Rebel Dawn is a great ending to the trilogy. I have loved spending time in this world which Ann Sei Lin builds so beautifully. The magic system she created with ofuda and shikigami never fails to enchant me. With political intrigue, rebels, betrayal and sacrifice there is so much to the story, but it is at its heart character-driven and all about the journey of Kurara, Haru and Himura.

If you enjoyed the first two in the Rebel Skies series then you will not be disappointed with Rebel Dawn. It is a satisfying, dramatic, and at times, emotional, end of the story for characters we've grown to love.

Whilst I read this particular book on kindle, I read the first books on audio and this is a series that I can also recommend on audio, particularly if you are not familiar with pronunciation of Japanese words. Having listened to the others really influenced the way I read this one! Not knowing the pronunciation wouldn't detract, but it certainly did add some extra enjoyment for me.

REBEL DAWN completes this trilogy full of paper magic and floating cities in epic style.

The war that's been building for two books explodes in this one. The focus is not on the war, but Kurara and the rest do find themselves tangled in it (which is getting in the way of her main goal!) There's a massive action sequence at the end of the book, full of cruel ingenuity around shikigami.

I've loved how this series focuses on friendship throughout. Kurara and Haru are the closest of friends, and its their relationship that is at the heart of this series. Despite being a girl and a boy, there was never a hint of romance between them, just friends with a long and complicated past (and Kurara takes the series to realise just how long and complicated!) We need more books like this that celebrate friendship.

There are many other friendships in this series. Himara is such a complicated character, very much morally grey, something he's spent the series realising. He's conflicted and tangled up in his own beliefs, and this book sees him finish what feels like only the first stage of his journey. I really liked that he was included, someone a lot less cut and dry than many YA protagonists.

It is quite a heart-breaking ending. It feels fitting for something that is so Ghibli-esque - those movies are always tear-inducing, and this book will leave you feeling that way too. Hopeful but sad at the same time.