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The Sacred Throne #3
The Killing Light
The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole's Sacred Throne trilogy
Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.
The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.
Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.
The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2019
89 people are currently reading
1257 people want to read
About the author
Myke Cole
26 books1,737 followersAs a security contractor, government civilian and military officer, Myke Cole’s career has run the gamut from Counterterrorism to Cyber Warfare to Federal Law Enforcement. He’s done three tours in Iraq and was recalled to serve during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After hunting terrorists and criminals in real life, he kept up the job on TV, first tracking fugitives on CBS’ 2017 show Hunted, and UFOs on Discovery Channel’s 2019 show Contact.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
All that conflict can wear a guy out. Thank goodness for fantasy novels, comic books, late night games of Dungeons and Dragons and lots of angst fueled writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
June 14, 2019
ARC provided by the publisher—Tor.com—in exchange for an honest review.
A compelling read that offers a satisfying conclusion to The Sacred Throne trilogy.
I won’t be talking about the plot at all; there’s nothing about the story that I can say without spoiling something from the previous two books. As for what worked for me, there were many. I found the start of this book to be significantly better than the beginning of The Queen of Crows. This doesn’t mean that The Queen of Crows began horribly, but in my opinion, that book requires readers to binge-read the first two books or at least read them not too far in-between; the story continued immediately with no refresher on who’s who and it took me a long time to care about Heloise again. However, The Killing Light is not inflicted by the same situation; it started by efficiently refreshing reader’s memories on the characters and most importantly, allowing me to reacquaint myself with Heloise Factor because Cole elaborated on her characterizations first.
I loved this novella, it made me remember why I loved Heloise and her characterizations in the first book. Heloise’s main personality is kind and hot-tempered, seeing her struggles with the massive burden of responsibility that’s required of her was compelling. In this last book, the story focuses its themes on lies, faith, difficulty in unity, and the difficulty of connecting differences in cultures and beliefs. Freedom, family, war, sexuality, and love remains Heloise’s main concerns in the upcoming final battle; I enjoyed reading this book and I simply had a really hard time putting it down.
One thing that I found to be very consistent throughout this trilogy was Cole’s brilliant characterizations. Not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed reading the dialogues, internal struggles, and interactions of this series more than the battle and action scenes themselves. I feel like Cole truly knows how to make sure that Heloise’s feelings—whether you like her or not—felt evocative for the readers. The philosophical moments of the book were also a nice addition of resonating topics to our current society that simultaneously helps flesh out the characters further. Come to think about it, it’s super rare for me to highlight many passages in a novella, but I really did for this trilogy. The pacing was incredibly well-paced and the actions were bloody vivid and intense. I can definitely see how Cole’s experience in writing military fantasy before played a role in bringing terrific results in the action scenes.
Not much else to say really. This is the end of this wonderful grimdark novellas trilogy and I want readers to experience this with little info. Cole mentioned in the acknowledgment that he was worried about writing a series in a genre that’s not in his comfort zone; I’ll say that there’s nothing to worry about and he needs to write more grimdark series, preferably a full novel this time. This is an awesome trilogy that mains a right balance between actions and characterizations thoroughly. Overall, I had a really fantastic time reading through it. Believe me, that’s saying a lot because generally, novellas don’t work for me; I prefer reading novels more than novellas or short stories. There were still some questions unanswered world-building wise, but The Killing Light tells a satisfying conclusion to Heloise’s journey with impact. Well done, Myke Cole!
Series Review:
The Armored Saint: 5/5 stars
The Queen of Crows: 3/5 stars
The Killing Light: 4/5 stars
The Sacred Throne: 12/15 stars
Official release date: November 12th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
A compelling read that offers a satisfying conclusion to The Sacred Throne trilogy.
I won’t be talking about the plot at all; there’s nothing about the story that I can say without spoiling something from the previous two books. As for what worked for me, there were many. I found the start of this book to be significantly better than the beginning of The Queen of Crows. This doesn’t mean that The Queen of Crows began horribly, but in my opinion, that book requires readers to binge-read the first two books or at least read them not too far in-between; the story continued immediately with no refresher on who’s who and it took me a long time to care about Heloise again. However, The Killing Light is not inflicted by the same situation; it started by efficiently refreshing reader’s memories on the characters and most importantly, allowing me to reacquaint myself with Heloise Factor because Cole elaborated on her characterizations first.
