Fan of the first two books loved how this book carried on with and developed the characters arcs and the plot, and I love how it all came together towards the end of the book. I really enjoyed this, and will be looking forward to this authors future works

*There may be some spoilers of the first and second book in this review*.

I loved this book. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could! This was such a great series I kind of want to re-read it already.

The characters in this series are so loveable I can't even decide on who is my favourite. Kiva is a great main character, and the emotional struggle she goes through in this book is so interesting. The ending of The gilded cage had me screaming and it was so interesting to see how it went in this book. I think she has perfect character development and arc, although I don't want to spoil the plot so I won't say much more on this. The ending comes full circle in the best way and I was not disappointed by the end of this series at all. Jaren is a great book boyfriend, although I was hoping to see a faster reconciliation between him and Kiva than I got. It was a very slow burn, lots of pining, sort of romance.

I am in love with every single side character in their new found-family (also LOVE that trope). Cresta? A surprising addition to the group who I grew to love very quickly considering I didn't like her much in the first book. Caldon? WOW I love this man he's so funny. Tipp? The baby of the group and I loved his struggle with accepting Kiva again. We also finally got to meet Ashlyn after only hearing her mentioned in the previous books, and I love her character. I also liked Torr, he struggled with their sisters deceit but I liked seeing him interact with the group, although I would've liked to have seen a little bit more of him. I really enjoyed the relationships between all of these characters, especially romantic ones that I did not see coming.

Now the plot. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but we know that Zuleeka is the villain from book 2. It was crazy to see the extent of what she had done and her battle for power. The light healing magic and the dark death magic was very interesting and I loved how Kiva never once considered using the dark magic, even when she was in difficult situations. The quest in this book was really interesting, although I knew it wasn't going to be as easy as it seemed. The twists in this were perfect, and by the end I was very satisfied with what had happened and how it ended.

Overall, this was the perfect ending to this series and I would definitely re-read this series because I loved it a lot. I would definitely recommend this to everyone, I can't think of anything I didn't like about it. I am so glad I got the chance to read this on netgalley before it was released.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘙𝘊.

I'm overjoyed to finally be able to read the final series of The Prison Healer because I've been anticipating it for quite some time. It tells the story of Kiva, who has to pay the price for betraying her friends. Kiva considers vengeance and saving the kingdom that is on the verge of being destroyed, as well as mending her relationship with Jaren.

I liked how Kiva ends up on a dangerous quest and encounters unexpected enemies. Then there's a character from the first book who reappears in this final series and whose presence actually drew my attention; I mean, I liked her character development the best. I'm irritated with Kiva and her heartbreak because she appears weak and helpless. Actually, there were many times when I was irritated with Kiva, and Jaren was like a grumpy child, lol. Fortunately, Kiva's quest with allies is quite exciting, albeit a little sluggish halfway through.

However, I really enjoyed it, in which the backstories of Kiva, her mother, and sister, as well as what happened in the first book, were explained in greater detail ❣️

How my messages to my friend went:

I adore Ashlyn
I think this series is now an all time favourite (I was about 40% in)
I liked the no messing around bit with Navok - here’s a tornado wielder
Can Jaren sort his life out please
Everyone else has forgiven Kiva
Jaren did the exact opposite and was an arse 👍🏻
Him saying she made him fall in love with a lie and they’ll part ways after she defeats her sister
Also 62% and they haven’t got a second ring yet
THERE ARE FOUR (I have 0 patience, had this been a hard copy I would've read the back page first)
Oh my heart. Her angeldust induced little ramble. This book is determined to make me cry (I don't cry at books)
CALDON 😭😭😭😭😭😭
CRESTA YOU MAGNIFICENT WOMAN
This book has continuously given me goosebumps
He’s aliveeeee
The Mystician was a good character too
Bye bye Rooke
That was excellent

This series has had me in a chokehold since TPH. I've really fallen out of love with fantasy recently but have spent the last 24 hours binging TBT to completion. I don't tend to cry at books but I was on the brink multiple times with the last instalment, it's hard to put into words the emotional rollercoaster Lynette Noni has managed to craft. Thank you Hodder for sending me a Netgalley widget - it's by far one of the best books i've read this year!

