I don’t think these other characters, like Tal, Navi, and Jessamyn were there for character reasons but strictly for plot and to show how the worlds were responding to Rielle’s actions or Eliana’s capture and reflected what others are willing to do for their queens, or in Jessamyn’s case the Emperor. I also want to note that I actually enjoyed how there was a bit of branching off into different character POVs this time around because it’s clear that this series went beyond just Rielle and Eliana and I liked how Legrand timed the different POVs and really gave us a whole perspective. I can’t say why, because spoilers, but it worked effortlessly and I’ll forever be amazed. The way Legrand made the two storylines mesh together and tying up all those ends in a way I truly didn’t expect, mostly because I wasn’t sure what to expect, was the most perfect way to close off the series. And if you stick with it you’re going to be rewarded so heavily and all the lightbulbs will go off, making everything make sense and worthwhile in the end.

It was like Legrand knew exactly why this thing was bothering me, saw all my complaints about it, and would just sit there smiling to herself like “oh honey, just you wait.” I feel like this series is one that is truly a journey and while you might find things you like here and there, and things you don’t like, you can’t just give up on it. The first thing that I really need to note is that even though I constantly complained about the dual timelines and how the storylines of Rielle and Eliana felt detached from one another, how I couldn’t justify reading a series that took place in both the past and the future, I get it now. I shall try to get through this with the least amount of spoilers, making this a shorter review than usual (maybe), but I make no promises. And it made every character, every storyline, every POV matter in the end and the further I got in the book, the more I kept thinking “yes, this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.” That is why it gets 5 stars from me and why this particular book managed to save my 2020 reading year. I do want to note that while I don’t think this book was absolutely perfect, and that’s specifically why it earned 5 stars from me, it was a conclusion that made the entire series worth it. I always say that while I might not know how to explain why a book is worthy of 5 stars, but I’ll be able to feel it.

In the moment, I awarded this final book in the Empirium trilogy 5 stars, something I rarely ever do, and to be honest I still stand by it. I’ve been sitting on my thoughts for this review for a few days now and I think I finally know what to say.

The empirium trilogy book 3