Review: The Killing Light (The Sacred Throne #3) by Myke Cole

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis

The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole’s Sacred Throne trilogy

Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.

The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of The Killing Light (The Sacred Throne #3) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the work.

The Killing Light, unlike Season 8 of Game of Thrones, was a highly satisfying and thrilling conclusion to the arc of Heloise the Palatine. You’ll cry, you’ll cry some more, and then you’ll want a giant bad-ass war engine to clobber people with. This trilogy has been very difficult to put down or place behind other books that have been vying for attention. From the beautiful covers (which, my goodness, Chris McGrath KILLED this one) to the words on the pages, Cole has a fantasy series to be immensely proud of.

I’m pretty sure, without going back and looking at my reviews for the previous 2 books, I have stated that Heloise is one of the finest and most engaging female protagonists the fantasy world has seen. To be an adult and have the ability to become enamored with a young character such as herself; to be there with her through all of the trials and tribulations, deaths of loved ones, victories and defeats, and the coming-of-age process over the course of 3 books that are basically comprised of several months. It is staggering.

On top of that, Cole has created this world that I feel still has untapped potential. I know you can say that about a ton of books, but there are so many places left to be explored and stones left unturned that it wouldn’t surprise me if the author brought us back sometime in the future. I also have many questions that predate this entire trilogy that, even though I would love to know more about, I am satisfied with the unknown. Can you tell that I really enjoyed it?

Guys, I don’t know what else I can say that will make you pick up this series. Warhammer-esque power armor, huge bloody battles, devils, magic, LOVE. It is all there. Just buy The Armored Saint and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.