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Fallen Isles #3
When She Reigns
The First Dragon
The Great Abandonment has begun. Panic has seized the Fallen Isles, where no one knows which god will rise next. Mira Minkoba believes her dreams hold the secret to bringing an end to the destruction, but in order to save her people, she’ll have to find a legendary treasure: the bones of the first dragon.
The Last Hope
Mira’s desperate search leads the Hopebearer and her friends on a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory: the Algotti Empire itself. The empress is more than willing to help—for an impossible price. And as tensions escalate beneath the shadows of the risen gods, Mira grapples with a terrifying question: What will she have to sacrifice to preserve what she loves?
The explosive finale to Jodi Meadows’s Fallen Isles trilogy is ablaze with sizzling romance and fiery magic as Mira’s fight to save dragons from extinction evolves into a mission to save her world from annihilation.
The Great Abandonment has begun. Panic has seized the Fallen Isles, where no one knows which god will rise next. Mira Minkoba believes her dreams hold the secret to bringing an end to the destruction, but in order to save her people, she’ll have to find a legendary treasure: the bones of the first dragon.
The Last Hope
Mira’s desperate search leads the Hopebearer and her friends on a dangerous journey into the heart of enemy territory: the Algotti Empire itself. The empress is more than willing to help—for an impossible price. And as tensions escalate beneath the shadows of the risen gods, Mira grapples with a terrifying question: What will she have to sacrifice to preserve what she loves?
The explosive finale to Jodi Meadows’s Fallen Isles trilogy is ablaze with sizzling romance and fiery magic as Mira’s fight to save dragons from extinction evolves into a mission to save her world from annihilation.
528 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2019
47 people are currently reading
4566 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Meadows
38 books4,714 followersI write books. I snuggle cats. I drink coffee.
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August 21, 2019Just turned in my pass pages!
It's a pretty good book, if I do say so myself.
PREORDER WHEN SHE REIGNS NOW
1. Preorder from your indie bookstore or retail site
- BONUS: Preorder a personalized & stamped copy from One More Page & receive an exclusive When She Reigns sticker from Hey Atlas Creative
2. Forward your receipt to Jodi
It's a pretty good book, if I do say so myself.
PREORDER WHEN SHE REIGNS NOW
1. Preorder from your indie bookstore or retail site
- BONUS: Preorder a personalized & stamped copy from One More Page & receive an exclusive When She Reigns sticker from Hey Atlas Creative
2. Forward your receipt to Jodi
May 8, 2020
Shaky 1st book but this series definitely gets way better, especially in terms of plots and character developments. I end up enjoying the group Mira has to save their islands (and the dragons). Mira becomes stronger. She’s a pampered dolt in the first book, but by the 3rd book, I have come to respect her. She is able to voice her opinions and stand up for herself. She makes people who have disregarded her before listen to her. I also like that she is the one who gets things done, and she is no longer satisfied with being idle.
The romance between Mira and Aaru is well-done. It is sweet, no unnecessary drama and angst. I like that the author is able to make their relationship complex WITHOUT the use of messy tropes and unnecessary drama/angst. They have cultural and priorities differences. They also have individual struggles that they each have to go through, and they have learned how to communicate and support one another during those times. Unlike the plot and characters, I have found the romance to be the consistently good thing in the book (which is nice because I feel like sometimes the author likes to add unnecessary drama to “spice up” the romance in the later books, but in this series, the romance has only steadily grown in a believable way). I like that Mira and Aaru are both people who are loyal and giving, always wanting to help others before themselves. It is nice that they have each other to make the other person a priority and ask something as simple as “are you OK” or “what do you want to do?” They have such good communication. In addition, I just find Aaru to be the sweetest, most respectful lovable character ever. He has protected the women in his family and I like that he has gone to prison only because he has wanted to raise his voice to help them. It is even more amazing because he is raised in a culture and society that praises silence, and in particular, women inaction. Anyway, I like him and I like that he is unsure of himself at times.