I loved this novella, it made me remember why I loved Heloise and her characterizations in the first book. Heloise’s main personality is kind and hot-tempered, seeing her struggles with the massive burden of responsibility that’s required of her was compelling. In this last book, the story focuses its themes on lies, faith, difficulty in unity, and the difficulty of connecting differences in cultures and beliefs. Freedom, family, war, sexuality, and love remains Heloise’s main concerns in the upcoming final battle; I enjoyed reading this book and I simply had a really hard time putting it down.
“War, she was finding, was nothing so much as a series of choices between bad and worse.”
One thing that I found to be very consistent throughout this trilogy was Cole’s brilliant characterizations. Not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed reading the dialogues, internal struggles, and interactions of this series more than the battle and action scenes themselves. I feel like Cole truly knows how to make sure that Heloise’s feelings—whether you like her or not—felt evocative for the readers. The philosophical moments of the book were also a nice addition of resonating topics to our current society that simultaneously helps flesh out the characters further. Come to think about it, it’s super rare for me to highlight many passages in a novella, but I really did for this trilogy. The pacing was incredibly well-paced and the actions were bloody vivid and intense. I can definitely see how Cole’s experience in writing military fantasy before played a role in bringing terrific results in the action scenes.
“Men do what they want when they are in charge, and they tell themselves it’s right.”
Not much else to say really. This is the end of this wonderful grimdark novellas trilogy and I want readers to experience this with little info. Cole mentioned in the acknowledgment that he was worried about writing a series in a genre that’s not in his comfort zone; I’ll say that there’s nothing to worry about and he needs to write more grimdark series, preferably a full novel this time. This is an awesome trilogy that mains a right balance between actions and characterizations thoroughly. Overall, I had a really fantastic time reading through it. Believe me, that’s saying a lot because generally, novellas don’t work for me; I prefer reading novels more than novellas or short stories. There were still some questions unanswered world-building wise, but The Killing Light tells a satisfying conclusion to Heloise’s journey with impact. Well done, Myke Cole!
Series Review:
The Armored Saint: 5/5 stars
The Queen of Crows: 3/5 stars
The Killing Light: 4/5 stars
The Sacred Throne: 12/15 stars
Official release date: November 12th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
June 6, 2020
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Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Like the last book, this one picks up the story where book 2 ended. I still have the feeling that these 3 novellas work better as one big volume rather than 3 separate books. The author did a better job than last book in summarizing and refreshing our memory of the characters and the events which makes sense since this is a book by itself.
The prose is not bad! I can’t say that I am a big fan or that it was a prose that I will remember for a long time but at the same time, it was not bad, it was just average. I was not bored and did not want to DNF it which are good signs!
The story in my opinion is still character driven and I think I got used to that after 3 books! I think the main character grew very much through the series which is awesome too. the secondary characters are not any less impressive and I respect that.
The plot in this one was more action packed than book 1 but more organized than book 2 so that was definitely a step in the right direction. I actually know what the message the author was trying to tell and I said before that I like books that involve religion in them because in real life that is a part that gets involved in every thing. I think readers should keep an open-mind while reading this because some of them may view it was blasphemy. After finishing the book I did my research on the author and I was right, he is an atheist. I really did not have any problem with that because the author do it in a respectful way.
Summary: This is a good inclusion to the series with fleshed out characters, good prose and some pretty action.
You can get more books from Book Depository
Is it just me or does the girl on the cover looks like Gal Gadot?
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
“They’ve just stood off all the devils from hell, so I don’t imagine they’ll be cowed by men in red dresses.”
Like the last book, this one picks up the story where book 2 ended. I still have the feeling that these 3 novellas work better as one big volume rather than 3 separate books. The author did a better job than last book in summarizing and refreshing our memory of the characters and the events which makes sense since this is a book by itself.
The prose is not bad! I can’t say that I am a big fan or that it was a prose that I will remember for a long time but at the same time, it was not bad, it was just average. I was not bored and did not want to DNF it which are good signs!
The story in my opinion is still character driven and I think I got used to that after 3 books! I think the main character grew very much through the series which is awesome too. the secondary characters are not any less impressive and I respect that.
The plot in this one was more action packed than book 1 but more organized than book 2 so that was definitely a step in the right direction. I actually know what the message the author was trying to tell and I said before that I like books that involve religion in them because in real life that is a part that gets involved in every thing. I think readers should keep an open-mind while reading this because some of them may view it was blasphemy. After finishing the book I did my research on the author and I was right, he is an atheist. I really did not have any problem with that because the author do it in a respectful way.
