and it felt a bit rushed to me. While I would have liked a slightly different ending, I do really love the way Whitesides explored a concept as overused as time travel in a way that felt the really fresh to me.
September 13, 2025
I am not sure how I feel about that ending honestly. and overall it didn't have that flair the previous two had. You definitely just have to trust the author until the very end, but I don't think I liked that ending. And I wasn't really convinced that the characters would really think what they were working for was good or for the best or desirable. It's like they just wanted to oppose a certain side with no real reasoning to believe the other things they worked for would be better than the 'bad guys.'
While I was disappointed in the end and overall with this book, I do appreciate how well planned out everything was. I did enjoy most of it. That ending is just not for me.
While I was disappointed in the end and overall with this book, I do appreciate how well planned out everything was. I did enjoy most of it. That ending is just not for me.
Read
June 5, 2023DNF at 340 pages.
This hurts to write. I had quite enjoyed the first two books--not groundbreaking and life-changing books by any means, but they were fun.
However, I don't know what it is about this one, but I just can't bring myself to care.
Cool things were happening. Neat ideas were popping up. The characters were being funny. There was a mystery.
But I can't bring myself to care. It's taken me so long to get even to the middle of this book. I literally put it down, read another 600-page book, and then returned to this after I was done the other read. All I can think of is other books I could be reading, so that's what I'm going to do. Read something else.
Part of it was that a lot of scenes leading up to plot points didn't feel necessary--they felt like they were wasting my time to drag the story out. There was literally a three-chapter sidetrack that led to nothing aside from a character appearing again (who honestly could have appeared in a different way), and who THEN launched into a full chapter of exposition. It was around then that I think I realized this was a DNF for me.
I still recommend the trilogy, especially for people transitioning from YA to Adult and want something fun and light. It just wasn't doing anything for me anymore.
On to new things.
This hurts to write. I had quite enjoyed the first two books--not groundbreaking and life-changing books by any means, but they were fun.
However, I don't know what it is about this one, but I just can't bring myself to care.
Cool things were happening. Neat ideas were popping up. The characters were being funny. There was a mystery.
But I can't bring myself to care. It's taken me so long to get even to the middle of this book. I literally put it down, read another 600-page book, and then returned to this after I was done the other read. All I can think of is other books I could be reading, so that's what I'm going to do. Read something else.
Part of it was that a lot of scenes leading up to plot points didn't feel necessary--they felt like they were wasting my time to drag the story out. There was literally a three-chapter sidetrack that led to nothing aside from a character appearing again (who honestly could have appeared in a different way), and who THEN launched into a full chapter of exposition. It was around then that I think I realized this was a DNF for me.
I still recommend the trilogy, especially for people transitioning from YA to Adult and want something fun and light. It just wasn't doing anything for me anymore.
On to new things.
October 1, 2025
Imma be honest: for a horrible second I was worried Tyler would fuck up the ending.
More than happy to say: he didn't! He stuck the landing and left me in tears.
This was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. Hell the whole trilogy was!
The world building was phenomenal and so well thought out, I mean give this guy a prize. The characters were beautifully written and I'm still not over the character development in this third book and I doubt I ever will be. The plot was what I would like to humbly call near perfect. It kept me at the edge of my seat and always frothing at the mouth to turn the page. The plot twists were often surprising but not unbelievable. I even found myself predicting a few select ones. Which given my pea brain is pretty hard to accomplish and really speaks volumes on the craftsmanship and believeability of the story.
Like I said I had to go through a good 70 or so pages just before the final climax of the grand finale which left me worried about the end. But given the fact that these 70 or so pages stand against a total of about 2200 pages across all three books that I would worship on an altar… I think I can move past that and we're good ;)
Long story short:
This was more than just amazing. This trilogy will go on my list of all time favorites. Go read it if you haven't yet done so or I will haunt you in your sleep :)
All the love ❤️
More than happy to say: he didn't! He stuck the landing and left me in tears.
This was an absolute joy to read from start to finish. Hell the whole trilogy was!
The world building was phenomenal and so well thought out, I mean give this guy a prize. The characters were beautifully written and I'm still not over the character development in this third book and I doubt I ever will be. The plot was what I would like to humbly call near perfect. It kept me at the edge of my seat and always frothing at the mouth to turn the page. The plot twists were often surprising but not unbelievable. I even found myself predicting a few select ones. Which given my pea brain is pretty hard to accomplish and really speaks volumes on the craftsmanship and believeability of the story.
Like I said I had to go through a good 70 or so pages just before the final climax of the grand finale which left me worried about the end. But given the fact that these 70 or so pages stand against a total of about 2200 pages across all three books that I would worship on an altar… I think I can move past that and we're good ;)
Long story short:
This was more than just amazing. This trilogy will go on my list of all time favorites. Go read it if you haven't yet done so or I will haunt you in your sleep :)
All the love ❤️
April 7, 2021
This was a very unexpected ending. There were a lot of plot twists and turns and then some sort of loop-de-loop happened and I found myself going back to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't its just a lot of stuff to take in late at night but it does all make a twisted sort of sense by the time everything is done. Time travel is confusing stuff at the best of times, I just kept caffeinated and start reading a few hours before bedtime, instead of right before bed when my mind was done loading info for the night. There's a lot of death in this book compared to the last two, and some of them were pretty brutal. That being said I wouldn't change a thing, this trilogy needed to up the ante in the violence department and this last book really delivered. The characters Raekon, Quarrah Kai, and Ardor Benn do change a lot throughout the series and this book really shows those changes fully. Overall this book wasn't what I was expecting but I liked it even more than I had anticipated. It was a truly satisfying trilogy and I'm curious to see what worlds the author will come up with next.
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