One thing I did not expect to like but end up loving are the dragons, especially Lala. She’s SO adorable. I feel like there should have been more scenes with the interactions b/w the dragons (particularly Lala) and Mira to really show the bond between them in the 1st book. However, by the end of the 3rd book, I truly see it, and it touches my heart. Lala and Mira’s interactions make my heart melt. Also, one of the scenes near the end is done incredibly well in my opinion to show how much they mean to one another.
The romance is my favorite aspect of the series. I also love how the series has gotten so much better since the 1st book with Mira becoming stronger, her friends group becoming more endearing, and the plot becoming more engaging. So I give the 1st book 2 stars, but the 3rd book, I think has progressed well enough for 3.5 stars. And the series as a whole is 3 for me.
Also, on a random note, the cover is GORGEOUS (same goes for the other 1st 2).
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Other things to note?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
The romance between Mira and Aaru is well-done. It is sweet, no unnecessary drama and angst. I like that the author is able to make their relationship complex WITHOUT the use of messy tropes and unnecessary drama/angst. They have cultural and priorities differences. They also have individual struggles that they each have to go through, and they have learned how to communicate and support one another during those times. Unlike the plot and characters, I have found the romance to be the consistently good thing in the book (which is nice because I feel like sometimes the author likes to add unnecessary drama to “spice up” the romance in the later books, but in this series, the romance has only steadily grown in a believable way). I like that Mira and Aaru are both people who are loyal and giving, always wanting to help others before themselves. It is nice that they have each other to make the other person a priority and ask something as simple as “are you OK” or “what do you want to do?” They have such good communication. In addition, I just find Aaru to be the sweetest, most respectful lovable character ever. He has protected the women in his family and I like that he has gone to prison only because he has wanted to raise his voice to help them. It is even more amazing because he is raised in a culture and society that praises silence, and in particular, women inaction. Anyway, I like him and I like that he is unsure of himself at times.
One thing I did not expect to like but end up loving are the dragons, especially Lala. She’s SO adorable. I feel like there should have been more scenes with the interactions b/w the dragons (particularly Lala) and Mira to really show the bond between them in the 1st book. However, by the end of the 3rd book, I truly see it, and it touches my heart. Lala and Mira’s interactions make my heart melt. Also, one of the scenes near the end is done incredibly well in my opinion to show how much they mean to one another.
The romance is my favorite aspect of the series. I also love how the series has gotten so much better since the 1st book with Mira becoming stronger, her friends group becoming more endearing, and the plot becoming more engaging. So I give the 1st book 2 stars, but the 3rd book, I think has progressed well enough for 3.5 stars. And the series as a whole is 3 for me.
Also, on a random note, the cover is GORGEOUS (same goes for the other 1st 2).
Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending?
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Other things to note?
Tears-worthy?
Humor?
Favorite scenes?
October 7, 2019
The Great Abandonment could have been prevented. But it was not.
– When She Reigns
We’ve seen Mira and her found family go from the worst imprisonment in history to running for their lives and now we watch as their worlds crumble before their eyes. Their gods are abandoning them as the people have abandoned their commitments to protecting their world…and their dragons.
Dang, does it hurt.
Before She Ignites. As She Ascends. When She Reigns. There are no more perfect titles for where Mira is along this journey. This is the book where Mira finds her voice. Where she finds her purpose.
Where everything falls apart.
I wish I could say that Mira easily puts everything back together again wrapped in a shiny dragon tail but this is still a finale by Jodi Meadows and you know she’s going to give you reality. Rebellion is hard. Leading people is hard. Knowing what the right thing to do is hard. So much of the story mirrors our current world politics and the discrimination many people face.
Endings make the way for beginnings…
I won’t give away the big twist in this book but let’s just say each book brings dragons more and more into the forefront. If As She Ascends was all dragons, all the time then When She Reigns is just living in dragon town. Yes, we see all of the dragons we’ve met before and yes we meet even more dragons. Dragons are the heart of this land and they remain a main source of conflict. Be prepared for all the feels and an ending that leaves you satisfied and knowing that hope and love truly do win.
September 16, 2019
4.5 LaLa Stars
The ending was breathtaking and such an awesome way to end the series...even though, I would have liked to learn Altan's fate.