Summary: This is a good inclusion to the series with fleshed out characters, good prose and some pretty action.
You can get more books from Book Depository
Is it just me or does the girl on the cover looks like Gal Gadot?
February 26, 2020
Oof. I held off reading this because I wasn’t ready for the series to end and this was one hellride after another. Heloise my bb <3
May 29, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis
The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole’s Sacred Throne trilogy
Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.
The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of The Killing Light (The Sacred Throne #3) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the work.
The Killing Light, unlike Season 8 of Game of Thrones, was a highly satisfying and thrilling conclusion to the arc of Heloise the Palatine. You’ll cry, you’ll cry some more, and then you’ll want a giant bad-ass war engine to clobber people with. This trilogy has been very difficult to put down or place behind other books that have been vying for attention. From the beautiful covers (which, my goodness, Chris McGrath KILLED this one) to the words on the pages, Cole has a fantasy series to be immensely proud of.
I’m pretty sure, without going back and looking at my reviews for the previous 2 books, I have stated that Heloise is one of the finest and most engaging female protagonists the fantasy world has seen. To be an adult and have the ability to become enamored with a young character such as herself; to be there with her through all of the trials and tribulations, deaths of loved ones, victories and defeats, and the coming-of-age process over the course of 3 books that are basically comprised of several months. It is staggering.
On top of that, Cole has created this world that I feel still has untapped potential. I know you can say that about a ton of books, but there are so many places left to be explored and stones left unturned that it wouldn’t surprise me if the author brought us back sometime in the future. I also have many questions that predate this entire trilogy that, even though I would love to know more about, I am satisfied with the unknown. Can you tell that I really enjoyed it?
Guys, I don’t know what else I can say that will make you pick up this series. Warhammer-esque power armor, huge bloody battles, devils, magic, LOVE. It is all there. Just buy The Armored Saint and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.
Synopsis
The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole’s Sacred Throne trilogy
Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.
The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of The Killing Light (The Sacred Throne #3) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the work.
The Killing Light, unlike Season 8 of Game of Thrones, was a highly satisfying and thrilling conclusion to the arc of Heloise the Palatine. You’ll cry, you’ll cry some more, and then you’ll want a giant bad-ass war engine to clobber people with. This trilogy has been very difficult to put down or place behind other books that have been vying for attention. From the beautiful covers (which, my goodness, Chris McGrath KILLED this one) to the words on the pages, Cole has a fantasy series to be immensely proud of.
I’m pretty sure, without going back and looking at my reviews for the previous 2 books, I have stated that Heloise is one of the finest and most engaging female protagonists the fantasy world has seen. To be an adult and have the ability to become enamored with a young character such as herself; to be there with her through all of the trials and tribulations, deaths of loved ones, victories and defeats, and the coming-of-age process over the course of 3 books that are basically comprised of several months. It is staggering.
On top of that, Cole has created this world that I feel still has untapped potential. I know you can say that about a ton of books, but there are so many places left to be explored and stones left unturned that it wouldn’t surprise me if the author brought us back sometime in the future. I also have many questions that predate this entire trilogy that, even though I would love to know more about, I am satisfied with the unknown. Can you tell that I really enjoyed it?
Guys, I don’t know what else I can say that will make you pick up this series. Warhammer-esque power armor, huge bloody battles, devils, magic, LOVE. It is all there. Just buy The Armored Saint and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.
November 11, 2019
"The need to give him what he wanted, to climb out of the machine and into his arms, was so great that it nearly overwhelmed the terror that gripped her at the thought of leaving the machine, the anxiety that if she embraced her father, she would be Heloise again, not the armored saint she needed to be."
The final book in Myke Cole's emotionally wrought The Sacred Throne trilogy, The Killing Light, is absolutely gorgeous. The series as a whole is one of my all-time favorites!
The progression on the covers (the first two from Tommy Arnold and this one by Chris McGrath) tell a story in itself.. from Heloise wearing oversized armor in book one as a young woman, to the armor fitting her more as an adult warrior in the final book. Her eyes say everything - she has been through hell and back! All three are stunning, but it's this last cover that just completely smashes it for me! McGrath encapsulated the very essence of Heloise Factor in one brilliant piece.
"She had been so brave for so long that now, looking at the devils, she had no courage left to her."
Now, for my usual spiel about how this is book three in a trilogy and if you have yet to read the previous two books, then you should probably get on that. Because this series is fucking outstanding and you are missing out! WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
::ahem::
But also, you will want to skip the rest of this review just in case.
