Although I had not read the previous books in the series this took none of the enjoyment out of this book.

The world and characters were well developed and there was a good mix of action and fantasy to keep me amused.

It left me wanting to read more of this authors work.

This series was a real joy from start to finish and the last instalment was no exception. Truly there was no part of The Unbound Empire that I did not love, and I hope to read much more of Melissa Caruso's work in future. My favourite part, besides the magic system and worldbuilding, was the friendship between Amalia and Zaira.

I had never heard of this author before reading this trilogy, but I can honestly say that that I have a found a new favourite author. This story had be hooked and I had no idea how it would end. I am sad that I won't be able to follow the characters anymore as I would love to see what becomes of them in the future. I'll look forward to Melissa's next books

I enjoyed this sequel. The character development and the construction of the world-building were good. I hope to read more stories written by this author. I loved that this books tackled the themes of oppression and what it meant today.

The Unbound Empire is the third in Melissa Caruso’s Swords and Fire series. The saga up to now has included more than a few swords, and a fairly hefty amount of fire, both deployed to maximum effect in making me turn pages to find out what happens next. This conclusive chapter not only continues that tradition, but ramps it up to eleven. There’s plots and politics aplenty, as well as more than a little blood, all wrapped around some well-crafted characters, whose relationships, for good or ill, are at the scintillating heart of the story.

At the sharp end, this is a book about empires, about magic, and about the people who will wield either to make change happen. The Serene Empire is the central geography. A sprawling entity, it has both client states and a rather hungry next door neighbour. The Empire carries traces of the Italian renaissance about it – its head of state is a Doge, whose rule is advised by a council of nine landholders. The Empire is rich, and largely happy. Its citizens seem to toil away at trade and religion and martial activities, without too much in the way of feudal oppression. There’s definitely some problems here, but they are, by and large, the good guys.

One of the problems is how they feel about magic. Because this is a world where magic is something brought about by birth. Something any child could have. Some of the things one can do with magic – crafting defensive wards, or elaborate items – are relatively harmless. Other things some mages could do – such as setting large numbers of people on fire – are less so.

This has left the state to step in, to hoard those with magic, and to seek to control the. Each is tied to another, non-magical person, who decides if and when the mage’s powers are released, or shut down. This isn’t a perfect solution, but I’d say it makes sense in the world of the Empire. It’s also a great way for the book to explore inequality, and sacrifice. While some of the mages in the story feel they’ve lost their freedom,, others are accepting of the luxury they live in – constrained, but away from the streets. Others struggle with it, but recognise that they don’t have a better way t control small children with the ability to incinerate anyone who looks at them funny.

Ther’s a lot of politics here, as our protagonist, herself bound to a mage, struggles to give them more in the way of rights. It’s a thoughtful, nuanced discussion of the power of the individual and the power of the state, and what responsibility each has to the other, and to their fellow citizens. But it’s also a lavish backdrop for some thoroughly byzantine politics, as factions of the Empire all try to set its direction. To be fair, they’re all fairly united against a common enemy; but efforts to shape the Empire are often rather cutthroat from poisonings through political chicanery and, theoretically, up to extra-judicial assassinations. It’s a weltering whirligig of factions, and at the same time, a sprawling, thriving, heart-poundingly alive place.

The same may not be said of its nearest neighbour, a federated autocracy run by mages. Those at the top of the heap are obscenely powerful mages. Those without magic also lack any power. Those at the top of the tree are only loosely confederated, each holding to their own slice of the pie, and always eyeing the others for a chance to seize more territory. But now they’re also looking for an excuse to get involved in the Empire, as a nice change of pace from trying to kill each other. Their demesnes feel more rural, closer to nature than the humming urbanity of the Empire, That said, the trickling streams and verdant forests are in stark contrast to the horrors of those Witch Lords who rule them, typically blending magical puissance with long-held grudges and little in the way of morality.
These are the two powers on the stage, and though they feel very different, they both feel equally alive, equally real.

