I adore this series! Arabessa’s story as the oldest sister is one I’ve been waiting for, for quite some time. This book did not disappoint and I think it was the best of the series!

Wonderful new romantasy series to dive into, and now completed! So much fun, great world building and writing style.

The final book in this series was everything I could've hoped for and more. I've been dying to see the relationship dynamic between Arabessa and Zimri and wasn't disappointed. Enjoyed this book from start to finish.

I have been wanting an Arabessa story since book one of this series and my goddddd did this deliver. I stand by saying the world building in this series is one of my favorite fantasy reads ever. The writing is SO beautiful and the consistent character growth shown in each sister through each book is amazing. I absolutely loved Arabessa’s story and cannot wait until this book is out for her story to be fully shared.

This book is the last book in the Mousai series. We watch Arabessa and Zimri’s romance and adventure throughout the story. Arabessa is out to forge her own path away from her family. The author brings the reader into this fantasy world with a great plot and strong characters. This is an amazing fantasy world and I loved this story.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this series and the final novel was no exception. Mellow has a great way with worldbuilding and character development and her stories are always driven by the each of the characters.

This was a very satisfying conclusion and though it was very bittersweet to say goodbye to this world I'd grown to love.

My only fault with this story is that I'm very much over the miscommunication trope and I feel like the same things could be achieved without using this method.

Unfortunately I just haven’t vibed with this book at all. The cover is absolutely beautiful though and whilst this book wasn't for me, I know my fantasy friends will really love it. I just personally found myself skimming through as it wasn’t holding my attention enough.

This is my favorite of the trilogy. I'm an eldest child, so maybe I related more to Arabessa's character than the others. The pacing is good. I still kinda hate the phrases masquerading as sentences but that's just me.

I loved this book and am so sad that the story of the Mousai sisters is finally over! Arabessa and Zimri’s story is beautiful and so full of passion, sacrifice, realization, and love. I thought their history of caring for each other since childhood added so many layers to their story (and you guys know I LIVE for childhood friends to lovers). Arabessa has possibly the best character journey out of any of the Mousai sisters, even though it is far from easy for her to face the challenges set before her. EJ Mellow does a phenomenal job of giving both Arabessa and Zimri their own independent story lines apart from each other, as well as a steamy and passionate relationship together.

We also get to see many of our favorite characters from previous book, and it’s so fun to see the sisterly bond continue to grow and evolve as the sisters all move into new phases of life. But I will admit, I wouldn’t have been sad if we had seen more of Darius and Alos 😂

Whatever EJ Mellow writes next, I’ll definitely be reading it! Highly recommend this trilogy!

I thought this was a great ending to the Mousai trilogy.

Eldest sister Arabessa has only ever known how to take charge and be responsible, sacrificing her own wants and needs for her father, for her sisters, and for her duty to the Thief King as a member of the deadly Mousai. When she is presented with an opportunity to fight for something she didn't even know was a possibility, it comes at a very steep price - a future with her childhood love, Zimri.

When their individual goals take them farther away from each other, they each have to decide what it is they really want.

I loved this deeper look into the world of the Thief Kingdom, and the twists and turns that this story took Arabessa and Zimri on was heartbreaking and thrilling. I also loved that sisters Larkyra and Niya played excellent supporting roles.

EJ Mellow is very talented storyteller, and I can't wait to see what she releases next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Age Level: Adult
Content: mild language, 2 open door scenes

• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Symphony for a Deadly Throne
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Mousai #3
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: E.J. Mellow
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

This was such a great story. It is a third book in a series and I have to admit I haven't read the others books so it was good to see if it was readable as a standalone and I can definitely say it is. It did take me longer to understand this world, but once I did I fell for the originality. A kingdom full of thieves and a story with lots of action and surprises. I totally fell for the mmc in this book. The amount of things I quoted. This guy has a way with words and made me swoon. The fmc was so strong and I loved her conviction and attitude. Great romance story with an original setting and swoon worthy characters.