The Killing Light rages on with the story of Heloise and her loyal army marching to the Imperial Capital, about to face their greatest challenge yet. They are in pursuit of taking it over, but at what cost?
The opposition is escalating, allies are quickly diminishing and injuries are mounting. Except, these evil forces haven't met a warrior like Heloise Factor before! The knife-handed, devil-slayer and all-around badass that she is. I couldn't love her more! She is fierce, complex and brave. Brave not only because she is powerful, but because she is resilient. She endures. She faces her fears and when she feels like she can't go on anymore.. she does. She truly is the hero we need.
Breathless action scenes, heart felt character work and nearly perfect pacing. This series completely wrecked me! It's a masterclass in translating onto the page ALL THE FEELINGS! I was left moony eyed and a little weepy. Okay.. a lot weepy! Heloise will forever be a favorite for me, simply because I'll never forget her. She is a character that I'll hold dear to my heart. Always.
Heloise Factor is someone who just wanted the right to be themselves, without shame. Instead, she was forced to fight a war that was seemingly beyond winning. A battle to bring freedom to her people from the zealots who control their land and impose their beliefs upon them.
For all of the horror within this series, Myke Cole writes beautifully and turns a phrase as well as anyone. That juxtaposition is what makes me go weak in the knees when I'm reading a dark fantasy series. Brutal, grim, bleak.. yet there's an inkling of hope.
The relationship between Heloise and Xilyka is something I need more of! Oof. A raw, genuine, electric coupling that continues to grow into this achingly real connection. With Xilyka's never-ending support, Heloise is able to discover who she is outside of the war machine. She finds something other than fighting to value. Xilyka teaches her that she is so much more than what her outer package reflects. It's who she is inside that matters. Life is about loving who you love, without fear or remorse.
This series is for those of us that like our fantasy diverse and intelligent and stabby and gut-punchy! The writing is brilliant and the worldbuilding staggeringly vivid!
I've tried to do this book, this series justice, but nothing I say can properly capture the soul-crushing beauty that it contains. You just have to read it for yourself!
The Wheel continues to turn..
(Endless thanks to Tor.com Publishing for sending me a copy to flail over!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
The final book in Myke Cole's emotionally wrought The Sacred Throne trilogy, The Killing Light, is absolutely gorgeous. The series as a whole is one of my all-time favorites!
The progression on the covers (the first two from Tommy Arnold and this one by Chris McGrath) tell a story in itself.. from Heloise wearing oversized armor in book one as a young woman, to the armor fitting her more as an adult warrior in the final book. Her eyes say everything - she has been through hell and back! All three are stunning, but it's this last cover that just completely smashes it for me! McGrath encapsulated the very essence of Heloise Factor in one brilliant piece.
"She had been so brave for so long that now, looking at the devils, she had no courage left to her."
Now, for my usual spiel about how this is book three in a trilogy and if you have yet to read the previous two books, then you should probably get on that. Because this series is fucking outstanding and you are missing out! WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
::ahem::
But also, you will want to skip the rest of this review just in case.
The Killing Light rages on with the story of Heloise and her loyal army marching to the Imperial Capital, about to face their greatest challenge yet. They are in pursuit of taking it over, but at what cost?
The opposition is escalating, allies are quickly diminishing and injuries are mounting. Except, these evil forces haven't met a warrior like Heloise Factor before! The knife-handed, devil-slayer and all-around badass that she is. I couldn't love her more! She is fierce, complex and brave. Brave not only because she is powerful, but because she is resilient. She endures. She faces her fears and when she feels like she can't go on anymore.. she does. She truly is the hero we need.
Breathless action scenes, heart felt character work and nearly perfect pacing. This series completely wrecked me! It's a masterclass in translating onto the page ALL THE FEELINGS! I was left moony eyed and a little weepy. Okay.. a lot weepy! Heloise will forever be a favorite for me, simply because I'll never forget her. She is a character that I'll hold dear to my heart. Always.
Heloise Factor is someone who just wanted the right to be themselves, without shame. Instead, she was forced to fight a war that was seemingly beyond winning. A battle to bring freedom to her people from the zealots who control their land and impose their beliefs upon them.
For all of the horror within this series, Myke Cole writes beautifully and turns a phrase as well as anyone. That juxtaposition is what makes me go weak in the knees when I'm reading a dark fantasy series. Brutal, grim, bleak.. yet there's an inkling of hope.
