Author: Myke Cole
Series: The Sacred Throne #3
Publisher: Tor.com
Released: November 12^th, 2019
Received: ARC from Tor.com
Warnings: Graphic deaths and injuries
Rating:

I received a copy of The Killing Light in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Killing Light is the third and final novel in Myke Cole’s Sacred Throne Trilogy. And as such, that means that there’s a lot that needs to be done within the pages. Heloise’s tale has been both thrilling and terrifying. And it’ll be bittersweet to see it come to an end.

Heloise has been steadily marching towards this moment, ever since her village was destroyed by one bitter and controlling man. And now that moment has finally come. Heloise and her assorted allies are going to attack the Imperial Capital and force a change from them.

Heloise is perhaps the most inspiring character I’ve read about in recent times. She’s been through so much, and yet she hardly even let those trials slow her down. And even when she was full of self-doubt, she just kept pushing herself forward. There’s a lot we can learn from her.

Her actions make her a Palantine, having killed a demon for the first time early on in the series. She’s stubborn and driven, and not at all content to follow the path her village had laid out for her.

“With both the villagers and the Traveling People looking to her lead, she hadn’t time to mourn. Like the conversation with Onas, it was a thing she would put off as long as she could.”

Warnings: The Killing Light features some intense battles, and while they may be set in a realm of fantasy, the stakes and damages are realistic. As such, there are graphic injuries and deaths that sometimes occur.

The Killing Light was the perfect conclusion to a dramatic and heart-pounding series. In many ways, Heloise’s tale is an inspirational piece of feminist fiction. Heloise crashes through boundaries and expectations like they’re not even there while being unabashedly herself. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

Being the final novel in the series, it’s probably a given that this is the most intense piece. All of the stakes they’ve been building up to this whole time suddenly feel real, with them looming right in front of Heloise and her allies.

I know that this was a moment that the entire series had been building to. And yet, as I read this book, I found myself completely emotionally unprepared for the impending battle and everything about it. But at the same time, I couldn’t put the book down. Instead, I read on, fixated and terrified at the possible outcomes.

Having finished The Killing Light, I can safely and honestly say that it was completely worth all of the emotional turmoil this series has put me through. This was without a doubt the most inspiring novel of the series.

And I loved everything about it. Especially the moments in which Heloise is forced to directly challenge the expectations and assumptions laid upon her feet. She was quite literally busting the patriarchy down. And it was delightful.

The conclusion of this series was bittersweet. This was the ending the fans deserved, I feel confident in that fact. But I also wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I’m thinking another read-through of this series is in order, and soon. And here’s looking forward to whatever Myke Cole comes up with next – because it is going to be worth checking out.