I really enjoyed the first 2 books and this one definitely did them justice. I’ve been waiting to read this book for over a month now and it was worth the wait. I totally recommend.

Initially, I DNF'd this book, finding it difficult to get into, however having gone back and reread the first 2 books in this series I am glad I returned to this book... it is a perfect and fitting ending to the trilogy.

Although it is slower than the first 2, it is a gentle less fast-paced read, however, it deals with more of the aftermath of the other 2 books in a very relatable and sensitive way, handled delicately and gently.

Moth to a Flame does however have its moments of speed and peril which made me want to keep reading once the story got going, and I really enjoyed these moments, they made the slower parts worth it.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC... and waiting for ages for my review

When you’ve climbed out the depths of darkness, how easy it to embrace the light?

The final act of Finn Longman’s The Butterfly Assassin trilogy was released on 23rd May by Simon & Schuster, and it’s safe to say that Moth to a Flame did not disappoint!

Isabel Ryans has fled Espera, leaving behind her Moth identity, and the life of an assassin it brought with it. However, plagued with survivor’s guilt, trauma, shock, and all those other complex emotions, she’s left to navigate the outside world, a place so vastly different from everything she knew. Each day, the weight of her survival and her history loom larger, pressing in on her as she struggles to adapt to a society, ignorant of the brutal reality she has endured.

Isabel’s sense of isolation deepens, feeling like an outsider. However, as she begins to think she might be able to ease the past’s hold over her, the murder of a journalist nearby shatters her fragile sense of security. With a former assassin in the murder’s midst, suspicion quickly falls on Isabel, her past as the Moth tightening its hold, haunting her.

Isabel toys with her dark legacy, vowing to search for the journalist’s killer, before she can be dragged back into the violent world she’s only just escaped. Confronted with many obstacles, some internal, others external (including a surprising reunion), Isabel must work with the Moth to confront the reality of a life after assassinating.

The fate of the city, home to her history, the only life she’s known, and the one thing holding her back from moving on, and perhaps even her own soul, hang in the balance.

One thing I will always be able to say about Finn Longman’s writing is that they rarely disappoint, and this book is another testament to that. Their ability to build a world is world class, not only with Espera, a closed city in Yorkshire, but in Moth to a Flame, entwining this with the reality in the heart of a 2032 Leeds. That combination of realism, imagination, and the magic that lies somewhere in between is a rarity to be able to master and Finn has certainly accomplished it in troves. Not a second, or page should I say, goes by where I wasn’t fully embedded in Isabel’s world.

Complex emotions and the intricacies of the human experience have never been strangers in The Butterfly Assassin trilogy. However, this is certainly an area where Moth to a Flame has excelled. Granted, none of us, or hopefully none of us, reading this have ever had to grapple with the emotions of being a teenage assassin, however, plenty of us have probably had to learn to live with trauma. Survivor’s guilt, victimisation, grief, self-beliefs, negative core beliefs, and even a loss of identity are things that plenty of teens and adults alike have had to deal with. Longman should be incredibly proud of themselves as they have done a truly sensational job of incorporating those emotions, but in a way that anyone who may have been fortunate enough to avoid them in real life, can understand.

As I write this review, I find myself in the place I always hope to find myself at the end of a trilogy, despite not always making it here. Longman has crafted the perfect conclusion and final act to the Moth’s story, and while this adventure is over, I hope more world-based books are to come, because I don’t think I’m entirely ready to say goodbye just yet!

If you want to read the conclusion to the Moth’s story, and close The Butterfly Assassin trilogy on a high, check out Moth to a Flame, out NOW!

Moth to a Flame is a brave, brilliant and blistering conclusion to an exceptional YA trilogy.

Finn Longman has crafted one of the best YA trilogies I’ve ever read. The Butterfly Assassin, The Hummingbird Killer and now Moth to a Flame together carve out a bloody and brutal tale of revenge, trauma and starting a process of recovery. This has never been a series to hold back from going there and getting knee-deep in guts and gore. However, I adore that Longman ultimately choses to focus on the hope of recovery and healing, as long and arduous as that road may be. This is just as dark and deadly as previous books, primarily grappling with the central theme of justice, forgiveness and absolution. Longman asks what does true justice look like and who gets to wield it?

Someone heavily grappling with that question is Isabel Ryans, who will remain one of my favourite protagonists ever. She is mired in blood and regret from her past actions, but consistently fails to forgive herself within the horrendous circumstances of her past. She is bruised and broken at the beginning of this book and it is only through various forms of love and acceptance that she can start to make amends with herself. I still cannot get over how fantastic and nuanced the disability and mental health representation is within this book. It is heavy reading at times, but it is heart-breaking honest. Even extrapolated to a fantasy space, it rings very true to life. Longman fills a space that has historically been neglected and tells a story that will resonate with so many readers who otherwise do not get to hear their voices reflected.

This conclusion to the trilogy also brings some of the political themes that have always been driving forces of the narrative further into the spotlight. It kind of is a murder mystery/conspiracy narrative that deals with dehumanisation and othering, drawing parallels with our society. Longman has never been shy about speaking out and this continues in fine fashion. Their writing is filled with fury, but also with kindness and a message of being able to face our past & start to heal from it.

Moth to a Flame closes out a spectacular YA trilogy in suitably brilliant fashion. If you’ve not picked up these books by now, you’re missing out on amazing stories and unforgettable characters.

MOTH TO A FLAME is a trilogy ender all about healing, hope, and working towards a better world.

This is a much gentler book than the last two. It is not a constant run of awful, impossible choices and death, Isabel (and the plot) moving at a hundred miles an hour through betrayal and anguish. Instead, it's slower paced as Isabel begins the slow process of recognising and healing from all the trauma she's experienced (so there's a fair amount of anguish still!)

It is a book about healing, tearing down walls, and building back better. It's about acceptance of the past and finding a way to move on. It's about justice and freedom and culpability - how scapegoats are often used to avoid states owning up to the part they had in it all. It's about community and finding less violent ways to enact change.

This all means that, shockingly (for the series) there are very few deaths in this book compared to THE BUTTERFLY ASSASSIN and the bloodbath that was THE HUMMINGBIRD KILLER - only three total by my count. People I like actually get to survive for once (which was a relief my heart!)

I liked getting a book about healing a hope. It is a brutal trilogy about valuing weapons and money over lives, particularly children's, so to end on a strong note of hope that there can be change is very empowering.