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The Smoke Thieves #3
The Burning Kingdoms
The heart-pounding conclusion to the daring Smoke Thieves trilogy.
In this conclusion to the epic Smoke Thieves trilogy, the world has erupted into all-out war. King Aloysius is mining powerful demon smoke and using it to fuel an unstoppable army of children. March, now banished for treason, has joined up with this boy army. Forbidden from ever seeing Edyon again, and overwhelmed by his own betrayal, March no longer cares if he lives or dies.
Catherine--now queen of Pitoria--must find a way to defeat the boy army, while also grappling with her own troubles: her secret demon smoke addiction, and unresolved tension with her former lover, Ambrose. Catherine seeks military support from Calidor by reaching out to her illegitimate cousin Edyon, who has been proclaimed heir to the Calidorian throne. But Edyon has almost no power as he's entangled in the unfamiliar machinations and manipulations of the royal court, finding that being the claimed son of a prince may be no easier than being a bastard.
With Catherine, his love, now married off and moving on, and his brother and sister tortured and executed before him, Ambrose doesn't know what his role in this world is any more. He leads an expedition into the demon world, hoping to destroy the boy army's stores of demon smoke. In this underground world, he runs into Tash, whom everyone had believed dead. She has survived in this new world using magical abilities that, prior to now, only demons had.
Aloysius will send his demon smoke-powered boy army to kill them all, if he can. But what nobody knows is that there is more to the smoke than meets the eye...
In this conclusion to the epic Smoke Thieves trilogy, the world has erupted into all-out war. King Aloysius is mining powerful demon smoke and using it to fuel an unstoppable army of children. March, now banished for treason, has joined up with this boy army. Forbidden from ever seeing Edyon again, and overwhelmed by his own betrayal, March no longer cares if he lives or dies.
Catherine--now queen of Pitoria--must find a way to defeat the boy army, while also grappling with her own troubles: her secret demon smoke addiction, and unresolved tension with her former lover, Ambrose. Catherine seeks military support from Calidor by reaching out to her illegitimate cousin Edyon, who has been proclaimed heir to the Calidorian throne. But Edyon has almost no power as he's entangled in the unfamiliar machinations and manipulations of the royal court, finding that being the claimed son of a prince may be no easier than being a bastard.
With Catherine, his love, now married off and moving on, and his brother and sister tortured and executed before him, Ambrose doesn't know what his role in this world is any more. He leads an expedition into the demon world, hoping to destroy the boy army's stores of demon smoke. In this underground world, he runs into Tash, whom everyone had believed dead. She has survived in this new world using magical abilities that, prior to now, only demons had.
Aloysius will send his demon smoke-powered boy army to kill them all, if he can. But what nobody knows is that there is more to the smoke than meets the eye...
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2020
100 people are currently reading
4703 people want to read
About the author
Sally Green
16 books3,951 followersHi - I'm Sally Green. I'm the author of the real-world/ fantasy Half Bad Trilogy, which is made up of Half Bad, Half Wild and Half Lost. Most people read them in that order but there's always a few who don't. Many people who read them are teenagers but there's a lot who aren't.
I'm currently working on a new series called The Smoke Thieves, which is due to be published in spring 2018 and is definitely fantasy (there will be a map).
I said I'd never write another trilogy after Half Bad but it seems I lied.
I live in a village in north-west England.
There's some stuff about the Half Bad trilogy at www.halfbadworld.com.
Follow me on twitter@sa11eGreen
I'm currently working on a new series called The Smoke Thieves, which is due to be published in spring 2018 and is definitely fantasy (there will be a map).
I said I'd never write another trilogy after Half Bad but it seems I lied.
I live in a village in north-west England.
There's some stuff about the Half Bad trilogy at www.halfbadworld.com.
Follow me on twitter@sa11eGreen
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February 12, 2020This cover is making me worry—
October 23, 2022
Los reinos en llamas es el libro cierre de la trilogía los ladrones de humo. Fueron 4 años desde que empecé estos libros y creo que mi perspectiva como lectora de fantasía cambió mucho.
Tengo recuerdo de haber disfrutado mucho el primero y un poco menos el segundo. Este tercer libro fue de muy rápida lectura pero sentí todo el tiempo que me quedaba con ganas de más.
Tenemos nuevamente a nuestros 5 protagonistas de los cuales claramente unos tienen más importancia en la historia que otras. Yo siento que a esta altura la autora misma no sabía qué hacer con Tash y Ambrose y los dejó tirados por ahí.
Un poco se debe a que la trama de Tash gira mucho en torno a el humo de los demonios que para esta altura de la saga había perdido importancia. Y la trama de Ambrose es solamente su amor por Catherine, es muy poco para sostener todo un personaje.
Fue un libro atrapante y de lectura pasajera, un poco sentía que no pasaba nada y otro poco que todo pasaba muy rápido. Creo que con menos personajes la autora podría haber llegado a profundizar más a los más interesantes. El final fue bastante rápido y esperado.
De todas formas disfruté de la lectura y mi conclusión con esta trilogía es que la lean si buscan algo para pasar el rato.
Yo leyendo los reinos en llamas: 😬😩🥴🙂🤔😅
Tengo recuerdo de haber disfrutado mucho el primero y un poco menos el segundo. Este tercer libro fue de muy rápida lectura pero sentí todo el tiempo que me quedaba con ganas de más.
Tenemos nuevamente a nuestros 5 protagonistas de los cuales claramente unos tienen más importancia en la historia que otras. Yo siento que a esta altura la autora misma no sabía qué hacer con Tash y Ambrose y los dejó tirados por ahí.
Un poco se debe a que la trama de Tash gira mucho en torno a el humo de los demonios que para esta altura de la saga había perdido importancia. Y la trama de Ambrose es solamente su amor por Catherine, es muy poco para sostener todo un personaje.
Fue un libro atrapante y de lectura pasajera, un poco sentía que no pasaba nada y otro poco que todo pasaba muy rápido. Creo que con menos personajes la autora podría haber llegado a profundizar más a los más interesantes. El final fue bastante rápido y esperado.
De todas formas disfruté de la lectura y mi conclusión con esta trilogía es que la lean si buscan algo para pasar el rato.
Yo leyendo los reinos en llamas: 😬😩🥴🙂🤔😅
January 16, 2022
Un final en apothéose pour cette trilogie vraiment addictive ! Pour moi, c’est du GoT en moins gore / avec moins de scènes de cul haha. J’ai adoré l’ambiance, les personnages et l’univers dans lequel on évoluait. La fin est un chouïa facile à mes yeux mais ça reste une excellente lecture pour cette saga ! 👌
Want to read
June 1, 2020This cover is giving me anxiety
January 1, 2021
I really don’t know how this happened. I’m just super disappointed because I really really enjoyed Smoke Thieves and I enjoyed The Demon World... but this?
Everything, literally EVERYTHING was so painfully convenient. The ending just happened so quickly, the characters I loved were just, I don’t really know.
1 Star for Tzsayn because he’s the best character and 1 star for Catherine making the right choice and being a strong female character.
This is probably one of my most disappointing reads of the year tbh which is a shame!
Reviews
The Smoke Thieves - 5 Stars
The Demon World - 4 Stars
The Burning Kingdoms - 2 Stars
Everything, literally EVERYTHING was so painfully convenient. The ending just happened so quickly, the characters I loved were just, I don’t really know.
1 Star for Tzsayn because he’s the best character and 1 star for Catherine making the right choice and being a strong female character.
This is probably one of my most disappointing reads of the year tbh which is a shame!
Reviews
The Smoke Thieves - 5 Stars
The Demon World - 4 Stars
The Burning Kingdoms - 2 Stars
August 26, 2020
SPOILER FREE FOR THE SERIES:
This is a very good underrated series, and the end of the series does an excellent job of wrapping things up. The large cast of characters at first confused me, because I have a hard time remembering names and places once we get past for main characters, but Green does an excellent job keeping things straight, so I was able to follow along and get to a place where I knew who everyone was and keep connections straight. Going into this third book I was really concerned that I would have forgotten who was whom and where they left off, but like I said, Green does an excellent job helping the reader out.
The only magic in the world is the demons and their smoke, and everyone at this point has realized that smoke can make or break them. It has unique properties and I really enjoyed the rules it had to follow, and those rules caused lots of problems for our heroes and villains alike.
Normally with the last book in a trilogy, I am let wanting more about what happens during the "after" but again Green does an excellent job giving you enough information to be satisfied. There are some romances that blossom throughout the trilogy, and some love triangles as well, but they never feel forced. There is one relationship that I thought could have used some more ... resolution due to the betrayal that split them up for a time, but all things considered the friendships and loves in this story felt more real to me than in most books. The choices felt true to the characters too.
Overall just an excellent story. You should really give this series a shot, and let me know what you think!
This is a very good underrated series, and the end of the series does an excellent job of wrapping things up. The large cast of characters at first confused me, because I have a hard time remembering names and places once we get past for main characters, but Green does an excellent job keeping things straight, so I was able to follow along and get to a place where I knew who everyone was and keep connections straight. Going into this third book I was really concerned that I would have forgotten who was whom and where they left off, but like I said, Green does an excellent job helping the reader out.
