The Destiny of Ren Crown

Ren Crown #5

by Anne Zoelle

On the run with two of her most powerful—and quarrelsome—allies, Ren has to outwit the Department and all those who seek to exploit her powers as she fights for the lives of those she loves and the freedom to live in a world that fears her.

The Destiny of Ren Crown is the final book in the Ren Crown series.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Found Family, Science Fiction Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy

380 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2017

Reviews

[☂️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW 11/15/17: I have SO MANY thoughts but right now, the one I want to discuss the most is how HAPPY I am about Ren and Constantine and their relationship and the fact that they're clearly endgame. (Although, I have so much to say about Ren and Constantine's individual arcs too. God, I love them!)

Spoilers ahead!

From Book 1, we've seen the two of them develop so much. Their relationship has undergone so much and it's probably one of the best slow burn romances I have ever read. From Awakening, from the first moment Constantine meets Ren, she defies his expectations -- she brushes off his advances and it makes her more interesting to him because as we all know, almost every girl in Excelsine is in love with Constantine (relatable!) so to have Ren rolling her eyes at him made her different from everyone else. Then with each passing scene, as Ren slowly makes her way into his workroom (and his heart), we saw their relationship slowly start to shift. The moment he lets her in his workroom is the moment he chooses to let someone in. Like he said in Chapter 15 of The Destiny of Ren Crown:

“I let you in.” He reentered my space, as if he could do nothing else. “I let you get close, so I could get closer to Verisetti. Stupid.”
“And here I thought my power was half the draw,” I said evenly.
“Your stupid sense of loyalty. Your stupid trust. Your brilliance. You are my weakness. And I thought I had gotten rid of those.”

He let her in but then Ren was... Ren. And it made him fall terribly, horribly in love with her. In Chapter 27 of Awakening, Ren chooses to run to his dorm and protect him despite her broken hand, and he's shocked, wondering why she would do such a thing -- because he can't understand it. He can't fathom that someone would look out for him and want nothing in return. So he takes the pain of her broken hand onto himself, because he doesn't know how else to deal these strange feelings that she brings upon him. All he's felt for the last eight years since his mother's death has been anger and bitterness and the need for vengeance, but this girl brings new feelings to his life. “It was strange, having hope, something outside of revenge.”

In Protection, we see this truly start to develop. Ren calls him her business partner but everyone else around her can see that there's something more there -- he cares about her, even though he doesn't want to. After what happens during Ren's birthday, Constantine makes a huge shift because again, as we see in this book, the thought of losing people terrifies him and now he's afraid he's going to lose Ren even though he's only known her for two months, at most. But it's been so long since he's let someone inside that the thought of them leaving causes a strange panic inside of him that he can barely deal with. In the scene that they reconcile (Chapter 13 of Protection), he is unsure and feels at odds with himself and it's the first time we see him as anything less than confident. He's struggling with the emotions he feels for her so intensely and Ren realizes this to an extent, but doesn't realize it enough to truly understand what's happening (although everyone else around her seems to).

Through this second book, we see their relationship develop from this "business" relationship to an actual friendship, where they can joke around and tease each other (and flirt more often than not) but when Constantine gets serious, he means what he says. He tells Ren, "Anything for you," three times in this book and each time, he means it. He is slowly starting to realize he'd do far too much in order to protect Ren and to make her happy and she's becoming a weakness for him but he can't let go of her. As we get closer to the end, Constantine specifically implements safety measures for Ren, because yes, he will betray the second layer and all of Excelsine, but he will not betray Ren.

I think the moment that Constantine fully realizes he's in love with Ren is the end of Protection, during Chapter 34, when Ren has every reason to turn her back on him and she doesn't. He knows that if she walked out on him right now, it would be completely justified, but across this bloody battlefield as death rains all around him, Ren looks at him with only understanding and forgiveness and Constantine knows this is it - this is the end of pretending that this doesn't mean anything. Painful relief flashes across his face because despite all odds, he can keep her in his life, she's not going anywhere (not now, not ever).

That's why he chooses to play his trump card and turn against Godfrey to protect Ren. As I said before, he will betray the second layer, but not her, God, not her. There's a quote, "He set fire to the world around him but never let a flame touch her," that I think relates to Constantine and Ren a lot. When Ren is crawling to him, bloodied and bruised, she has no thought in her head but to keep him alive and so she swipes her paint across his head and hopes to God that he lives because she can't lose him either.

I have always said Rise is my favorite book in this series, although Destiny is trying to compete for first place. But on the topic of The Rise of Ren Crown, I think that is the book that Constantine acknowledges his love for Ren and lets it drive him. Through Rise, Constantine is with Ren almost the entire time and he is warring with his feelings for her and his need for vengeance. Everyone, including Axer, tells Ren that Contantine will put Ren first and that he priortizes her above all else, even if Ren is reluctant to believe it. There's no way she could come above his revenge... right? (Wrong.)

Of course, there are a lot of light moments in the books like Chapter 27 when he and Ren almost kiss and it's all fun and light but then there are serious moments like Chapter 35 (my favorite chapter in the book) where Constantine is upset but then finds his peace within Ren. He tells her he would do terrible things in her name but she brushes it off, not realizing the truth of what he's saying. After the end of Protection, Constantine has only ever honest with Ren, even if often says things 'lightly' to dampen their true meaning.

Without even knowing what she has done, Ren has saved him. She gives him trust and love and those are things he never thought he could have again after his mother's death, but here she is, giving it to him and never faltering, never turning her back on him. She has seen the worst of him and has yet to give up. It's reasons like this that he goes out of his way to protect her -- which includes getting her away from Bellacia and offering her a safe haven in his room instead. He's so worried about her and so concerned and all he wants is for her to be safe and happy, but he knows that they have to go and meet Raphael, if not for his revenge, then to at least retrieve Olivia.

In Chapter 42 of Rise, he makes a vow to put her first and that is the moment where we as readers can visibly see Constantine's shift in priorities. The closer they get to completing their mission in Corpus Sun, the more we realize that Constantine had originally intended to die retrieving his revenge. He didn't care about life outside his revenge... until Ren. She gives him a reason to live, she makes him want to live and there's a moment Chapter 43 where Ren endangers her own life to save him that Contantine has a "look of longing so fierce that it made me blink" because he wants this -- he wants this life with Ren, he wants REN, period, and perhaps no longer wants his revenge. The defining moment of the book though is WHEN Constantine gives up on his revenge for Ren. He lets it slip right out of his hands, this thing he worked 8 years to achieve, because he finally came to the conclusion that wasn't the path he wanted. All he wanted... was Ren.

During Unleashing, we get to see Constantine fully in love with Ren and accepting of it. From Chapter 6, when he gives her the ribbon and says that he's given up on his revenge, to Chapter 14 where he says he never intends to let her go, to Chapter 27 where Constantine more or less says that loving Ren makes him feel free. We see Constantine slowly start to implement protections into Ren, social, physical and emotional. He gives her the ribbon as a means of protection and as a means of warning -- it spreads quickly through the social grounds to the point everyone who doesn't know Ren is convinced that they are engaged and he does this because then they will think twice before engaging with her, knowing his wrath awaits them. The ribbon obviously also has physical protections as it was the one thing standing between her and Stavros, and kept away a majority of the things people tried to attach to her. He also gives her emotional protection by helping her shoulder the weight of the world that she carries, making sure she never overdoes it and constantly looking out for her.

He is in love with her and it is painfully obvious. With every time Ren mentions his "complicated feelings" it becomes more and more undeniable that he's trying to cover up what he feels for her because he doesn't feel that he'll be able to keep her in the long run but he will do everything he can until then. He will spend the rest of his life protecting her and looking out for her and caring about her wellbeing, whether as a friend or as a lover, as long as Ren is OKAY, as long as she is SAFE, as long as she is HAPPY. He would do absolutely anything for her at this point and every single person is aware of it aside from Ren. As a reader, I loved watching Constantine slowly fall in love with her, despite Ren's obliviousness.

Although, I feel that Ren's feelings for Constantine were there -- she was simply unaware of it. She took a chance on Constantine when no one else would. She believed in him. Everyone warned her away from him, told her he couldn't be trusted... but Ren trusted him anyways. She acknowledged there were parts of his lifestyle she didn't agree with but never thought of him as any less for it. She is always quick to point out his best attributes and commend him. She genuinely thinks he's so brilliant and doesn't want to lose him just as much as he doesn't want to lose her. In fact, she is the first person to say it between them -- in The Awakening of Ren Crown, in Chapter 27, she tells him to his face, "I don't wish to lose you." - Ren also pays careful attention to Constantine too. She notices little things about him no one else ever has before. She actually cares about him, unlike anyone else in the last few years of his life. Ren has this attitude at first where she thinks he's using her and plans to discard her like the rest but STILL pursues a relationship with him, despite all of that. Not to mention, she comments on Constantine's sex life a Lot and originally thinks of herself as one of his conquests only. She doesn't think he genuinely cares about her in return for the longest time, yet still doesn't give up on him. In fact, despite this belief, she only eggs him on and flirts and teases him and continues to give him love and support. She actively ENCOURAGES this behavior.

Then when Constantine betrays the entire second layer, instead of flinging accusations like ANYONE else would, she chooses to forgive him. She knows he is capable of destruction and is fueled by hatred and revenge and she DOESN'T CARE. She continues to only ever give him LOVE. EVERYONE is always telling her how horrible Constantine is but she grows to LOVE him. She even acknowledges it when Olivia says it plainly in Unleashing.

