Keeping in mind the more fairytale-esque start and how it amps up slowly, I would recommend it to readers who like both but are prepared for that more gradual tonal shift. While this series was uneven, it became worth it towards the end. The stakes also continue to be raised, and there’s a real sense of the political maneuvering they have to do against their enemies in this one to fight for a better world in the face of vengeance. And after them being apart for so much of the second book, seeing them working together to solve problems is such a nice contrast. They remain devoted to each other despite all they’ve been through, and it’s hard to believe they once had a bit of starry-eyed naïveté to them in the first book. Amarande and Luca have grown so much, and their love has grown with them. The promise of the series has finally come to fruition, and while I typically wouldn’t have stuck around for so long, it helped that the setup was at least mildly interesting and fun. The King Will Kill You is the final installment in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy, and the series has finally picked up steam after teetering on the precipice of decent, but largely being just ok. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. The King Will Kill You is the epic, pulse-pounding conclusion to Sarah Henning’s Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy. Against the princess who killed him, the boy whose love made her do it, and the continent cruel enough to deserve his rage. The other, unexpected, and arising with a vicious aim: revenge at any cost. One expected and deadly to both her love and every one of her objectives. However, threats await in the shadows of Amarande’s hoped-for happily ever after. To rebuild the continent of The Sand and Sky into a place not defined by archaic, patriarchal laws, but by the will of its people. To rule Ardenia as queen outright, no marriage necessary, as Luca does the same with the reformed Torrence.

To be with her true love Luca, no one nor law standing in the way.

Princess Amarande is finally on the verge of having everything she wants. The Princess Bride meets Game of Thrones in this commercial YA trilogy from acclaimed fantasy author Sarah Henning.

The King Will Kill You by Sarah Henning