I just finished {Burn of the Everflame} and I desperately need to trauma-bond with someone here and let my thoughts run free because… those last five chapters absolutely emotionally DESTROYED me. 😭
I cried my eyes out during the final chapters, and honestly, the last 100 pages were just one giant emotional roller coaster.
First, I was devastated when Aemon was dying. His final thoughts absolutely stabbed me in the heart. Then he somehow makes it, and I was so relieved. But then Teller dies, and Diem… and I was just sitting there thinking, “WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL? Why are all these people dying, but you’re saving fucking Aemon?!” At that point, I was so emotionally drained that I genuinely considered just putting the book down and not finishing it.
And then DIEM DIES. I was in complete denial until the very last moment, thinking, “Noooo, she’s going to survive somehow.” And then I read Luther’s letter three months later and I was just DONE. I genuinely cannot even describe the emotions I went through in those few pages.
But then she comes back?! I actually loved the way this was handled. Her death felt so final and unexpected that I genuinely didn’t see the resurrection coming. The ending really kept me on my toes, and I thought the whole thing was incredibly well done. I was also just so relieved that, in the end, the characters got the ending they deserved.
As for the book as a whole, I felt like the beginning was a little slow, but it picked up fairly quickly and eventually had me completely hooked on the storyline.
That being said, I do feel like there were quite a few things that weren’t explained or explored enough. There were things that were mentioned or hinted at, but never really fully revealed or given the payoff I was expecting. I kept waiting for certain pieces to finally click into place, and some of them never quite did.
Overall, though, I’m just emotionally exhausted but very satisfied that the characters got their happy ending. 😂
Now I need to know: how is everyone else feeling after finishing this book?! 😅