It was always astounding to me that Ren could care that much about Constantine to that extent, pay that close attention yet still miss what was right in front of her but I think that in this book, Ren really opens her eyes.

So Destiny. God, what a book. First, focusing on Constantine and Ren's relationship, there is so much here to work with. This whole book Ren is constantly in danger; there's no time to think about romance or silly crushes (especially ones that are mainly formed based on surface-deep emotions, such as her crush on Axer). She has to focus on what's happening because every moment is a life-or-death situation.

I think that's where it comes to a head that Constantine is Ren's lifeline, physically and emotionally. He is there for almost the entire duration of the book, at her side, holding her hand metaphorically and is the reason she is able to get through all of this. She would never have been able to make it without him. Not only does he help her hold it together, but he brings with him the entirety of Excelsine, even despite the cost to his health; he brings all her connections with him to make sure she has a home away home away from home, in him. This is the physical aspect of him being her lifeline, because he has inside of him what she needs most right now. Also, as I said before, he shoulders the weight of the world with her (although he doesn't care about the world, as he so succinctly put it).

But more than that, Constantine is Ren's best friend (aside from Olivia and Neph) and he is THERE and he never looks at her with anything less than devotion and love, even when all she can create are these horrible paintings, even when all she feels that she can do is destroy the world. He HOLDS HER TOGETHER. As I said before, there is no time for romance, but in every scene between Ren and Constantine, it's already there. It's natural, it's something Ren doesn't have to think twice about because to her, it isn't a random crush, it isn't a case of hero-worshipping, it isn't a case of being captured by his eyes or his voice or his smile. Instead, it's the comforting weight of fingers against the back of her neck, it's the implicit trust and belief in her, it's her head resting against his chest and hearing his heart beat to the tune of her name. The reason it takes Ren so long to realize is because she's never known love, not like this, not when it's soft and warm and everything she's always needed. Constantine is that for her, even if she doesn't fully realize it.

You can see this in Chapter 23, when she immediately scrambles for him, desperate to touch him and be near him and to be held by him. Because that's comfort, that's warmth, that's relief, that's safety, that's home . He is her home, he is her lifeline, he is the only thing keeping her from floating up into the stars never to come back. He is the anchor that grounds her and keeps her level.

On the other hand, Constantine is terrified. He does everything he can to keep Ren safe but it's not enough, not when they're in this much danger but he tries anyways, ready to sacrifice his own life if it means her happiness, her safety. He loves her with with everything inside of him and losing her would tear him apart, he can't stand the thought. So because Ren saved Constantine for the last four books, without even intending to do so, he knows he has to save her in return, or at least try to his best. "I merely exist to save you."

I have so, so many thoughts but I'll try to sum up. In Chapter 29, when Constantine confesses his feelings for Ren... that is probably one of my favorite scenes in this entire series. We spent so long having Ren talk about Constantine's "complicated" feelings but now they were on display and for the first time, Ren understood, it all made sense. Every touch, every look, every word in the last few months all began to add up and it's suddenly clear to her, he's in love with her. The moment he felt resolve, I felt my heart drop and then he said, "It doesn't mean family. Not like that. Not to me." I started absolutely SCREAMING. Followed by him looking at peace for the first time in MONTHS. Then Constantine looked at their threads and: "He looked up, and a smile, brilliant and all-consuming split his face," and I knew that Ren was in love with him too. She may not have realized it, because she so closely identified him with the feeling of home, the feeling of strength, the feeling of love, that it hadn't occurred to her that it wasn't a platonic love.

Everyone else's reactions to Constantine's love confession made it even more clear that there was no other way this could have ended. From Axer jokingly saying he would chaperone (and the fact his and Constantine's bond was solidly tight), we can tell he has let go of whatever fleeting romance he and Ren might have had because he loves Constantine and wants his happiness and knows that means Ren, and his comment was to show that despite all this, he cares about Ren and he is protective of her but is happily willing to let the two of them date one another. I really appreciated that moment of him stepping back and taking himself out of the equation. Furthermore, Olivia has clearly been aware of Constantine's feelings for some time now (hence her exasperated response) as well the others. I think even Will's shock comes from the fact that Constantine finally took that leap of faith, finally decided to come forth with his feelings, more than anything else. (Which I am so proud of Constantine for.) Then, the part where Ren said: “Are you going to chaperone, too?” I asked. I felt along my chest, my arms, at the connections there, and wow, okay. Wow.” implying that there WOULD be dates for Olivia to chaperone in the first place... God, it put my heart at peace too. This was what I had been waiting for for four books.

Of course, the ending scene with them assured me once and for all that Ren ends up with Constantine and they live the rest of their lives together happily ever after:

Constantine's face softened. “Perhaps.” He touched my cheek and wiped the silver-gold tear there.
Mindful of the crowd, I pulled fingers through my tangled hair and checked our spells for something to do that didn’t include responding to that touch. I could feel Constantine smiling.

...because Constantine touches Ren and she immediately is flustered, trying not to react while he smiles. Because Ren has never been flustered around him, not in the romantic sense, because she hadn't realized the weight of their relationship but now that she does, she's all cute and blushy and fidgety because she LIKES him. SHE LOVES HIM. And it's clear. I'm so, so thankful for this endgame and I'm so thankful Anne Zoelle chose to write it this way.

ANYWAYS. Uh. I don't have a lot of space left in this review but I thought Ren was amazing for the entirety of the book. She was so strong, so brave, so consistent and she made me so proud. Similarly, I thought Constantine's arc in this book was BEAUTIFUL (feel free to comment and ask me about either because I have a lot to say) and I am also so proud of him. I loved all the Bandits too and I'm just. I'm so happy. I've never been this happy after finishing a series. I loved the characters, the plot, the romance, just ALL OF IT. I love this series. 5/5 all around.

REVIEW 11/11/17: i have a lot of thoughts and not all of them are coherent. i will be back with a full review once the actual book is out but after finishing the ARC, i just want to say i love ren very, very much. she makes my heart very happy. i'm also very, very satisfied with the romance aspect of the book. the plot also tied up really well and gave me chills when i finished. i'm just overall so pleased. an excellent ending to an excellent series. <3 5/5 for sure!

EDIT 7/11/17: WE OFFICIALLY HAVE A COVER! LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS! And a release date: November 13th! I don't think anyone could POSSIBLY be as excited for this book as I am! Only 125 days to go!

2/8/17: i'm so devastated that i have to wait to read this book but i look forward to it with all my heart. i, however, do hope we receive a lot of constantine and that maybe, possibly, hopefully, ren and constantine get the happy ever after they deserve!!

[n&#x1faf6;&#x1f3fd; · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE: I would just like to say that all of my prayers have been answered. Also, I admit without an ounce of shame that I'll be giving the book 5 stars solely because of Constantine. His presence, his personality, his relationship with Ren? Girl, yes. Anne Zoelle came through.

***********

If there is not a lot of Constantine in this book, I will demand that it be rewritten.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, here we are! The ending of the Ren Crown series, and man, do I have lots of thoughts!!

I have quite a bit to say about the individual arcs of both Ren and Constantine, but I'll start with what I loved about their relationship. From the very first book, it's made clear that Constantine doesn't care about much, and keeps everyone at a distance. Yes, many of the girls at Excelsine are in love with him, but it's never reciprocated. Then in comes this green-haired mess of a girl, and she doesn't want anything from him? He's instantly intrigued and this slowly but surely progresses into an easy friendship. The shifting point, however, is when Constantine lets her into his workroom, a place no one ever goes in. Constantine's walls are coming down, despite Ren's insistence that he's only a "business partner."

In Protection of Ren Crown, we start to see even more of a shift in Constantine. For Ren's birthday, for example, he himself realizes he's scared of losing her.

"I'm not going to hurt her." Constantine's words were clipped, as if her didn't want to admit them.

He has the option of letting Olivia die, and was perfectly fine doing so, but because Ren is hurt and begging, he saves Olivia. He doesn't fully realize it yet, but this is the first of many times where he puts her above everything else. Even at the end of Protection, it's her willing to hear him out and forgive him that undoes him. Everyone else writes him off as a spoiled, rich asshole and Ren is the first person to actually want to be his friend, despite having every reason to walk away. In fact, it is her forgiveness that solidifies his decision to do anything to save her. He would let the entire world burn if it meant Ren was safe and happy.

Now, The Rise of Ren Crown is my favorite in the series, especially when it comes to Ren and Constantine's development. Their scenes together are light and fun, and Ren's friends are catching on to how much time Ren and Constantine really spend together, but also how Constantine feels for Ren. She trusts him completely, and he's not used to that. He may have girls throwing themselves at his feet, but they certainly don't trust him; they don't care about anything other than what he can give them. Throughout the book, Constantine is also still out for his revenge, but this constantly conflicts with his growing feelings for Ren. When it comes to down to saving Olivia or going after Raphael, he chooses to save Olivia. He specifically makes a point to reassure her that Olivia comes first just so she will be at peace. Despite all this, she brushes him off because of his usual flirtatious nature, but when Constantine, who never lets anyone in, is the closest to being content when he's alone with Ren, we start to see nothing about his feelings for Ren are platonic. He would do horrible, terrible things to keep her with him, and that terrifies him. Everything he's ever loved has left him.