The author did a spectacular job of processing the right emotions of Mira and the struggles she had to go through.
I definitely did not think the story was going to end that way and I was pleasantly surprised with each twist in the story.
The ending was breathtaking and such an awesome way to end the series...even though, I would have liked to learn Altan's fate.
The author did a spectacular job of processing the right emotions of Mira and the struggles she had to go through.
I definitely did not think the story was going to end that way and I was pleasantly surprised with each twist in the story.
Want to read
April 4, 2019Everything about this cover and title is badass and I am a fan. (Look I'm not saying I'm only reading these because of the covers and the cute dragons, but I'm not denying it either.)
November 25, 2019
Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
This was a very well-written book. Filled with emotion, anguish, action, and romance. As the dragons of the Isles fall more and more into the hands of the Empire Mira and her friends must find a way to save them, before calamity destroys their world.
There is something more to love seeing beautiful dragons of all kinds and shapes together. Mira has matured since the first book and she proves to be a fierce leader who is ready to sacrifice everything for her people and the ones she loves. While some characters felt like they needed more time for their own development, like Altan, the ending was very satisfactory and breathtaking.
Especially the final scene with the dragons and Mira.
THAT WAS AMAZING!
Another amazing series by Jodi Meadows is finished. I will equally be anticipating and hope for more new stories by her.
This was a very well-written book. Filled with emotion, anguish, action, and romance. As the dragons of the Isles fall more and more into the hands of the Empire Mira and her friends must find a way to save them, before calamity destroys their world.
There is something more to love seeing beautiful dragons of all kinds and shapes together. Mira has matured since the first book and she proves to be a fierce leader who is ready to sacrifice everything for her people and the ones she loves. While some characters felt like they needed more time for their own development, like Altan, the ending was very satisfactory and breathtaking.
Especially the final scene with the dragons and Mira.
THAT WAS AMAZING!
Another amazing series by Jodi Meadows is finished. I will equally be anticipating and hope for more new stories by her.
November 1, 2019
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
When She Reigns is the third and final installment in author Jodi Meadows' Fallen Isles trilogy. For Mira Minkoba, the worst possible situation is happening. The Great Abandonment is upon the Fallen Isles. Their gods are abandoning them as the people have abandoned their commitments to protecting their world and their dragons. Mira, who has a dragon soul, has tried her hardest to get people to pay attention to what she is saying.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Young Adult, Fantasy
*Rating* 4.0
*Thoughts*
When She Reigns is the third and final installment in author Jodi Meadows' Fallen Isles trilogy. For Mira Minkoba, the worst possible situation is happening. The Great Abandonment is upon the Fallen Isles. Their gods are abandoning them as the people have abandoned their commitments to protecting their world and their dragons. Mira, who has a dragon soul, has tried her hardest to get people to pay attention to what she is saying.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
September 10, 2019
4.5 stars!
My favorite thing about this book was that there were even more dragons! Before She Ignites was a pretty dragon light but they were more prominent in As She Ascends and even more so in When She Reigns. I enjoyed this series immensely and found each book to be better than the last. The Silent Code fascinated me throughout and Aaru is one of my favorite characters now.
Mira continues to grow as she discovers the purpose for her God-gift and the lies she was raised to believe are stripped away. She's come so far since Before She Ignites and never gives up on her beloved dragons.
This final book was everything I'd hoped for and more.
My favorite thing about this book was that there were even more dragons! Before She Ignites was a pretty dragon light but they were more prominent in As She Ascends and even more so in When She Reigns. I enjoyed this series immensely and found each book to be better than the last. The Silent Code fascinated me throughout and Aaru is one of my favorite characters now.
Mira continues to grow as she discovers the purpose for her God-gift and the lies she was raised to believe are stripped away. She's come so far since Before She Ignites and never gives up on her beloved dragons.
This final book was everything I'd hoped for and more.
September 10, 2019
WHEN SHE REIGNS is the final installment in Jodi Meadows’ FALLEN ISLES trilogy. Below are 5 my favorite things about this book, and the series overall:
1) Mira and the dragons – I looooovvvveee Mira’s connection to the dragons and how that manifests in this book. I want my own Lala!
