First read 09/2024

The last two books had grown somewhat formulaic, so as far as the plot was concerned, this was a much stronger conclusion to the series than I'd been expecting. Rather than being called in to assist the DPP on another case, Rose begins the book cut off from the Pactlands and everyone she knows there. Instead of being treated to a cheery depiction of how miserable she is, she finds some tapes from her future-seeing grandad, which gives us plenty to chew on until things get exciting. The head of the ti'Cren family wants her to surreptitiously track down a wayward... great-great-grandniece? The family trees, confusing in previous books, are now borderline impossible to keep track of—nothing would benefit this book more than a visual representation of the labyrinthine array of relationships. Rose, therefore, must go undercover in one of her ancestral homes. This was an excellent move on Fitzsimmons' part, keeping Rose involved in the action without disrupting the fairly cosy feel the books have built up. We also begin to understand just how much the threat of scandal means to certain families, and the devastating unlikelihood of Rose's acknowledgement, which she needs in order to have a relationship with Yven.

The plotline of the wayward niece and her relationship with a man from a less respected Hall made for a nice supplement to Rose and Yven's situation, though at times Rose's attitude towards said niece devolved into petty one-upmanship, which I didn't particularly care for, even if she was written to be very annoying. Could have been better handled, I thought.

The last third of the book is given over to hiding from and gathering information about the drug lord Silver, who loomed in the background of previous books. This part was fine, though it had a lot of Rose/Yven relationship stuff that wasn't quite as exciting as I'd hoped it would be. The ending is likewise fine, though I can't help but feel it could have been an awful lot better if there had simply been more of it.

Major spoilers here.

Firstly, making Inade ti'Cren the multidimensional drug kingpin Silver was certainly more interesting than introducing some new bozo, but the book never gave a good reason for him to have taken on this role. He was already rich and powerful—and while some people will always desire more wealth and power, even to the point of their own destruction, this wasn't the side of him that was emphasised in the book. Rather, he takes his power for granted, and is primarily concerned with ensuring the good reputation of his family, which seems rather at odds with his criminal status, no matter how well concealed.
Secondly, the book seems poised to do some highly interesting things with family and reputation, but it never quite delivers. There was plenty of good work done regarding the ti'Cren side of the family, but as far as the ti'Danas were concerned, there was really only Caradin's tapes—Diriem ti'Dana didn't get enough page space to be an interesting character, so the book ends with Rose being acknowledged by a Hall that is very highly regarded, although almost nothing is known of the people in it. Likewise, there's nothing about Rose's post-trial relationship with the ti'Crens: does she make peace with those that remain unarrested? do they resent her forever? might some of them feel she's saved them from an inescapable situation?
On top of this, it would have been great to contrast these very old and haughty Halls with some others. We get a fleeting glimpse of one of the upstart halls in the form of Deono ti'Gata, but nothing at all about the ti'Anshas, even though the book seems to be laying the groundwork for a meeting between Rose and Yven's parents.
Frankly, we spend the whole book being taught just how scandalous Rose and Yven's relationship is, and then, when push comes to shove, we don't get to see that scandal. Or the consequences! Perhaps it could prompt a spate of cross-Hall elopements, as the old restrictions begin to give way. Or, on a less drastic note, perhaps  for a while the pair of them have to take some entertaining measures to avoid reporters.
Thirdly, we don't get to see very much of Pars or Gentle Breeze, even in epilogue form, and even after the risks they took to help Rose and Yven. I feel rather shortchanged.

I believe there are several sequel trilogies, but as they each feature new protagonists, I suspect that any further details about Rose and Yven's lives will be background material only. I can't help but think this quartet would have been stronger if it had wrapped up their character threads more completely. Still, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

My reviews for the rest of the series:
A Rose Among Thorns
Roulette
Silent Siren