MASTER OF SOULS

Arrah and company return in this closer to a trilogy that started with Kingdom of Souls (2019).

Arrah, romantic interest Crown Prince Rudjek, and their friends are where readers left them in Reaper of Souls (2021): searching for the tribal people. Arrah is also grieving her decision to give up the chieftains’ kas and her subsequent loss of longed for magical ability. When they finally discover the tribal people’s hiding place, the latter aren’t pleased to hear of Arrah’s surrendered magic, as it was also the key to their safety from the demons who want to consume their souls. Even without this magic, however, Arrah is determined to help keep her people safe, but there’s not much she can do without this power—or is there? The point of view shifts among Arrah; Efiya, her half-demon sister; Daho, the Demon King; and others, although Daho’s is the only viewpoint that does not unfold concurrently with the others. Once again, Barron skillfully weaves plot twists into the narrative, the greatest of which may surprise even astute readers. Readers who made it through the losses of the second book, in particular, will be rewarded with an ending that feels earned. This is a happy conclusion to a complex and engrossing series centering Black characters that makes the sometimes heart-rending journey worth it, both for the cast members and readers.

Satisfying and hopeful.