Now off to force more of my friends to invest...

Thank you to netgalley for giving me this arc.

I was left a bit disappointed by this book. I feel like I really got into this series in book 2 but lost interest while reading this one.

First of all I wish the magic system was explained better. But I also found the book very predictable due to its similarities with other books. I understand that there will obviously be similarities between books but these felt as though they had almost been picked up out of specific books and put in this one which stopped me being fully immersed in this world

★★★★★
Okay genuinely, this has become one of my favourite conclusions to a series ever.

*SPOILERS*
Watching Kiva battle her demons alongside Cresta broke my heart, she deserved NONE of that. And Cresta helping her?! Okay queen, pop OFF. The friendship we never knew we needed. Cresta was simply hilarious, I’m so mad we didn’t get more of her in the previous 2 books, and her FAMILY STORYLINE?! Lynette, how could you? I need a book on Cresta right NOW.

Jaren, Jaren, Jaren *eye roll*. I love this man, truly I do, but also… chill out?? Like, Kiva obvs is obsessed with you, and you were SO MEAN!!! She was just trying to do what she thought was right for her family, and didn’t have the full story, AND YOU JUST TOLD HER YOU WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH HER AND BROKE HER LITTLE HEART?! NO. I’m so cross, but you redeemed yourself, so I’ll forgive you, but you better give Kiva the world and more else I’ll kick off.

Caldon is honestly my favourite character in this entire series, he knows everything, he is SO funny, I’m in love brb. He adores Kiva so much, it hurts me, their relationship is so lush considering they both lost SO much. Nope imma cry again:(( I love u Cal bby<3

Honorary mention of Tipp - the little boy who made me sob, saved the day, and shattered my heart. I love you, like I love my nephew. Thanku Lynette for not harming the lil baby boy<3

Okay everyone go read these books right now, I mean it. Go.

💍The Blood Traitor💍

By Lynette Noni

🤫possible spoilers for all 3 books in the series🤫

Description:

She'd failed them. All of them. And now she was paying the price.

Kiva thought she knew what she wanted-revenge. But feelings change, people change . . . everything has changed.

After what happened at the palace, Kiva is desperate to know if her friends and family are safe, and whether those she wronged can ever forgive her. But with the kingdoms closer to the brink of war than they've ever been, and Kiva far away from the conflict, more is at stake than her own broken heart.

A fresh start will mean a perilous quest, forcing mortal enemies and uneasy allies together in a race against the clock to save not just Evalon, but all of Wenderall. With her loyalties now set, Kiva can no longer just survive-she must fight for what she believes in. For who she believes in. But with danger coming from every side, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, does she have what it takes to stand, or will she fall?

💍💍💍💍💍

After struggling a bit with the middle book of this trilogy, I was keen to read this final instalment to hopefully see Kiva find herself again, and help her friends turn things around.

It was great to see Kiva back in Zalindov, and interacting with some characters from her past.

Once out of the prison, we gets lots of drama as Kiva ends up on a quest and eventually reunites with her friends.

I felt like this book rounded out the trilogy really nicely. Kiva has reached a place where she knows what matters to her and what is right and is willing to fight for it. After all her uncertainty and poor decisions in the last book, it’s good to see her figure out who she wants to be.

Overall I really liked this series and I’ll look forward to what’s next from Lynette Noni.

Thanks to @netgalley and @hodderscape for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Blood Traitor is out on the 14th of June.