2) Mira and Aaru – I adore their slow and sweet relationship and the way that they are always, always supportive of each other. Their relationship continues to build here in the most delicious way. No love triangle at all!
3) Mira and her friends – What an amazing support network Mira has built through this series, and I love so much the ways in which their individual strengths come out in this story as they support Mira and work together towards their goals. I also came to appreciate her sister and mother more than I thought that I would.
4) Mira and the world – Mira’s world continues to expand through this story, I really enjoyed learning even more about her lands and also the world at large, even as things become more tense and dire. I’ll have to say that I have a lot of questions about some of the people she meets in this story.
5) Mira – This girl has made such a transformation from when we met her in the first book. She has been imprisoned and beaten down, but has gotten back up again and again, and will do whatever it takes for her people and her friends and her dragons. Mira goes on a journey in this book – both physically and mentally – and she had me gripping the edge of my seat and wanting to cover my eyes at times, but I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next and how much she’d accomplish.
WHEN SHE REIGNS is a race against time as the islands that make up Mira and her friends’ homes rise, and the gods abandon their people. Everything is uncertain, even their lives. I had no idea what would happen at the end of this book, but it is a conclusion that is worth every bit of the journey to get there.
Don’t miss this stunning series!
1) Mira and the dragons – I looooovvvveee Mira’s connection to the dragons and how that manifests in this book. I want my own Lala!
2) Mira and Aaru – I adore their slow and sweet relationship and the way that they are always, always supportive of each other. Their relationship continues to build here in the most delicious way. No love triangle at all!
3) Mira and her friends – What an amazing support network Mira has built through this series, and I love so much the ways in which their individual strengths come out in this story as they support Mira and work together towards their goals. I also came to appreciate her sister and mother more than I thought that I would.
4) Mira and the world – Mira’s world continues to expand through this story, I really enjoyed learning even more about her lands and also the world at large, even as things become more tense and dire. I’ll have to say that I have a lot of questions about some of the people she meets in this story.
5) Mira – This girl has made such a transformation from when we met her in the first book. She has been imprisoned and beaten down, but has gotten back up again and again, and will do whatever it takes for her people and her friends and her dragons. Mira goes on a journey in this book – both physically and mentally – and she had me gripping the edge of my seat and wanting to cover my eyes at times, but I couldn’t wait to see what she would do next and how much she’d accomplish.
WHEN SHE REIGNS is a race against time as the islands that make up Mira and her friends’ homes rise, and the gods abandon their people. Everything is uncertain, even their lives. I had no idea what would happen at the end of this book, but it is a conclusion that is worth every bit of the journey to get there.
Don’t miss this stunning series!
January 28, 2020
This book couldn’t hold me. I had trouble in the beginning remembering who was who and what had happened. Then the story was slow and probably could have been cut by 100 pages. Still it was an interesting book and I’ll def read this authors next series
July 23, 2024
4.5 stars rounded down
November 6, 2019
I have loved this series from start to finish, didn't want to put this book down, but also I didn't want this adventure to end.
There is so much representation across the whole of this series, the different islands, their belief's, their shared history. Love, loss, endurance. This series has everything I adore, deep characters with complex emotions and flaws. Adventure, persevering throughout. And best of all, dragons. Magnificent dragons.
I cannot recommend this series enough.
There is so much representation across the whole of this series, the different islands, their belief's, their shared history. Love, loss, endurance. This series has everything I adore, deep characters with complex emotions and flaws. Adventure, persevering throughout. And best of all, dragons. Magnificent dragons.
I cannot recommend this series enough.
Want to read
July 6, 2019this cover is GORGEOUS!
August 27, 2019
(I'll edit when the book releases, but I can't wait for everyone to read this, and to see the final product!)
December 7, 2019
3.5 stars, rounded up
What a finale! This conclusion surprised me in a lot of good ways. While the first half of this book was more of a 3-star read for me, the final third was excellent - exciting, emotional, well-paced, and a solid conclusion to the trilogy.