The only magic in the world is the demons and their smoke, and everyone at this point has realized that smoke can make or break them. It has unique properties and I really enjoyed the rules it had to follow, and those rules caused lots of problems for our heroes and villains alike.
Normally with the last book in a trilogy, I am let wanting more about what happens during the "after" but again Green does an excellent job giving you enough information to be satisfied. There are some romances that blossom throughout the trilogy, and some love triangles as well, but they never feel forced. There is one relationship that I thought could have used some more ... resolution due to the betrayal that split them up for a time, but all things considered the friendships and loves in this story felt more real to me than in most books. The choices felt true to the characters too.
Overall just an excellent story. You should really give this series a shot, and let me know what you think!
August 17, 2021
En resumen, Los reinos en llamas es un tercer libro a la altura del resto de la serie, de la que echaré de menos a sus personajes. Me muero de ganas de descubrir qué nos tiene preparado Sally Green para sus próximos proyectos, porque nunca defrauda.
Reseña completa
Reseña completa
September 5, 2020
First off, let me say both for people who are not me and for my future self should I read this review again at some point, that in the year of awfulness that is 2020, fantasy really has not been clicking with me, so on some level it's impressive that I finished a fantasy series I wasn't rereading. This didn't end up being a perfect fit for me, but there's a lot that I'm impressed with in the world Sally Green created.
As ever, I stand by my comments from book one that the world building and plotting are the strongest aspects of the series. As it went along, I felt disconnected from the cast. Partially, I think this was due to the fact that some of the narrators had to be recast, so they didn't feel the same, but I also think this is a less character-focused series than I tend to prefer.
That said, I do admire many of the choices made in the end. The leadership exhibited is pretty excellent, particularly the way Edyon recognizes that he probably wouldn't be an amazing King and plans to step back. Catherine and Tzsayn are delightfully schemey and rule-following, and it's cool that Catherine followed her head more than her heart. Though, it would be cooler if the book weren't trying to sell the deep love and passion between the two, because omg I do not feel the chemistry at all. But! I did think she and Ambrose were super toxic, and I appreciated that resolution.
Plotwise, I do think the third book is the weakest, which is pretty common with series enders. It's hard to wrap a series up in a way that feels entirely satisfying. For me, the ending was anticlimactic. The fact that the demons just disappear and the smoke conveniently kills almost all the bad guys right when the good guys were in imminent danger felt like SUCH a copout. And with so many POV characters to have NONE of them die is a bit meh imo.
The audiobooks are really good, though obviously they would have been better if they could have gotten the same cast throughout. Schedules don't always accommodate unfortunately. Anyway, I would recommend these on audio to readers who enjoy fantasies for the world and plots.
As ever, I stand by my comments from book one that the world building and plotting are the strongest aspects of the series. As it went along, I felt disconnected from the cast. Partially, I think this was due to the fact that some of the narrators had to be recast, so they didn't feel the same, but I also think this is a less character-focused series than I tend to prefer.
That said, I do admire many of the choices made in the end. The leadership exhibited is pretty excellent, particularly the way Edyon recognizes that he probably wouldn't be an amazing King and plans to step back. Catherine and Tzsayn are delightfully schemey and rule-following, and it's cool that Catherine followed her head more than her heart. Though, it would be cooler if the book weren't trying to sell the deep love and passion between the two, because omg I do not feel the chemistry at all. But! I did think she and Ambrose were super toxic, and I appreciated that resolution.
Plotwise, I do think the third book is the weakest, which is pretty common with series enders. It's hard to wrap a series up in a way that feels entirely satisfying. For me, the ending was anticlimactic. The fact that the demons just disappear and the smoke conveniently kills almost all the bad guys right when the good guys were in imminent danger felt like SUCH a copout. And with so many POV characters to have NONE of them die is a bit meh imo.
The audiobooks are really good, though obviously they would have been better if they could have gotten the same cast throughout. Schedules don't always accommodate unfortunately. Anyway, I would recommend these on audio to readers who enjoy fantasies for the world and plots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2020
First of all, thank you so much Penguin Books and PuffinBooks for providing an e-copy of this book.
It’s always a bittersweet feeling when one of your favourite series is over. This book was definitely my most awaited release of this year. I picked up The Smoke Thieves by chance and I didn’t know I would be this blown away by this story. The ending did not disappoint me.
The characters created by Sally Green will creep inside your heart and they will never leave you. I have no other way to express how much I loved these characters. I can’t say too much about any of the characters, because I don’t want to spoil the ending with this review. However, it was an amazing reading experience to see how Catherine’s character grew up to become an inspiring leader and queen, and I was completely satisfied with her ending. I am sure many will disagree with me, but her choices demonstrated real maturity. It was a perfect ending to a brilliant plot, everything came together gradually and I am so glad we got an even more satisfying epilogue. I will miss March and Edyon so much!!
I can’t recommend this trilogy enough! You got badass women, love triangles and heartbreaking LGBT characters.
More reviews on my blog Monogamist Reader
It’s always a bittersweet feeling when one of your favourite series is over. This book was definitely my most awaited release of this year. I picked up The Smoke Thieves by chance and I didn’t know I would be this blown away by this story. The ending did not disappoint me.
The characters created by Sally Green will creep inside your heart and they will never leave you. I have no other way to express how much I loved these characters. I can’t say too much about any of the characters, because I don’t want to spoil the ending with this review. However, it was an amazing reading experience to see how Catherine’s character grew up to become an inspiring leader and queen, and I was completely satisfied with her ending. I am sure many will disagree with me, but her choices demonstrated real maturity. It was a perfect ending to a brilliant plot, everything came together gradually and I am so glad we got an even more satisfying epilogue. I will miss March and Edyon so much!!
I can’t recommend this trilogy enough! You got badass women, love triangles and heartbreaking LGBT characters.
More reviews on my blog Monogamist Reader
January 27, 2022
What a mixed bag, wow. Let's first go over the characters a bit in this final book and then I'll discuss the plot.
Ambrose is being his usual annoying self in the first part of the book but then something called 'purpose' hits him in the face and he gets to spend more time with other characters and *gasp* improves a ton on the 'tolerable' scale. His parts become quite fun since he actively contributes to the plot and gets his head out of his ass - I had no problems with him anymore.
March's storyline is the most frustrating thing of all as... he does NOTHING because the consequences of doing something are pretty darn terrible yet he constantly gets all these chances of doing something VERY useful and he can't TAKE them. UGH. And then, the moment they have been building up to the entire book where he might do something useful.... NOPE. Thanks author, by no fault of the guy himself but pure bullshit, you've made this entire character USELESS in this book. He literally changed NOTHING. Thanks!! 🙄
Catherine is just pretty great honestly. I like her arc a lot in this book because she actually handles something she's been struggling with very well and she keeps being the fun go-getter we know. I also like how she further develops her relationships, because it shows some of her more sweet, emotional and human side while having clear boundaries.
Edyon... ... oh Edyon. What a sweet wonderful character he remains but dang is he cursed or what? His personality is what makes his parts readable and he does some pretty cunning things when he gets dragged into the plots of the evil people he's constantly surrounded with. I know there's this whole prophecy thing going on with him which keeps being repeated but GEEZ. The author takes it way, way too far when it comes to the slaughtering part. There was no need for this much slaughter; it contributed absolutely nothing to the story and didn't feel justified in any way. Just the author trying to be 'cool' and it annoyed and frustrated me endlessly. This book was the absolute worst when it came to this prophecy (I'm starting to hate prophecies in books).
Tash is still one of my favourite characters. She remains sweet and she keeps this incredibly adorable relationship with Geratan like he's her older brother or parent and it's just... YES. It's so so so cute and everything I wish for her. She also does lots of useful things and while constantly out of the war, indirectly influencing her friends who ARE participants in it.
Now as for the plot... uh... it did some weird things. It was very interesting and I loved the general plotting, foreshadowing and buildup - it had good pacing, was smartly done and I was there for it and enjoying it all the way! And then uh........ the author shot herself in the foot 50 pages before the ending?
I'm not even kidding, fifty pages before the end she ruins everything she so carefully set up. She basically prepared this feel-good but justified and really solid ending and then... out of shitting NOWHERE she foils this ending by giving a side-character knowledge they couldn't have had. It makes absolute zero sense how they manage to stop the protagonists from reaching their conclusion/goals. She pulls convenience out of her ass again and again for the next fifty pages, saving everyone at the very last second (I am not exaggerating, the timing was precise) with the power of ass-pulls. And all of this is dragged out to the extreme because it's also set up in such a way that you know precisely what she's going to do for the alternative ending but now have to watch it unfold in slow-motion as it happens while being severely disappointed because it could have been soooo much better and she was almost there! What was the author smoking when she wrote this!? 😫
Oof, right. So... the things she pulled with March, the ending, Ambrose and all the slaughtering just makes this entire trilogy a '3' for me - I liked it, but I'm careful to recommend it. Some things left a bad taste in my mouth and just made me bitter towards the end because I dislike those tropes/choices. If you can ignore the parts I disliked, then you can just focus on the many great moments this trilogy also has and it will be very enjoyable.