The relationship between Heloise and Xilyka is something I need more of! Oof. A raw, genuine, electric coupling that continues to grow into this achingly real connection. With Xilyka's never-ending support, Heloise is able to discover who she is outside of the war machine. She finds something other than fighting to value. Xilyka teaches her that she is so much more than what her outer package reflects. It's who she is inside that matters. Life is about loving who you love, without fear or remorse.
This series is for those of us that like our fantasy diverse and intelligent and stabby and gut-punchy! The writing is brilliant and the worldbuilding staggeringly vivid!
I've tried to do this book, this series justice, but nothing I say can properly capture the soul-crushing beauty that it contains. You just have to read it for yourself!
The Wheel continues to turn..
(Endless thanks to Tor.com Publishing for sending me a copy to flail over!)
**The quotes above were taken from an ARC & are subject to change upon publication**
December 10, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! This book is the final one of The Sacred Throne trilogy. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the previous two then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
I really did enjoy getting the conclusion to the story of Heloise. I thought the series be satisfying on the whole and book three was a quick and engaging read. The highlight of this series for me were the character interactions and struggles. I actually liked Heloise’s viewpoints and changing inter-personal relationships more than the magic and action scenes. The other interesting takeaway was that the middle book of the trilogy was me favourite. I am hard pressed to think of another trilogy where that be the case.
The minor issue with book three be that some of the fighting sequences beggared belief. The odds were so overwhelming at times that I mentally rolled me eyes at Heloise’s successes. And yet her realistic suffering both mentally and physically kept me engrossed. The plot also had some very unexpected turns that I loved. I wasn’t a huge fan of how the demons were defeated but I am a huge Heloise fan for sure. Even if I don’t envy her future.
I am so glad that I didn’t give up on the trilogy after book one because this was a great series. All three novellas pack a punch and I highly recommend them. Arrr!
I really did enjoy getting the conclusion to the story of Heloise. I thought the series be satisfying on the whole and book three was a quick and engaging read. The highlight of this series for me were the character interactions and struggles. I actually liked Heloise’s viewpoints and changing inter-personal relationships more than the magic and action scenes. The other interesting takeaway was that the middle book of the trilogy was me favourite. I am hard pressed to think of another trilogy where that be the case.
The minor issue with book three be that some of the fighting sequences beggared belief. The odds were so overwhelming at times that I mentally rolled me eyes at Heloise’s successes. And yet her realistic suffering both mentally and physically kept me engrossed. The plot also had some very unexpected turns that I loved. I wasn’t a huge fan of how the demons were defeated but I am a huge Heloise fan for sure. Even if I don’t envy her future.
I am so glad that I didn’t give up on the trilogy after book one because this was a great series. All three novellas pack a punch and I highly recommend them. Arrr!
May 25, 2020
A very solid finish to a series that I thought was quite excellent overall. I liked all the different fantasy elements that Cole brought together, which made for such an interesting mix.
I don't have much interest in reading the military fiction that Cole usually writes, but I would certainly pick up another fantasy if he chooses to write one, or even SF?
I don't have much interest in reading the military fiction that Cole usually writes, but I would certainly pick up another fantasy if he chooses to write one, or even SF?
January 31, 2020
2 Stars!
Hmm. I was hoping to enjoy The Killing Light more than I did. The series started strong with The Armored Saint, but I felt the 2nd book dropped off considerably, and this final installment disappointed me even more. I had trouble buying into the plot in the 2nd and 3rd books. Even more concerning was the lack of depth of the characters. I felt the ancillary characters needed more development in the series. Heloise, who is the main point of view for the entire series, even started to disappoint.
Series Review:
The Armored Saint: 5/5 stars
The Queen of Crows: 3/5 stars
The Killing Light: 2/5 stars
Hmm. I was hoping to enjoy The Killing Light more than I did. The series started strong with The Armored Saint, but I felt the 2nd book dropped off considerably, and this final installment disappointed me even more. I had trouble buying into the plot in the 2nd and 3rd books. Even more concerning was the lack of depth of the characters. I felt the ancillary characters needed more development in the series. Heloise, who is the main point of view for the entire series, even started to disappoint.