The central duo for this book are the same as in those preceding: Amalia Cornaro is the noble heir to her family, linked to one of the Empire’s only fire warlocks in a magical accident, and, I think it’s fair to say, a woman who has been having a bit of a tough year so far. She’s linked to Zaira, a smart-mouthed woman from the bottom of society, whose main talent (aside from creating some great insults), is being able to generate vast amounts of fire on command – essentially making her a one-woman-army.

Full disclosure, I think they’re both great.

Amalia is a woman who has, to put it mildly, had a tough time recently. But as the text progresses, it’s possible to see the steel she has at her core, willing to pick up and run with tough decisions. Even if they’ll feel like they break her. Perhaps doubly so, then. But alongside that steel sits enough humanity to worry about what power and responsibility could turn her into; to observe the ruthless measures of the circles she’s moving into, and decide where she’ll draw the line, decide who she’ll want to be. That’s helped by the skein of compassion wrapped around the aforementioned steel core. Amalia isn’t a bad person, doesn’t want to be one, and is still willing to bear the costs that she knows are the price of action. But she feels for people. Maybe she doesn’t always understand them, maybe she’d rather be in a book than at a party charming political opponents, but she wants the best for her Empire, for her friends, and even for herself. It’s easy to sympathise with a woman who feels out of her depth, and to cheer her on as she rises to the challenges = be they maniacal witch-lords, or her own romantic entanglements.

In her aims, she’s largely assisted by Zaira, who seems never to have met a person she actually liked. The fire warlock is working hard not to show too publically her thoughts on whether she wants to be a weapon for the Empire. She’s still hurt, still struggling to come to terms with herself, and watching her iron pragmatism clash with Amalia’s ideals is an outright joy. It helps that she is, honestly, really rather funny. There’s a person here, a conflicted, struggling person, who is willing to pitch in with Amalia to make things better, but isn’t doing so with any illusion of it all ending well. Zaira brings a different energy, a different voice to the pairing – more jaded, but perhaps, behind the shell, more vulnerable.

Watching both women grow over the past two books has been fantastic, and I can safely say that the apotheosis of their relationship here carries all the emotional weight it deserves.

They’re surrounded by a wonderful gaggle of other characters, including the rather delightful Marcello, the straightforward Captain who helps guard the Empire’s mages from harm, and whose affection for Amalia is obvious, heartfelt and straightforward. Marcello gets some more time on the page in this book, and watching him change, seeing where his priorities lie, is by turns wonderful and painful. In part, that’s because social standing leaves his affection for Amalia in a bit of a troubled state; she’s also courting one of the Witch Lords, Kathe, in what both know to be a political alliance. But the man Amalia is working with by necessity is also enigmatic, powerful, handsome, intriguing, and yes, witty. Of course he’s also dangerous, and probably has a hidden agenda. But the chemistry between Kathe and Amalia is undeniable – the page crackles with energy while tey’re together, and the attraction is at least as genuine as the danger. Negotiating this rather awkward triangle is one of the ways Amalia is trying to shape herself – to decide where what she wants and needs is taken up in what her country wants and needs. It’s powerfully written, compelling work.

And of course, there’s the villain. Ruven. Oh, hats off to the author on this one. Ruven is deeply, deeply creepy. A powerful witch-lord, he can change the skin of those he’s in contact with. That can involve magically healing their wounds, or paralysing with a touch, or making someone explode from the inside out. Ruven is…not a very nice person. That he thinks of everyone without magic as less than a person isn’t a great surprise, perhaps. But he also carries an affection, of sorts, for Amalia, seeing her intelligence, and a chance to drive his goals forward. Of course, he’s also a monster, with a penchant for atrocities. Ruven slithers insidiously on and off the page, and has a certain audacious charisma that makes his every appearance into compulsive reading – if only to see what horror he’ll unleash next, and which scheme will bear terrible fruit.

There are more, of course – an entirely delightful ensemble of new and old friends. And each steps up to the reader to introduce themselves, and even if we only see the for a few moments, they are seen, they are real. They may not be nice; there’s more than a fair share of tyrants and ruthless politicians here, between the blades and the fire. But they are people, and even if their goals are appalling, we can understand them. These are characters with heart and soul, whose presence gives the story a depth and heft, the weight that makes it something true.