P.S. I am convinced the author is limiting our time with Tzsayn, because he would carry the entire trilogy on his back together with Catherine if he were present/active more if you ask me 😋
Ambrose is being his usual annoying self in the first part of the book but then something called 'purpose' hits him in the face and he gets to spend more time with other characters and *gasp* improves a ton on the 'tolerable' scale. His parts become quite fun since he actively contributes to the plot and gets his head out of his ass - I had no problems with him anymore.
March's storyline is the most frustrating thing of all as... he does NOTHING because the consequences of doing something are pretty darn terrible yet he constantly gets all these chances of doing something VERY useful and he can't TAKE them. UGH. And then, the moment they have been building up to the entire book where he might do something useful.... NOPE. Thanks author, by no fault of the guy himself but pure bullshit, you've made this entire character USELESS in this book. He literally changed NOTHING. Thanks!! 🙄
Catherine is just pretty great honestly. I like her arc a lot in this book because she actually handles something she's been struggling with very well and she keeps being the fun go-getter we know. I also like how she further develops her relationships, because it shows some of her more sweet, emotional and human side while having clear boundaries.
Edyon... ... oh Edyon. What a sweet wonderful character he remains but dang is he cursed or what? His personality is what makes his parts readable and he does some pretty cunning things when he gets dragged into the plots of the evil people he's constantly surrounded with. I know there's this whole prophecy thing going on with him which keeps being repeated but GEEZ. The author takes it way, way too far when it comes to the slaughtering part. There was no need for this much slaughter; it contributed absolutely nothing to the story and didn't feel justified in any way. Just the author trying to be 'cool' and it annoyed and frustrated me endlessly. This book was the absolute worst when it came to this prophecy (I'm starting to hate prophecies in books).
Tash is still one of my favourite characters. She remains sweet and she keeps this incredibly adorable relationship with Geratan like he's her older brother or parent and it's just... YES. It's so so so cute and everything I wish for her. She also does lots of useful things and while constantly out of the war, indirectly influencing her friends who ARE participants in it.
Now as for the plot... uh... it did some weird things. It was very interesting and I loved the general plotting, foreshadowing and buildup - it had good pacing, was smartly done and I was there for it and enjoying it all the way! And then uh........ the author shot herself in the foot 50 pages before the ending?
I'm not even kidding, fifty pages before the end she ruins everything she so carefully set up. She basically prepared this feel-good but justified and really solid ending and then... out of shitting NOWHERE she foils this ending by giving a side-character knowledge they couldn't have had. It makes absolute zero sense how they manage to stop the protagonists from reaching their conclusion/goals. She pulls convenience out of her ass again and again for the next fifty pages, saving everyone at the very last second (I am not exaggerating, the timing was precise) with the power of ass-pulls. And all of this is dragged out to the extreme because it's also set up in such a way that you know precisely what she's going to do for the alternative ending but now have to watch it unfold in slow-motion as it happens while being severely disappointed because it could have been soooo much better and she was almost there! What was the author smoking when she wrote this!? 😫
Oof, right. So... the things she pulled with March, the ending, Ambrose and all the slaughtering just makes this entire trilogy a '3' for me - I liked it, but I'm careful to recommend it. Some things left a bad taste in my mouth and just made me bitter towards the end because I dislike those tropes/choices. If you can ignore the parts I disliked, then you can just focus on the many great moments this trilogy also has and it will be very enjoyable.
P.S. I am convinced the author is limiting our time with Tzsayn, because he would carry the entire trilogy on his back together with Catherine if he were present/active more if you ask me 😋
August 27, 2020
You can also read my review here: https://devouringbooks2017.wordpress....
Review: 4 Stars
I was really excited to get a review copy of The Burning Kingdoms, which is the conclusion to The Smoke Thieves trilogy. I really love this series and I feel like it is a great example of how multiple points of view and plot lines can be done really well. In each book in the series every character's POV has its own plot line and they all converge to create a stunning finale in each book. When I first got a copy of The Burning Kingdom I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember all the previous events of the series, but Sally Green did a decent job reminding the reader of what happened without completely rehashing everything.
I think the characters really help make this series strong. While I still love Tash's character the most, I found myself most invested in Edyon's and March's chapters. I was rooting for their romance, but their plot lines were also extremely interesting. March joined the boy's brigade, so we got to see the Brigant enemy side along with Catherine's cruel younger brother Prince Harold. Edyon's chapters were interesting as he was reunited with his father and legitimized as a prince. The legitimization really effected him because he had always suffered growing up from the fact that he was a bastard. I felt like Ambrose wasn't as important in this installment and his character kind of fell to the background. As usual I still didn't really care for Catherine's chapters that much. The five points of view were balanced pretty well and I was able to keep up with everything that was happening really easily.
The Burning Kingdoms was really fast paced and pretty exciting. There wasn't a whole lot of filler chapters, so the action hardly ever stopped. The plot went in directions that I never really expected, but I wasn't happy with all of the final outcomes. But I really think that this concluding book lived up to my expectations and it was a lot of fun to read. It was hard to see the story end because I really loved most of the characters, but I did feel satisfied with the way the series ended.
It is a bit of a bittersweet ending. I feel like most of the characters got the ending that they deserved, but it's also hard to say goodbye to this series. The plot and pacing were both pretty great, making The Burning Kingdoms a fast and entertaining read. If you enjoy quick YA fantasy with multiple plot lines I would highly recommend reading The Smoke Thieves series.
Review: 4 Stars
I was really excited to get a review copy of The Burning Kingdoms, which is the conclusion to The Smoke Thieves trilogy. I really love this series and I feel like it is a great example of how multiple points of view and plot lines can be done really well. In each book in the series every character's POV has its own plot line and they all converge to create a stunning finale in each book. When I first got a copy of The Burning Kingdom I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember all the previous events of the series, but Sally Green did a decent job reminding the reader of what happened without completely rehashing everything.
I think the characters really help make this series strong. While I still love Tash's character the most, I found myself most invested in Edyon's and March's chapters. I was rooting for their romance, but their plot lines were also extremely interesting. March joined the boy's brigade, so we got to see the Brigant enemy side along with Catherine's cruel younger brother Prince Harold. Edyon's chapters were interesting as he was reunited with his father and legitimized as a prince. The legitimization really effected him because he had always suffered growing up from the fact that he was a bastard. I felt like Ambrose wasn't as important in this installment and his character kind of fell to the background. As usual I still didn't really care for Catherine's chapters that much. The five points of view were balanced pretty well and I was able to keep up with everything that was happening really easily.
The Burning Kingdoms was really fast paced and pretty exciting. There wasn't a whole lot of filler chapters, so the action hardly ever stopped. The plot went in directions that I never really expected, but I wasn't happy with all of the final outcomes. But I really think that this concluding book lived up to my expectations and it was a lot of fun to read. It was hard to see the story end because I really loved most of the characters, but I did feel satisfied with the way the series ended.
It is a bit of a bittersweet ending. I feel like most of the characters got the ending that they deserved, but it's also hard to say goodbye to this series. The plot and pacing were both pretty great, making The Burning Kingdoms a fast and entertaining read. If you enjoy quick YA fantasy with multiple plot lines I would highly recommend reading The Smoke Thieves series.
December 31, 2020
It's been almost a year since I read the first two books in the trilogy, so I had forgotten quite a lot, but I did enjoy getting back into the world of the smoke thieves!
In book one Tash was my favourite character, in book two Edyon was my favourite, but in this book Catherine was my favourite! I found all her chapters really interesting, and I enjoy seeing more of Tzsayn in her chapters too.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the turn of the tides for the Tzsayn-Catherine-Ambrose love triangle! I despised Catherine and Ambrose’s relationship in the previous books, and I shipped Catherine and Tzsayn so much more, but I always assumed Catherine and Ambrose would end up together. I know Catherine and Tzsayn’s relationship was quite rushed but I don’t really care because they’re cute🥺😂
I'm quite dissatisfied with Edyon and March's storyline in this book. It felt super rushed and unnatural; they hadn't even spoken since March's betrayal. I would've much preferred it if there was a more angsty reunion and then they slowly started to trust each other again.
I think the demon world storyline was brilliant; I love that the demon world will start over again some day.
I thought the plot was good, sometimes predictable, but still enjoyable. Overall, it was an easy read, and I enjoyed seeing the endings for all the characters.
Edit: I decided to up this to 5 stars because I did really enjoy it. My only complaint is March and Edyon's rushed story, but I have other 5 star books that still have small issues.