Series Review:
The Armored Saint: 5/5 stars
The Queen of Crows: 3/5 stars
The Killing Light: 2/5 stars
February 17, 2020
In the previous book we learned of the shocking hypocrisy of the Order. The Order persecutes the people of the Empire with the excuse of wiping out wizards before they can summon devils, but it turns out that the Order uses wizards themselves. We start this with Heloise barely holding together an alliance of villagers, travelers and the Red Lords as they head towards the capitol of the Empire. The situation looks bad when the Order appears to have rallied a large army ahead of them, only for things to go from bad to catastrophic when the Order's use of wizards catches up to them in the worst way.
This is a fantastic series that doesn't shy from showing the real cost of war to the people who fight it, but equally being clear that some fights aren't possible to walk away from. It also does a brilliant job at highlighting the trauma that even the strongest fighters suffer. Heloise can't leave her tinker armor: she finds it psychologically impossible. (I have questions relating to toilet mechanics, but I'll ignore those). It also shows to great effect the uniting power of a common enemy.
I do have a minor issue with how it finishes (this one cries out for an epilogue), in that it feels like that this is only a satisfactory ending because the story cuts when it does.
This is a fantastic series that doesn't shy from showing the real cost of war to the people who fight it, but equally being clear that some fights aren't possible to walk away from. It also does a brilliant job at highlighting the trauma that even the strongest fighters suffer. Heloise can't leave her tinker armor: she finds it psychologically impossible. (I have questions relating to toilet mechanics, but I'll ignore those). It also shows to great effect the uniting power of a common enemy.
I do have a minor issue with how it finishes (this one cries out for an epilogue), in that it feels like that this is only a satisfactory ending because the story cuts when it does.
January 11, 2024
Not a bad ending! It's definitely a very fast series. Doesn't go deep into world building or details, but it was enjoyable at least.
Haloise's war against the order shifts once a portal appears and a horde of devil's pours out. She has to join with what few people remain of the Empire and win the day.
Oh, and the whole Emperor religion is a lie, no one was sitting on the throne, but one that brings comfort to people. Same as our real life faiths, I'd say.
I do think this needed to be fleshed out more with some of the worldbuilding. I don't fully understand how this works functions, but it's not a big deal.
Haloise's war against the order shifts once a portal appears and a horde of devil's pours out. She has to join with what few people remain of the Empire and win the day.
Oh, and the whole Emperor religion is a lie, no one was sitting on the throne, but one that brings comfort to people. Same as our real life faiths, I'd say.
I do think this needed to be fleshed out more with some of the worldbuilding. I don't fully understand how this works functions, but it's not a big deal.
April 1, 2020
This story was gut-wrenching, as Heloise and everyone she’s picked up make their way together to the Emperor, with all the many divisions and hatreds exacerbated by exhaustion and hunger. Heloise is too angry, tired, grieving, put upon by everyone’s demands, and psychologically battered to exit the machine (begging the question of what about needing to eliminate?....)
The story action is fierce, with the stakes getting believably bigger with each new setback. And there are several. The different faiths and beliefs of each band within Heloise’s army was a source of much friction, showing how fragile and mistrusting the whole arrangement was, and had me tensely wondering what would blow this whole thing apart. Like the devils, who were even more terrifying when they reappeared.
And meanwhile, there’s a lovely, sweet romance growing between Heloise and Xilyka, the only relationship Heloise has that is fully supportive and equal.
I was satisfied by the wrap-up of this wonderful series, and felt this was a fantastic end to a terrific trilogy.
The story action is fierce, with the stakes getting believably bigger with each new setback. And there are several. The different faiths and beliefs of each band within Heloise’s army was a source of much friction, showing how fragile and mistrusting the whole arrangement was, and had me tensely wondering what would blow this whole thing apart. Like the devils, who were even more terrifying when they reappeared.
And meanwhile, there’s a lovely, sweet romance growing between Heloise and Xilyka, the only relationship Heloise has that is fully supportive and equal.
I was satisfied by the wrap-up of this wonderful series, and felt this was a fantastic end to a terrific trilogy.
February 2, 2023
Every step of the way, someone had to die—as if the world were a thing that turned only on the promise of blood, the only currency it would accept. No matter how stupid, no matter how small the need, the blood-toll would be taken.
November 20, 2019
A series that started strong but never really deeply explored its themes or gave a satisfying pay off for all of its set ups.
The main character's sexuality is never explored beyond literally falling instantly in love with any attractive girl she meets.
The themes of dangerous unyielding dogma isn't explored beyond "those church guys sure are jerks!".
The main character starts as a scared child, develops into a warrior who threatens everyone who doesn't listen to her with death in book 2, and then reverts back to being a scared child in book 3 for no real reason.