By the end of Rise, Constantine has resigned himself to these feelings, he loves her and would do anything for her, including giving up his eight year plan to kill Raphael. His plans have shifted, he has actual hope now. When Ren talks about having a future and automatically includes him in it, he's wistful. She wants a life with him in it, and no matter it be romantic or as friends, he wants to be where she is. Gone is the Constantine who planned on dying for his revenge.

Ren isn't aware his feelings go deep, but it's obvious Constantine is important to him. She trusts him completely, and believes in him no matter what. Nothing he could do would make her turn her back on him. Whenever Constantine is injured, and even if she is as well, she gives whatever magic is necessary to heal him. She'll do whatever it takes to keep Constantine safe, and I think this is important to the development of their relationship. Their close friendship allows for a romantic relationship to develop more naturally, and means that there is already a deep level of trust and respect between the two.

During Unleashing, we see Constantine accept that he loves Ren completely. He gives her full protection and even though Ren is still oblivious, it's so wonderful watching him grow as a person. This is especially obvious in Destiny, when Constantine makes sure Ren has her friends and their love/support, no matter the cost to himself. He defends Will, pulls strings to make sure the Bandits' families are protected, and he even goes after Axer knowing it won't end well. They're on the run nearly the entire book, everything is life or death and because of this we see Constantine at his most panicked. Every move he makes is ultimately for Ren. Above all, he becomes her main support. Whenever things go wrong, he's there for comfort and support. This is everything for Ren. Here she is as, at her absolute worst, and he accepts her like she has always done for him. Nothing either of them could do would make the other turn away and run.

Him confessing he loves her is only natural. It's not rushed or forced. They're likely about to die and Constantine is tired. He's in love with Ren, and not a single force in any layer could change that. For Ren, everything suddenly makes sense. It puts every action between them into context, and when Constantine smiles at what he sees in their connection thread, we see that Ren is realizing she's in love with him too. This was such a soft, sweet moment and amidst everything going on, it's exactly what they deserve.

I could ramble on and on, and may add more when I'm not so tired, but just know Ren is amazing and so strong and deserves her happy ending..... with Constantine who has grown a great deal in these past 5 books. I see a lot of myself in both of these characters so it's especially lovely to see them both alive and happy, surrounded by their friends. I'm so so happy I was introduced to this book, and can honestly say this is a wonderful ending to one of my favorites.

[lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
- the world: 20/10, as always
- ren: my baby girl i'm so so proud of her and how much she has grown while still remaining the kind, beautiful lil beam of sunshine that she is. she truly did That! her mind!
- constantine continues to be the love of my life (and the love of ren's life obviously)
- CONSTANTINE HAS CAT!!!! HAPPIEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE! SHE IS AN ICON
- Local Boy Loves His Cat
- okay but con had all these lil Soft moments here and there, i melted
- Soft Boy Loves His Cat, His Girlfriend And His Friends
- okay but con has grown so much his development is amazing and i'm so so so so happy he's finally going to be happy and that he has found love n a lil family bc he deserves it so much my baby boy
- like i said before ren is the MOst adorable person in this whole entire universe and i would get into a knife fight with god herself for her happiness and wellbeing i love her so so so so so much
- SHE IS SO POWERFUL AND SHE WAS NOT AFRAID OF IT AND SHE CAME INTO HER OWN AND KICKED ASS AND I LOVE THAT ANGEL SO MUCH I'M SO EMOTIONAL LIKE "once i dismissed the idea that i needed to be normal, extraordinary bloomed" REALLY GOT TO ME. YES I SAID THAT'S MY BABY AND I'M REAL PROUD
- i would take a bullet for miss olivia price she has grown so much and i love her to Death
- neph my baby angel
- okay but when ren, olivia and neph reunited and hugged i cried
- will tasky Must be protected
- i love the bandits so much they make me so happy
- alexander dare: he was there i guess
- okay but constantine ranting for like 1000 pages bc he was so mad about ren getting kicked out of the facility in the 3rd layer. 1. THAT WAS SO FUNNY I CAN'T STAND HIM 2.WE LOVE A PROTECTIVE BOYFRIEND
- "darling, your entire existence is a revolution"
- "WATCHING AS A GALAXY WAS BORN, COSMIC EVENTS SWIRLING IN ENDLESS LINES AND PATTERNS AROUND IT. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES AND EXPLORATIONS. I REACHED OUT WITH MY OTHER HAND AND GRABBED CONSTANTINE'S.
HE DIDN'T INHALE AT ALL. I LOOKED OVER AND SAW THAT HE WAS STARING AT ME INSTEAD, GAZE INDECIPHERABLE" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE WAS LOOKING AT HER I'M FINE I'M OKAY EVERYTHING IS FINE
- con's cat is a fucking legend what an icon!
- CHAPTER 29 MADE ME BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A GOD OUT THERE AND THAT SHE IS LOOKING OUT FOR US
- HE TOLD HER THAT HE LOVED HER HE DID THAT AND THEN HE SAW THEIR CONNECTIONS AND!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE TRULY IN LOVE !!! WOW
- I LOVE RENSTANTINE SO MUCH I WOULD FLING MYSELF INTO THE SUN FOR THEM
- did i mention how Proud i am of ren ? well here it goes again I'M SO PROUD OF REN !!! SHE'S SO STRONG AND SMART AND AAAAAAA!!!!!!
- The last chapter !!! i cried !!! so. Hard.
- i honestly loved this book so much and i'm so so so so so happy i read this series *cough cough* thank you tashie <3!
i truly can't wait to see all these characters again someday! they will stay in my lil heart forever

[Ornella · Rating 5 out of 5]

28/10/23 - I love them all so much even if Ren was truly annoying me with the self sacrificing putting Con and Olivia into an early grave from all the worrying. Clearly I had some feels first time I read this but they really HIT this time. I absolutely loved how Con and Axer's relationship evolved. They had my whole heart!

14/11/23 - SO. MANY. EMOTIONS.

I don't even know where to start. After all the waiting for this book to come out. All the angst trying to figure out how it would end (seriously, Navs and I did a reread right before this book and we could basically write a dissertation on this series), if Con would have a happy ending, if Axer could redeem himself in my eyes.

I'm so happy for all of them. So proud of ALL of them. Ren kicked ass and chewed bubble gum and she was allll out of bubble gum by now. Axer finally become more solid? More real. He was no longer that freaky, isolated, larger than life and honestly creepily perfect dude. He was just a very powerful guy trying very hard to stay on top of all the machinations and the people who would see him chained and broken just to use him.

We didn't get as much Olivia, Neph, Will and Co., although we did get a nice Mike PoV chapter sneaked in. But I'm okay with that because they had their page time in the other 4 books, this one was purely about Ren and her 2 crazy boys.

Speaking of which, Con. THERE ARE NO WORDS. I love this guy. He made me want to hit him, and laugh, and cry because goddamit, SO. MANY. FEELS.

Last but not least the plot and world. Zoelle never fails to disappoint. The world she has built is a masterpiece. The magic, the intricacies of how everything works together, how it all connects. How her writing did it justice and brought it all to stunning LIFE. You were awed by the paintings, were swept away by the chaos, saw the black and white designs of the layers, worked those ward lines, and felt all the connections to all those beautiful characters.

So, thank you Zoelle for bringing this incredible world and its amazing characters to us.

[Navdha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I AM SO HAPPYYYYY.. EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS RIGHT AGAIN AND I AM BUZZINNGGGGGGG

**FULL REVIEW**

My full review for this absolutely magical book has been long overdue. I’ve had a lot of time to calm myself after that emotionally majestic ending and I can probably write a coherent review now. Although, I really don't know how to even begin to describe my love and adoration for this finale of a spectacular series that started off with a boom and ended with a bang?! It’s no secret that I love this series. My friend Ella and I have been obsessed with Ren Crown for years now and I can’t thank her enough for introducing me to this series. I guess I need to confess that when I read the first book, I was a lot more confused (still awed but hella confused) than appreciative of the gorgeous magical world that Ms. Zoelle had set up. But Ella persisted that it would get better, and folks, she wasn’t wrong. It just keeps getting better and better and the charm doesn’t wear off even on subsequent rereads. But we are here to talk about The Destiny of Ren Crown so I’ll start off by talking about everything I love in the plot, followed by the ending (or the new beginning :’) ), and then patter on about how much I love each and every one of the characters (except Starvos and Helen cause they can eat SHIT!!):

The plot:

I think Ms. Zoelle has a tendency of starting her books with intense action paced scenes and this book is no exception. We find Ren in the First Layer, trying to defend a helpless, clueless, feral mage from hunters while she’s being chased by the Department goons and Kaine in the very first chapter. I’m not very sure about the timeline but it’s probably a few weeks (days?) after the events of Unleashing. She’s temporarily living in the Third Layer, in exchange for providing fortification to one of the “well-established” cities/domes there. The threat of being captured by the Department and being possessed (seewhatIdidthere? Cause he’s a demon? See? *sniggers*) by Starvos is ever present and what’s worse is that she is a Layer away from all her friends that she’s turned to rely on. But that changes, because Con, duuuhh! Anyway, so that’s how the book starts.

Now, Ms. Zoelle also has a tendency of setting a relatively leisurely pace for most of the middle chunk of her books. Destiny is an exception though. This book is very fast paced. There isn’t a dull moment and you literally can’t put it down! Even when Ren, Con and Dare find a way to bring the rest of the gang to the library place to work on their master plan, the pacing is anything but slow. . I found myself trying to devour every single word because I knew this was the last installment and at the same time, I couldn’t flip to the next page fast enough.

