This ended just as it should have, despite that it was absolutely devastating.

These books are not to be read casually. They require you to be fully present, and it does not let up once, beating you into a pulp the entire time. Kuang definitely leaves no nuance within these pages - war is bad, no one wins once you've decided that killing is the only option you have, and power warps you into something that is no longer human.

Rin's power completely changed who she was and stripped her of all humanity. Gods do not care for the whims of human emotions. Her power made her nothing but a danger or a pawn in everyone else's game - rendering her powerless despite her depths of power. Rin's story was truly a beautiful devastation.

The ending was heartbreaking, but there really was no other way for this book to end. I'm happy to have finally read this brilliant trilogy.