Headlines:
Trope check goodness
Unforgiveable?
Page-turner

I am so incredibly sad this series is over but then I couldn't help race-reading this because it was so unputdownable. Picking up immediately where we were so cruelly left at the end of The Gilded Cage, this installment rushed at my brain like a whirlwind, grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

Jaren, Jaren, Jaren, Kiva, Kiva, Kiva. Oh the longings, the emotions, the hurt, it was a lot of everything and at this point, I was so invested in this couple that I had to let out the breath I didn't know I was holding (I'm just messing with you) when they were on the page. The plot was so rich with found family goodness, I simply adored the cast of characters that found themselves on a quest. Tripp was a little more in the background but he still brought light when he was there.

It was so good to finally see the Corentine-Vallentis and other royal family stories go full circle, finding answers to series plot points and Noni delivered so well on these elements. Nothing was rushed, everything was carefully crafted and the journey readers have been taken on felt so worthy of these three books.

Also that last line of the book...precious.

I could definitely read a novella epilogue for these characters, pretty please?

Thank you to Hodder Books for the eARc and the ride!

*** Warning! This is the third and final installment of The Prison Healer trilogy so be aware that the following review may contain spoilers regarding the two previous books. And if you haven’t read The Prison Healer yet: It’s an amazing trilogy and you should definitely check it out! ***

So, where do I even begin with this one? What a journey it has been. I remember reading The Prison Healer for the first time and being completely ecstatic over having discovered yet another amazing author in Lynette Noni. Little did I know that her books would completely wreck me. Don’t take me wrong, I’ve loved every single second of reading this trilogy and how I wish I could read it for the first time all over again.

But the ending of The Gilded Cage, I mean, how could I not be completely and utterly wrecked by such a cliffhanger?! So, after waiting an entire year you can only imagine how excited I was when I finally got to read The Blood Traitor.

In retrospect, I have to admit that The Blood Traitor was more than worth waiting for. It’s the epic and thrilling conclusion to an equally epic trilogy we all waited for. I rarely find the third book in a trilogy to be as good as the first book but The Blood Traitor is an exception. Because I honestly like this book even more than The Prison Healer. I enjoyed reading The Prison Healer and I loved reading The Gilded Cage even more and I did not think for a moment that The Blood Traitor could top everything that happened in The Gilded Cage. I was wrong. So incredibly wrong, because it seems like Lynette Noni once again has outdone herself when it comes to story telling.

Okay, so now on to the actual book:

Kiva has come a long way since her days as the prison healer at Zalindov, the notorious death prison where she spent ten years of her life. Where she watched first her father and then her mother die.

She’s come a long way and yet she’s come nowhere at all. For when The Blood Traitor begins Kiva’s escape from Zalindov is but a painful memory. After all she’s done, everything she’s been through, Kiva still ends up back in the very place of her nightmares.

The Blood Traitor tells the story of how Kiva reaches absolute rock bottom. The story of how she falls so far into herself that the story could have ended right were it began, within the walls of Zalindov. And then, the story of how she fights her way back up. One small step at a time. I love how Lynette Noni has managed to depict such dark and painful feelings in such a real and relatable way. And I especially love how there’s always some humor and lighthearted scenes, even in the darkest of times.

This is, in my opinion, the best book in the trilogy and I truly wish I could give it more than five stars (it deserves at least 7 out of 5).

|| Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! ||

4.5/5 ⭐
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Plot:
The story kicks off exactly where it left off. Kiva has to survive to fix all her mistakes. She has no time to mourn her losses or let the physical or psychological pain consume her. There's a war brewing but it is beyond what she imagined and it's time for her to go on a new quest to stop dangerous power from overthrowing all the kingdoms reuniting with all she betrayed even when odds are against her.
My thoughts:
The book is extremely fast paced with full of action with back to back events. Every single character contributed to the story significantly and there was never a dull moment. Almost every character face numerous trials, goes through so much pain enduring horrible things one cannot digest but at last all of them get what they deserve. Not only the story brings back all the favorite characters from previous books, it also brings new dimension for other characters as well. The found family was just everything one could ask for. That said, as this is the last book in the series (where there cannot be a cliffhanger), we get to see all the shocking twists and turns throughout the book. Some twists could be guessed a mile away but there are some absolutely jaw dropping shocking events. So, the book will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I wish Jaren had been involved earlier in the action considering his mature character from the previous books but sure he gives his reasons. The romance quotient seems significantly lesser as the story comes to an end with this book.
There are some trigger warnings you should be aware of like drugs, addiction, withdrawals, suicidal thoughts, horrific deaths.

