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nonesensed's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
It is time for Galitha's fate to be decided. The revolutionaries are marching on those nobles (like the King) who have refused to acknowledge their own country's new laws that were a step towards democracy. It's promising to be a long and bloody fight. In the middle of all this, Sophie does her best to both aid the war effort and not worry about her betrothed, her formerly-and-yet-still-quite estranged brother, and all her friends trapped by the civil war in one way or the other. It's a tall order.
What a ride! I won't spoil how it ends, but rest assured the build-up we've gotten in book 1 & 2 leads to something grand. Both the politics and the interpersonal relationships are as intricate as ever, though working in a much larger scale than yet seen. I am happy I read this book and I found how it all ended satisfying.
Recommended reading if you're looking for something with both political intrigue, revolution that actually challenges the status quo and a close look at interpersonal relationships to go with that. Do prepare yourself with a handkerchief for certain parts of this, war is never pretty or kind.
What a ride! I won't spoil how it ends, but rest assured the build-up we've gotten in book 1 & 2 leads to something grand. Both the politics and the interpersonal relationships are as intricate as ever, though working in a much larger scale than yet seen. I am happy I read this book and I found how it all ended satisfying.
Recommended reading if you're looking for something with both political intrigue, revolution that actually challenges the status quo and a close look at interpersonal relationships to go with that. Do prepare yourself with a handkerchief for certain parts of this, war is never pretty or kind.
khajpaj's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
1.0
The first book was good. The second was ok. This one fell flat. The ending was especially bad and not in line with the vibe of the rest of the the series. I recommend sticking to book one alone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
alexalily's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Murder, Violence, War, Death, and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Medical content, and Sexual content
khourianya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
jennms_qkw's review
4.0
Another fitting conclusion to an epic story. The end was so very sad though, it caught me off guard.
Still, strong women characters, class struggle, and sewing.
Still, strong women characters, class struggle, and sewing.
argentum_princeps's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kmj91's review
4.0
4 stars, a satisfying conclusion to a unique trilogy
The Galatine Civil War is in full swing the Red Cap rebels are barely holding their own against the entrenched nobility. Sophie and her love, the rebel prince Theodor, do what they can to build alliances and hold their fragmentary coalition together. One thing I really appreciate about this book that the emphasis is on much of the side of war that isn't often explored in fantasy: securing resources, negotiating alliances, figuring out concessions for troops and prisoners of war, managing camp followers, and so on. It's a unique perspective to see a war up close but from the perspective of someone who is not primarily a warrior. I can't get into much of the other parts I like without spoiling things but let's just say that the aftermath of a civil war is just as hard as waging one and the book deals heavily with the fallout of the conflict. I think things ended in a largely satisfactory manner but the previous two books were carefully balanced between epic fantasy and romantic fantasy but this final book decidedly stepped into epic and is probably not a good read for anyone who was hoping for a more romantic ending.
The Galatine Civil War is in full swing the Red Cap rebels are barely holding their own against the entrenched nobility. Sophie and her love, the rebel prince Theodor, do what they can to build alliances and hold their fragmentary coalition together. One thing I really appreciate about this book that the emphasis is on much of the side of war that isn't often explored in fantasy: securing resources, negotiating alliances, figuring out concessions for troops and prisoners of war, managing camp followers, and so on. It's a unique perspective to see a war up close but from the perspective of someone who is not primarily a warrior. I can't get into much of the other parts I like without spoiling things but let's just say that the aftermath of a civil war is just as hard as waging one and the book deals heavily with the fallout of the conflict. I think things ended in a largely satisfactory manner but the previous two books were carefully balanced between epic fantasy and romantic fantasy but this final book decidedly stepped into epic and is probably not a good read for anyone who was hoping for a more romantic ending.
gigiglorious's review
3.0
I finished Rule this morning, after binging through Fray and 2/3 of Rule yesterday. It's been a number of hours since I finished the book and I'm still angry about Theodor's death. I feel rather betrayed, in the sense of genre conventions. Torn gives you all the conventions of a fantasy romance, a commoner falling in love with the heir to the throne. In Fray, they get engaged, political reforms fail, and a civil war starts. It wasn't a romance with a capital R, but I expected a HEA. I did not get that HEA. Sure, Sophie and her allies come out on top of the civil war and create a new country that is not beholden to the rule of nobles.
Only Theodor dies. And he dies, shot by one of the lead revolutionaries at 90% of the bloody book. If he had died in the first book, I could have forgiven this. Sophie would have maybe found love again, or continued doing revolutionary work in Theodor's honour. Instead the HEA is ripped away from the reader, after 2.5 books of promoting that ending.
Torn had started out a decent read. Fray had been a remarked improvement. I fell deeply in love with this world and it's characters by the middle of the second book. I'm aware this is a very emotional response to the ending of this series. Miller is a great writer and did a fantastic job. Maybe someone who doesn't like romance and wanted the first book to have more war, will enjoy the ending. I'll still be checking out Miller's books in the future, but I don't think I can recommend this series.
Only Theodor dies. And he dies, shot by one of the lead revolutionaries at 90% of the bloody book. If he had died in the first book, I could have forgiven this. Sophie would have maybe found love again, or continued doing revolutionary work in Theodor's honour. Instead the HEA is ripped away from the reader, after 2.5 books of promoting that ending.
Torn had started out a decent read. Fray had been a remarked improvement. I fell deeply in love with this world and it's characters by the middle of the second book. I'm aware this is a very emotional response to the ending of this series. Miller is a great writer and did a fantastic job. Maybe someone who doesn't like romance and wanted the first book to have more war, will enjoy the ending. I'll still be checking out Miller's books in the future, but I don't think I can recommend this series.