Symphony for a deadly throne

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to netgalley, Montlake, and E. J. Mellow for the opportunity to read this book

You have to give it to the author they really know how to build an entire world that feels completely fleshed out. Reading the book, you feel like you're in the thief kingdom. My favourite part of this book (and the entire series) is how strong the plot line of family is. Using it as a common thread in arabessa's story about trust, sacrifice, and how sometimes you have to just do things for you was especially strong.

The decision to list this as friends to lovers is a complex one because, while technically it is, you do not get the type of development you would usually see in those stories. I personally would have preferred to see the actual formation of their relationship rather than it being developed prior to the book starting. I did, however, appreciate the messages we get on choices in relationships and how they affect your partner.

The romance also took over the plot, which was unfortunate because the idea of the thief king and how they came to be was very interesting to read about. There was an opportunity to have a lot more action and really drive home that arabessa is a strong woman with and without her gifts.

I enjoyed the authors writing style and will definitely check out their other works. I've given this 4 stars, which puts it between the other two books in the series. Sadly, our main pairing here just didn't capture my heart like niya and alos in book 2. I really missed alos and his banter actually, but kattiva was a pretty good match for it.

I really liked the conclusion of the trilogy. I have read and enjoyed the other two books with the stories of the other sisters and I loved this so much! Very interesting world building and character relations.

# ****Symphony for a Deadly Throne****

🎉 Thanks Netgalley, Montlake Publishing and the authour, E. J. Mellow for the opportunity to read the Arabessa’s story.

Ara é a terceira participante do grupo Mousai, formado junto com suas irmãs a pedido do Rei dos Ladrões . Por toda a sua vida assumiu as responsabilidades por ser a Irmã e filha mais velha, sendo sempre muito altruísta até chegar ao ponto de ser teimosa. Porém o reino dos Ladrões precisa de um novo rei, mas reclamar o trono não é assim tão simples

Primeiro, ela tem que fazer um voto de silêncio. Logo em seguida, entrar em uma competição mortal e tudo isso enquanto ela ainda está envolvida romanticamente com Zimri, um órfão que cresceu com sua família e tem seu pai como mentor.

Zimri sempre foi fiel a duas coisas: seu amor a Arabessa e sua promessas aos falecidos pais de ter o controle do Macabris. Com uma proposta de casamento de outra pessoa, ele terá mais controle dos negócios, mas isso significaria abrir mão de ter Ara como sua esposa legitima.

Agora além do risco de perder a vida na disputa pelo trono, da possibilidade de perder Zimri para sempre, Ara terá que realizar sacrifícios para provar que é capaz de reinar.

Eu gostei bastante do livro, embora ele seja um pouco previsível em alguns aspectos. Mas o que eu mais gostei é que mesmo esse sempre o meu primeiro contato com a série, eu consegui compreender o sistema de magia e a construção do mundo, fazendo com ele funcionasse muito bem como livro unico.

Outra coisa que destaco é a facilidade e fluidez da escrita da autora, as quebras dos capítulos e plots que ela decidiu incluir para compor o livro fizeram com que a leitura fosse leve.

No geral, eu gostei muuuito do livro, embora alguns plots fossem previsíveis, por isso minha nota final é 3,5.

Symphony for a Deadly Throne is a beautiful and thrilling conclusion to the Mousai series. This is one of the best fantasy romance series I've read in a long time, and it deserves more recognition. I know that other readers will fall in love with it as quickly as I did. I truly can't recommend it enough!

5/5 stars

THIS BOOK. THIS MF'ING BOOK.

This is *exactly* what I hoped for from the last book in the series. Man, it hit different. My favorite one for sure.

I felt such a connection to Arabessa, more than the other two sisters (Larkyra is a close second though). I'm not the oldest, but a lot of what she goes through as the oldest sister I can relate to on more levels than I thought. She is selfless, sometimes to the point of self-sabotage, and she is a people pleaser, and DEAR LORD ME TOO.