Also, instead of getting better with her armor as the story goes on, she is as skilled with it as she needs to be for what the story needs at any given time. In one passage of this volume she is so nimble with it that she can quickly block people from running past her. In other passages she is constantly falling over in it like a clumsy oaf.
The main villain never gets much more development besides him just being an asshole. His story does get a tiny bit more fleshed out in this last volume, but I found it extremely unsatisfying and shallow. The demons never get fleshed out more than just being slobbering goons.
The ending didn't leave me saying "Wow, what a journey I took in this trilogy!" I just felt "Ok, well that's over I guess...". I didn't feel like I had been on a journey, but just watched a bunch of random things happen. On a related note, I didn't feel connected to any of these characters. They either didn't grow and develop at all (pretty much everyone) or grew in uncharacteristic and/or confusing ways (the main villain).
Finally, what is Cole trying to say in this story? .
The main character's sexuality is never explored beyond literally falling instantly in love with any attractive girl she meets.
The themes of dangerous unyielding dogma isn't explored beyond "those church guys sure are jerks!".
The main character starts as a scared child, develops into a warrior who threatens everyone who doesn't listen to her with death in book 2, and then reverts back to being a scared child in book 3 for no real reason.
Also, instead of getting better with her armor as the story goes on, she is as skilled with it as she needs to be for what the story needs at any given time. In one passage of this volume she is so nimble with it that she can quickly block people from running past her. In other passages she is constantly falling over in it like a clumsy oaf.
The main villain never gets much more development besides him just being an asshole. His story does get a tiny bit more fleshed out in this last volume, but I found it extremely unsatisfying and shallow. The demons never get fleshed out more than just being slobbering goons.
The ending didn't leave me saying "Wow, what a journey I took in this trilogy!" I just felt "Ok, well that's over I guess...". I didn't feel like I had been on a journey, but just watched a bunch of random things happen. On a related note, I didn't feel connected to any of these characters. They either didn't grow and develop at all (pretty much everyone) or grew in uncharacteristic and/or confusing ways (the main villain).
Finally, what is Cole trying to say in this story? .
November 21, 2019
Perfectly done.
December 28, 2019
As Myke Cole concludes this stunning, trilogy, he succeeds in his initial challenge to write in this Fantasy genre, I for one, am glad he rose to the challenge, and can definitively say he exceeded my expectations. This trilogy is dark at times, but continuously circles back to belief in oneself, incredible challenges met, and self doubt conquered through extraordinary circumstances. I enjoyed this trilogy, never doubted Cole's abilities to meet the challenges he put on himself and as he emerges victorious in his writing, I sincerely hope he continues in this genre. The characters are heartfelt, the battles, losses and gains are heartwrenching, while reaffirming. Thank you Myke Cole, I look forward to reading more of your work, I am a fan.
November 20, 2019
5 Stars hands down. Great pace and action to this series. Sorry to see this series end but it goes to prove Myke Cole and an excellent story teller, historian, and Paladin in 5th Edition.
Highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy set in space. The plot really reminds me of Joan of Arc set to a campaign of War Hammer 40K
Highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy set in space. The plot really reminds me of Joan of Arc set to a campaign of War Hammer 40K
March 13, 2020
Notes:
Weakest book of 3. Many of the ideas & story elements were engaging & had potential for making the story complete but those elements were not pursued. A tidy ending with little attempt at real closure to the world.
Weakest book of 3. Many of the ideas & story elements were engaging & had potential for making the story complete but those elements were not pursued. A tidy ending with little attempt at real closure to the world.
December 23, 2019
Gorgeous. Stunning. Haunting. Perfect. I think this may be my new favorite ending to a series? I am in love with Helios and I want to hug her forever. Make Cole is an incredible author and I am very excited to dive into his back log and to pick up any and all books he publishes in the future.
January 6, 2020
I have to say I originally fell in love with this trilogy, with what it tried to do, with its style and pacing, with every last one of its character and its story. The first book was an utter joy to read. So was the second, up until the disappointing Deus Ex Machina at the end of it.
This one wrecked any last hope I had with half a book still to go. Its not that the ending was bad, or that the characters themselves turned tedious. I enjoyed reading about most of them, thought they were all intriguing and well-written. And I actually enjoyed the ending itself as well, if an ending can ever be considered apart from all the plot elements that drive the story into it.