I won’t, having gone on this long, go into the details of the story. It is, after all, the finale of a series. I wouldn’t want to spoil it. But if you’re here, you’re probably wondering how many of your questions will be answered. You may be wondering whether the end of the series can hold up to the high bar set by the previous books. You may be wondering if the story will still pick you up and make you soar, whilst wringing out all the emotions it can manage.

My answer is this: Yes, to all those things. This is a fantastic conclusion, a high-water mark in a series which was already really very good. It has interesting things to say about freedom, about oppression, about sacrifice and power. But it does those things with a verve that keeps the pages turning, by giving us characters we care about (one way or the other!), by making their struggles feel real, making their conflicts, emotional and otherwise, have real cost and real triumphs.
So, if you’re here wondering if you want to know how the story ends, I’m here to tell you that yes, you do.

I need to learn my lesson here and research before falling in love with a cover and requesting it!
Book 3 in a series.
I will read and review this once I have read the previous 2, but don't want this to impact my Netgalley percentage.

The Unbound Empire is a thrilling finale to an epic trilogy.

My reading notes for The Unbound Empire are incoherent screaming from almost the very beginning. Amalia wrestles with the impossible choices forced upon her; Lord Kathe is back and as bewitching as ever; La Contessa is so proud of her daughter (and this killed me; it was always clear to me that Lissandra loved Amalia, but now Amalia can see it too); Zaira is saltier than she has ever been; and Marcello’s love and loyalties are tested like never before.

It is an epic and emotional rollercoaster. I can say very little more without scattering spoilers. If the action in Vaskandar felt like a step back after the rapid escalation in Raverra and Ardence, the narrative more than made up for it with the personal stakes and the depth of emotion it evoked. This was never a conflict that could be resolved by huge armies clashing in fields, or harrowing sieges. As I should have expected from everything that has gone before, this is about the enormous consequences of personal decisions, and the loneliness we face in making them.

Absolutely devastating in the best possible way.

As with the second book, the political and personal stakes in this book continue to ramp up. Amalia continues to grow from the shy academic, whose real passion was studying magical practices, to a political player in her own right, determined to push through a piece of legislation that will impact every magic-user in the Empire. I love her character progression – along with the changes that every other major character undergoes. Caruso makes that aspect of writing a series look a lot easier than it is.

All the characters work well, but two in particular stand out – Ruven is a particularly satisfying villain, who I loved to hate. His arrogant dismissal of anyone non-magical and his tendency to inflict horrible tortures just because he can – as well as his targeting of our protagonist – makes him creepy and revolting. The cleverness in the writing is that Caruso manages also make the reader aware of what is powering his nastiness, so that he doesn’t come across as a pantomime villain. The other character I became a little in love with is one of those enigmatic, dangerous Witch Lords, Kathe. His entourage of crows, his courage, his love of games and his gradually emerging more vulnerable side made him very endearing. His odd courtship of Amalia made the romantic thread running through this series thoroughly entertaining.

Caruso’s other superpower is the pacing – I found The Unbound Empire almost impossible to put down because the narrative arc works so well. I quickly became caught up in her political fight – which then turned into something else far more challenging. Caruso’s ability to ramp up the stakes compelled me to keep reading far longer than I should. The final denouement in a series needs to be able to wrap everything up and give each of the major characters an ongoing path, so the reader gets a sense of their probable future, given the life-changing events they have undergone. Caruso manages to achieve this, making this trilogy one of my favourite, most memorable fantasy series I’ve read in recent years.