Thank you for NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This trilogy has been a journey like no other. I was beyond happy to be approved for an e-arc of this book because it has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2022.

Lynette Noni delivered, just as she delivered in The Prison Healer and The Gilded Cage. We had all our favourite characters and then some join us on an adventure that, in my opinion ended the way I always hoped it would.

What is absolutely amazing about this and this trilogy as a whole is that while being a YA book, light at times, it still managed to tackle some very important aspects of being a human. Of all the mistakes we make, the guilt we live with, even if it is unfounded, how to find our families among the friends who support us till the end, and how to let go of our real family when we know in our heart that they are doing the wrong thing. This book was a shining beacon in my life and I am still not over the last sentence.

All I can say that if you like YA fantasy, I would be surprised if you did not enjoy this trilogy. I dare you.

5million /5 stars

This series has been one of my favourites of the last few years, so The Blood Traitor was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Fortunately, it doesn't disappoint as a finale.

We pick up pretty much where we left off after THAT cliffhanger. All the favourite characters are back, with a few more besides - some who you will probably love; some who you will love to hate. The world of Wenderall is expanded this time, and we get to visit some more of the different kingdoms.

Just like the previous books in the trilogy, there are twists galore. If you're anything like me, you'll be so pleased with yourself for figuring out one that you'll be completely blindsided by another (which is just the way I like it).

All in all, a very satisfying conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable series. Would recommend!

First of all: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Second of all: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Oh my god this book was PERFECT!! What a magnificent ending to the trilogy, I am so happy with how it ended. Lynette Noni, you are amazing and a force of nature.

It is hard to talk about The Blood Traitor without giving away spoilers, so let me just say that Noni DELIVERS. She delivers on the pain, the emotions, the action, THE EMOTIONS!! (did I say that one??), the plot, the relationships, just everything . . .

Cal and Kiva are both so precious and I will protect them with my LIFE. I loved how this book made me love a character I never thought I'd love, but really she stole the show at points. I guessed the twist involving her and I LOVE IT and when is the spin off coming to follow her tale?? Noni you have a reader here in me. I'll be there as soon as it comes out of the printer.

I loved how this book showed found family, hope, courage, and forgiveness. I loved how the women in this book kicked ass. I loved how they didn't need to be physically strong to be strong. I loved how strength included being vulnerable, and allowing other people to help you when you need it. I loved the ending.

I think that just about sums up my review: I loved it.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was the most PERFECT final book to what has become one of my most treasured fantasy series. Kiva, Jaren, Caldon, Tipp, Cresta and the rest of their unlikely allies have tunnelled their way into my heart and I felt so close to them on their quest for the hand of the gods (LOTR vibes!!!), battles (mental and physical) and challenges! 😭

I ADORED where @lynettenoni took us as readers in this third instalment; it was a true feast for my brain and heart to go with and grow with this band of characters. The shocking twists, the heartache and the grief and love in equal measures left me feeling hollowed out and rubbed raw, whilst the ending left me a blubbering mess (see final video in this post!)… Feeling like I’m a part of a group of characters because I’m so immersed within and emotionally connected to a world is something I’ll never stop loving the feeling of, whilst reading. @lynettenoni certainly managed to pull this off in an INCREDIBLE way! 🤯

The last thing I want to mention is the depth that this book has to it. We explore addiction, sexuality, trauma, abuse, friendship, family loyalty and the ending of familial loyalty throughout this fantasy book and it was all done so beautifully, sensitively and in such a relatable way. I’m completely obsessed with those parts of the book because they’re what connects us to characters, I feel. 👏

Welcome to the favourites shelf in my heart, The Prison Healer series. You have most definitely earned your place. 🫶🥹👌

I have to admit, I was a bit worried about how this series would wrap up and what plotline we would follow in this book, but I'm pretty satisfied.