What I truly hated was the choice of making the devils into the main antagonists of the story, instead of the Order, when the other two books spent themselves basically setting the Order as the enemy. It was both lazy and disappointing. In one fell swoop the author killed what I consider was the driving heart of the series, and replaced with a standard and generic 'save the world' that felt utterly flat, all the more because the devils were utterly boring as enemies.
I would have much preferred a final confrontation between Tone and Heloise, and think it would have been more fitting with the story of the two previous entries.
This one wrecked any last hope I had with half a book still to go. Its not that the ending was bad, or that the characters themselves turned tedious. I enjoyed reading about most of them, thought they were all intriguing and well-written. And I actually enjoyed the ending itself as well, if an ending can ever be considered apart from all the plot elements that drive the story into it.
What I truly hated was the choice of making the devils into the main antagonists of the story, instead of the Order, when the other two books spent themselves basically setting the Order as the enemy. It was both lazy and disappointing. In one fell swoop the author killed what I consider was the driving heart of the series, and replaced with a standard and generic 'save the world' that felt utterly flat, all the more because the devils were utterly boring as enemies.
I would have much preferred a final confrontation between Tone and Heloise, and think it would have been more fitting with the story of the two previous entries.
April 16, 2020
4.5 stars. Deeply impressive. In his afterword the author said he wrote (and struggled for years) to write this trilogy to prove he was more than a writer of contemporary military fantasy (as he put it, a sub-sub-subgenre) - he was a writer. He succeeded.
November 12, 2019
While not my favorite of the series, a very strong, very satisfying ending to Heloise's tale. Everything converges into one last battle, and things will never be the same.
I still do not like Heloise, but she has had a lot of growth over the three books, and we can definitely see the growth in Killing Light.
This is the first of the three that I read and did not listen to (thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher) and while I missed the narrator, I still heard her voice as I read Heloise :) so that was nice.
Anyway, highly highly recommend!
I still do not like Heloise, but she has had a lot of growth over the three books, and we can definitely see the growth in Killing Light.
This is the first of the three that I read and did not listen to (thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher) and while I missed the narrator, I still heard her voice as I read Heloise :) so that was nice.
Anyway, highly highly recommend!
December 14, 2024
Ah, the harsh truths of the world are revealed.
There are no devils in hell for all are on Earth in the forms of men.
There is no one coming to save you, get up and save yourself.
Something that some of us learn early, oh so terribly early. Some of us learn later. Some of us never learn. Those who conceal the truth to hold power over others… they are the true devils of this world.
There are no devils in hell for all are on Earth in the forms of men.
There is no one coming to save you, get up and save yourself.
Something that some of us learn early, oh so terribly early. Some of us learn later. Some of us never learn. Those who conceal the truth to hold power over others… they are the true devils of this world.
February 24, 2025
I liked this way more than book 2 for sure. Again same gripes with how fast it pushed through everything and lack the world building I so desire in books but the action is so killer in this series. Overall the trilogy was a fun read and praise be to Myke Cole for putting together for us.
also where’s my corpse god on his throne??? Totally could’ve been a warhammer reference somewhere in here
also where’s my corpse god on his throne??? Totally could’ve been a warhammer reference somewhere in here
November 15, 2019
What an amazing and emotional ending to this trilogy. Powerful yet human, the story had me fully invested in Heloise. Myke did a terrific job writing - allowing her to question herself, to be emotional balanced with being able to fight when needed, yet get hurt. Really enjoyed this storyline.
November 5, 2019
A brilliant, a poignant, and a realistic end to this military fantasy series!!!
Review of the entire trilogy will be available in the future!
Review of the entire trilogy will be available in the future!
December 22, 2019
Short but oh so powerful.
Read
June 24, 2020While I enjoyed this series, I am removing my rating and adding a note that Myke Cole is a serial harasser. He acknowledges this and has apologized - twice. Once in 2018 and again in 2020. I will no longer support his writing.
November 13, 2019
Great conclusion to the story of Heloise Factor. Literally could not put this book down.
December 29, 2019
A heart-wrenching conclusion to this fantastic trilogy. Worth your time.
December 16, 2019
Perfect ending to a series that never felt predictable or predetermined. The short format I think actually works counter to the story Cole is telling here; it feels like more happens in this book than the previous two combined. But the world is solid, Cole's prose is strong, and Heloise is one hell of a tough heroine. This series is an easy recommendation for folks who like fantasy but don't like the 1000 page volumes so commonly associated with the genre.
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