Book three has the same fast pacing and banter as books one and two, but things come a bit unraveled plot-wise.

Serce and Wolf are indeed dead. Many new POVs are introduced and the plot becomes a bit muddled with the origin story of the fae and the goddess Zerra. The book needed the support of a strong-handed developmental editor. That said, a welcome addition is Gabriel’s point of view, which helps us to understand the curse of the warders and his actions a bit more. 

The end is a pretty big cliffhanger though I don’t for a moment believe that

Nadir

is dead. There are so many loose ends that I have my doubts that everything can possibly be wrapped up in the fourth, and reportedly final, book.

With the introduction of so many new characters, the development of the other secondary characters remains largely where it was in book two. 

The diverse representation of the series continues to hold strong, though I recognized fewer South Asian influences in this one (which could be due to my own ignorance). 

The spice… Well, the slow burn finally catches fire.

With Lor finally realizing that she and Nadir are mates, the swooniness increases too. Though I found the complete lack of hesitation in her feelings a little unrealistic (she says about a series about fae kingdoms 😂)

. I thought we were going to get some fun spicy scenes with the intro of the House of Payne, but that wish sadly went unfulfilled. 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Overall, I really liked it. The banter, pacing, and tension between Lor and Nadir kept me interested, even if the plot got a little convoluted. I will read the final book when it comes out (though I may wait for it to hit the library). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5