Please read these books in the correct order, though – it would a real shame to mess up such a well-crafted progression by crashing midway into this outstanding series. The ebook arc copy of The Unbound Empire was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
10/10

I am 100% biased here, I love Melissa Caruso,s writing and her books, this is the final in the trilogy so you definitely cannot just jump in here you’ll be lost and confused. I highly recommend the entire trilogy not just this book. A fantastic end to a wonderful series, the world building is amazing and the characters were so strong, sassy, funny and relatable. This is an epic series you need to read

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I didn't notice this was the last book in a series when I requested but in the end it didn't matter because I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down.
It an amazing book I loved as it's engaging, entertaining and enthralling.
I loved the world building, it reminded me of a Venice in an alternative reality, and the well developed characters.
Now I will start from the beginning this series hoping the other books are as good as the last one.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

What a fantastic ending for an amazing series. It took a moment to get into the book but then, well, as reader you are in for quite a ride. The pace constantly picks up, there are developments and twists and turns aplenty to keep you on your toes, and the inclusion of politics and what it means to have a functioning political system where several people have been bestowed with the power to rule over the rest, as well as the different solution, the lands of the witch lords have, is amazing.

Amalia develops further into a very interesting, intriguing political power within the Serene Empire. She proves herself by promoting a bill that is very dear to her heart, as well as taking action and negotiating at the forefront with the main threat to the peace in the lands, Ruven, a witch lord who wields power unlike any other witch lord. Ruven has no ethical consideration in how he uses his powers and is a nearly unmatchable opponent with the powers he wields.

All parts of the story, the characters, their relationships, the magic system are challenged and need to change in this third instalment. It is a story that already starts with quite a pace and then just keeps getting faster and faster until the end.

On the way Melissa Caruso raises many interesting questions, about how far you are willing to go when you have the possibility, ability, power to do so. She also explores the relationships within the story further. Yet, despite the good, the happy moments, the story in itself is also harrowing specially in the depth and width of what the witch lord Ruven sets in motion in order to have his needs met and also the mental, emotional and physical violence he exerts.

All in all, I very much enjoyed reading the conclusion to this trilogy and can only recommend it.

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review of the book.

The Unbound Empire, the final novel in this exceptional high fantasy series, concludes in the spectacular fashion you long all books to manage but that rarely happen to come together so superbly. Taking all the previous threads of the plot from the preceding two Swords & Fire books and combining them into a very fitting and ultimately satisfying climax to the tale. I must say, I found the politics in this beautifully-crafted fantasy world the most interesting and unusual part of it.

This is a compulsive novel full of courtly intrigue, exciting conspiracy and dark, spellbinding magic. However, it's at this time, towards the closing stages, that you really become aware of just how attached you have become to the characters and how bereft you're likely to be when it's all over. This is down to the fact that although there was plenty of action and danger the author still has time throughout to effortlessly deepen her characters and that I guess is why they feel like friends.

Each character has their own unique facets that lend themselves particularly well in this perilous, bloody adventure. There's Amalia who's intelligent and strong-minded; Zaira who is angst-ridden and struggling to harness her power to use for good; Marcello who keeps the group of friends grounded; and we leave the best until last - the glorious Kathe who is a beautiful soul both inside and out and his personality is the most developed as he is complex and three-dimensional.

The worldbuilding is also wonderfully in-depth and incredibly detailed and there are some very wise words surrounding abuse of power and whether an individual with great power is capable of policing themselves in terms of moral decision making. The Unbound Empire is a magnificent, original work of fantasy. Because of that I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending this to fantasy aficionados. Simply stunning. Many thanks to Orbit for an ARC.

Warnings: death, blood and a bit of gore, the usual fantasy fare

Wow what a wrap up! This trilogy just got better and better. I liked the first book though some of the characters annoyed me but I noticed so much growth over the last two books I became really attached to them.

It pretty much starts where it left off from the second book but it still goes slowly enough to draw you back into the world and characters but not so slow that you're bored. I've noticed that the description has gotten a bit more flowery but I still enjoyed it, it didn't get too much.

We go by the POV of Amalia, first person. I've always had a soft spot for first person narrative. I did find it stopped me from understanding certain characters in the first book but that definitely changed in the second book. Amalia is smart and resourceful, she uses her intellect to get her out of situations and I grew very fond of her. Though sometimes her guilt got a bit much at times but it was realistic. I enjoyed watching her grow closer to Zaira, I wanted from the first book to see them become close friends and I certainly got my wish. I loved her relationship with her mother, she loves and respects her and you can tell that her mother really cares for her and her wellbeing which she shows it in subtle ways.