What's even better is that this book doesn’t disappoint when it comes to tying in all the loose ends! And I think other fans of the series can agree with me that there were A LOT to tackle. Ella and I were pretty worried that Destiny might not be able to answer all our pressing questions but IT DID and I feel #BLESSED! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Coming back to the plot, we get to learn more about Starvos and his evil machinations at play. We get the Con-Dare backstory that I had been waiting for since 4EVAA!!!!! And even though it’s not as gruesome as I wanted expected it to be, it’s still worth the wait. (Also, I mostly forgive Dare for being such a shady character for the rest of the series. Okay, maaayyybe) Ren finally finally accepts her role as an origin mage and it’s glorious!! She goes through so much from book 1 to book 5 and to see her shine (like she’s meant to :’) ) was one of the most gratifying experiences I’ve had while reading a series. I couldn’t be more proud of her but I’ll continue gushing about how much I adore her later in my review.

I did miss Raphael in this book. I understand why Ms. Zoelle decided to focus entirely on Starvos but I would have liked to see more Raphael. To be fair though, his involvement does save Ren from Starvos during that heart-wrenching scene when Ren loses her connections and herself and Con’s heart is breaking and it’s just so painful to read (;_;). It would have been a treat to get a scene in Itlantes but with so much happening, I wonder where Ms. Zoelle might have squeezed that in! Plus, of course, I would have loved more book-time for Liv, Neph, Will, Mike, Delia and the rest of the Bandits. But again, I completely understand why they couldn’t be as involved in this book and I’m seriously okay with it because they had their fair share in the previous installments. Besides, they do play a very important role in the finale and if not for Patrick’s deceit, Mike’s capture, Will, Neph, Liv, Stevens and Greyskull’s involvement, Ren, Con and Dare wouldn’t have been able to pull off the Treacherous Don and the Five Man Act. .

Speaking of, the finale!! It is one of the BEST in the entire series. I mean, was it rushed, yes? Would I have liked a more detailed explanation about how Kaine was subdued? Or Helen Price was in custody? Undoubtedly. Did I want to know about Raphael’s whereabouts? But, of course! Was I hoping for an epilogue? Ummm…Hell yeah! BUT.. despite all that, I stand by what I said. It is the BEST ending because:
1) Ren can finally be an Origin Mage without having to worry about being captured and can finally stop living under the constant threat and fear of losing everyone she loves.
2) Con can finally, after all these years, begin his slow journey towards healing and forgiveness and also (!!!) doesn’t have to muddle his feelings around Ren or anyone else again *squeeee*
3) Olivia can live her life without having to worry about her monster of a mother and can conquer the world like she always wanted. *double squeeee*
4) Neph can be Ren’s muse forever and always. *triple squeeee*
5) Raphael isn’t dead or in jail and can maybe, maybe, begin to recover
6) Ren is back in Excelsine (can I get a hell yeah?) and will have Liv as her roommate again *sniffles* AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!
7) REN AND CON ARE IN LOVE AND WOULD (surely) GO ON DATES AND CON WOULD (definitely) MEET REN’S PARENTS AND CON AND REN’S MOM WOULD (most likely) BE BFFS AND REN AND CON WOULD (eventually) GET MARRIED AND HAVE (most certainly) THE MOST PRECIOUS, POWERFUL, BEAUTIFUL BABIES… My heart is going to burst, I’m so so so so happy!!!

Now, *cracks knuckles*
I’ve covered the plot so let’s begin talking about my love for each and every character:

Florence Crown:

Girl, you’re my angel.
You’re my daaarrlliiiinnnnggg angel.

CAUSE, WELL, SHE IS! To see her grow from that shy, hesitant, living-under-the-shadows-of-her-twin First Layer feral to this glorious, powerful, intelligent, most loyal and lovable mage has been nothing short of a magical journey and I feel SO incredibly proud of her for everything she has accomplished in this series by staying truthful to herself and by being one of the most humble, compassionate and empathetic mages in all five Layers of this masterfully crafted world. Tbh, I was gutted seeing her so broken and stressed in this book. Ms. Zoelle pulled on my heart strings way too many times and it really broke my heart to see her stretched so thin for almost the entirety of Destiny. But, all's well that ends well, eh? She is definitely, and I have said this before, one of the most AMAZING female characters I’ve had the pleasure to read. Her relationship with every single character in this book is so wonderful & beautiful and I know, with a clear certainty, that I’m going to remember and cherish all these characters for the rest of my life.

“Here's the thing,” I said, almost gently, pulling the silver-gold from me in a long banner of satin magic. “You were expecting me. Corrupted by power and rage. And that me, you knew how to conquer. But you didn't get that me. You got the me that is part of a bigger whole. You got us. And us doesn't just include Origin Mage powers. It includes Muses, and Bridges, and Mind Mages, it includes Sirens, and Scholars, and physical geniuses. It includes people who can manipulate frequencies, back door magics, and weaponry. And more importantly,” I leaned forward. “People who can put all of those things together into a very disruptive unit.”

Constantine Leandred:

This guy. THIS GUY.



I truly do. His character development is one of the most moving and touching in this series and anyone who says otherwise can fight me. He was the definition of a quintessential bad boy in the beginning of Awakening, devilishly handsome with a troubled past, ever-present insouciance and disregard for everyone and everything. But then in came Ren, and his world.. shifted. The tragic past, hotness and nonchalance stayed but Ren, very soon, became the center of his world. And it's MAGNIFICENT. There is, of course, the dark stain in my memory of Unleashing when Ms. Zoelle tries to shove a sibling bond between Con and Ren down my throat.



But I, for one, wasn't having any of that. It was pretty darn obvious that Con loved Ren and I was willing to accept that Ren didn't feel the same but siblings? No. Please, don't. Just...okay?

Moving on! I think his character makes this series even more special for me. I literally had to take a break from reading Ch. 19 because just the thought of Con dying was so unbearable that I couldn't even contemplate it. (Seriously, hats off to Ms. Zoelle for writing characters that mean so much to me.) And then there's Ch. 29. The chapter that I'm going to sing praises about with Tashie for eternity. Like, seriously.

“It’s okay. Your muse will be okay.” With his other fingers, he softly touched my hand that was gripped hard in his. “And forty-five hundred for one is a tolerable trade.”

Alexander fucking Dare:

I think I liked Dare in book 1 & 2. He grew unbearable in book 3 (mostly cause of Ren's undying hero worship of his shady ass. Literally.) and book 4 made me outright want to stab him. His motives, albeit noble (at times), always endangered Ren. For him, it was always his family first, then Ren, then the rest of the world. But.. it was really nice to see him fleshed out more in this book. He wasn't just the cold-hearted, dangerous warrior in this book who was perfect in everyone's eyes yet still really shady. We see a side of him that isn't present in the other books: Him, as another powerful mage who is tired of hiding his powers for fear of being captured or starting another war. Him, as a considerate friend who wishes to mend things with his ex-best friend. Him, supporting Ren and complimenting her powers to save the world. It was long overdue and frankly, if not for this, I don't think his character could have been redeemed in my eyes. Also (!!!) I am also kinda/sorta willing to forgive him for leashing off of Ren in Unleashing because if not for him, Con would be dead. . And before I forget, having to hear the backstory between Dare and Con from Dare himself was a pretty neat touch. I really appreciated that Ms. Zoelle decided to go that route and it was overall, a very touching scene. Besides, all the bromance moments between Dare and Con? Cherry on top! I swear, Dare is going to chaperone so that Con doesn't get hurt (it's not the other way round people!)

“I am kept awake at night by the choices of the past,” he said. “The ones that have driven me to who I now am. I promised myself that I’d never let another be destroyed who could be saved—that I’d anticipate events before they happened so that promises sworn to in infancy could be kept intact. To hide a single ability so that I could walk among the public, so I could save all those who couldn’t save themselves. That is a test I take every time I go out.”

Olivia *Queen* Price:

Olivia aka Liv's character development is at par with that of Constantine's. Where Con's past hurts have made him want to watch the whole world burn, Liv's past has made her want to conquer the world and rule it so that she remains untouched. To see her relationship with Ren grow from a seed to a bud to a blossoming rose is one of the most precious and incredible things I treasure in this series. She is almost as protective of Ren as Con is. Both Liv and Con are like two really angry, pissy, passionate dragons that have somehow teamed up together for one and only one job: to save Ren (both from herself and the world *smh*) and they would destroy anyone or anything that even thinks about harming her. That's probably why Liv is always so testy around Dare but tolerates (and then begins to trust!!!) Con. But I digress! I love Olivia Price with all my heart and I'm so glad that she's finally free from her evil mother's clutches and has Ren as her roommate again and is (probably) friends with Con *wipes a tear*.

“Dare's going to bring you more trouble,” Olivia said, as if she too understood that volatility was more perilous than cold dislike.
“You know, Price,” Constantine said, leaning back even more, his roiling emotions calming more than they had in hours. “I think, someday, I might not dislike you.”
“Whatever, Leandred. If I could peel you away from Ren, you'd already be sticking to a waste receptacle somewhere.”
“Likewise.”
For a moment, they both felt oddly serene and in entire accord.
I could feel Axer doing the mental equivalent of an unamused eye roll, and I sent him a feeling of concordance.

