"But at the heart of you—daemons or darkin—you are all the same. Searching for the missing pieces of yourself. Seeking to become whole again. The scattered pieces of a shattered god.”
— Tric —

 

Hello everyone! Welcome back to chapter seven of "The Perks of third book" series where i compare the third book with the first two books of the series and see whether i love the third book more because of it's the finale, or just because i love the number of three, or probably didn't like the third book at all. I can't believe we already reach chapter seven for this series!

DISCLAIMER! This contains a lots of and lots of spoilers (usually i keep big spoilers in secret in the review) but i decided i need to rant a lot in here so, please skip it if you haven't read it and don't want to be spoiled!

A Quick Flashback

The story start with Mia, our main character witness her father's execution, claimed to be the traitor, the leader of the rebellion (but failed). And later the consul who also order the execution came to her home, saying her mom must be jailed because of that rebellion that cost her dad's life. Mia escape the capture with the help of the shadow cat that later she called as Mr. Kindly, and set her goal to release her mom and her little brother from the jail called The Philosopher stone, and kill all the people that decide her father's execution, Remus, Duomo and lastly Scaeva by joining the Red Church, which famous with assassins who praise the banished goddess, the goddess of Darkness.

 

 Of course became the member of Red Church, isn't easy, Mia has to be tested by lots of test, constantly dragging her life at risk in every task to be the blade, the one that will receive the task from red church to murder whoever the patron asked he to do. In the middle of it she discover the dark secret of Red Church and the truth behind the patrons and how the church actually works. 

Decided to keep her goal to kill Duomo and Scaeva in line without letting the Red Church knows about her hidden intentions, she sells herself as slave in order to get into the biggest game in republic for a Gladiatii to win in order to win their freedom, which also will be attend by Duomo and Scaeva together. But again the plan didn't goes as she planned to where she met another Darkin which made her questioning her identity yet also torn between helping gladiatii who want to rebel against their Domina (their master) but also need to win Venatus Magni so she can get her revenge.

 

Synopsis

Failed to kill Scaeva and discover her true identity and also find out that her little brother is alive. With Mercurio, her Shahiid, captured by the Red Church, Mia decided to rescue the man who raised her like her own father, the father that she never had since she was nine years old. In other hand discover the truth about the real history of the Itreya and her true identity, the fate that was set upon her as the chosen one. 

With Tric back from the death for her, and find she's sharing bed with the girl who killed him, their relationship between three of them just became more complicated. Not to name the other problems, which her goal to find the crown of the moon with truedark coming in the trip never be easy with the rage by the four daughters of Aa who made that tried to kill Mia in land and even fiercely in sea. 

Comparing Each Book In Series

I think i made a lot of spoiler in the synopsis and flash back about the plot, but i will still explain it to you anyway in case you didn't catch it. The first book was talking a lot about Mia, the world building about Nevernight concept, the god and goddesses that mentioned here and there also with other histories added in footnotes to explain the more complex history about the republic that might or might not effect the main plot (which is mia's adventure) and i find it fun to read.

The book one focusing a lot to Mia's past, back and fort with the present time where she tried to find Red Church, become the member of it, trying so much to gain points to become the blade  at the end of the test, and also try to discover herself, who she is, asking her true identity as darkin, got romance in between. The story took mostly in Red Church and a bit of Godsgrave.

The second book we discover the world of slaves, focusing a lot about Gladiatii's life, and also met another darkin who didn't admit himself as a darkin, devoting himself as an honored gladiatii. Made Mia questions a lot more about darkin. The plot still back and fort but less than the first one, and also not only based on Mia's POV (it's still in third point of view for the narrations, i know, i'm so bad at explaining this but you'll get it once you read it) but also from others POVs, Leona, Sidonius and also Mercurio. She also discovered the true identity about his father. The reason why he want to start the rebellion, become the king maker. The plot takes a lot in Crow's nest for this second book, the place where Mia lived in her childhood when her family took vacations to. 

The last book in other hand, took a lot of places. Not only talking about the Godsgrave, but others too, and also discover the life of pirates and how their system works too. Mia herself, start form the book one who still find it hard to be by herself when Mr. Kindly doesn't ride her shadow, which she used to be panic once he didn't, become more powerful not only has two passenger, Mr. Kindly and Eclipse but she knows more about her power, to bend the shadow as her will, to jump between the shadows, even cross the sea with the shadow only! And to face Cleo without any passenger with her. 

I would say the last book is the most complete one, we discover the history behind the Godsgrave (which mind blowing once i found out), the crown of the moon, the god and the goddess, the plot not only centered to Mia and her revenge but also the god and goddesses' story too. 