In book one Tash was my favourite character, in book two Edyon was my favourite, but in this book Catherine was my favourite! I found all her chapters really interesting, and I enjoy seeing more of Tzsayn in her chapters too.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the turn of the tides for the Tzsayn-Catherine-Ambrose love triangle! I despised Catherine and Ambrose’s relationship in the previous books, and I shipped Catherine and Tzsayn so much more, but I always assumed Catherine and Ambrose would end up together. I know Catherine and Tzsayn’s relationship was quite rushed but I don’t really care because they’re cute🥺😂
I'm quite dissatisfied with Edyon and March's storyline in this book. It felt super rushed and unnatural; they hadn't even spoken since March's betrayal. I would've much preferred it if there was a more angsty reunion and then they slowly started to trust each other again.
I think the demon world storyline was brilliant; I love that the demon world will start over again some day.
I thought the plot was good, sometimes predictable, but still enjoyable. Overall, it was an easy read, and I enjoyed seeing the endings for all the characters.
Edit: I decided to up this to 5 stars because I did really enjoy it. My only complaint is March and Edyon's rushed story, but I have other 5 star books that still have small issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2021
Tak tohle bylo jedno velké zklamání. Samé politikaření a bitvy, ve kterých se autorka dost vyžívala. Popisovala je do krvavých detailů. Taková menší verze her o trůny a království. Harold byl stejně otřesný jako Geoffrey.
Postavy, které jsem si v předchozích dílech oblíbila, mě začaly nudit. Tash tu měla nejméně prostoru, což mě celkem mrzí. Kapitoly Edyona a Marche už nebyly tak zábavné a Catherine a Ambrose mě vyloženě štvali. Navíc se tu na krátkou dobu objevil milostný trojúhelník, který opravdu nesnáším. Čekala jsem ho, ale i tak jsem doufala, že se neobjeví.
Líbilo se mi rozuzlení světa démonů a celkový závěr série mi přišel hezky ukončený. Bohužel však můžu říct, že by mi nevadilo, kdyby byli Zloději dýmu jen stand-alone 🤷🏻♀️
Postavy, které jsem si v předchozích dílech oblíbila, mě začaly nudit. Tash tu měla nejméně prostoru, což mě celkem mrzí. Kapitoly Edyona a Marche už nebyly tak zábavné a Catherine a Ambrose mě vyloženě štvali. Navíc se tu na krátkou dobu objevil milostný trojúhelník, který opravdu nesnáším. Čekala jsem ho, ale i tak jsem doufala, že se neobjeví.
Líbilo se mi rozuzlení světa démonů a celkový závěr série mi přišel hezky ukončený. Bohužel však můžu říct, že by mi nevadilo, kdyby byli Zloději dýmu jen stand-alone 🤷🏻♀️
October 26, 2020
The Smoke Thieves was one of my surprise favourite reads of 2018. I hadn’t heard anything about it before I snagged a copy, but from the first page I was hooked. I loved everything about it, and frequently recommended it to high fantasy fans. In fact, thanks to the series’ perfect balance of political intrigue, dark magic and an intriguing ensemble cast scattered across a continent, I likened it to the glory days of Game of Thrones. The second book was just as strong, and the final book of the series, The Burning Kingdoms, became one of my most anticipated reads of 2020.
Unfortunately, like Game of Thrones, this series ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
My main issue with The Burning Kingdoms is the writing style, which can best be described as ‘tell, don’t show’. Everything - from the pacing to the characterisation - felt flat and lifeless. Green’s characters were one of my favourite parts of the series in the first two instalments, but in The Burning Kingdoms it almost seemed like they were written by a ghostwriter with only the vaguest idea of who these characters were. Even new characters were introduced with so much detachment that I was incapable of forming any kind of opinion - good or bad - about them.
There was also no sense of urgency, even while the narrative was building up to its climax - largely, because Green revealed exactly what was going to happen several chapters before it did. It was clear to the reader that the characters, who thought they were in mortal danger, were actually all going to be fine, which meant that there were literally no stakes.
I was invested enough in the characters and their journeys to continue to the end, but I’m not sure I’ll be recommending this series anymore. A disappointing ending.
Many thanks to Penguin for providing a copy of The Burning Kingdoms. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Penguin
Rating: 2 stars | ★★✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
Unfortunately, like Game of Thrones, this series ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
My main issue with The Burning Kingdoms is the writing style, which can best be described as ‘tell, don’t show’. Everything - from the pacing to the characterisation - felt flat and lifeless. Green’s characters were one of my favourite parts of the series in the first two instalments, but in The Burning Kingdoms it almost seemed like they were written by a ghostwriter with only the vaguest idea of who these characters were. Even new characters were introduced with so much detachment that I was incapable of forming any kind of opinion - good or bad - about them.
There was also no sense of urgency, even while the narrative was building up to its climax - largely, because Green revealed exactly what was going to happen several chapters before it did. It was clear to the reader that the characters, who thought they were in mortal danger, were actually all going to be fine, which meant that there were literally no stakes.
I was invested enough in the characters and their journeys to continue to the end, but I’m not sure I’ll be recommending this series anymore. A disappointing ending.
Many thanks to Penguin for providing a copy of The Burning Kingdoms. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Penguin
Rating: 2 stars | ★★✰✰✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
December 21, 2020
S každým dalším dílem se tahle série zlepšuje. Jednička byla somehow meh, dvojka už trochu lepší a trojka se četla sama. Na rovinu říkám, že konec mě až tak nezaujal, kapitoly mých oblíbených postav ale ano. Plus chlapecká armáda - překvapilo mě, jak detailně tam byl popsán masakr, a jak fungovala. To bylo moc fajn. Palec nahoru opět za Edyona, Catherine a Zayna - tři oblíbenci následovaní Marchem. Ambrose mi byl totálně ukradenej a jsem ráda za to, jak Cath vyřešila trojúhelník - fandila jsem mu! Tashiny kapitoly byly o dost slabší, ale na druhou stranu aspoň ukazovaly, co se děje u démonů. Takže asi dobrý.
4/5*
4/5*
September 1, 2020
That was... unfortunate.
May 3, 2023
GAAAAAHHHHHH I JUST FINISHED THIS SERIES AND HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS!!!! 😭 😭 😭 I can only hope I’ll remember everything and do this book justice
When I first picked up the first book I had such high hopes for the series because of the intriguing premise, and although the book took a MUCH different direction than what I thought it would (I had no idea it was a high European Medieval fantasy), it still far surpassed even my high expectations.
Once again this book, like the first one, gripped me so hard I couldn’t stop reading it and devoured it within 2 days (and staying up waaaayyyy too late reading it, like, 6:30 a.m. even though I had class the next day lol). My ebook was FILLED with highlights every other page in various colors and comments. I feel a little obsessed and will definitely be returning to this world, the great action-packed plot, and the beloved characters again in the future :(
The Characters
I love each of the 5 main characters, and I care very much for them, although I had my gripes with them at some point in each of their character arcs (especially the 2nd book) lol. But overall, I’m very happy with where each of them ended up and who they’ve become as people, and I can’t stress enough how pleasing and satisfying the end to this series was.
The Side Characters
OH GODDDDD, THE SIDE CHARACTERS!!!! TT_TTTTTT Even though they’re like, not as important to the story as the main 5, they still play very important roles and I grew so fond and attached to so many of them, and am very happy we got to see so much of them and their developmentalthough of course I’d pay so much more to see them even more....can you tell I really like this series and the characters kldfkdjf They were my favorite part of this series, tbh.
I love each of the good side characters who show up and mourn each of the ones who end up dying :( I loved Byron, Rafyon, Davyon, Geratan (and his relationship with Tash OH GOD), Twist, etc. I even really like the minor characters like the old fart generals from Calidor who ended up being very useful lol. I just. Really really really REALLY want to see even more of them and their development...🥺
Tzsayn
Of course Tzsayn gets his own special section tf.
Hot, tall, handsome, skilled, sexy, fashionable, stylish, loving, tender, loyal, a great leader, a great strategist, progressive, feminist, antifa, WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIMES, gender nonconformist, knows gender is fake, intelligent, funny, witty, learned, handsome, HOT....what is there NOT to love!!?! 😭 😭 😭 🥺 🥰 🥺 🥰 🥰
https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-sta...
...But Goodreads is being racist with the character limit, so more on that in the comments :////
The Plot/Story
Probably the 2nd biggest reason why I was so in love with this series, besides the characters. I usually hate made up kingdoms and politics (they’re usually really badly done, a la Red Queen, where everything is quarter-baked, nonsensical, and boring as shit) but I was actually soooo invested in the there kingdoms of Pitoria (!!!), Calidor, and Brigitane. They and their cultures were developed enough that I was so interested in the kingdoms’ interconnectedness and the plot, and actually really cared about what would happen to them. I usually have trouble keeping up with so many characters/made up kingdoms and geography, but Sally Green actually does a fantastic job of keeping everything distinct and easy to keep track of. I didn’t even need the handy guides to characters/kingdoms at the end, and I have seveeeereeeeeee ADHD-C with shit working memory lol.
The violence in here is graphic and tragic, but it’s not overly gratuitous like it was in the previous books.
I found the plot with the demons/smoke satisfying, and liked the conclusion to it and the full circle it made.