Zaira was a character that took me awhile to get used to, in the first book she is just so angry all the time. Though her anger is justified it got irritating to watch her constantly turning down anyone who tried to show her kindness. As you get to know her over the trilogy you get to understand why that is and I found her compelling. Her relationship with another character (no spoilers for anyone who hasn't read the second book) is just so heart-warming and that combined with her growing friendship with Amalia really helped me warm to her. Her struggles with her power and how to control it is very emotional to read.

Marcello is my least favourite character I found him bland and unfortunately that didn't change that much. I just don't know why I couldn't like him, he had his moments but he just seemed to be the ultra nice and kind love interest to me. Though in this book something very interesting happens to him that made me more interested in him.

Now for my favourite, Kathe. Any pretty guy who can offer me cuddles with baby foxes has my love. But it's not just because he's pretty and powerful. He's also complex and interesting, he's not all good and he's not all bad. He loves his land and people and will go to any extreme to protect them. His playful nature while sometimes frustrating endeared him to me and made me smile. Every time someone mentioned a game he just perked right up. I loved that we got to meet some of his Heartguard, they were awesome. I said it in my review of the second book and I'll say it again, bring on a book about Kathe's life before this trilogy! I want that so bad!

The side characters in this are also interesting and complex (with a couple of exceptions) and bring their own depth to the story. My favourites had to be Jerith and Balos, they were just great to read about. Their loyalty to each other is inspiring.

One of the other things I loved about the series was the banter and humour between the characters. It seemed sometimes the higher the stakes the funnier the dialogue gets and I appreciated that. And boy were the stakes high in this series, there were so many times I thought they had no way of winning, it certainly keeps you on edge.

I highly recommend giving this trilogy a go if you haven't already especially if you like your fantasy with magic, mayhem and politics.

A great ending for a very interesting, fantastic trilogy! As it was expected, the last book seems to be, in my opinion, a perfect ending of its world!

A political fantasy, filled with magic, feuds, love and betrayal. As a conclusion to the ‘Swords and Fire’ trilogy, this promises an endless supply of action and excitement to a thrilling conclusion.

The benefit to the third book in a trilogy is that (hopefully) enough time has been spent developing the characters that the reader has grown to have a deep emotional connection with them, and that’s certainly the case here. Amalia in particular has a great character arc, facing increasing difficult decisions that often jar with her pure at heart principals. Zaira is her perfect counterbalance, injecting some much needed wit and humour to the proceedings when things threaten to look a little too bleak, and Kathe is just....Kathe. She’s absolutely my favourite character, bringing a host of quirks, imagination and sass that should be mandatory in these types of fantasies.

The world building has also been excellent in this trilogy, digging ever deeper over each successive book so as to not overwhelm the reader as we’re drawn into magical scheming and plots. Some might find this more political intrigue, ‘talky’ fantasy lacking in action, however here it’s beautifully executed and the pace never slows, managing to fit a lot of plot into a tight package that’s concluded well. I hold this as a testament to how well written this is, as the story could easily have gotten dull in lesser hands.

Great political fantasy that feels just different enough to be intriguing and exciting with some excellent characters.

Fantastic finale!

This was a great finale to this series it packed a punch and really tied things up nicely. There was a lot of political intrigue which i loved and the much darker plot had me hooked right up until the end!

I often find that the third book in a trilogy can make or break a series and this one definitely made it - well done Melissa Caruso!

I did that thing where I thought ‘I’ll just take a sneaky peek at chapter one’ because I have a huge TBR and other arcs are in the queue ahead of this one. 24hrs later the book – and the trilogy – are over and I am a wreck. This was such a whirlwind of a final book, pulling together all the threads of the previous two books and delivering a very satisfying conclusion. Amalia is a great character and I love Kathe, the crow lord. I especially love how politics is woven through this series, which sometimes is quiet in terms of fantasy but loud and clear on the themes of love, war and betrayal. This is such a great trilogy. Can’t recommend it highly enough.