 Also talking about Godsgrave, in the first book review, i called it as " not really showed in the map, just like a banner" but by the time i discover the truth about the Godsgrave, it actually included in the map! how can i missed that??? Sorry btw for that mislead info in my first review. 

Monsters

We got introduced with monsters in this series, which are all i found them as amazing creatures. We got Sand Kraken in the first book when Mia tried to reach Red Church in the Quiet Mountain. It's simply just a giant octopus, but this time they're not in the ocean, but in Sand! what the heck! Just trying to imagine it "swimming" in the sand just made me worry if i were Mia.

In second book we meet the Retchwyrm which by its name you can see that its a retching worm. Well i can't hep myself to quote Jay's footnote for this one, since it's well.. 

"Stretching up to two hundred feet long, the retchwyrm is a serpentine creature with no discernible eyes or nostrils, and only the mostrudimentary of ears. [...] has two puckered mouths, one at each end of its body, which also serve as its back sides (which orifice serves which purpose at any given time seems to be entirely arbitrary, and dependent on them ood of the retchwyrm in question). It has no jaw or teeth, and is incapable of seizing prey in its mouth. Instead—in what may be the most disgusting method of consuming nourishment in the entire animal kingdom—the retchwyrm projectile vomits its entire stomach out of its mouth, engulfing its prey in a tangle of writhing tendrils and corrosive acid, then noisily sucks the entire mess back up again, hapless prey included."

We also got Stormdrakes in the second book for the battle of Seawall game in Venatus Magni. To be honest I would say the arena in every game for the Gladiatii are the best scene and i always find it more fun and exciting to read. Plus the history of battles that actually happened, recreate again in the game, just made the history of the Itreyan become richer. I also love the Blackbridge battle. Anyway this monster counted as the stupidest one since its literally eat anything including its younglings.

  We got a glimpse of Whitedrakes also by the story from Tric. But it also appears again in the last book, sent by the goddess of ocean in order to stop Mia. I still in search for the actual how it looks like, but let's just stick to "it's massive!" for now shall we?

Characters Development

We see a lot of development of Mia's character a lot, from the traitor kid, become the chosen one, the blade, become gladiatii, called herself as crow, become the savior of Stormwatch, become the Queen of pirates, which is fun to read that part, and become the lady of blades, and then the one who made the moon returns. I think her adventures are amazing, well.. apart from who she end up with.

Tric also become the one that i think the most developed character in the end of this series, not just a Koffi, a child that didn't accepted in the Dwyemeri people because of his half breed status. His story is just as touching as his fate itself. I mean, for the man who give up the death to back again not fully alive just for her? He's such a romanticist. 

"I PLUNGED MY HANDS INTO THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS FOR YOU, MIA. I TURNED MY BACK ON LIGHT AND WARMTH AND CLAWED MY WAY THROUGH THE ABYSS FOR YOU"
— Tric —

My heart ache for him. In comparison with Ashlinn, i still love him than her. I mean yes, Ashlinn helped Mia a lot for the Gladiatii's game, but she just as jealous as Tric when it comes to defining who's in Mia's heart. Suspecting every time of Mia's intentions, is Mia only want to get her naked so she can see the map in the back of her back? Is Tric's comeback will just made her going back again with him? oh... much as a drama queen. I even skip their love making scene to be honest. I don't find them as couple is as amusing as Mia with Tric.

I find Mercurio's part in this last book become the most touching part, i almost cried several times when reading his POV, the one who used to be the blade, stop being one and open a store in Godsgrave, met Mia the little crow, raise her and prepared her to be the next blade knowing how dangerous to keep a traitor's daugther in his side. Become the Bishop of Godsgrave, and still risk his life again for plot along Mia against the Red Church.

“Well, look at what this place has become [..] Once, it was a house of wolves. Each murder, an offering to Our Lady of Blessed Murder. Feeding her hunger. Making her stronger. Hastening her return. And now? It’s a whore house. The Ministry feed their own coffers, not the Maw. Their hands drip with gold, not red. O, we say all the words, make all the gestures, aye. ‘This flesh your feast,this blood your wine.’ But still, when all the praying is done, we drop to our knees for the likes of Julius f*cking Scaeva. How can you say Niah cares, if she allows this poison to fester in her own halls?”
“Maw’s teeth. Someone woke up onthe wrong side of bed this morn.”
— Mercurio to Chronicler Aelius —

His questions about the Red Church and the Maw just become the beginning of the reveal of the bigger plot that lays in the book. I was picturing him as handsome old man in this book at first, then become the grumbling old man, into the most loving father Mia ever find in her life. 

