All books have a dark moment, right before things get better. This book, the third in the Thornchapel series, ends in the ultimate dark moment. Relationships were not great during this book. They were intense and hopeful and painful and tragic, making me fall in love with each of the characters. And now so many things are broken between them. Between Saint and Auden. Between Rebecca and Delphine. Between Poe and Becket. Between Becket and his faith. Between Auden and his fears.
I stayed up way too late reading this. Not going to lie: I cried a lot. Even moments that were supposed to be good were etched with so much inescapable pain. This story delves into some dark topics, such as a character experiencing PTSD following a previous sexual assault and another two characters navigating new constraints to their relationship with inescapable knowledge hanging over their heads.
How will Simone write her way out of this for the final book in the series? I have some theories, based on hints sown. Are they hopes that I’m grasping for so that everyone can live happily ever after? I have no idea. The magical realism elements of this series become more apparent in this book, edging closer to fantasy and prophecy and fate. Love is a major theme of this series, but not all love is romance. Sometimes it’s also tragedy.
I hate that I have to wait 6 months until I get to read the final book. I love that this means I’ll get to re-read the first three right beforehand.
Rating: 5 (out of 5) books. Cross-posted to Amazon and Goodreads.