Okay, because I'm running out of space, I just wanna wrap up my love for all these amazing characters by saying:
- Nephthys Bau is a precious gem and you have to be either Ren or Will to deserve her. Truly
- William Tasky is my baby and I love him so much
- Mike Givens is a hero and Will and him should be happy forever <3
- Patrick O'Leary has a golden soul and thank you Ms. Zoelle for writing his character
- Guard Rock is the MVP and if he doesn't get a shrine for all his efforts, help and kickass maneuvers, I'll be mad
- Everyone else, Marsgrove, Stevens, Greyskull, Delia, Saf, Loudon, Kita and the rest of the Bandits have my heart and ALL the characters in this series deserve all the happiness in the world (other than Starvos and Helen Price, please).

Anhyoo, after rambling for ages, I still feel like I haven't properly described my love for this series and I've been writing this review for hours now *rolls eyes*.

I wanna wrap up my review by saying a big THANK YOU to Ms. Zoelle for this fantastic series and this GLORIOUS ending. I would have been okay with an unresolved romance but Con & Ren just make my heart melt.

He opened his eyes and looked into mine. “It doesn't mean family. Not like that. Not to me.”
And his emotional connection opened cleanly, without the muddle he usually hid his true feelings within. And it was love, clear and without artifice, shining there. I stared at him, breath caught in my chest. “You—”
His emotions were wrapping around me, free and clear and relieved. Like honey and copper—sweet, tangy, and charged—gentle, consuming, warm, passionate, and resolute. “No tricks. No games. No expectations. No lies—not to you, not ever again.”
Stunned, I watched him pull away.
He looked at peace for the first time in weeks. Months . Then he looked down at our connection threads and I wondered what on earth he’d see.
He looked up, and a smile, brilliant and all-consuming split his face. He backed up slowly. “Interesting. See you soon, darling.” He winked, turned, and flipped over the edge of the seal and through the vortex.
I stared, lips parted, cheeks warm. “Did he just...?” I asked, my fingers carefully touching my cheek, needing to be certain.
“Tell you he loved you?” Olivia said, eyes on the ceiling, foot tapping the floor.

Also, huge thanks to Tashie for not letting me forget this wonderful series for a moment with her awesome tweets and "Renstantine depression hours". And for that other very very important thing (!!!!) *wink wink nudge nudge*

My rating: GIVETHISBOOKALLTHEBLOODYbut GR allows only 5 so that'll have to doSTARS!!

One of my favorite quotes from this book:

Once I dismissed the idea that I needed to be normal, the extraordinary bloomed.

[Ellie]

I'm really hoping for it to be out sooner :D (and I'm conflicted ... I kinda want Ren to end up with Con)

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an awesome series. I'm sad it's over! Such amazing characters and friendships! And the world she created was amazing, all the different types of magic. I hope Anne writes more...especially if she'd write an alternative ending to the romance aspect. The reason I'm going with 4 stars is because I feel mislead...the other four books clearly lead us to believe Ren is romantically interested in Axer, and him her. There are so many wonderfully written moments between these two that lead me to believe this is the direction the author had planned. But I think reviews must have swayed her to change direction? I know a lot of people out there are thrilled with this ending. And don't get me wrong, Con is a fantastic character, and I really do love him, but this ending just makes no sense when comparing it to the other books. Maybe if the ending of the fourth book was different she could have pulled the switch off...I personally thought Con and Ren were better of as brother/sister.

[hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is gonna be kinda incoherent cause i'm still emotional BUT there we go:

that was!!!!!!!!! talented brilliant amazing showstopping never the same!!!!!

okay first of all i CRIED SO MUCH (of happiness!!!!!!) with the end because??? i found PURE JOY in the fact that Ren can have her new beginning LIKE SHE DESERVES!!! and i'm especially happy about how SHE'S OWN HER POWER!!!! how she's not afraid of herself and how she Knows she is powerful enough to CHANGE THE WORLD (she will, she already has!!!?¿¿ AKDFJKADF) and she won't let ANYONE come her way and chain her (as she says at the end that really got me crying)

I absolutely love Ren's goal of helping THE WORLD as a WHOLE and making it a better place like, EVERYONE in the world not just the privilege, and not even just human beings (AND LIVING BEINGS!!!) but she's good enough to free objects like??¿¿¿ HOW GOOD CAN SHE GET OH MY GOD I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! She is the utter best, superior to us all!!!

Another thing I really love about these books is its political side and how that is driven, wow, honestly hands down, that is SO WELL DONE. All the metaphors for the real world and the struggle people live in... wow, just wow, I really have no words: 10000000/10.

One of the things that most amazes me from these books (THERE ARE A LOT!!!!) is Raphael Verisetti. In the first book I really thought I could never feel emapthy for him (even tho I always try to do that with every character) and then in the last book you can find me crying about how MUCH injustice was done to him and how much he deserved better from the world, I was just so sad. His character is actually really complex and I loved reading about him. ALSO how his friends didn't want to let him go....... that really got me, it was so powerful.

And let's get to my favorite part: THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS!!!!!!! That is honestly the Most beautiful thing about these books and I can never thank Anne Zoelle enough for them. Every single character has their own arc and is constructed so good, always being their own person apart from the piece they play in the bigger game in the series. All of them have a relationship with Ren, a thread, and not only to Ren but between other characters among them. The connection the bandits share is honestly unique, how they all come together in the end, and their journey of growth... it's just breathtaking.

I was gonna name my favorites but there are A LOT OF THEM. I'll just say that apart from Ren, my most beloved ones are: Constantine, Olivia, Neph and Will (I also wanna do a honor mention to Delia and Mike because they're amazing and deserve it!!!) I guess it's because they're the most closed to Ren (apart from Axer, who I don't usually care for BUT he wasn't that bad in this book ((i think it was his relationship with Constantine that made me like him a little mmmmm)) so there's that) and I got to know them better, but anyway, I REALLY LOVE THEM AND WOULD DIE FOR THEM!!!!
Neph and Will, I loved since minute 1 and I Knew they were pure babies that needed to be protected!!!! They are so smart, nerdy and good, ugh I just adore them so much, every time they appeared I was so happy <3333 Bless them.
Olivia and Constantine,,,,,, that was Different. I can't say I loved them right away because I probably didn't BUT they DID interested me SO MUCH since the beginning, I was so ready to have a lot of content from them AND I GOT IT!!!!!!!! I'M THE HAPPIEST GIRL. I REALLY TRULY LOVE!!!! WITH ALL MY SOUL!!!! characters with a Good development so, you can understand why they hold a Special place in my heart.
I feel like I have to explain myself individually here soooooo there I go:
-Let's start with Constantine, who I immensely love!!! When we met him first, we saw a spoiled rich boy who could get anything he wanted just from being him. Everyone was interested in him, but he was interested in no one. When we get to meet him a little better, we find out that he is ACTUALLY interested in 1 thing and 1 specific person: his revenge in Raphael Verisetti. That opens up his character A LOT, we can see how much he hates him, how he would do ANYTHING to meet his goal, even betraying his entire school. But there was ONE THING he didn't want to do, and that was to hurt Ren, which we see in book 2. There is a clear change in him between book 1 and the end of book 2, and it's thanks to Ren. (I'm gonna get emotional about renstantine here mind me). He is an interesting character since the beggining with his BRILLIANT BRAIN and his mischieves (even though we don't know what they are about), but when he meets Ren, and works with her, LET HER INTO HIS WORKROOM (BIG), and they start being FRIENDS, when he is clear about not being friends with anyone, we can See a change there, and it's absolutely beautiful. He is a person that comes out as bored of the world, cold and not interested in anything but himself, so everyone pretty much leaves him alone, which is his goal, but NOT REN. She sees how brilliant he is, and so she is interested, and she DOESN'T LET IT GO. I'm sure that bothered Constantine a lot at the beggining, BUT when he sees HOW BRILLIANT SHE IS TOO, he is interested too, even when he TRIES not to be. Because no one cared enought to wonder, UNTIL REN. So he lets her in, and she just becomes his favorite person in the world, AND SO HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH HER!!! (I'm so glad he FINALLY TELLS HER IN THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT WAS SO OBVIOUS SINCE A LONGGGGGGGG TIME AGO BUT NOW SHE KNOWS!!!!!!!!!!!! ((this doesn't go here but i got emotional sorry)). WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT HERE is: Constantine grows SO MUCH as a person in these 5 books, I can't even find the words to describe how proud I am of him. He went through a lot, closed himself from the world, and found his way back, finally feeling things he didn't allow himself to feel since his mother died, and I just LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!! BABY BOY!!!!
-NOW I'm gonna talk about my DAUGHTER Olivia Price. I have SO MUCH LOVE for her, I don't think I'm gonna be able to put it into words, but I'm gonna try because she deserves it. She also starts off as a really cold and closed person, which she REALLY was, because she was raised in fear, and when you grow like that, you don't want anyone close, because if someone is close enough, they can hurt you, and she was taught that if they could, THEY WILL. I hate Helen Price with everything withing me, I really do. We see in this book how Stravos had hold of her too, but that wasn't why she is the way she is, she was almost like that before, she IS a bad and terrible person and it makes me so sad that Olivia had to be raised by her, SHE DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER I'M GONNA CRY. I remember in one of the previous books, when this is explored, Ren thinks how sad it is that she wasn't raised in love but in fear, and I 1000000% totally agree, I'm so mad, I hope she is happy right now and for the rest o her life. This topic was extremely personal to me, because I know a thing or two about it, saddly, but what I wanna say here is: thank you. It was amazingly handled and I couldn't be more happy about it. The fact that Olivia grew so much from the frist to the last book, how we saw her slowly responding to Ren afection in book 1, how in book 2 she was SHOCKED of the way Ren's mom treated her, with love, because there was LOVE in their home, and she really wasn't used to it, but WANTED it at the end, how she would sacrifice HERSELF for Ren, because she has come to care SO MUCH about her, even though she wasn't taught to care like that, she learned that BY HERSELF (with the help of Ren first and then the others), how first is Ren, but then she cares about other people too, she opens up and heals herself from the toxic environment she was raised in, how she works in her trust issues, just... EVERYTHING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS. Her growth means so much to me (I guess I have already say this but I can never say it enough). AND I have to say that her goal to conquer the world is GREAT, her determination, I don't know, she's so complex, ugh, IT AMAZES ME. My queen is doing amazing and I'm so proud.
-I'm gonna add something and is the FACT that Constantine and Olivia relationship development is GREAT, I really live for that. Their interactions gave me life, they didn't trust each other at first, but know they have and Understandment and I think with time, they can be the BEST of friends.

