meg hearts books

The end of a trilogy is a scary thing, this is the last chance for all loose ends to be tied up and a part of me always goes into it thinking ‘WHAT IF IT ALL GOES HORRIBLY WRONG?!’ I am pleased to say that these fears are completely unfounded when it comes to The Bitter Kingdom. This book is the perfect end to Elisa’s story and I loved every bit of it to pieces. Here’s a few (spoiler free) reasons to flail your heart out over this book:(This was me when my copy arrived in the mail. Actually I was probably a little more extreme. I smashed an ugly lamp into the wall.)1. Elisa is my hero. She is just so damn smart and I adore that despite her powers, this is her greatest strength. When I say despite her powers, that’s saying something. Elisa’s been growing stronger and more powerful with every book and she’s pretty untouchably badass in this one. She faces down her enemies with steely determination and watching her quick brain stay one step ahead of everyone around her was a pleasure to read. Book 3 Elisa is almost unrecognizable from book 1 Elisa and the conclusion of her arc makes my heart hurt like a mama bird watching her babies take flight. 2. Hector, oh Hector. I SO NEEDED MY HECTOR FIX AND THIS BOOK DELIVERS BY THE TRUCKLOAD (dual POV anybody?) There’s a Rae Carson Q&A over on Good Books and Good Wine (link) where she explains that when writing Hector, she set out to see if she could make “100% idealized goodness” sexy. She does you guys, she totally does. Hector is up to usual Hector things: loving Elisa, protecting her, supporting her, believing in her and respecting her and I can't get enough.3. Elisa’s crew is THE BEST. I've adored Storm since his first appearance and watching him become a part of Elisa’s group (while still maintaining his hilarious Invierno bluntness of course) was a pleasure. Mara and Elisa’s friendship is beautiful as always, I love the sisterhood between these two girls and am glad that dynamic is included in the book. Bonus points for a fabulous new addition. Mula/Red has stolen my heart, she had me laughing out loud in almost every scene she was in. If Rae Carson ever wants to write a standalone or novella about her, I am so totally in.4. The world building is flawless. Once again Elisa and Co find themselves in an epic quest through unknown territory. It says something that this continual travel story-line hasn't gotten old AT ALL. I love discovering all of the corners of Elisa’s world, the thoroughness and detail with which Rae Carson writes the scenes put you right there with the characters. 5. The plot does not disappoint. As far as I can tell, every loose end is not only tied up but tied up in a believable and satisfying way. There was no point that I thought ‘ugh, I wish this had happened instead’. The pacing is fantastic. I really appreciate that Rae Carson, while not one to pull an emotional punch, does not appear to enjoy torturing her readers by relentlessly drawing out the angst (Sarah Rees Brennan, I’m looking at you). She delivers timely payoffs and then sets up new tension, an effortless cycle of highs and lows that carry you through the book and leave you tense and satisfied all at the same time.There are so many amazing things about this book, my list would be years long if I really let myself go on and on about it. Just go read it, the whole trilogy is so worth it in every way. Smart, determined heroine who embodies important things for girls to look up to? Check. A flawless love interest who manages to be smolder-y as hell while still being a completely honorable gentleman? Check. A ragtag group of misfits who band together and become a sarcastic, quippy, hilarious family? Check. Epic fantasy adventures made accessible for all readers? Check. This trilogy has it all.Thank you Rae Carson, this has been one hell of a ride and you are on my auto-buy list for life.