Taste of Darkness (Healer, #3)

by Maria V Snyder

[Leigha]

In the last installment of the Healer series, Avry finds herself caught in-between allies and foes as she battles to help save the fifteen realms from malicious rulers.

I have to give this book credit - it had a lot of loose ends to tie up, but it did it well. While still not as engrossing as the first book, it remained enjoyable and intriguing. Every character's story wraps up (one way or another), while the fate of the kingdoms is officially decided.

My biggest regret is this book really didn't explore the system of magic or the lily's sentience any further than the last two books. I would have liked more of an explanation about certain aspects, particularly the bonds built between magic users. At some moments it felt like magic worked as a tool to move forward the plot, but not as a natural part of the setting.

tl;dr Memorable characters and a satisfying ending intertwined with some world building issues still make this an absolute must read for fantasy romance fans.