My biggest complaint with this series is how the books flow from one to the next. Book one and two end on major cliffhangers, and book two and three pick up right where the previous books ended. There is no transition, nothing to reorient you to the world if you don't read them back-to-back. Because I read each of them upon publication, there were large gaps of time between readings, and my enjoyment of the story suffered as a result.
I really struggled with the first half of this book because I knew I used to care about these characters, but I couldn't remember why. I had lost my emotional connection to them, and this book didn't do anything to help me re-establish that bond. So, for at least the first 100 pages, I felt painfully detached - wanting to care, but feeling extremely lost. I almost quit reading, intending to revisit the last few chapters of the previous book, but I didn't. Eventually, I reconnected on some level, but I know it could have been stronger.
I also think these books are a bit longer than they needed to be. To me, it feels like one giant book bound in three volumes, rather than three separate books. If you look at it that way, it's 1,563 pages - longer than War and Peace! I know plenty of people love big books, and I've read much longer books myself. But some books need to be that long, and some don't. I just think these could have been tightened up.
Having said all that, I really enjoyed this world and these characters. The magic is awesome, the politics/history are interesting, and the relationships are touching. Jodi Meadows knows how to bring a story to life! When I was connected, I really felt like I was visiting another world. And I LOVED the dragons - the dragons are, without a doubt, my favorite thing about this trilogy.
Bottom line, if you like dragons and don't mind big books, I think you would really enjoy this trilogy. Just make sure to read them close together.
****************
Content note for anyone interested in how sexual content is handled here: SPOILERS BELOW
What a finale! This conclusion surprised me in a lot of good ways. While the first half of this book was more of a 3-star read for me, the final third was excellent - exciting, emotional, well-paced, and a solid conclusion to the trilogy.
My biggest complaint with this series is how the books flow from one to the next. Book one and two end on major cliffhangers, and book two and three pick up right where the previous books ended. There is no transition, nothing to reorient you to the world if you don't read them back-to-back. Because I read each of them upon publication, there were large gaps of time between readings, and my enjoyment of the story suffered as a result.
I really struggled with the first half of this book because I knew I used to care about these characters, but I couldn't remember why. I had lost my emotional connection to them, and this book didn't do anything to help me re-establish that bond. So, for at least the first 100 pages, I felt painfully detached - wanting to care, but feeling extremely lost. I almost quit reading, intending to revisit the last few chapters of the previous book, but I didn't. Eventually, I reconnected on some level, but I know it could have been stronger.
I also think these books are a bit longer than they needed to be. To me, it feels like one giant book bound in three volumes, rather than three separate books. If you look at it that way, it's 1,563 pages - longer than War and Peace! I know plenty of people love big books, and I've read much longer books myself. But some books need to be that long, and some don't. I just think these could have been tightened up.
Having said all that, I really enjoyed this world and these characters. The magic is awesome, the politics/history are interesting, and the relationships are touching. Jodi Meadows knows how to bring a story to life! When I was connected, I really felt like I was visiting another world. And I LOVED the dragons - the dragons are, without a doubt, my favorite thing about this trilogy.
Bottom line, if you like dragons and don't mind big books, I think you would really enjoy this trilogy. Just make sure to read them close together.
****************
Content note for anyone interested in how sexual content is handled here: SPOILERS BELOW
April 29, 2020
Une très bonne série s'achève et me confirme le talent de Jodi Meadows! Ce troisième tome fut peut être un peu long sur la fin (d'où peut être mes 4 étoiles) mais il faut reconnaitre que l'auteure a fait un travail de dingue sur son univers! Si vous aimez les livres avec un background complet, une mythologie détaillée, franchement foncez! On en apprend des choses dans ce dernier tome, on se rend compte de l'étendue du monde imaginé. Moi qui aie pu lire quelques romans sur les dragons, je dois vous dire que cette série-ci est totalement unique!! Mon seul petit regret ici est que les personnages secondaires sont moins mis en avant, au profit de Mira. Mais vu sa mission, c'était obligé.
Ceci étant dit, je suis très heureuse d'avoir terminé cette saga que je recommande chaudement et j'ai déjà hâte de découvrir ce que l'auteure nous réserve pour sa prochaine série.