The Writing
Engaging, action-packed, and very funny. We get succinct descriptions of characters’ thoughts and feelings and it’s not rambled about in long passages, but the succinctness of what we do get is very well done and captures tenderness and love of characters sooooo well. It fits the Medieval theme, I think.I’m still so obsessed with the tenderness between Tzsayn and Catherine. I’m still SO OBSESSED with Tzsayn I love him SO MUCH. CAN YOU TELL I JUST REALLY REALLY WANT MORE TENDERNESS And TZSAYN I—
My favorite part of the book, of course, was all of Tzsayn’s scenes and his relationship development with Catherine, though I wanted to soooo much more.
Also, I don’t see this talked about much, but Sally Green is funny as shit lol. There’s soooo many funny, witty passages and quips from characters WHY IS IT NOT TALKED ABOUT—
The Ending
My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed. I was SO disappointed with this; after getting three books to really know and love these characters, I wanted a REALLY REALLY fleshed out ending. Although the ending was very satisfying and we are given a great balance between an open ending and a happy conclusion, I still wanted to see so, SO much more of the characters’ lives, their interactions and thoughts and feelings.I love Tzsayn SOOOOO GODDAMN MUch PLeSAeSe—— Like, entire chapters dedicated just to each of them and their endings, PLEASE TT_TTTTT (why was the ending so rushed? The book was only 400 pages and it could have easily been stretched into 500 pages. I would dedicate most of those 100 pages for Tzsayn and Ambrose but STILL)
Besides the epilogue, the overall pacing/structure of this book was so strong for the first 90%, and then when we reach the climax...it’s not as developed or stretched out as I would have liked. It felt a little underdeveloped, underwhelming, and anticlimactic, although I was VERY satisfied with the outcomes. I just wish the way we got there was more developed. If I were to compare it to a roller coaster, I would say it was a HUGE, impressive structure with strong support, lots of good twists, turns, loops, and whatever other stuff makes rollercoasters enjoyable. It was SUCH a good set up and seemed like it was promising SUCH a thrilling payoff and even better finale and then...when you get to the end of it, there’s no more loops and the structure is just some wooden planks :( It was disappointing after such a good beginning and middle/setup!
Why wasn’t this book longer? It would have been so much stronger and I would have been so much happier to read more of this story, even though I have ADHD and the literal attention span of a squirrel during nuts season. Was it a time crunch? Was her pay getting cut and the publisher ran out of trees to print pages on????how do i write a complaint to the publisher
But at least if you’re hesitating to get into this series, know that it ends on a satisfying note :”)
Overall:
4.5 Stars, rounded up to 5. I would highly recommend this series, and it was such an enjoyable journey to read it! The fact that I’m even writing this review at all is testimony to how much I loved this series, as I’ve been so fatigued and exhausted (the past few years) I haven’t written reviews or socialized in years, barely even updating GR progress.
I’m so sad this series had to end as I loved the journey, but I’m glad I got the chance to go on it. I can’t remember loving a series (especially fantasy) like this in sooooo long, it’s made me so happy and restored my faith in the YA genre :)))))))) I’ll definitely order/buy a physical copy of this book too! <3333333
When I first picked up the first book I had such high hopes for the series because of the intriguing premise, and although the book took a MUCH different direction than what I thought it would (I had no idea it was a high European Medieval fantasy), it still far surpassed even my high expectations.
Once again this book, like the first one, gripped me so hard I couldn’t stop reading it and devoured it within 2 days (and staying up waaaayyyy too late reading it, like, 6:30 a.m. even though I had class the next day lol). My ebook was FILLED with highlights every other page in various colors and comments. I feel a little obsessed and will definitely be returning to this world, the great action-packed plot, and the beloved characters again in the future :(
The Characters
I love each of the 5 main characters, and I care very much for them, although I had my gripes with them at some point in each of their character arcs (especially the 2nd book) lol. But overall, I’m very happy with where each of them ended up and who they’ve become as people, and I can’t stress enough how pleasing and satisfying the end to this series was.
March
I was most excited for him and his story/character arc, and was so disappointed when his romance with Edyon turned into his only personality trait in the 2nd book. I was soooo excited for him because his premise was an indigenous boy who seeks to avenge his slaughtered people. He literally survived a GENOCIDE of his ENTIRE PEOPLE (whose survivors were enslaved) and his fuel and motivation for living at the very beginning was to find closure for his people. I thought we would get development of genocide of indigenous peoples and their abhorrent treatment, how the wrongs can be righted, and exploration of land reclamation but...it just devolved into this romance with some idiot twink.
I still very much enjoy his character though, and although 99% of his motives revolved around Edyon in this book, I was still happy with where he ended up and how his story concluded. I love his little smart mouth and how much of a sarcastic shit he is, and some of his quips are always the funniest in the entire series lol“March[, you] look like you’re going to pee in your pants.”
March bent down to rub his palms on his trousers and muttered, “Fuck you, Your Highness,” before standing upright, hauling his arm back, and throwing.
—
“I’m not really the helping sort. What sort are you, March?”
“Generally pissed off. And really pissed off when people point spears at me.”
And I guess his ending and conclusion with his people and their land is satisfying enough :”)
Edyon
Okay I lied, I actually don’t LOVE him, but I do like him a lot now more than I have in previous books. He started out as a dumb and horny twink whose only personality trait was fetishizing an indigenous person of color and Boys, and his thing as a “thief” was half-baked even to the end and really unnecessary. But his kindness, wit, gentleness, and care for other people really shined through in this book, and by the end I could see that he would actually make a very fine ruler, and am very glad he’s in the position he is now.
The constant “I MISS MARCH!!!!” and “I MISS EDYON!!!!” in their respective chapters was...so frequent it was a little irritating, but I skimmed these parts so it didn’t bother me too much this time around lol. I could appreciate their romance more in this book than the others, where I found it grating and annoying.
Catherine
I liked her a lot in this book, much more than in the 2nd, where her power-hungriness was a big turn off, and her random purple smoke addiction was annoying, as well as her stringing along both Ambrose and Tzsayn. Here she finally makes a decision, and, OH GOD, her relationship with Tzsayn is so TT_TTTTTT I’m happy for her development and where she is now, with a balance between her ambition and autonomy and tempering it with her love for Tzsayn and developing alongside him.
Tash
I love this little girl so much lol. I loved her relationships with the demons and her eventual care and finding a father figure in Geratan :( Not much to say because I just love her little shit character and the action of her chapters.
Ambrose
I feel so bad for Ambrose constantly getting shit on by (it seems) every single reviewer who’s read this series, but he’s actually one of my top favorites, along with Tzsayn and the Pitorian soldiers/guards (I WOULD LITERALLY GIVE MY LIFE FOR ALL OF THEM I LOVE THEM SO MUCH).
But he has so many good qualities, including his deep love for his loved ones, his unwavering loyalty and faith, his tenderness and willingness to let go of Catherine for her own happiness, at the expense of his own. I really love his character, his ideals, morals, sense of justice, etc. He never fully lets go of his jealousy for Tzsayn, but he’s developed so much and doesn’t let it drag him down anymore, or take it out on other people.
His fighting skills and prowess were really showcased well in the first book (BADASS SWORDSMAN AND SKILLED AF SOLDIER ILYSM), glossed over in the 2nd, but really shined in the 3rd book. I love his leadership skills and how it’s shown how he excels at it, how he commands and leads so well, and really loved the opportunities and positions he was given to lead, the love, trust and loyalty his soldiers and other people put in him, and their faith in his skills.
I love his autonomy AWAY FROM CATHERINE that we get to see in this book, how he starts focusing less on living for her and trying to find a purpose for himself. I understand that he thinks of lives as threads and that meaning is found when they’re interconnected; I understand that he places much of the meaning of life on living for the ones he loves, and that life without relationships is pretty meaningful. That’s what makes it even more tragic that he loses his entire family and only has Catherine, who eventually “leaves” him for Tzsayn (although I do like to feel they’ll always be connected and love each other). But I love that he begins finding life worth living for himself and starts enjoying the freedom of life he’s always liked but never had the chance to pursue before, traveling and riding like he’s always wanted, and finding a sense of home again :”)
Ambrose had lost all his family and his home, but throughout it all Catherine had been his shining light, the person that had kept him hopeful. He’d clung to Catherine as they’d escaped Tornia, and clung to her even more as they’d crossed the Northern Plateau after leaving Rossarb. She had been his rock when all else was lost. And now he couldn’t hold her anymore. He wasn’t sure what else he had to anchor him.
———
Could he do it? Did he want to do it? Ambrose felt like gathering Catherine in his arms and sweeping her away. But this wasn’t the Catherine of even just a few weeks ago. The girl had gone, and now there was a woman. Well, he was a man to match her. He stood straighter, his head up. “I’ll fight, Catherine. I’ll lead the attack into the demon world. But not for you, or for Tzsayn, or even for Pitoria, but for me, my family, and Brigant.”
