In this last book in the second Nine Kingdoms trilogy, we get the finale of the quest of Ruith and Sarah. As a trilogy, the three books are really one book split into three parts. This one could be read on its own since the author does spend a lot of time catching the reader up on the events that occurred in the first two parts, but I don’t recommend it. Kurland’s entire series is a real treat, set in a unique magical world and the first two books in this trilogy are the best of the whole series.

Ruith is the son of one of the worst black mages that the Nine Kingdoms has ever seen. His father Gair, in an attempt to harness an unending flow of power, released pure evil from a well. In the process most of Ruith’s family was killed as the evil overwhelmed them. After hiding in the mountains for twenty years, Ruith is drawn into a quest to try to recover his father’s spells by the local witch’s daughter, Sarah. Along the way, Ruith and Sarah not only discover the secrets of their pasts, they start to realize that the Gair’s evil is not done. They have to work to save the whole of the Nine Kingdoms.

In this third part of the story Sarah has discovered a few things. One is that she is a princess. She also has a legacy of magical seeing that is more powerful than she could have ever imagined. Finally, she’s accepted the fact that Ruith is in love with her and that he wants his future to be forever linked to hers. Ruith is an elven prince who Sarah believes is far beyond her reach. But Ruith is persistent and determined. As the quest comes to its conclusion and all the enemies they have collected along the way throw obstacles into their path, Ruith and Sarah have to fight for their lives and their future.

Throughout the trilogy the romance between Ruith and Sarah has been a very slow simmer. Though Ruith has been clear on his feelings and intentions since the beginning of the second book, Sarah has kept him at bay. As a fan of the series, I was looking forward to this book and couldn’t wait to see their romance into full swing. Unfortunately it just isn’t what I had hoped it would be. The romance is almost nonexistent, and some of the characters that had been believable and compelling have turned two dimensional. That includes not only Sarah and Ruith, but also beloved characters from the first trilogy, Morgan and Miach. Since Kurland’s hallmark is her strong character development, the absence of it was surprising. Throughout most of the book, Sarah continues to keep Ruith at bay, Ruith continues in his complete devotion, and Sarah becomes less and less likable as a result.

As a story, the plot is fast paced and one cannot argue that Kurland left anything hanging. All the loose ends that one expects to find in a trilogy are resolved at the end of the book. The bad guys are explained, the mysteries are solved, and all the wonderful reunions between family members are there. In that sense I enjoyed the book a lot. Her writing and descriptions are as beautiful as ever, and you are still transported to the magical world of the Nine Kingdoms. Kurland is able to make the world come to life with all its magic and beauty. The men are chivalrous and caring, and the women are capable and intelligent. If this was a pure fantasy book it would even score higher.

But this is romantic fantasy, and as a reader I wanted to see and feel the romance. Although it was clear in the beginning that the romance between Ruith and Sarah would not be as beautiful or dramatic as the one in the first trilogy between Morgan (Ruith’s sister) and Miach, I expected that they would still have a romance and the reader would get to see the two fall deeper in love then they were in their first meeting. But by the end of the book, neither Ruith nor the reader can tell for sure how strong Sarah’s feelings are. Instead of moving forward from where it left off at the end of the last book, the romance seems to take a step back.

It kills me to say all this, but this is the weakest of the Nine Kingdoms stories by far. Though Ruith is still the same lovable, honorable, and perfect beta hero, Sarah has become less likable. In the beginning, she was insecure but lovable, but in this book she came off as condescending. It is a shame that such a great trilogy ended this way. If you are looking for the conclusion of all the stories from the first two books in the trilogy, this book delivers. If you are looking for a satisfying HEA for the hero and heroine, they get a HEA, but not a satisfying one. And it is such a shame.