bright ruins

4 stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the final book in the Dark Gifts trilogy. The story picks up right after the last book left off. Abi has escaped the Blood Fair and continues to fight with the rebels to take down the Equals. A new Equal with an astounding gift aids the rebel’s cause and they plot one of the biggest protests yet.

Luke has combined forces with Silyen to discover more about the Skill and the mysterious Wonder King. This part of the book was a bit off-base for me and didn’t really seem to fit in the story. It almost seemed like the author decided she needed one more random storyline to fill out the book and added this one. That being said, the storyline definitely left open the possibility for a second trilogy based on it.

Abi and Luke travel throughout England on their separate quests. Meanwhile Gavar has finally been pushed too far by his father and must decide if he will remain loyal to the Equals or join the rebel’s cause.

This book has good character development. Each one faces serious moral dilemmas and are tested to see if they have the courage of their convictions. There is a lot of political intrigue and maneuvering in this story. Unfortunately there are also several deaths – no one is safe in this book! There are also some really cool, imaginative fight scenes that will delight and entertain the reader.

I’m conflicted about the ending. The story wraps up, but there are definitely some questions left hanging and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Overall, this was a very enjoyable book series that I highly recommend you read.