The Side Characters
OH GODDDDD, THE SIDE CHARACTERS!!!! TT_TTTTTT Even though they’re like, not as important to the story as the main 5, they still play very important roles and I grew so fond and attached to so many of them, and am very happy we got to see so much of them and their development
I love each of the good side characters who show up and mourn each of the ones who end up dying :( I loved Byron, Rafyon, Davyon, Geratan (and his relationship with Tash OH GOD), Twist, etc. I even really like the minor characters like the old fart generals from Calidor who ended up being very useful lol. I just. Really really really REALLY want to see even more of them and their development...🥺
Tzsayn
Of course Tzsayn gets his own special section tf.
“He’s awake?”
“Awake but weak. If you could encourage him to rest, Your Majesty, that would help.”
“I’ll do my best, but he has a will of his own.” And he always claimed he was well even when he was clearly feverish or in pain. What was it about Tzsayn that made him unable to admit to weakness, even to himself? Catherine remembered the first time they had met, on her arrival in Tornia, how proud and aloof Tzsayn had appeared. She’d learned a little more about him since then—and, yes, he was proud, but he was not aloof at all. He loved his family and his country. He was intelligent, witty, extremely brave, and aware that his life hung on a thread that could snap—or be cut—at any moment.
Hot, tall, handsome, skilled, sexy, fashionable, stylish, loving, tender, loyal, a great leader, a great strategist, progressive, feminist, antifa, WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIMES, gender nonconformist, knows gender is fake, intelligent, funny, witty, learned, handsome, HOT....what is there NOT to love!!?! 😭 😭 😭 🥺 🥰 🥺 🥰 🥰
https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-sta...
...But Goodreads is being racist with the character limit, so more on that in the comments :////
The Plot/Story
Probably the 2nd biggest reason why I was so in love with this series, besides the characters. I usually hate made up kingdoms and politics (they’re usually really badly done, a la Red Queen, where everything is quarter-baked, nonsensical, and boring as shit) but I was actually soooo invested in the there kingdoms of Pitoria (!!!), Calidor, and Brigitane. They and their cultures were developed enough that I was so interested in the kingdoms’ interconnectedness and the plot, and actually really cared about what would happen to them. I usually have trouble keeping up with so many characters/made up kingdoms and geography, but Sally Green actually does a fantastic job of keeping everything distinct and easy to keep track of. I didn’t even need the handy guides to characters/kingdoms at the end, and I have seveeeereeeeeee ADHD-C with shit working memory lol.
The violence in here is graphic and tragic, but it’s not overly gratuitous like it was in the previous books.
I found the plot with the demons/smoke satisfying, and liked the conclusion to it and the full circle it made.
The Writing
Engaging, action-packed, and very funny. We get succinct descriptions of characters’ thoughts and feelings and it’s not rambled about in long passages, but the succinctness of what we do get is very well done and captures tenderness and love of characters sooooo well. It fits the Medieval theme, I think.
My favorite part of the book, of course, was all of Tzsayn’s scenes and his relationship development with Catherine, though I wanted to soooo much more.
Also, I don’t see this talked about much, but Sally Green is funny as shit lol. There’s soooo many funny, witty passages and quips from characters WHY IS IT NOT TALKED ABOUT—
AFTER HIS father had ridden off to the border wall, Edyon had followed all the instructions he’d been given. “Stay in the castle”—he’d stayed in the castle. “Let Byron protect you”—he’d definitely let Byron protect him. “The castle is impregnable”—he’d heard that one before.
The Ending
My only complaint is that the ending felt a little rushed. I was SO disappointed with this; after getting three books to really know and love these characters, I wanted a REALLY REALLY fleshed out ending. Although the ending was very satisfying and we are given a great balance between an open ending and a happy conclusion, I still wanted to see so, SO much more of the characters’ lives, their interactions and thoughts and feelings.
Besides the epilogue, the overall pacing/structure of this book was so strong for the first 90%, and then when we reach the climax...it’s not as developed or stretched out as I would have liked. It felt a little underdeveloped, underwhelming, and anticlimactic, although I was VERY satisfied with the outcomes. I just wish the way we got there was more developed. If I were to compare it to a roller coaster, I would say it was a HUGE, impressive structure with strong support, lots of good twists, turns, loops, and whatever other stuff makes rollercoasters enjoyable. It was SUCH a good set up and seemed like it was promising SUCH a thrilling payoff and even better finale and then...when you get to the end of it, there’s no more loops and the structure is just some wooden planks :( It was disappointing after such a good beginning and middle/setup!
Why wasn’t this book longer? It would have been so much stronger and I would have been so much happier to read more of this story, even though I have ADHD and the literal attention span of a squirrel during nuts season. Was it a time crunch? Was her pay getting cut and the publisher ran out of trees to print pages on????
But at least if you’re hesitating to get into this series, know that it ends on a satisfying note :”)
Overall:
4.5 Stars, rounded up to 5. I would highly recommend this series, and it was such an enjoyable journey to read it! The fact that I’m even writing this review at all is testimony to how much I loved this series, as I’ve been so fatigued and exhausted (the past few years) I haven’t written reviews or socialized in years, barely even updating GR progress.
I’m so sad this series had to end as I loved the journey, but I’m glad I got the chance to go on it. I can’t remember loving a series (especially fantasy) like this in sooooo long, it’s made me so happy and restored my faith in the YA genre :)))))))) I’ll definitely order/buy a physical copy of this book too! <3333333
August 24, 2020
I was sent an arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
4.5
This was much stronger than the second book, it gripped me straight away when it took me nearly halfway through The Demon World to get truly invested.
The thing that caused me a lot of annoyance in the last book was Catherine and Ambrose and while it was still there it wasn't as overwhelming plot-wise this time. Ambrose is still my least favourite character but at least he started to grow up near the end. His influence on Catherine really held her back but she gets her priorities right this time (mostly thanks to Tanya, she just might be one of my new favourites). Tzsayn is still too precious for this world, they have so much more chemistry than she does with Ambrose. I really enjoyed all the politics as well as how the characters had to overcome the various obstacles that come with war, it wasn't all about the battles but alliances, financial worries and soldier morale as well.
I was a bit disappointed that March and Edyon weren't together for much of the book but I found their separate plots interesting so I didn't mind too much. I liked Edyon's difficulty with his new life was the main plot point for him, it didn't just all fall into place for him now he is with his father. I liked that March joined up with the boy army (I couldn't read boys' brigade without sniggering, how can you take something like that seriously?). I'm a sucker for a character going behind enemy lines. The conflict he felt while getting to know the other boys and seeing the danger they and their new leader presented to his loved ones was interesting to read (though I did shout, 'just poison him' at the book a few times).
Tash is the best character in this series in my opinion, her storyline in the second book was amazing and it was one of the best parts about this one too. Though she doesn't do that much in the first part of the book due to what happened to her at the end of the last one her part is one of the most critical to the end of the conflict. Her connection to the demons and their world gets more complex (and we see Twist again! I love him). There was a character in her plotline that I felt was a bit unneeded since she seemed to only be there to give Ambrose a important bit of information that I'm pretty sure Tash could have found out from the demons in someway instead.
Overall I really enjoyed this conclusion to the trilogy, things are tried up bit too easily after so much build up in my opinion but I still felt satisfied with how everything turned out.
4.5
This was much stronger than the second book, it gripped me straight away when it took me nearly halfway through The Demon World to get truly invested.
The thing that caused me a lot of annoyance in the last book was Catherine and Ambrose and while it was still there it wasn't as overwhelming plot-wise this time. Ambrose is still my least favourite character but at least he started to grow up near the end. His influence on Catherine really held her back but she gets her priorities right this time (mostly thanks to Tanya, she just might be one of my new favourites). Tzsayn is still too precious for this world, they have so much more chemistry than she does with Ambrose. I really enjoyed all the politics as well as how the characters had to overcome the various obstacles that come with war, it wasn't all about the battles but alliances, financial worries and soldier morale as well.
I was a bit disappointed that March and Edyon weren't together for much of the book but I found their separate plots interesting so I didn't mind too much. I liked Edyon's difficulty with his new life was the main plot point for him, it didn't just all fall into place for him now he is with his father. I liked that March joined up with the boy army (I couldn't read boys' brigade without sniggering, how can you take something like that seriously?). I'm a sucker for a character going behind enemy lines. The conflict he felt while getting to know the other boys and seeing the danger they and their new leader presented to his loved ones was interesting to read (though I did shout, 'just poison him' at the book a few times).
Tash is the best character in this series in my opinion, her storyline in the second book was amazing and it was one of the best parts about this one too. Though she doesn't do that much in the first part of the book due to what happened to her at the end of the last one her part is one of the most critical to the end of the conflict. Her connection to the demons and their world gets more complex (and we see Twist again! I love him). There was a character in her plotline that I felt was a bit unneeded since she seemed to only be there to give Ambrose a important bit of information that I'm pretty sure Tash could have found out from the demons in someway instead.
Overall I really enjoyed this conclusion to the trilogy, things are tried up bit too easily after so much build up in my opinion but I still felt satisfied with how everything turned out.