I also gotta say that the Olivia/Ren relationship is the most beautiful lovely and important friendship in the WORLD, they support each other ALL THE TIME and would do anything for the other. I'd like to mention Neph here too, because she is an ANGEL, and love Ren so much, I could cry. These 3 girls are brilliant and love each other and I always want to see this kind of relationship between girls, the world deserves more of these, so thank you so much for them too.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!!!! Ren/Constantine. I know I meantioned them before but I have to do a special mention to them in the end cause I like to end with my favorite things so, yeah. Their relationship development is quite freaking IMPORTANT, and I'm so happy they happened romantically at the end, because they deserve each other so much!!!! Ren makes Constantine SO HAPPY, he is SO IN LOVE, and she IS TOO, even when she doesn't know, she IS. Their tease is AMAZING, they know each other SO WELL, they CARE about one another SO MUCH, would do anything for the other to be healthy and happy. And I love the fact that they're gonna do EACH OTHER happy for like........ the rest of their lives. I think they really can do that, is such a beautiful concept, I'm gonna tear up. Chapter 29 is soooooooooooo good, when he FINALLY lets her see how he feels, after all the time he's hidden his feelings, pretty probably because he was afraid. UGH. I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THEM TOO.

And I think that's it, it's a mess, and I probably didn't say half of what I wanted to, but there you go. I'm so happy with this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 29859859235/5 stars.

[Sara XuHerondale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as I expected, the fifth and final book is the best book in this series. It was for sure the most dynamic one out of the bunch, the fast pace and change of setting was just what I needed, and most importantly, my fav trio spent A LOT of time together. I finally found out so many things that have desperately wanted to know, and boy oh boy, did the author DELIVER. The writing was insane as always, the characters at their highest, the plot was going crazy. Ren showed what she's made of (a badass and a half, her character development is simply the best), Con broke my heart but also mended it (definitely my fav character, I love him so much), Dare got his character back after the atrocious out of character moments in the previous book (even saw him show emotions for the first time, which was crazy), Guard Rock carried (stabbing king), plus so many others. The scenes I witnessed, the fights (physical but ESPECIALLY verbal ones), literally left me bleeding on the floor and gasping for more, Zoelle even gave me a piece of my favorite genre, extremely homoerotic besties finally making up after their past trauma (I already see myself replaying these scenes and words in my head, it was genuinely so so good).
There are some minor things I wanted to see but I didn't, but it's okay, I'll just cry forever about it. I just wish this series was more popular cause the fanfics would go SO HARD, so I beg, pls read this if you want magical school setting with great characters and even better banters (there's a lot of great ships plsplspls read this and thank you).

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so happy with this conclusion!!! I adore these characters and my heart is full of renstantine feels.

[lyss · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s over!! i’ve finished!!! that was truly a wild ride and i’m going to miss them all so much!!! this series really was amazing and i miss it already. i’m crying omg i love ren!!! and olivia!!! and constantine!!! and everyone else so much!!!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you say goodbye to your favorite series? I have loved all of the world building and adventures on campus but wow, just wow to the ride that Destiny takes you on. Flipping through the layers, drenched in Origin magic with all of our favorite characters. And we even got an Ocean's Eleven style elements thrown in. Ren Crown - wonderfully written with detail that is hard to find in other stories, life breathed into characters in the way the Ren couldn't even accomplish with her magic and golems, layered character growth and arcs played out with misdirection and intrigue over 5 books. I am so grateful for this series.
The answers to most if not all of my questions resolved...except one thing, a romance that was teased and taunted but never realized. That will be the one thing that I will always miss in future rereads. All of the time we spent with Ren and Axer, what I truly missed in this book were there stolen moments, their loaded glances and statements, the intrigue from others on campus/Julian/combat mages/the inner circle. I LOVED Destiny, the humor and little details, but after years of waiting, this is what I will always be hoping for more of. I guess 'What Almost Was' will just have to be something to hang on to, my favorite chapter.

Final thoughts:
- What?! NO Itlantes (sobs)... I was so looking forward to that :(
- The Verisetti conclusion makes me so happy, he grows on you and I didn't want to see him destroyed
- Hey Liv.... I'm happy Ren got Bellacia on her side too
- Someone get Marsgrove a drink

[Brittany]

I am blown away yet again by how beautiful these books are. It’s like everything I could hope for in a series. Some romance, but not an overpowering amount, some mystery that all comes together in a perfect way, the characters that you love so deeply it’s as if you knew them your entire life. Mind. Blown. I have to say, I was in the minority of people that I think wanted Ren to end up with Axer at the start of this book, it seemed so straightforward to me that he was endgame for her, so I was pretty shocked when that shifted abruptly at the end, I wasn’t unhappy with it, just surprised. Once I gave myself a moment to think it through and re-read a couple excerpts I have come to the conclusion though that Axer loved the idea of Ren and loved what she was, more than there was ever a real connection between them personally. Constantine obviously loved Ren for who she was deep down to her core. So it ended up falling together really well I think. I would really love to someday see what comes next for a lot of the characters though, even like a short novella set 10-15 years in the future or something. It was very open ended, so a person can hope! Overall though it was a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful story!

[Elizabeth Saltmarsh Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you write the review for the end of one of your favorite series in the world? I'm so mad it's over. I miss it already. I want to cry just because. But I loved this book, as much as I loved the others in the series. Ren's arc is so much more than I ever could have hoped. So many characters arcs were even better than I had hoped. That's what makes it so hard to say goodbye - not enough time with any of them.
Plot-wise, this one was compelling, and I couldn't put it down. The humor I've come to love from Anne's writing was there in spades, and there were moments of lightness around all the end-of-the-world hijinks that had to be in this book. And she made such a smart decision with the love story, though it's not exactly what I hoped because I wanted explicit detail after all that time :). But at the end of the day, this was always a book about what a smart, caring, creative mage could do with her powers, and the help of her friends, and that's what it should have been. Now please, Anne, release all of your notes and extra materials so I can spend just a little bit more time in this world.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update as of 4/19
I haven't reread, but I reread the last chapters for fun and nostalgia. And then I read some of the other reviews for this. Can I just say that I hate how in YA/NA/Adult romance readers will zero in on the hero/love interest and ignore the heroine? Like for this series people will just go on and on about how they love Constantine, how he's a fucking Angel and the Best and they will ignore like, the shady shit he's done to Ren, the lying, how he is very selfish and wants to keep Ren for himself, all in favor of their ship sailing and being endgame. These books are not about Ren and some guy. They are about Ren. And her journey and her large group of friends, and her ability to just give and give and be such a brilliant courageous person. She's a really inspiring character, it's disheartening to see her reduced to RenCon. Especially when the romantic arc in these books is probably its weakest aspect because the heroine reads as like utterly clueless about romance for 99% of the series. And that's OKAY because Ren is more focused on other things and that's like normal she's just a teenage girl, but it's just like, the author intentionally makes these Not About The Romance and every review is About The Romance and how great Constantine is. And he's not great. And if this book was supposed to be a satisfying redemption for him then....it's not working for me tbh. But this might be because I'm over his type of male love interest. I honestly wish that there was 0 romantic arc here, because months later I'm still so dissatisfied with the "resolution" we got, which only felt like resolution to people who have shipped Ren and Con from book 1 and have thus tracked every interaction. Meanwhile I'm over here voming in my mouth every time Con says "darling."
I just. fucking hate male love interests who are selfish, care mostly for themselves, have no real friends because they are dicks all the time, and only become better for love of the heroine. I want them to be good people because being a good person is just what you should do? Caring about others is important. It hurts me that Ren, one of the most loving people, gets paired with Con, who basically hates everyone and is extremely selfish. She's a giver and he's such a taker and I can't read that type of relationship as anything other than becoming eventually unhealthy.
Anyways, this was an unnecessary tangent but I'm still sad about this.

