A good conclusion to the trilogy, and it kept me hooked throughout with subtle twists and revelations that were integral to the thrilling story. The characters were fleshed out pretty well, and I liked most of them, even the antagonist who is a morally grey character. Steiger have written an entertaining tale here which deserves more acclaim, faithfully retaining the trends of epic fantasy with a modernist twist that has politics, action, magic, and a host of intriguing characters that lends life to the story - the making and breaking of a nation.
The worldbuilding is excellent, and is filled with interesting bits of lore and history. If Steiger wishes, she could return to this world once again, probably with a series that covers the golden era of magic, or with a series that tells the tale of rise and fall of the Elesthenian empire, or she can develop a standalone on the Arunian kingdom with its master swordsmen and their Asian inspired Culture. I'll be the first to gobble that up. I would have liked a more detailed explanation into the magic system, the spirits/gods, but I'm content with whatever I got to read, because that's what magic is supposed to be - a little mysterious and incomprehensible.
The ending was satisfying, as everyone got to live, at least my favourite characters did so. I was expecting the death of one dear character, but although she went some through really rough situation, she did survive to the end. As the structure of the story goes, there are a lot of side narratives and multiple characters to handle, but, Steiger did balance them quite well without affecting the pace of the novel. Readers who want to read an exciting fantasy series which is finished, which has a good story, action, adventure, a little romance, and magic should definitely pick this up.