The Beauty of Darkness (Remnant Chronicles #3) by

Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

Date Finished: December 15, 2016

The last book in a series is always a completely different beast from all the other books because it has to somehow wrap up everything that has happened throughout the series in a satisfying way and that is surprisingly hard to do. I try to reasonable when it comes to last books, but at the same time there are so many amazing series that rock the last book, is that really so much to ask?

And while this book was a pretty good conclusion for the series, there were still some things that I felt were lacking. 

One of those things was the relationship between Lia and Rafe. They kind of ignore the real world while they are crossing the plains and somehow imagine that their love will overcome all politics no matter what. Only to return to civilization and crack within the first few days. She won't change, he tries to cage her, and then when he finally decides to let her go and save her country, even though he provides his support, its at the cost of the relationship. There was no, hey come find me when you're done. It was, if you do this then we're over. Then when he comes to her rescue he's engaged to someone else. And then it isn't until everything is over that they finally decide to make it work. But here's the problem. She's the queen of one country, He's the king of another, and yet no one has any intention of uniting the kingdoms and yet in the last scene they say that they are going to make it work no matter what.

So, let's imagine that for a second. Let's say they chose to get married, or just be lovers if they so choose, without uniting the kingdoms. Both kingdoms are still going to need an heir. Maybe she chooses an heir from among the people, but Rafe will still need an heir. So, does he have an heir with someone from his kingdom or does their child become his heir. Does that then mean that any of their children will be raised with him. Will they spend six months in each country or only live exclusively in the kingdom they will rule? And on and on it goes. There are so many complications that them saying they were going to make it work sounded more like an empty promise to me than anything else. Saying they will work things out just covers up the fact that logistically there is no good way to work it out without one of their kingdoms suffering. 

I will say that I was very happy with how things ended with Kaden. For a while I was worried they would try to complicate the love triangle again but I feel like that worked out the way the author played that all out.

The other thing that left me wanting more was the ending with the Komizar. There was all this build up and then when the big confrontation finally happens there is absolutely no confrontation. He is pushed over the edge of a cliff and that's the end of it. There is no struggle, no fight beforehand, no desperation, nothing. Just, oh no there's the Komizar, oh, and now it's over. 

And yet, despite these things that frustrated me, there were also plenty of things that I liked. Lia really comes into her own and learns to have confidence. She saves her kingdom, and in doing so saves all the other too. So, even though I wasn't fully satisfied, it was still a good book, and a good ending.