August 25, 2020
Ok, so I’m sad to say this is the last book and I’m going to miss these books and characters so much. I love this series so much. I thought this was a fitting tribute to a great trilogy, it goes out with a bang and is even better than the second book. As always I love Sally’s use of multiple POV , she is so talented at them, each voice is unique and you can tell each character apart. No spoilers here, because you need to read these for yourself, but this is one of my favourite reads this year. A wonderful ending to an addictive and amazingly entertaining series. Wonderful strong kick ass women, great representation and amazing writing. If you have not read these books, why not you really need to !
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
January 31, 2022
[4+] aaah pour moi il manque 100 pages pour vraiment développer cette fin.
J'ai grave apprécié cette saga, je comprends les critiques mais dans les faits j'ai passé de trop bons moments!
Avant de commencer ce tome je ne pensais qu'à le commencer pour enfin connaître le dénouement, j'étais obsédée! C'est pour ça que franchement je sais que je vais en garder un super bon souvenir.
J'ai grave apprécié cette saga, je comprends les critiques mais dans les faits j'ai passé de trop bons moments!
Avant de commencer ce tome je ne pensais qu'à le commencer pour enfin connaître le dénouement, j'étais obsédée! C'est pour ça que franchement je sais que je vais en garder un super bon souvenir.
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August 10, 2020Dobře to pani Greenová zakončila! Dvojka pořád zůstává mým oblíbencem, ale tohle je prostě fajn závěr série a obálka mi přijde mega super. Nejdůležitější otázkou zůstává, jaká ořízka se k tomu nejlíp hodí... :D
May 27, 2025
This was just an okay series to me. The first book was a major struggle and while the second book did seem to get a little better, the third book felt like a combination of both. It just really struggled to find its stride and really make an impact.
For me, the main issue of this book was how convenient everything just happened to be. We spent 2 books - and most of this one - building up to this giant war with high stakes and really that just all went to shit because everything was wrapped up all nicely. And the best part was, it wasn't even any of our "hero" characters who saved the day. Nope. I won't spoil it, but our MC's really did nothing but run around playing at war and it was just really frustrating to read.
Tzsayn was the best character of the book and was severely underutilized. We got one chapter from his POV in the second book and then never again. Why? What was behind this choice? And while I had high hopes for Catherine, I really struggled with her character. I wanted her to be strong and we kept being told by everyone how strong she was - but I never saw it. Yes, she took smoke to make her "strong", but that alone does not make a strong character. To me, she was a lost teenage girl thrust in a horrible situation and made decisions based on her emotions with no thoughts to the people around her. Her relationship with Ambrose from the beginning was ick for me. She strung both him and Tzsayn along because she didn't want to lose either of their affections and I just can't stand behind that. Ultimately, I think she made the right decision but I'm honestly not sure she made it for the right reasons.
I just ... I just wanted more. I know it's weird to say I wanted more pain but this is war. There should be loss. And yes, our MC's suffered a bit but this was a very happy ending for such a war heavy book and I think that did a disservice to it. I guess this just wasn't a good series for me.
For me, the main issue of this book was how convenient everything just happened to be. We spent 2 books - and most of this one - building up to this giant war with high stakes and really that just all went to shit because everything was wrapped up all nicely. And the best part was, it wasn't even any of our "hero" characters who saved the day. Nope. I won't spoil it, but our MC's really did nothing but run around playing at war and it was just really frustrating to read.
Tzsayn was the best character of the book and was severely underutilized. We got one chapter from his POV in the second book and then never again. Why? What was behind this choice? And while I had high hopes for Catherine, I really struggled with her character. I wanted her to be strong and we kept being told by everyone how strong she was - but I never saw it. Yes, she took smoke to make her "strong", but that alone does not make a strong character. To me, she was a lost teenage girl thrust in a horrible situation and made decisions based on her emotions with no thoughts to the people around her. Her relationship with Ambrose from the beginning was ick for me. She strung both him and Tzsayn along because she didn't want to lose either of their affections and I just can't stand behind that. Ultimately, I think she made the right decision but I'm honestly not sure she made it for the right reasons.
I just ... I just wanted more. I know it's weird to say I wanted more pain but this is war. There should be loss. And yes, our MC's suffered a bit but this was a very happy ending for such a war heavy book and I think that did a disservice to it. I guess this just wasn't a good series for me.
June 7, 2023
Finále trilogie si udrželo tempo druhého dílu. Konec byl sice trochu uspěchaný, dokážu si představit ještě cca 5-10 stran, aby to vše nebylo jak mávnutím hůlkou, ale i tak knihu hodnotím kladně.
Příjde mi, že je tato trilogie hodně podceňovaná a moc lidí o ní neví. Tedy alespoň nikdo v okruhu lidí kolem mě ji nečetl nebo ani neznal.
Není to sice žádný revoluční příběh, co by změnil svět, ale nejedná se ani o podprůměrné čtení.
Svět je originálně vystavěný, děj je nabitý akcí a pořád se něco děje. O postavy máte opravdu strach, jelikož autorka se nebojí podnikat brutálnější kroky. (znovu opakuji, není to nic pro na násilí citlivé povahy)
Celkový vývoj postav mě velmi bavil a měl smysl. Nakonec jsem si oblíbila i postavy, které jsem na začátku moc nemusela. Fungování světa, společnosti v něm a systémy jednotlivých zemí byly řešeny uvěřitelně. Samotný svět démonů byl potom fantasy prvek, který do příběhu hezky zapadal.
Jsem ráda, že jsem se k trilogii dostala a doporučuji.
PS: Cením cením, že se Catherine rozhodla tak, jak se rozhodla v rámci trojúhelníku;D
Příjde mi, že je tato trilogie hodně podceňovaná a moc lidí o ní neví. Tedy alespoň nikdo v okruhu lidí kolem mě ji nečetl nebo ani neznal.
Není to sice žádný revoluční příběh, co by změnil svět, ale nejedná se ani o podprůměrné čtení.
Svět je originálně vystavěný, děj je nabitý akcí a pořád se něco děje. O postavy máte opravdu strach, jelikož autorka se nebojí podnikat brutálnější kroky. (znovu opakuji, není to nic pro na násilí citlivé povahy)
Celkový vývoj postav mě velmi bavil a měl smysl. Nakonec jsem si oblíbila i postavy, které jsem na začátku moc nemusela. Fungování světa, společnosti v něm a systémy jednotlivých zemí byly řešeny uvěřitelně. Samotný svět démonů byl potom fantasy prvek, který do příběhu hezky zapadal.
Jsem ráda, že jsem se k trilogii dostala a doporučuji.
PS: Cením cením, že se Catherine rozhodla tak, jak se rozhodla v rámci trojúhelníku;D
March 3, 2023
this was very nice and cool series
tash's storyline was amazing like i loved every adventure of hers and the men -Gravell and then Geratan - were even more awesome, such a shame those do not exist irl :)
edyon and march's storyline was also sensational because - just because. both of them were quite realistic and i loved them together
but
catherine ambrose zayn? no thank you very much.
this actually felt like sally wanted catherine and ambrose together but couldn't figure a way out so she decided to go in the zayn way. which would be fine if they had at least SOMETHING going between them but no, they hadn't. the thing that actually happened here was just badly written i'd say. it was also very visible Selection retelling which is awful. and more to it - it was a BAD retelling.
anyways alone ambrose and alone zayn were okay characters but if they wouldn't be there along with catherine i totally wouldn't mind
so for this weird love V i did not like there will be only four stars for this "epic finale"
nice concept, though
tash's storyline was amazing like i loved every adventure of hers and the men -Gravell and then Geratan - were even more awesome, such a shame those do not exist irl :)
edyon and march's storyline was also sensational because - just because. both of them were quite realistic and i loved them together
but
catherine ambrose zayn? no thank you very much.
this actually felt like sally wanted catherine and ambrose together but couldn't figure a way out so she decided to go in the zayn way. which would be fine if they had at least SOMETHING going between them but no, they hadn't. the thing that actually happened here was just badly written i'd say. it was also very visible Selection retelling which is awful. and more to it - it was a BAD retelling.
anyways alone ambrose and alone zayn were okay characters but if they wouldn't be there along with catherine i totally wouldn't mind
so for this weird love V i did not like there will be only four stars for this "epic finale"
nice concept, though
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2021
Una conclusión digna para esta trilogía.
Voy a extrañar a estos personajes.
Voy a extrañar a estos personajes.
December 21, 2021
QUE BUEN CIERRE DE TRILOGÍA
December 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this book, engaged by Green's writing and these characters who speak to me. I did think that their stories felt rather too separate, with the five of them splitting up again and only Ambrose providing a link between two of the strands. The characters being separate worked well in The Smoke Thieves when they didn't actually know each other, and they started to come together at a perfectly reasonable pace. Now, they do know each other and they're even more separate!
