I was really happy to return to Orisha after all this time. I am particularly fond of one of the four main characters and was glad they got plenty of page time. As sequels go, Children of Anguish and Agony probably reads best in close proximity to the other two books. I read Virtue and Vengeance when it came out and it took me some time to reorientate with the plot because it very much picks up where it left off. There’s not so much framing as some might need. Although there were definitely surprising elements and I enjoyed the momentum of the book, the plot is fairly predictable in its broadest strokes. As with the others I feel this also ends fairly abruptly.

The audio narration of this book is excellent and I’d defo recommend consuming the book this way!

I've really enjoyed the first two books in this series which have had great plot and character development, and all the relationship conflicts a girl could want. Sadly, this book didn't live up to rest of the series for me and I find myself disappointed with the route it took. Don't get me wrong, the writing itself is still fantastic I just can't get my head around how this book fit into the storyline. It felt like we started a whole new story and perhaps could have tied it up after book two. This book introduces a new enemy and new characters, leaving behind the majority of the past plots (the conflict between the Maji and the royal family, etc) to focus on something entirely different and the resolution for Orisha and it's people was very much a blip on the radar and I'm left baffled. This is still full of excitement, and fighting, and difficult decisions it was the plot that lost me. It also seemed really strange that at the end, there's a big plot event (I won't give spoilers) and the characters' reactions are non-existent, almost. And this is definitely something you'd expect characters to react to.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was good but this really would have benefited from multiple narrators. All four characters were given the same narration voice which made it very confusing, as I couldn't distinguish between who's POV it was beyond the name given at the beginning of a chapter.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

The way things ended in book 2 was, we couldn't think there would be more left to unfold

Trapped in a cage on a foreign ship, Zélie discovers, they haven't really won, the iron skulls are back and King Baldyr is the true player behind the scenes who destroyed civilizations in search of her. Her destiny and fight to be free forever drive her to unknown shores, as she understands what it will take to break Baldyr.

People who enjoyed the first two books in the Orïsha series will love this. I loved the world buildup, fast-paced narration, the characters (so happy to see Amari finally acting up) and the constant urge to survive even when everything seems lost. The antagonist's hunger for power and the blood moon ritual tie up this part beautifully.

One thing that's tricky in here is a constantly evolving plot and the twists, which will be very subjective to readers - I enjoyed it for the most part except for the abrupt end. Also, there isn't much romance but I am totally fine fuelled by revenge too. Just wanted to put this out there for people looking for a romantasy section.

First of thank you net gallery for giving me the arc of children of anguish and anarchy I was so excited when I got the email as I loved children of the blood and children of vengeance, Children of the vengeance is more fast paced and action in it and more world building and loved each character’s point of view (i don’t want to give spoilers) However I do feel it’s not the end of series I feel they should be a book 4 (hint hint) 4 stars still fully enjoyed the book

I read Children of Blood and Bone back when it came out in 2018 and its sequel in 2019 so when I found out we were finally getting a conclusion to this series I was so happy. While I am still glad we have an ending now I did not enjoy this as much as the other two.

I enjoyed the characters again in book 3 and was happy to be back with them and hear from each of their POVs. I think my favourite element of this book was seeing more of the world, it's just a shame we didn't get much of that with this being the last book. It was very fast paced with lots of action which I enjoyed.

However, this book didn't feel like a conclusion to the other two books. It felt like a completely different story to me that just started over rather than building on the previous two books. Books 2 and 3 are significantly shorter than book 1 which I felt negatively impacted my enjoyment since there wasn't as much time for plot development.

Overall I am happy to have a conclusion but I did feel as though it was lacking something and seemed quite far removed from books 1 and 2.

Thank you to Macmillan and Netgalley for this copy to review.

No one is more gutted than me… :((
Zélie believed she had won. She seized the royal palace. The monarchy had finally fallen. The maji had risen again. Yet now, Zélie and her fellow comrades are locked in cages and trapped on a foreign ship. The Skull King wants her and her magic.

This felt like an entirely new book rather than a finale to a series. It discounted all the conflict of the first two books to concentrate on uniting against a foreign power.
Whilst this felt almost like a cheat out of the building plot from the first two books, I did like seeing more incredibly vivid worldbuilding as our characters ventured further from their kingdom.

I do appreciate that the romance never overtook the main plot as tends to happen in YA series. There was actually a nice twist which I thought enjoyed and think other readers will too!

“I teach you to be warriors in the garden so you will never be gardeners in the war.”

This was extremely fast paced and oddly short for what I was expecting. Yet it meant I flew through it, and I think this will appeal to transitioning readers.

However, the sudden change of purpose to the series and shortness did mean that certain arcs felt incomplete and certain characters were just never brought up which was a shame. Cough cough, Roën.
Moreover, the ending was extremely abrupt and left me feeling extremely dissatisfied.

All in all, I am crushingly disappointed. Book one was one of my favourite releases, but the series struggled to continue this momentum.

If you enjoyed this series, I would recommend The Gilded Ones!

Thank you to MacMillan for providing an arc in exchange for a review!