Initial review:

The Good:
In many ways, I love this book and I loved how it ends. The world continues to expand and Zoelle invents new magic on every page. I loved watching Ren, Axer, and Con work as a threesome, and ALL get along for one. I especially enjoyed watching Axer and Con heal their friendship because it was so so necessary. The emotions in this series are so complexly drawn and beautiful, and Con and Axer have the most twisty emotional connection. The scene where Axer tells Ren about Con's mother—my heart just broke. For both of them, for what Stuart did afterwards, for how Axer tried so hard but still lost his best friend...HOW THEY WERE BOTH SO YOUNG. Axer literally pounding on the door and his fists bleeding and Con blocking him as he's tortured by his dad and is too scared to let Axer save/him him....ughhhh. It was just too much for me. And I am just...so happy that they get to be friends again. They need each other.

I LOVED that Rafi gets a bit of redemption and goes from being the villain of the series to this understandable character who simply suffered the fate that Ren might have if she'd lost against Stavros. I hope he is safe and rebuilding his friendship with Greyskull. I love how Ren's life mirrors his- her friends and his friends, how much they both love and care. I enjoyed Stevens Marsgrove and Greyskulls contributions to the final scene immensely.

And the library inside of the book! So cool!! This was some of the best work in the book and series tbh and I just couldn’t get over how imaginative it all was.

The Meh (not saying the bad because none of it's bad)/just some things I'm thinking about:
And yet....I wanted more from this book. I think Zoelle sells herself short with a not even 400 page length. The ending is hasty. More time is spent on saving the awakening mages than on defeating Stavros and it feels unbalanced. And it’s confusing. So much happens that is not really explained and it starts to grate on me. So many things slip through the cracks here because they just don't make entire sense in first person pov. So I know I'll need to reread and figure it all out but I just wanted someone to explain something to me for once! I want another 100 pages of this book.

I don’t feel satisfied by the end. I wanted Ren to address the public more. That scene is so so short. It wasn't that convincing either tbh.

And Ren and Con! And Axer! Wtf. It’s...clear that Axer and Con both love Ren. And who tf knows how she feels. I can’t imagine Axer telling Ren he loves her when it would hurt his best friend. And yet...Con feels no such loyalty? I loved how Con grew here but I still just DONT LIKE HIS PERSONALITY. He’s so bloody annoying with her whole darling thing and how much of a liar he is (pet names just bother me okay, I'm annoyed when even Rhysand does this, just ugh. blah. Con is as bad as Warner from sm with the whole "love" thing. bleh). I HATE that he lies and that he wanted to ever lock Ren in a tower. Fuck that?? How can anyone enjoy him as endgame with Ren?? Like for 95% of the series he wants Ren exclusively to himself. He would deny her the other connections. Her friends. The people who make her, HER. That kinda like spells prick with a capital P. In the end he gets it but it takes him a DAMN LONG TIME. I also both like AND dislike how Zoelle leaves things so open. This isn’t a romantic series. So it makes sense that we don’t get an end game with Axer or with Con. But the hints of Ren loving both (Axer in book 4 and Con in book 5) are too obvious to just go ignored! Like Ren's most romantic/sexual thoughts are def directed towards Axer in book 4, and then a lil towards Con in this book. BUT HOW DOES SHE ACTUALLY FEEL FOR EACH OF THEM? Unclear! I know a lot of people read this as rencon is endgame. But as someone who has issues with both ships, I kinda see the endgame as UNCLEAR. open ended. I guess Axer’s comment about him chaperoning shows his approval but then his actions in book 4 and ren blushing around him are like??? What is this. And tbh I’m a romance reader I can sniff out an endgame from page 1, and Zoelle has me confused. It's not that I'm 100% for or against either ship, (I like Axer as a character much more because he's the handsome stoic intense type which really gets me), it's just that Zoelle hasn't done the right amount of work to get me to believe in either. I WANT TO BELIEVE. I know people ADORE Rencon, but, ugh, idk, it's not realistic to me that she wouldn't think of him romantically AT ALL until the second to last chapter of a 5 book series. Not enough for me.

I don’t like the romance in this book because it’s not emotionally satisfying. This is a pretty minor issue in the book, but it left me confused and mildly upset. I wanted more time with Ren back at excelsine instead of her just walking onto campus and then bam ending done. Like give me some actual resolution!! Some fluff!! I just wanted an alone convo between each of Ren and Con and Ren and Axer and Ren and Olivia. Just to see how those relationships were doing.
So yeah for all of how awesome this book is, I’m not fully satisfied.

I guess I can just pray that we get another series? Because this does NOT feel finished to me.

[claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, that there has been some time for me to think about this. Let's try a proper review.

Obviously, THERE ARE A TON OF SPOILERS FOR DESTINY AND THE ENTIRE SERIES AS A WHOLE.

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ANY OF THESE BOOKS, GO AWAY AND START READING.

This book is unique and has a different feel from the others since we know what the essential plot is and Ren is no longer at Excelsine. That doesn't take away from the pace or the developments of said plot, especially because it allows the book to focus on the dynamic of Ren/Axer/Constantine.

This is where the bulk of my review will lie, because I feel the strong need to reiterate the power of the romance that is Renstantine. This book established two things about this slow burn love triangle that has been teased throughout the series.

1. Dare values his friendship with Constantine more than being with Ren. After finally learning what caused Dare/Con's relationship to fall apart, we learn that Con was the one to severe the relationship. Dare willingly accepted the scapegoat blame for Con's mother being murdered. Dare has spent years without the bonds of his childhood best friend, so now that they've been reestablished, he prioritizes that over everything. He considers Con part of his family since they grew up, and we all know that he values his family over anything else (more on that later). This is why Dare felt okay to give up his pursuit of Ren as indicated with the chaperone joke in Chapter 29.

2. Ren's world is falling apart and who does she rely on more than anything? Constantine. Without her friends at Excelsine, Ren (unknowingly at first and then willingly after being told by Dare) relied on Constantine to help regulate her magic. After she encounters Stavros and feels her threads weakened, who does she turn to in the beginning of Chapter 23? CONSTANTINE.

I grabbed Constantine and my fingers scrabbled for any bare skin I could find, pushing cloak and shirt aside for unhampered touch, face digging into a warm throat like I was going to nest there.

Constantine has made his feelings known, albeit under a casual tone, with bold statements mixed with occasional innuendos. (If you describe their relationship as brother/sister, I highly advise reassessing your word choice. You can say friends, but brother/sister relationships don't include flirting/innuendos and comments about the other's sex life.) He has been Ren's support throughout the series, which is why Chapter 29 is SO important (and beautiful.. like seriously, I cried at this point and had to take a break from reading). Constantine letting his love flow through their connection without any restraints heightened their already strong connections.

The he looked down at our connections and I wondered what on earth he'd see.
He looked up, and a smile, brilliant and all-consuming split his face.

Guess what, Ren is GLOWING EXACTLY AS SHE SHOULD (God, I love this reference to Protection). We get to see Ren fully embrace her feelings for him as well, since she always thought that she would be a one-and-done like girls before her. In Ren fashion, she doesn't handle it without stumbling a little.

He touched my cheek and wiped the silver-gold tear there. Mindful of the crowd, I pulled fingers through my tangled hair and checked our spells for something to do that didn't include responding to that touch. I could feel Constantine smiling.

In other words, these two are adorable, and I love them. I wish we had more scenes with them at the end, but I take greater pride in knowing that they're meant to be more than anything.

Now, before I get comments about how Ren should still be with Dare, we really need to address his problematic behavior throughout the series that has led to this point.

- Dare never acknowledges his feelings for Ren until Book 4, but that is only after Ren learns that he has been leeching her magic. Yes, Constantine did leech Ren's magic in Book 2, but he ASKED to do it and Ren said yes.
- However, this should not be surprising since he told her that his priority is protecting his family first and foremost. The fact that Ren lets this happen repeatedly without confronting him still bothers me.
- Ren hints at her feelings for him and stutters/stumbles around him, yet Dare does not bite at anything until Book 4 when he got caught using her? I'm not convinced.
- Honestly, if Dare hadn't saved Ren from death, would she even have a crush on him? She'd probably just find him attractive and an excellent fighter.

This, to me, only reiterates why Constantine is a better fit for Ren. He realized he cared about Ren and also gave up his plans for revenge, because by pursuing them, he would potentially put her in harm's way. His actions were then focused with her protection in mind, which is why he gets so upset at the beginning of Destiny at Ren deciding to take on Stavros.

Yeah, I know that this review was all about the romance. I know there's more to the series than that. I KNOW THAT AND I LOVE THAT. However, I had too many thoughts that I hadn't really touched on in my reviews in the previous books, and it's easier to analyze when you have the whole arc in front of you.

I'm obviously super satisfied with what unfolded. While I'm not too fond of Dare's actions toward Ren, I don't mind that we got to understand him better and that he made up with Constantine. I am, however, somewhat curious about what his relationships with his family are like since he's willing to do anything to protect them which was a role he decided to take on.

Constantine's arc growth in this book alone was incredible. He is terrified of losing Ren, and still continues to fight for and beside her because he loves her. Yet, in the process, he realizes that it could never just be the two of them against the world. Ren thrives with her friends, and he sees that, as they slowly start to accept and incorporate him into the Bandits, he could benefit from friendship too. It's also another thing he can be a part of in Ren's life. It's beautiful.

I hate, but understand why, we didn't get more of the Bandits. I wanted more Will/Liv/Neph, but I loved what I got. I'm just happy that they're all hanging out together on campus again, and with Constantine joining them too.

