"And then it was simple, because they were bonded, and there was no one she'd rather be more vulnerable with than him. No one she trusted more. He was a part of her, and her of him."

Wings of Shadow is the final book in the Crown of Feathers trilogy, and re-reading this for (I think?) the third time only solidified this as one of my favorite series of all time. The world-building is beautiful and I love the parallels, and overall it's just so amazing.
Tension has escalated in the empire and now there appears to be three sides: the Phoenix Riders, Avalkyra and her strixes, and the Empire. I won't go into too many details to avoid spoilers, but this book is the angstiest one yet. There are some scenes that live rent-free in my head, and there are just so many parts of this book that I adore. The ending made me cry harder this time than I had before, which doesn't make sense because I knew what was going to happen.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of my favorite parts of this series is the characters. Tristan and Veronyka are literally "couple goals" and I think the reason I love them so much is that despite their romantic relationship, it has the feeling of a platonic one because they're so perfectly balanced. Sev and Kade also deserve a lot of attention because Sev's angst and Kade's reassurances mean everything to me. Avalkyra's arc still intrigues me greatly because despite being the antagonist, there is still a part of her that longs to belong with the heroes. The only POVs I didn't love were Elliot and Sparrow, but I have to keep reminding myself that she's 15 (12) and that their dynamic really is unique. I don't dislike them, I just got mad when their POVs interrupted everyone else's sometimes.
Wings of Shadow is the epic conclusion to the Crown of Feathers series, and if you're love high fantasy with rich history, intriguing and beautifully written characters, and a plot involving the rise and fall of royalty, this is a trilogy you don't want to miss.
4.75/5