7 Answers2026-03-19
Just here to read comments. Still trying to process the entire series myself which I finished last week. Some of these analyses are really great, especially in terms of how they approach thematic closure. I’ll probably just read everything and then form my own solid opinions on everything later.
9 Answers2026-05-28
Just following this thread to see how fanychly people can argue over endings to a story. One person calls it perfect bittersweet, another rushed trash. I am reading the book so have been skimming through these ‘spoilers’ with one eye closed. My intrigue with the debate is far greater than my interest in the actual ending. Carry on.
8 Answers2025-06-13
The antagonist is defeated in an extremely interesting psychological way. Instead of being killed by the Luna, he is tricked into having his own curse turned on himself. The result is that he is forced to live in an eternal illusion where he can have everything his heart’s desire, but he knows it’s all fake. I think this is even worse than dying. After his defeat, the story is allowed to meander through the after effects of the conflict at its own pace. It’s rather rare to see a story’s main character deal with the trauma of what they’ve been through in the denouement, but we get to see Luna dealing with her grief in the story’s conclusion. In the end, the King comforted Luna, which is typically reversed from their normal relationship. The overall mood is one of healing, not just winning.
5 Answers2025-12-28
This is well-written for several reasons. First, the seeds of the ending are sown early in the story. The small kind thing the protagonist does for a minor character in the middle of the book comes back to her to help the protagonist in the ending. A line from the heroine’s childhood that contains her dream for her life is referenced in the ending as she sets up a new policy for her kingdom. This ending feels just and right because it was earned. The ending of the central romantic conflict of the book comes after many chapters of the hero failing to see the heroine. His growth to save her and achieve his own happiness comes in small, consistent actions over the later volumes of the book, culminating in a simple yet powerful moment of understanding between the two characters that doesn’t require any long pontification on their parts. Furthermore, the plot against the throne is undone using information that the reader and the protagonist learned chapters prior. Thus, it feels clever rather than a deus ex machina.
10 Answers2025-06-25
At its core, the ending of The Folk of the Air series satisfies in showing Jude come to terms with who she is. The main character of the series went into it with so little and learned so much. For most of her journey, Jude grappled with her fragile, mortal human nature and the harsh, disconnected Faerie nature she adopted along the way. Reconciling these two contrasting traits of Jude’s nature to form the Queen of Elfhame – a fully formed human with all her might, tenacity and cunning – is the core of her journey in the end.
HuDwould never go ‘soft’. No, this ending shows Jude to be wise in her new role as Queen of Elfhame. And it also shows how her love for Cardan wasn’t a weakness. In fact, it’s the core of their powerful new alliance, securing all her ambitions. For Jude, love doesn’t have to mean loss of self. In fact, she can be her tough, dodgy, downright survivor type and still be someone who loves, is trusted, shows mercy. In fact, she creates her own place, her own way. She achieves her greatest goal as a completely self-determined individual in a world dominated by predestination and bloodlines.
7 Answers2026-01-06
While the specifics of this book have worn a bit thin on me, I recall enjoying the book for comfort reasons. While I’m not entirely sure the villain’s plan was brilliant or not, in the end the core family was safe, and the pack was healthy and strong after hundreds of chapters of struggle and toil. That in itself was a satisfying bit of emotional closure for me, and from an authorial perspective, it’s clear that Shaw does really great quiet moments of connection with his mates after the storms have passed. It’s that sort of ending, of domestic quiet and peace after long chapters of struggle, with a cup of tea by the fire and snow falling gently outside, that keeps me coming back for more. It’s a blanket in book form.
4 Answers2026-04-07
This may be my most favorite part of the entire book: Rowan’s quiet heroic nature in the final pages. Unlike Aelin and her numerous lauded heroics throughout the book, Rowan’s greatest feats are quietly shown in his restraint. He is able to carry Aelin when she can no longer walk, negotiate with Dorian on the borders of Adarlan, and even graciously deal with Aedion. His final act of heroism isn’t some dramatic battle move; instead he chooses to stay when every fiber of his being is telling him to run off and hunt down every remaining Akilan on the planet. This is tremendous growth for a man who once lived by the credo of ‘kill or be killed’. I’m so happy he has found a way to trade in his solitary existence for community.
9 Answers2026-01-22
I’d really like to know what happens to the other two triplets of hers that she doesn’t end up having a romantic relationship with. I think this would be a really beautiful way to redevelop her relationship with them in a platonic, familial way. They could become like her protectors, the strong close friends who will have her back in any situation, the ones she goes to for advice, comfort and a shoulder to cry on. The three of them could become like a family to her and in turn her to them, a very wholesome scenario. It would be an interesting way to show the brotherly love the triplets have for each other too, evolves into a deep protective love for her, and that would be really beautiful to read. It would also be an interesting take on the typical pack structure and how it could be reformed in order to be healthier than the typical dominating, jealousy-ridden, and bitter dynamics that are often portrayed, this way it’s strong and healthy instead. I know it might not be realistic for some but in the context of the story it would work very well.
12 Answers2025-12-19
None (I probably would've hated the ending anyway). I stopped reading somewhere in the 80% range of completion. The angst in this book is SOOOOOO good, but then the mystery starts to unravel and I just KNEW he was going to get forgiven for SOME noble reason or another. And I don't want to read a rejected mate story where the heroine gets forgiven by her mate for his mistakes. No. I want her to find another, better, mate. Or for her to be stronger than that and end up thriving on her own, without any male influence in her life whatsoever. This book didn't quite go that route, I felt it was going to end up with a lot of reconciliation in the end, so...no. Just not my flavor of polite, nice-y-nice romance. I'm sure others will enjoy it, though.
2 Answers2026-03-06
Oh man, that ending was so terrible and amazing at the same time. I’ve seen some people call it ‘unfair’ but I think it was so fitting for the main character. The whole story followed the Queen as she tried to run from her past but instead she dragged it behind her and it slowly consumed her. The end isn’t just about her physical demise but also about the cost of her vengeance. How it slowly hollows you out until there is nothing left to save. The imagery of the rot consuming everything was so beautiful. I didn’t need a happy ending or a deus ex machina to make everything okay. It was raw and ugly and I loved every minute of it.