Am I missing anything? Oh yeah, I love Ren Crown as a character. It's been amazing to watch her grow from hiding in her twin brother's shadow to grieving the loss of him (and part of who she was as a result) to deciding to use her gifts toward something bigger than herself, and finding her family/home and true love in the process. She truly struggles with the decision to take on her enemies because she felt like she had to do it all by herself, which was never the case since she had her friends wanting to support her throughout.

I love this series. It is one of my favorite series of all time. I already want to re-read it.

FYI: I scraped my old review that didn't really say much. Sorry, if you really valued that one as sacred word. I didn't. :)

[clarah rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow. amazing. can’t believe renstantine is canon. i love this series so much, will definitely be looking into the author’s other books!

[Pallavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not entirely coherent at the moment because I'm just so floored. This was such an amazing read. I'm gonna come back and leave full length reviews for all five books but I just wanna thank Miss Zoelle for giving us this amazing series. I loved Ren so much! And I loved Excelsine and the universe she created. And, I'm a huge sucker for slow burn, friends to lovers trope so thank you so much for giving me one of the best slow burns I've read in a while, aka, Ren and Constantine.

Also, this might accurately describe my reaction to a particular scene with a reference to a ribbon and explain why I'm not in the right state of mind to write a proper review:

(SPOILER BELOW)
[copied from my twitter live reaction]

> ive hit the 90% mark so i probably won't post after this bc im letting the end of the ride take me, really but im confident ill be dead with feels by the end of it
> OKAY PAUSE OFC RIGHT AFTER I SAY THAT CON CONFESSES HIS FEELINGS
> if anyone is curious, i went through the following cycle of emotions in all of 2 pages: tearing up, 2 sobs, 4 squeals, 10 seconds of sobbing hard again and then 30 seconds of hysterical laughter and flailing

[Taylor of Alethkar ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLEASE READ THIS SERIES!! I can't fathom how underrated Ren Crown is each and every book was such a blast and so incredibly emotional. There was literally never a dull moment. I got everything I was looking for and I could not get through them all fast enough. I adore every single one of these characters with every little piece of my heart and the love and friendship between them all is simply everything to me. Ren Crown is an absolute gem of an MC. I can't imagine anyone regretting picking these up, I'm so glad to have read these and I'll definitely be reading them again in the future.

[ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a worthy ending to a brilliant series, and one of the best releases i've had the pleasure of reading this year. there are so many things i could talk about right now, from how very proud i am of how far ren has come from the start of book one, to how impressed i am by how well the plot was tied up but i want to talk about the characters as a whole. my favourite thing about ren crown from the start has been how well written and intricate the characters are, and although i honestly thought i'd take this chance to talk about constantine (who doesn't want to talk about constantine though) and his amazing character arc and development over the course of the books but it's not just him. everyone from marsgrove and raphael (both of whom i initially despised!!!) to olivia, neph and the rest of the bandits were well fleshed out and difficult to dislike by the end. i'm so glad the time was taken to explain each character and give them a backstory to support their actions (again, i'm thinking of raphael and constantine above others). and of course, i am beyond happy about ren and constantine's relationship and so so so happy for them. i was actually concerned ren's hero worship crush on axer would end up forming the endgame couple but i'm so pleased to be proven wrong!! anyway i've rambled for long enough but this was such a good series overall with a fast paced plot and characters that will worm their way right into your heart and i'm so glad it got an ending this perfect. i'll miss them!

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's over. Now to re-read the whole series while mourning the fact that there will be no more novels.
I really, really hope, wish, pray that the author will set more novellas in these universe like she sort of mentioned once in her website; giving us decent epilogues for the characters. Although I know that this is how A.Z. writes, I am slightly disappointed that the romantic relationships of Olivia/Patrick, Will/Mike (¿?), Mike/Delia (¿?), etc were left unresolved, and that despite finally having Constantine confess to Ren, we never know what happens with that love triangle (fear not, it was an excellent, lovely crafted love triangle that left my soul screaming into the void).
Anyway, If you, goodreads member, haven't read my other reviews for these series, don't.
I embarrassingly gush over how much I loved these books . Instead, give them a try. You won't regret it :)

EDIT: After reading a few reviews, I've realized that for a lot of people Ren and Constantine are the endgame, and honestly, I'm going to believe that going forward. It's true that we had two love confessions, and saw Ren "not saying no" to any of them (due to different events). So while I initially interpreted the ending as an open one, in my mind Ren and Con will be together in the end, happy and plotting insane devices for the rest of their lives.
Although I loved Ren and Dare's interactions, specially in the third book, the truth is that the person who has always been there for her has been Constantine. Through thick and thin I've seen their tentative friendship develop and watched Con care more and more for Ren. It's been so long since I rooted so much for a YA pairing, and since I've seen such a slow-burn relationship develop..... I will really miss these characters going forward. And I will miss the excitement of reading every interaction between them again and again, looking for hidden clues.

[thayná · Rating 5 out of 5]

i don't have words to describe how i'm feeling right now. i love everything about this book, this series. it was incredible.

[Genesis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ren Crown so much oh my godddd. I loved her development in this book she's truly always gonna be one of my favorite female characters. She's so strong and brave and caring I love how much she's willing to do for the people she cares about. I love this series and all of the great relationships in it Ren/Constantine being a personal favorite so I was very very happy with the way their relationship developed. It was great getting to see Constantine confess his love for Ren and I'm really hoping we can at least get a novella of their relationship post this book. I love this series and I'm truly gonna miss it.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the final book of the Ren Crown series.
(very vague spoilers in this but spoilers all the same)
I can't believe it's over now and that I'll have to let these characters go. I could not have asked for a better ending of the series, it kept me on my toes. Con forgiving Axer and seeing their friendship was so great to read, and the fact that Axer would die 17 times for Constantine... I can relate.
ALSO adored the fact that Renstantine is actually canon and endgame. I honest to God YELLED when Constantine said “No tricks. No games. No expectations. No lies—not to you, not ever again.” Easily one of my favourite confession lines ever, and it didn't even need a kiss to make it that much more special and poignant. It's everything I could've asked for and more. The fact that Constantine f i n a l l y found the one person who wants him for him without underlying motives makes me so so happy.
I will for sure recommend this series to everyone I know and buy the physical copy once it comes out.

[andjela · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH WOW WHAT AN ENDING. It was such a beautiful conclusion to this amazing series and I couldn't be happier. The renstantine endgame made it even better, I can't explain how happy I am that we got our 5 book slow burn endgame. We got to see their individual character development but also their development together. It was so wonderfully done everything felt like it fit perfectly. Ren and Constantine found happiness in each other, they're each other's lifelines and to see them finally show their feelings gave me so much joy I don't think I'll stop thinking about it any time soon. I'll miss all of the characters so much, the bandits hold a special place in my heart, I'm so glad to have read such a beautiful ending to a series.

[amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make new friends, stand up for yourself, be the best Ren you could be. Christian would be pleased.
I touched the bracelet around my wrist. I love you, always. Thank you.

(i just wrote an entire review and my computer decided to not load properly and then deleted it all so now i shall try to rewrite it. THIS IS FINE. COOL. WHATEVER.)

ouch my heart!!! what an incredible ending to an incredible series.

i love ren so, so much. she's always been so fiercly loyal to her friends and only wants to protect and support them to the point that she would gladly sacrifice herself. she's so loving and kind and brave. her character development throughout this series has been amazing. i'm so proud of her.

since my favourite part of this series is easily the friendships, i'll discuss the highlights for me:

i was surprised with dare in this book and the direction his character and relationships went, especially with the way Unleashing ended. i really appreciated his friendship with ren. his relationship with con was so interesting in this book, and their backstory was so important for understanding all the conflict surrounding those two. when they liked each other again they were actually quite adorable with their bantering.

olivia and ren's relationship was so loving and they are so protective of each other. i really missed olivia throughout the first half of this book but i loved every scene with her in it, being the queen that she is.

i'm forever loving ren's friendship with will. those precious nerds. also neph, mike, delia, patrick, saf, greyskull, bella, and all the others that helped them. seeing them all work together, especially in the end, was such good content.

guard rock was so precious and made me very emo several times in this book. especially when he had his reunion with guard friend. i'm so happy that ren has him as her little sidekick and protector, and that he got to come on this journey with her.

and freaking con told ren that he loves her!!! and she totally loves him back but is too adorable and awkward to say it out loud yet!!! seeing constantine's happiness and love and support towards and for ren in this book was so beautiful. he’s always there for her and i absolutely loved seeing ren allow herself to lean on him. he's low key whipped and is high key okay with it.

will we get more? another book? a novella?? CONSTANTINE LEANDRED TOLD REN CROWN THAT HE LOVES HER!!! SHE HASN'T SAID IT BACK YET!!! THEY HAVEN'T KISSED YET!!! I NEED MORE OF THEM BEING ADORABLE AND IN LOVE. I WANT DOMESTIC RENSTANTINE JUST HANGING OUT AND BEING CUTE. PLS LET THERE BE MORE.

[Fari Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredible end to an incredible series. And it was made even better by the renstantine endgame. A happy life together is everything they deserve

[lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never written a book review and I don't really know how but I'd just like to say I love ren, constantine and the bandits with my whole heart and I am so happy ren and Con finally got the endgame they deserve.

A huge thank you to Anne Zoelle for writing this amazing series and creating some of my favourite characters 💗

[Lenora Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing and there was a good ending to the end of solely Ren's story but I really hope there are spinoffs regarding her relationships between Con and Dare and the rest of the gang.....but mostly them/