We start off in a familiar setting, with some familiar faces, and if you had told me at the beginning of this trilogy that Cresta would become a favourite character, I would have laughed in your face. But I loved her tough love and sarcastic brand of humor. She serves a similar role to Kiva as Caldon, albeit with an edge, and I guess I just really love it when characters are supportive of each other somehow. I also really like how she refuses to take any crap, and totally ignores Kiva shushing her when she felt there was information that needed to be shared. She's a major driver for the relationship developments we do get; as is to be expected, Kiva isn't Jaren's favourite person in the world anymore, and Kiva does very little to fix that.

That goes to the crux of my biggest problem with the book, which is, once again, Kiva herself. I'm not saying she isn't still a survivor, but I miss the Kiva who was clever and cunning enough to keep her identity a secret for ten years, and who never let on that Tilda was her mother, even while she had to take care of her. Ever since book two, she hasn't shown that she's someone who faces her problems. Instead, she runs away from them, avoiding conversations whenever possible, and even when she does decide to take action, it's very easy to dissuade her from it.

Luckily, this series has fantastic side characters that make up for the mess Kiva became. I still love Jaren, although part of me wishes the author had gone darker with him in this book. I wouldn't have minded seeing him in total despair and suffering from an identity crisis after the previous book's cliffhanger, but he's all in all very mature about everything. Caldon is as delightful as ever, and he owns my whole heart. Every soft moment between him and Kiva was instantly highlighted. Have I mentioned I have a thing for supportive characters?

Something else that I think could've been better is the way diversity was handled. We have one bisexual character and one ace character, but all the relationships we end up with are hetero. I didn't hate any of them, but it's definitely something I noticed.

There are a couple of plot twists, some more predictable than others, but overall this was just a very fun, fast read. I found myself reading until 1:30 AM two nights in a row. I wouldn't say this is one of the best YA series I've ever read, but I'd give it a 4 star rating overall. The romance is very solid and has a lot of the tropes I enjoy, and some pretty high stakes. There are a lot of plot conveniences, especially in this one, so it does require some "go with the flow"-ness to really enjoy it.

Super excited to finally read this!!
I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating The Blood Traitor 3 stars, when I gave The Prison Healer 5 stars and The Gilded Cage 4.5, was a difficult – but necessary – decision.

I can definitely see the appeal of this trilogy as a whole, but after Jaren gave me the ick in the second book, and tainted my overall enjoyment of and interest in this series, The Blood Traitor wasn't enough to pull me back. I knew going into this third book that I probably wasn't going to rate it any higher than 4 stars, but I still requested an eARC hoping to be proven wrong and reminded of why I loved the first book so much in the first place.

Given my 3 star rating – that didn't happen.

I felt that the previous 2 books were largely plot-focused, but The Blood Traitor was surprisingly character-driven, spending hundreds and hundreds of pages focusing on Kiva and her trauma and what happened at the end of The Gilded Cage rather than ... the actual plot of the book? I liked Kiva enough as a protagonist in this series, but it did get a little 'woe is me' at times. The book's insistence on focusing on Kiva and her trauma - instead of The Actual Plot - messed with the pacing, too. Don't get me wrong, I still read this book pretty fast (although that may have partly been because I was in a hurry to just be done with it), but I definitely noticed my reading speed lagging when Kiva was having yet another one of her pity parties.

