teen fantasy series (fighting and faeries, sharp dialogue, romance). I skipped book 2 in this series but was able to pick the story back up alright.

Parental note: While the first book mostly stuck with stealing kisses, the characters go much further than that in books 2 and 3 (though not in graphic detail). ( )

A year ago, I decided that the second book was enough and I didn't need to read this one. But, well, here I am, glad to be proven wrong in my expectations. ( )

Humanity is on it's last legs and everything is gone to pot when Aileana comes from the grave to save everything but it's not going to be easy. She will have to defeat the Morrigan and survive powers that are killing her and her enemies.

It just didn't quite make me feel like it worked, it was probably me. Honestly, I didn't like the end. ( )

Rated at 4.5
Elizabeth may has done it again!
This is certainly fantasy writing at its best, and a hot romance between Aly Kameron and Kam MacKay to match! I certainly think that Elizabeth May ranks up there with some of my favorites like Tamora Pierce , Sarah Maas and Julie Kagawa who are some of the best in the genre. Fans are in for a treat with this series.
Jack Murphy ( )

It's been two months nineteen days since Sorcha plunged the crystal into Aileana's chest in order to make Kiernan the Unseelie King again and get rid of her at the same time. But before that happened Aileana made a deal with the Cailleach to take her powers and try to save both worlds from destruction. The only drawback is that her human body is not meant to hold such power and cannot for very long before dying. The Book Of Remembrance must be found where a spell can be used to undo everything starting with the Cailleach's sister the Morrigan who became quite evil and powerful and the first ruler of the Unseelie. She was the one who cast the curse that the ruler of the Seelie and Unseelie kingdoms would fight until one killed the other leaving the victor in charge of the fae. The Cailleach locked her up in a prison and the book, her book of spells, was locked up with her.

When Aileana wakes up she has no memory at first and runs into some of Kiernan, or rather Kadamach's forces and kills them. She is found by Derrick who has not given up on her, which considering the number of times she has died or come close to dying, you can't blame him. Even though they burned her body on a funeral pyre and buried the ashes, which likely explains the memory loss and the delay in coming back. Aithinne is able to immediately see that she has her mother's powers and probes her mind for the memory of when it happened. When she does a floodgate of memories cascade down upon Aileana and she remembers everything.

Things have changed in these two months. The remaining humans are on the mainland, except for Catherine, Daniel, and Gavin. Kiernan has to feed to live but he can't take a human life so he feeds some leaving the humans in a fae captivated state where they need to be bitten by fae to be kept alive in a horrid existence where they waste away. He leaves the bodies at the border between the kingdoms for Aithinne to find. Aithinne believes that Kiernan is about to make a play for her kingdom and her life. It's just a matter of time. But with Aileana back this changes things. Maybe Kiernan can be brought back from the brink of insanity that he fell into with her death.

The only wrinkle in the plan to go and get the book is that Sorcha will be needed to find the cage the Morrigan is in and she will be needed to open the book. Only someone from her bloodline can do this and Lonnrach her brother is nowhere to be found, while Sorcha is chained up in Kiernan's dungeon being tortured for her crimes. Kiernan makes a vow with Sorcha that he will have nothing more to do with Aileana and will be with her if she will help them with this task. Aileana just hopes that there is some way out of this vow. And there is a way out of it. If she chooses to take it. But at what price?

The Morrigan is stronger than they expect and the fae does not have their powers in the cage and on top of that they are mortal in the cage so they can be killed and they heal much slower. The Morrigan uses your fears against you. She doesn't have an actual body so she inhabits the form of other things. The Morrigan wants the book too so she can get out of the cage so it's a race to see who can find it first: one of the Morrigan's agents or them. Or will they become one of the Morrigan's agents?

In this conclusion to the excellent Falconer trilogy, not everyone gets out alive. But this book lives up to the series quality and the pages do really fly fast. This book is a fitting end to such a fine set of books that I thoroughly enjoyed and will likely go back and read again one day. I cannot praise this book or this series enough. This truly is a must-read.

Quotes
“I don’t know if I believe in wishes,” I murmur, almost to myself. It’s like believing in hope. They make you want things you can’t have. Wishes are dangerous things.
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 33)

Honestly, Aileana, everyone ought to dress up like an inebriated pirate at least once. It’s much more fun killing things in costume.
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p49)

The price you pay for truth is knowledge.
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 84)

No one deserves to be under someone else’s complete control, unable to fight back even if they wanted. Maybe I’ve grown too soft. Maybe I’m just tired of death. Maybe it’s compassion that separates us from monsters. Does that make me better than them or does it make me a fool?
-Elizabeth May ( Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 152)

Goodness doesn’t last, Falconer. If enough time has passed and enough people hurt us, we all become cruel and heartless bastards.
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 259)

“You believe her incapable of being cruel? I’ve walked through whole battlefields covered in her victims.” “She was defending those she loves.” “Aren’t we all? We always try to play the hero first, Falconer. It makes it easier to justify the worst of our actions later.”
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 259-60)

Those painful memories don’t disappear just because you destroyed the one responsible. Killing just makes you empty.
-Elizabeth May ( Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 326)

Forgiveness isn’t something given. It’s something earned. What could I do to earn it, Aileana? Nothing. I’d make the same choices. I don’t deserve forgiveness.
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 326)

Why love a butterfly when it starts to die the moment it gets its wings?
-Elizabeth May (Fallen Kingdom: Book Three of the Falconer Trilogy p 333) ( )