For me, the ending was satisfying, but the way they got there was not. It involved too little characterisation and too much of a fix-all, in my opinion. I was also disappointed that more was not made of Frost, after her build-up in the previous book. Considering all that, I enjoyed the book, though in places it wasn't quite what I'd hoped. And now, in my tradition for this series, I shall consider each of the protagonists in turn - this time in order of how much I liked them in The Demon World.
March has a very engaging narrative, though possibly not as engaging as in the previous two instalments. I suppose I can't blame him for lacking some focus at first, and he does use the time available to think of some ways to try and sort things out. His characterisation holds up here.
Tash also has an engaging narrative - perhaps the most engaging, as I kept deciding to stop after I'd got to Tash's next bit. These were not much less frequent than the other characters' narratives, but considerably shorter. I was engaged by her and still liking her, but I don't seem to have been left with much overall impression as to what her new life will be like.
Edyon has got braver, and I found I was behind him most of the way. I'm struggling to think of what else to say about him; his situation has stagnated somewhat, so he doesn't have the opportunity to do very much. However, what he does do shows how he has grown as a person. I did enjoy his interactions with Prince Harold; that character's dialogue was brilliantly written, and Edyon rather played second fiddle to it at times, I thought!
Catherine went down in my estimation last time, but now I feel she's improved. She does what she has to do both confidently and competently. I found parts of her narrative more engaging than others, and the chapter about the ships is a stand-out one for her (I can't say any of the other protagonists have a particular stand-out moment).
Ambrose has been bottom of both my previous lists, not because there's anything really wrong with him but because I find him a little flat compared to the others. This time, I found him more engaging, with more emotional stuff to deal with and a chance to show his true worth as a soldier and a leader. He's been let out of Catherine's shadow for this book, and I think it's done him good.
I have become attached to these characters, and this is a well-written trilogy. I've enjoyed this instalment more since re-reading it, and now, here is my final rank order of how much I like the five protagonists:
1. Tash
2. March
3. Edyon
4. Catherine
5. Ambrose
For me, the ending was satisfying, but the way they got there was not. It involved too little characterisation and too much of a fix-all, in my opinion. I was also disappointed that more was not made of Frost, after her build-up in the previous book. Considering all that, I enjoyed the book, though in places it wasn't quite what I'd hoped. And now, in my tradition for this series, I shall consider each of the protagonists in turn - this time in order of how much I liked them in The Demon World.
March has a very engaging narrative, though possibly not as engaging as in the previous two instalments. I suppose I can't blame him for lacking some focus at first, and he does use the time available to think of some ways to try and sort things out. His characterisation holds up here.
Tash also has an engaging narrative - perhaps the most engaging, as I kept deciding to stop after I'd got to Tash's next bit. These were not much less frequent than the other characters' narratives, but considerably shorter. I was engaged by her and still liking her, but I don't seem to have been left with much overall impression as to what her new life will be like.
Edyon has got braver, and I found I was behind him most of the way. I'm struggling to think of what else to say about him; his situation has stagnated somewhat, so he doesn't have the opportunity to do very much. However, what he does do shows how he has grown as a person. I did enjoy his interactions with Prince Harold; that character's dialogue was brilliantly written, and Edyon rather played second fiddle to it at times, I thought!
Catherine went down in my estimation last time, but now I feel she's improved. She does what she has to do both confidently and competently. I found parts of her narrative more engaging than others, and the chapter about the ships is a stand-out one for her (I can't say any of the other protagonists have a particular stand-out moment).
Ambrose has been bottom of both my previous lists, not because there's anything really wrong with him but because I find him a little flat compared to the others. This time, I found him more engaging, with more emotional stuff to deal with and a chance to show his true worth as a soldier and a leader. He's been let out of Catherine's shadow for this book, and I think it's done him good.
I have become attached to these characters, and this is a well-written trilogy. I've enjoyed this instalment more since re-reading it, and now, here is my final rank order of how much I like the five protagonists:
1. Tash
2. March
3. Edyon
4. Catherine
5. Ambrose
April 2, 2021
i don’t want to include spoilers but oh wow, in a way i would not think to comment a work of sally green’s. i’ll put it so that this series’ ending slightly makes up for the hurt and grudges i still hold against miss green from half lost. (i really need to reread them and see if the ending feels any better five years on.)
last volumes in series tend to be quite fighting heavy and i’m not too into that. this also started slow and quite literally nothing happened in the first 200 pages, and ended on a quick high. solid book, but slightly behind on the two first volumes.
i wonder how it is possible queen isabelle and princess catherine stayed so sane in a family of very unstable and violent, sadistic men. i need a break from war/torture/stuff books for a bit.
also catherine, you are my least favourite in this series and still you let me down.
i might clean up my thoughts later (a classic case of a ’review to follow’ text here for 3 years) as i’m not quite sure how i liked this.
(book received from gummerus.)
last volumes in series tend to be quite fighting heavy and i’m not too into that. this also started slow and quite literally nothing happened in the first 200 pages, and ended on a quick high. solid book, but slightly behind on the two first volumes.
i wonder how it is possible queen isabelle and princess catherine stayed so sane in a family of very unstable and violent, sadistic men. i need a break from war/torture/stuff books for a bit.
also catherine, you are my least favourite in this series and still you let me down.
i might clean up my thoughts later (a classic case of a ’review to follow’ text here for 3 years) as i’m not quite sure how i liked this.
(book received from gummerus.)
October 6, 2021
3,5/5
J'ai beaucoup aimé le début de ce premier tome, mais par la suite, mon intérêt n'a fait que s'amenuir...
J'ai adoré les moments avec Tash dans le monde des démons, car j'ai trouvé que c'était l'intrigue la plus intéressante, la plus prenante. On suit toujours les autres personnages, bien sûr, mais je me suis sentie plus éloignée d'eux.
Dans l'ensemble, le roman est bon. L'écriture est toujours aussi fluide, toujours aussi prenante. Mais, le dénouement général ne m'a pas convaincu. En refermant le livre, j'ai eu la sensation de trop simple, de trop "happy ever after" et ça m'a assez déçue. J'attendais un final plus explosif, plus prenant, mais finalement, un gros manque de surprise est ce qui m'a été servi.
C'est toutefois une trilogie que je recommande, les deux premiers tomes sont meilleurs d'après moi. L'histoire reste originale, sympa à découvrir, mais je crois que j'en attendais trop pour être complètement satisfaite !
A vous de vous faire votre propre avis :)
J'ai beaucoup aimé le début de ce premier tome, mais par la suite, mon intérêt n'a fait que s'amenuir...
J'ai adoré les moments avec Tash dans le monde des démons, car j'ai trouvé que c'était l'intrigue la plus intéressante, la plus prenante. On suit toujours les autres personnages, bien sûr, mais je me suis sentie plus éloignée d'eux.
Dans l'ensemble, le roman est bon. L'écriture est toujours aussi fluide, toujours aussi prenante. Mais, le dénouement général ne m'a pas convaincu. En refermant le livre, j'ai eu la sensation de trop simple, de trop "happy ever after" et ça m'a assez déçue. J'attendais un final plus explosif, plus prenant, mais finalement, un gros manque de surprise est ce qui m'a été servi.
C'est toutefois une trilogie que je recommande, les deux premiers tomes sont meilleurs d'après moi. L'histoire reste originale, sympa à découvrir, mais je crois que j'en attendais trop pour être complètement satisfaite !
A vous de vous faire votre propre avis :)
April 14, 2024
2.75 Sterne
Auch der dritte und finale Band hat mich enttäuscht zurückgelassen. Nachdem der Vorgänger bereits ereignislos gewesen war, bin ich davon ausgegangen, dass die Spannung zumindest hier im Finale zunehmen wird und es vielleicht auch endlich zu ein bisschen Action und Kämpfen kommt. Aber das Buch bestand erneut hauptsächlich aus sehr dialoglastigen Szenen, die der ganzen Geschichte das Tempo rausgenommen haben. Das Ende war mir dann viel zu schnell und einfach abgehandelt.
Insgesamt lässt sich zu der Reihe sagen, dass die Autorin ein interessantes Worldbuilding geschaffen hat, aber leider hat sich absolut kein Händchen für ein gutes Pacing und einen spannenden Plot. Mehr Handlung und weniger Hauptcharaktere hätten dem Buch gutgetan.
Auch der dritte und finale Band hat mich enttäuscht zurückgelassen. Nachdem der Vorgänger bereits ereignislos gewesen war, bin ich davon ausgegangen, dass die Spannung zumindest hier im Finale zunehmen wird und es vielleicht auch endlich zu ein bisschen Action und Kämpfen kommt. Aber das Buch bestand erneut hauptsächlich aus sehr dialoglastigen Szenen, die der ganzen Geschichte das Tempo rausgenommen haben. Das Ende war mir dann viel zu schnell und einfach abgehandelt.
Insgesamt lässt sich zu der Reihe sagen, dass die Autorin ein interessantes Worldbuilding geschaffen hat, aber leider hat sich absolut kein Händchen für ein gutes Pacing und einen spannenden Plot. Mehr Handlung und weniger Hauptcharaktere hätten dem Buch gutgetan.
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