Do I have to talk about Jaren? I guess I do. As I mentioned earlier, he gave me the ick in Book 2. I just really didn't like him. He was too... nice... for my tastes? Which I know sounds strange, but roll with it. My dislike of him in this book, unfortunately, only grew. He spends most of the book (especially towards the beginning) hating Kiva - going as far as to tell her at one point that he never wants to see her again - but then has a COMPLETE change of heart towards the end, for basically no reason? I just... No. There are a lot of elements about this book that seemed rush, and this was one of them.

I think the only redeeming thing about The Blood Traitor was Cresta. She really surprised me as a character - I was NOT expecting to like her as much as I did. She made every scene she was in a thousand times better. And that reveal about her towards the end?! I did not see that coming! Those 3 stars in my rating? They're all for Cresta, the MVP of this book. I won't comment on the other characters in this book though - nor Kiva and Jaren's romance - because I really didn't care about anything else in this last instalment.

The plot is hindered by the book's continual focus on Kiva's trauma and other characters always feeling sorry for her. There are 2 villains in this one - Navok and Kiva's sister Zuleeka - and both of them are largely pushed to the side until the last quarter when it was convenient for them to come back into play. Zuleeka was also hyped up as this big threat with death magic, but the fight between her and Kiva at the end is over pretty quickly, and has probably one of my least favourite tropes in it. If you've read Leigh Bardugo's Ruin & Rising... you know. The ending of the book wraps things up nicely and I'm sure (consistent) fans of this trilogy will be very happy with it. But, speaking of endings, there was a Certain Thing with a Certain Character that felt like such a cop-out to me. It essentially took away all the stakes in this book.

Overall, I'm sad to say I found The Blood Traitor quite disappointing. I'll openly admit my review was never going to be overly favourable, but I had hoped to like it more than I did and at least give it 4 or 4.5 stars, like I did The Gilded Cage. If this were any other book or series, I'd probably be giving this 2 stars, but I'll give it 3, if only for Cresta and the fact it's the last book in a series that – at one point – I did enjoy.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC!

This is the third in a trilogy (I seem to have only reviewed the second one, but I definitely read the first one!) As always there's no real recap - there are some reminisces sprinkled through the story, but don't come into this one without reading the others, and if you can, do a quick reread of the others.

The first book was an escape heist. The second was a love story. This one is a quest, and we get a good look at some of the other countries in the world, some in more detail than others. Lynette has clearly put a lot of effort into making them feel separate and equally real, and some of them are really clever.

There's a couple of new characters this time around. In the interests of not spoiling anyone, I won't say what I think of them. However, I would like to repeat my interest in having a Caldon of my own, since Jaren is still spoken for (and I wasn't fond of the way he dealt with things on this volume, but people deal with things in different ways, so it's fair.)

There was a while - about the 80% mark, give or take - when I thought we'd been mislead and there was going to be a fourth volume. I couldn't see how things could possibly be wrapped up in time. They are, though. I would have liked more recovery, but I always want to know what happens afterwards and where my favourite characters end up. I was sad about one aspect of Kiva's story; I think she deserved better. But that's life, too, sad as it is.

Brilliant trilogy if you're into fantasy at all. Definitely give it a go.

Oh this was absolutely amazing and probably my favourite book in the series. It’s one of those books that you anticipate for so long that it worries you to read it. But that just wasn’t the case in this book. I had so much fun and I’m so happy that I got to read one of my favourite conclusions to now one of my favourite series. 5 incredible stars.

What an amazing time I had with this book.

I felt as though the dynamics between the characters were so real and worked so well. I loved seeing Kiva's journey and how she built relationships with the people around her.

I loved the setting of this story and the locations we experienced.

My favourite part of this book was the cast of characters. Each one was so unique and it was amazing to see these characters interact with each other.

I felt maybe the book started a bit slow but the pace picked up after that and I love the trauma I received as well as seeing the full circle moments in the story.

Amazing end to a fantastic trilogy.