Her character development is something I aspire to have in my life, turning from people pleaser to strong woman who can say no and who doesn't want to the world on her shoulders anymore. Seeing her grow made me cry, and seeing her go through the trials showed how determined and ambitious she is.

The romance between Ara and Zimri was butterfly-inducing, infuriating, and outrageously adoring all at once. I loved seeing how they had to jump through so many hoops, while deep down they love each other all the while. Shows how strong their love was. GOD THIS BOOK.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake publishing, and E.J. Mellow, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of SYMPHONY FOR A DEADLY THRONE in exchange for my honest review!

Symphony for a Deadly Throne by E.J. Mellow is the third installment in the Mousai series. Each book in this series follows one of the Bassette sisters with SYMPHONY following the eldest sister, Arabessa.

As the eldest, Arabessa always puts her duty toward her family, her magic, and her kingdom first, even if that means letting her heart play second fiddle. Within this story, the line between love and duty is tested to its limit as Arabessa's ambitions and love life meet at a crossroads.

<i>"I cannot only care for you partially, love you in half measures. That is like asking the sea to not yearn toward the shore with its waves."</i>

I loved both of the stories following the two younger sisters in the previous books, therefore I could not wait for Arabessa's story!

Arabessa and Zimri have my whole heart. Their love for each other was so potent from the very beginning. And the angst that they brought with clearly wanting to be together, but having these obstacles in the way, keeping them from being happy and in love together, was torturous! It only made their official coming together so much sweeter. All of that goes to how well Mellow writes romantic tension between characters. I have so many highlights of moments and sentences that moved me.

The world around the Mousai and the Thief Kingdom is so fascinating to me, I am always left wanting more! The character of Achak is such a mystery to me still, I would more than enjoy a spin off novella that dives deeper into their character, and some of the history of this world.

One of the highlights of this series is the emphasis on the bond between the three sisters. I love how much fun they have together bantering and bickering. Each sister is clearly their own distinguished person--unique and set apart--but they form a whole force to be reckoned with when they're together. I love how much they care and would do anything for each other.

I think this book was such a satisfying ending to the Mousai. I will definitely return to this series for a reread!

<b>4.25/5 Stars</b>

I read this completed version for free on Kindle Unlimited instead at the end of 2022. Started it the same time I downloaded this and completely forgot about this edition. But I appreciate getting accepted for the ebok ARC and final book in this triology very much.

That said , I was ready to melt into the floor for both of the main characters of Symphony For A Deadly Throne. Zimri and Arabessa are such beautiful yet strong-wiiled, reserved characters. I could never comprehend the life they have to endure being leaders in the magical world of Aadilor. Let alone being in a position of legitimate power in a secretive city like the The Thief Kingdom. Its dangerous so they both deserved the ease they get from each from the very start of this book as children. Anyways it sucks how other factors get in the way of love being an adult when you just want to live your life. That's all I can say without spoilers. Definitely glad I had a two free chances to read this book which I will eventually hope to reread again.

Leader if the Mousai Arabaessa and Zimri are in love, and have been since they were children. Due to Arabessa's commitments to her family, their relationship had always been secret. Zimri only has two wishes in his life, to make their relationship public & permanent, and to hold the majority of his family business. When a random marriage of convenience is proposed to him which would allow him to monopolise his family business for good, it causes Zimri to make a difficult decision causing a knock on effect which changes Zimri and Arabessa's relationship dynamic forever.

This is my first time reading from this author, I have not read the previous books. Although all the characters were interesting, the story seemed to revolve around arguments between Zimri and Arabessa based on a big miscommunication. Due to this, I found I was more interested in some of the side characters such as the fiancé. I believe I may have been more invested in the story if I had read the previous books.

I enjoyed this book. I really like the pervious books in the series so I was excited to be able to read and review this one. Overall, it was intriguing and I liked it just as much as the other books!