Ceci étant dit, je suis très heureuse d'avoir terminé cette saga que je recommande chaudement et j'ai déjà hâte de découvrir ce que l'auteure nous réserve pour sa prochaine série.
December 12, 2020
Loved all the interactions with the empress of the algotti empire, her and mira has so much in common even though the empress was not so good afterall because she needs to put her empire before anyone else. I totally get it but urgh, Mira just wants help...
This conclusion was very fast paced and the scenes of the first dragon and last dragon were sooo freaking good! Loved the character development of aaru and mira, they sure went through some bad days throughout the story and finally some space to breathe. Aaru and Mira are the soft couple we all deserve.
This conclusion was very fast paced and the scenes of the first dragon and last dragon were sooo freaking good! Loved the character development of aaru and mira, they sure went through some bad days throughout the story and finally some space to breathe. Aaru and Mira are the soft couple we all deserve.
October 19, 2019
It might be because I didn't really enjoy the first two installments, but I just couldn't get into this. So sad.
September 28, 2019
I have so many emotions which is very overwhelming for this INTJ. I'll work on a review, but this was another obvious five stars, and I'm very stingy with my 5 star ratings. This book was stunning in every way. I just love how in this series, even when everything is the absolute worst, there's still so much hope. I could talk about this series forever. And I immediately want to reread this book. 🐉
November 17, 2019
This trilogy means so much to me!
July 19, 2021
Dear Readers, Aliens and Creatures, Meh. It was meh. Not terrible, just an overall fairly satisfying ending.
Official title: When She Reigns
My title: The Final Drama
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: @harpercollins
Fav character: The Celestial Dragon
Type: Book - Series
4/5
In book 3, things are beginning to make sense and fall into place. The friends have arrived on Anahera, where they must learn more about what is happening to the isles and the Mira Treaty and where must put the final parts of saving land, people and dragons together. There are still more secrets to be unveiled and questions to be answered regarding the location and safety of Mira’s and Histro’s parents, Kelsine and what remains of the Luminary Council.
They intend to find out all they can about what the Paorah of Anahera is planning, enlist the aid of the Algotti Empress and return with the bones of the firstborn child and most beloved of the gods, the celestial dragon. It’s a pity that things don’t go quite as smoothly, OBVIOUSLY, but we do see how much each of their powers have grown and the culmination of Mira’s powers as basically a channeler of energy and light.
They have not had an easy time of it but are doing their UTMOST to save their people. Poor kids. All of this is very interesting, but the execution of parts of it were strange and uncomfortable and I am still trying to figure out why… I mean, apart from my INTENSE dislike for Mira. She has too many misplaced priorities and lives a truly pathetic existence. Poor thing.
A lot happened, but it was somewhat underwhelming? 🤔💁 Meh.
I don’t believe the author was really able to connect with her characters. I don’t feel they were really pushed to their full potential and much of their interactions/emotions seem stunted.
None of the characters seem to exist beyond the final period of the book. It’s like their life stops. We have no idea about their future and how they plan to make it happen. We don’t know if they will continue together or if they will each go their separate ways. It almost feels like we shouldn’t care about them… we should care more about the dragons… but the books weren’t only about dragons.
Official title: When She Reigns
My title: The Final Drama
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: @harpercollins
Fav character: The Celestial Dragon
Type: Book - Series
4/5
In book 3, things are beginning to make sense and fall into place. The friends have arrived on Anahera, where they must learn more about what is happening to the isles and the Mira Treaty and where must put the final parts of saving land, people and dragons together. There are still more secrets to be unveiled and questions to be answered regarding the location and safety of Mira’s and Histro’s parents, Kelsine and what remains of the Luminary Council.
They intend to find out all they can about what the Paorah of Anahera is planning, enlist the aid of the Algotti Empress and return with the bones of the firstborn child and most beloved of the gods, the celestial dragon. It’s a pity that things don’t go quite as smoothly, OBVIOUSLY, but we do see how much each of their powers have grown and the culmination of Mira’s powers as basically a channeler of energy and light.
