Bitter Burn

Bitter Burn is the kind of finale that leaves you hollowed out in the best way because it is equal parts destruction and deliverance. It’s the culmination of everything Sierra Simone does best: sin and salvation, love and ruin, devotion and despair. I finished it feeling both completely satisfied and absolutely wrecked. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it was everything I wanted and more. This final chapter in the Lyonesse trilogy brings Mark, Isolde, and Tristan to their breaking point, and then dares them to step beyond it. Each is faced with a choice, a reckoning of what they’re willing to sacrifice, and whether love can survive when it’s built on ashes and blood. Isolde, to me, is the heartbeat of Bitter Burn. Watching her evolution from the naive, manipulated young woman she once was into a powerful, calculating, and fiercely self-possessed queen was breathtaking. She’s been broken, molded, and remade; not by the men who loved her, but by her own hand. She finally takes her power back, and it’s messy and beautiful and cathartic. Of all three, her growth hit me hardest. And then there’s Tristan. My sweet, loyal, golden retriever of a man. His devotion is quiet but unshakable. The tenderness he brings to both Isolde and Mark is the glue holding this chaotic, fractured trio together. He’s softness in a story made of sharp edges, and somehow, that makes him the bravest of them all. Mark… oh, Mark Trevena. The devil in a three piece suit. The…

This author always has me feeling the passion and sadness of the characters. I love her writing style. I only gave this a 4 star because some of the spice went on a little too long for me with the angst and yearning. Also I wish I had read these books without needing to wait for book 3. I was able to read 1 and 2 back to back but had to wait for the release of book 3. I’m bad at remembering characters and their roles so I think I was a little less invested with side characters and their motives in this book. However the author did do a good job of refreshing me enough to get the gist of who the people were. Can’t wait for more books by her.