“Never took a wife, never had a familia. Didn’t seemfair in my line of work. But ... if I ever had a daughter—”
“You had a daughter,” Mia said. [...]“And she loves you,” 
Mercurio closed his eyes, tears spilling down his cheeks. He kissed the top of her head, shaking his own.
“I love you, too, little Crow.” 

Our villain, Scaeva used to be such a scary smiling tyrant for me in the first book, but come to the third book i see the common things he shares with Mia. Mia who would do anything for her family, put her family first, took revenge for the one she thought was her father, took her brother in her arm tho her brother really annoys her. It goes same with Scaeva too. He loves Jonnen (or in his case, Lucius) as his heir for his legacy, even asked Mia to join him. He did everything to take Jonnen back, and also tried to save him from danger. Of course his actions can't be justified by just loving his heir.

“I warned you about joining a game you cannot hope to win. Do you see this, daughter? This is what you’ve made of us both. Mere pieces in a game of gods.”
— Scaeva —

Loveline

I would say the first book got the best loveline for me, Tric is just too precious, the story behind his awful tattoo, the Dweymeri's  traditions, and how it feels like to be the one that didn't accept by his own people. I got to say i know he's going to be back in the next book by the end of the first book just because i know that he does has his own purpose in it. Also he's such a sweetheart.

“I DENIED DEATH FOR YOU, AND I’D DIE FOR YOU AGAIN. KILL FOR YOU. I’D TEAR THE STARS DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS TO FASHION YOU A CROWN. YOU ARE MY HEART. MY QUEEN. I’D DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING YOU ASK ME, MIA.”
— Tric —

I mean, he's dead, but deny his death and go back to the living in order to find her again, but when he got there, she just sharing her bed with the girl who killed him? how tragic is that?

I honestly didn't know why Mia decided that she loves Ashlinn. Yes, i know her reason, that he always to what people told her to do, never flinch never fair, tried so hard to get her revenge, going to red church for that, killing lots of people in the way, become gladiatii also for that, and she just want something she choose for, and then she discovered okay, i choose you Ashlinn. I mean... why??? just because she felt something when she's around her? 

She also felt something when she's around Furian, the tension between her and him is just as her with Tric, in my opinion, plus the shadows between them that intertwined when they around. So why Ashlin? 

Apart from this freaking love triangle, i really love Adonai and Marielle. I always think Marielle as the one that always become the weakness for Adonai, since he got used to help the legion to invade the Red church at the first time because of her. And i kind of don't understand the love between this sibling.

“How many times must I tell thee, sister love, sister mine?” he whispered. Adonai kissed her eyes. He kissed her cheeks. He kissed her lips.
“Thou art beautiful.”

And yet again Marielle become the leverage again for Scaeva in order to excape Red Church. And again we can see how much Adonai loves her. I was hoping that by the time Ashlinn dead, Mia might end up with him, since she mentioned several times about how Adonai looks at her, or how she felt when he's arround. But still, Adonai is a sorcerer, i can't really understand him.

“You might need armor in quarters that tight.”
“Love be my armor.” Adonai tossed white hair from blood-red eyes, flung his vambraces onto the bed. “Devotion my blade.” 
— Sidonius to Adonai —

Oh that quote is just, GAAAHHH!!! love would be his armor and devotion will be his blade. Oh my... how sexy is that? (i mean, okay maybe i'm just a wierdo ) But yes, he's a romantic brother.

Writing Style

The writing style also got a bit different by the time we reach the third book. We do still got footnotes in the third one but not as much as the first and second book Jay Kristoff himself mention it in the footnotes, which made me like, wow this man knows what i'm thinking.  

" O, f*ck me, you were thinking. It’s been a while, I wonder where all the footnotes went?Maybe the author got embarrassed by everyone in his own book taking a steaming shit on them and decided to refrain for the rest of the novel?Well, f*ck you, gentlefriends."

The third book also didn't consist of back and fort plot including flashback which always included in the first few chapter of the book, which i find i like it better like that cuz it's cost less of my brain power to digest it. 

But the third book also include funny scene in the middle of so much tension in the plot, which of course made me laugh. 

In a quiet blinking, Sidonius had slammed the servant up against the wall,palm clapped over his mouth, knife to his groin.“Make a squeak, I’ll cut your fucking jewels off, tubby,” the gladiatii growled.
Bladesinger sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He’s a eunuch, Sid.”
“O...” Sidonius glanced downward, then lifted the knife to the bald man’s throat. “Apologies."

And of course that's probably the most funny part after lots of people died in this book. Yes people died peeps.

The Deaths

"We are not made more by the stories we read, but by the stories we share."

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