They have not had an easy time of it but are doing their UTMOST to save their people. Poor kids. All of this is very interesting, but the execution of parts of it were strange and uncomfortable and I am still trying to figure out why… I mean, apart from my INTENSE dislike for Mira. She has too many misplaced priorities and lives a truly pathetic existence. Poor thing.
A lot happened, but it was somewhat underwhelming? 🤔💁 Meh.
I don’t believe the author was really able to connect with her characters. I don’t feel they were really pushed to their full potential and much of their interactions/emotions seem stunted.
None of the characters seem to exist beyond the final period of the book. It’s like their life stops. We have no idea about their future and how they plan to make it happen. We don’t know if they will continue together or if they will each go their separate ways. It almost feels like we shouldn’t care about them… we should care more about the dragons… but the books weren’t only about dragons.
October 29, 2019
Well, well, well. The finest series Jodi Meadows has yet written, and it's capped off in just as epic a fashion as I've come to expect after reading the stories of Mira and her dragons in The Fallen Isles Trilogy for two years now. After As She Ascends ended with the first of the seven Isles rising up in an unprecedented cataclysm - the Great Abandonment, with all the Idrisi survivors stuck as refugees, and no way to predict when any of the remaining Isles will suffer the same fate - now Mira and her allies have no choice but to potentially turn to the Algotti Emprie for help. It's a good thing that the Empire, established as they were as a Greater Scope Villain in Book 1, maybe weren't so evil as some true villains closer to home, villains with too much greed and not enough sense. But this book, it brings the series' environmental-justice themes full circle as we finally resolve all these years of conflict - though not without cost, of course. But while Game of Thrones disappointed in its eighth and final season, here, Mira shows us just how amazing a Khaleesi can truly be, caring for her dragons and her people in equal measure, and as much as her mental health problems can debilitate her, it doesn't cost her an ounce of heroism. Not when she has all the remedies at her disposal - her calming pills, her noorestones, and of course LaLa and Crystal, two of the cutest, most loyal dragons a girl could ask for. And let's not forget Aaru's love - seven gods, are he and Mira just the most shippable cuties or what? To The Fallen Isles Trilogy, I now bid ave atque vale, and I seriously can't wait to see just how amazing and imaginative Jodi Meadows gets in her next work!
September 16, 2019
Closer to 3.75. My biggest complaint about this novel is that it was slightly too long and dragged in parts. I still throughly enjoyed the series but I got bored towards the end and started feeling like the story needed to end.
This is a series I'd recommend to others and I'm glad I was able to pick it up.
This is a series I'd recommend to others and I'm glad I was able to pick it up.
June 26, 2022
Ties everything up nice and tight, and it even added a bow. The end of the Fallen Isles trilogy, and one of my new favorite books. I loved how Mira faced severe anxiety, it just made her and her world feel so much more realistic.
December 12, 2019
This is the third book in this series and it was a little disappointing. I found it kind of boring unfortunately.
December 13, 2019
As good as the first 2 books. I love the mythologie arround the fist dragon. So much wold building in this last book. It was great ^^
September 25, 2023
I loved this series so much. The dragons were awesome. I loved all the side characters. Mina is a favorite of mine. The story and world is just so awesome. The ending wrapped up nicely.
September 21, 2025
Beautiful! Finally, someone who isnt afraid to go the distance: destroy, betray and pull through with your characters where they are supposed to go and not chicken out half way.
January 25, 2020
3.5-4 stars
JODI YOU ALMOST HAD ME THERE.
A large chunk of this book takes place in the Algotti Empire and it was very interesting to see where Jodi's worldbuilding took us. TBH the worldbuilding is amaze-balls here and one of the main reasons I love this series so much. Jodi takes so much time to show how integrated dragons are into the Fallen Isles and contrasts that with the empire. I love! Mira's character arc is beautiful and is the second reason why I adore this series. Watching her go from a political mouthpiece to Dragon Jesus made me so emotional and proud of her growth. . Tbh this whole thing reads like a fire emblem script and I live for it. I must have compared the Fallen Isles to FE before askdjflaksjdf my point still stands.
