#SIAM Review: The King Will Kill You by Sarah Henning

The King Will Kill You by Sarah Henning
Series: Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #3
Published by Tor Teen on 2022-08-02
Length: 368 pages
Reviewing Hardcover from My Book Shelf
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2024 Backlist Reader Challenge, 2024 COYER Unwind

The Princess Bride meets Game of Thrones in this commercial YA trilogy from acclaimed fantasy author Sarah Henning.

Princess Amarande is finally on the verge of having everything she wants. To be with her true love Luca, no one nor law standing in the way. To rule Ardenia as queen outright, no marriage necessary, as Luca does the same with the reformed Torrence. To rebuild the continent of The Sand and Sky into a place not defined by archaic, patriarchal laws, but by the will of its people.

However, threats await in the shadows of Amarande’s hoped-for happily ever after. One expected and deadly to both her love and every one of her objectives. The other, unexpected, and arising with a vicious aim: revenge at any cost. Against the princess who killed him, the boy whose love made her do it, and the continent cruel enough to deserve his rage.

The King Will Kill You is the epic, pulse-pounding conclusion to Sarah Henning’s Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy.

Exciting conclusion! The King Will Kill You by Sarah Henning is the final book in her YA fantasy series Kingdoms of Sand and Sky. Picking up almost exactly where the last book left off, Amarande and Luca find themselves newly crowned by their people. Now a queen and king, the two are working with the surviving members of the other kingdoms to begin a new chapter in the Sand and Sky. But old enemies return and threaten to ruin everything before it can even begin.

This story has come almost full circle. Queen Inés is gone, the Warlord has escaped into the wind, and the former rulers of the Sand and Sky are no more. It is up to Ama and Luca to help fix what was broken with the death of her father King Sendoa. I found the political aspects of this world fascinating. It’s the center of the story, and Henning gives the reader everything you need to know that Ama and Luca’s plan is doomed to fail. This failure costs them dearly in the form of some epic battle sequences.

I enjoyed seeing Ama and Luca together more here. I had not really bought into their romance fully until this book. They are equals in every way, and where one fall shorts, the other pulls them through. My favorite part of this story was Ferdinand. I loved the addition of his point of view. We got a little bit of him in book two, but he’s as much a main character is Ama and Luca in this book. I love the relationship building between him and his sister and just how much he is like Koldo. He’s a great addition to the story.

My only complaint and what kind of threw me off is the enemy that comes back. This is not someone I ever expected to see again, and honestly it felt a bit like a cheap trick. I’m going to put some of my other thoughts about this in spoiler tags so as not to ruin it for those who haven’t read it. View Spoiler » Of all the people to return, Renard is the last one I expected. He is just as petty and entitled as in book one, but is now fueled by rage. He still expects Ama to come to heel and do what he wants, even knowing he is the one responsible for King Sendoa’s death. I would have been much happier and less surprised if Talliefer was the one to come back. I missed him in this book. « Hide Spoiler

Overall, I really enjoyed The King Will Kill You. It was a fantastic conclusion to the series. Between the thrilling battles and stolen kisses, Ama and Luca were easy to root for. If you are a fan of YA fantasy, I highly recommend it.

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