The themes and tone of the Fallen Isles series have always been consistent and well done and When She Reigns is no exception. I do feel that some of the scenes involving Empress Apolla and the Algotti empire were repetitive and the lore surrounding the Noorestones was vague and the reason why the vague explanations are narratively justified is because Mira is this world's Dragon Jesus so she can "feel" her way through the noorestone power because it *IS* her power.
The escalation of the different isles/Fallen gods rising didn't work for me. When Idris rose in book 2, there was so much time dedicated to the devastation Aaru felt, but when the other islands started rising, it didn't have the same effect as the first time. This, coupled by the fact that the Apolla and Mira conflict was largely made up of ideological conversations and vague noorestone lore, makes me think there's some sort of imbalance with scale and/or escalation in this installment. I also have an issue with so many of the plot developing scenes beginning or ending with descriptions of people running around and screaming. Yes, it makes perfect sense this would happen in the story given the circumstances. However, everytime something bad happens, Mira has to describe this running and screaming. Like when another island rises, it left me thinking "AGAIN?!"
I loathe to end a series by rating the last book with my lowest rating of the trilogy, but that doesn't mean I think it was a weak book. WSR did its job and gave me a satisfying ending. I don't think anything is missing per se, but the WOW factor in As She Ascends wasn't present here. The focus was on wrapping up Mira's arc and revealing all the Mira Treaty's origins, which it achieved. Since most of the other characters didn't have too strong of an involvement in the plot, the exchanges between Mira and the gang from previous books are replaced by the Mira vs. Apolla ideology clash. Focusing so much on Apolla, a new character, in the last book felt a little unnecessary. Everyone else in Mira's friend circle was sidelined into cheerleaders.
ANYWAY I liked it. It was a good conclusion. I just have nitpicks, as always.
JODI YOU ALMOST HAD ME THERE.
A large chunk of this book takes place in the Algotti Empire and it was very interesting to see where Jodi's worldbuilding took us. TBH the worldbuilding is amaze-balls here and one of the main reasons I love this series so much. Jodi takes so much time to show how integrated dragons are into the Fallen Isles and contrasts that with the empire. I love! Mira's character arc is beautiful and is the second reason why I adore this series. Watching her go from a political mouthpiece to Dragon Jesus made me so emotional and proud of her growth. . Tbh this whole thing reads like a fire emblem script and I live for it. I must have compared the Fallen Isles to FE before askdjflaksjdf my point still stands.
The themes and tone of the Fallen Isles series have always been consistent and well done and When She Reigns is no exception. I do feel that some of the scenes involving Empress Apolla and the Algotti empire were repetitive and the lore surrounding the Noorestones was vague and the reason why the vague explanations are narratively justified is because Mira is this world's Dragon Jesus so she can "feel" her way through the noorestone power because it *IS* her power.
The escalation of the different isles/Fallen gods rising didn't work for me. When Idris rose in book 2, there was so much time dedicated to the devastation Aaru felt, but when the other islands started rising, it didn't have the same effect as the first time. This, coupled by the fact that the Apolla and Mira conflict was largely made up of ideological conversations and vague noorestone lore, makes me think there's some sort of imbalance with scale and/or escalation in this installment. I also have an issue with so many of the plot developing scenes beginning or ending with descriptions of people running around and screaming. Yes, it makes perfect sense this would happen in the story given the circumstances. However, everytime something bad happens, Mira has to describe this running and screaming. Like when another island rises, it left me thinking "AGAIN?!"
I loathe to end a series by rating the last book with my lowest rating of the trilogy, but that doesn't mean I think it was a weak book. WSR did its job and gave me a satisfying ending. I don't think anything is missing per se, but the WOW factor in As She Ascends wasn't present here. The focus was on wrapping up Mira's arc and revealing all the Mira Treaty's origins, which it achieved. Since most of the other characters didn't have too strong of an involvement in the plot, the exchanges between Mira and the gang from previous books are replaced by the Mira vs. Apolla ideology clash. Focusing so much on Apolla, a new character, in the last book felt a little unnecessary. Everyone else in Mira's friend circle was sidelined into cheerleaders.
ANYWAY I liked it. It was a good conclusion. I just have nitpicks, as always.
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