The last and I think strongest book in a trilogy set in a fantasy world inspired by the cultures of the pre-colonial Americas, Mirrored Heavens both wraps up the intersecting storylines of key characters while also leaving plenty open-ended for speculation (and sequels). Like the first two installments, it’s a gritty, political journey through a world of magic, political scheming, love, and betrayal. Most of the plot twists I saw coming, but there are a few surprises in store as well.

The trilogy is ambitious in scope and this book moves quickly — there’s a lot to cover to wrap everything up. If, like me, you’re returning to the Meridian after some time away, you’ll want to refresh yourself on the intrigue, character relationships, and plot points, otherwise you might get a little lost.

Roanhorse’s worldbuilding is excellent and her characters are empathetic and human. I appreciate that the rules of magic in the Meridian are revealed slowly through plot action, leading to striking set pieces and sometimes shocking revelations.

Overall, it took me a minute to get back into this series but once I did I had a hard time putting it down.

I love this series as a whole and I think it’s a sleeper hit in the fantasy/sci-fi world. There are so many fine moments in this last book and I love Xiala/Serapio’s arcs the most. I felt Naranpa and Okoa were cast aside by the end, for the plot, but perhaps unnecessarily so. Their conclusions were unsatisfactory to me. Plus, the last few chapters felt rushed in my opinion, but endings are hard especially for a book series finale so I give props to Roanhoarse for constructing this complex, fascinating universe. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this series and I’ll think about it a lot.

It started off quite slow, but by the second half there was sufficient action that I was excited to keep reading. The end of the fighting was a little anti-climactic. I found the emotional resolution to be touching

I read Black Sun four years ago, and it played a large role in rekindling my love for reading. It has a special place in my heart and I still think it's the best book in this series. I put off reading Mirrored Heavens for a while because I didn't want the story to end, but I finally did it...

It isn't perfect - the politics got so muddy and complicated that I was tempted to get a piece of paper to write down who betrayed whom. There where character arcs I wasn't satisfied with, most particularly Naranpa's. I really enjoyed her POV in Fevered Star, with her rise as a representative of the Coyote clan. While I initially liked the idea of her traveling north to study the gods, ultimately it felt like she had little influence on everything that happened in Tova. I missed her as a powerful figure, and I even missed the Dry Earth characters. I thought Coyote clan would play a much bigger role after the second book :( My favorite part of Fevered Star was her confrontation with Serapio. There was SO MUCH to explore between them. The parallels! The interwoven destiny!!! And none if it panned out. :( This is my biggest gripe and it's unforgivable to me. :P

Okoa's arc was also confusing. 

His feelings toward Serapio were all-consuming but so one-sided that I felt bad for him. I never truly believed that Serapio thought of him as a brother, at least not with the same level of devotion as Okoa showed. Why was he even killed off? He survived so much just to be killed by some usurper, damn. Better for him to have died in battle with Tehrza.

What this book delivered in spades was more of Serapio and Xiala's relationship.  I was surprised by the amount of pages dedicated to their longing for each other...so of course I rejoiced! There's not much to say except that I love them and I'm thankful to Roanhorse for giving me everything I wanted in that regard.  Sue me, I'm a romantic.

Except I wanted a longer epilogue. I understand it was more poetic to end it the way it did, but damn it, I wanted more dialogue! More of an explanation from Serapio!

I think the book could've been edited better, because there was a lot of backstory crammed in here, and while I enjoyed the discussion of destiny versus paving one's own path, the weight of expectations, the price of love and of ambition...we dwelled on that so much that it dulled the nuance of the characters. Does that make sense? Like there was a lot of telling instead of showing.  Black Sun had this wonderful sense of discovery, of counting down the days to something mysterious, and Fevered Star had the players in a steady rise of power. We should have gotten an epic confrontation in Mirrored Heavens and that...didn't really happen. It feels like the story got away from the author a bit.

I know this review sounds negative but my love for the characters largely overshadows the book's weak points. For all its flaws, I cannot not love this series because it gave me Serapio, Xiala, and Naranpa.

PS. The chapter where Serapio kills Marcal had me bawling. We barely even heard anything about Marcal before that and yet it broke my heart. One of my favorite parts.

Just like with the other books in this series, Mirrored Heavens takes time to get going, with the first several chapters not having earned my commitment (on their own merit, though I trusted Roanhorse and the series very much!). However, by about halfway through the book, I was all in, and unable to put it down.

The characters and dynamics from the first two books have grown so much by this one, and everything they go through is heart-wrenching, but all of it, good and bad, feels - if not deserved - fitting.

Deaths that are senseless are mourned both by the characters and the text, and bad decisions are seen for what they are. Characters grow to accept themselves and what they've done, or their inability to do so is a problem.

It's refreshing to read thought-out consequences, but more than that, it keeps Mirrored Heavens from ever getting too bleak. 

The book ends on a hopeful tone. I wasn't expecting it, but it certainly makes all of the tension feel like it was worth something, and like it matters. In some ways, that makes the tension more real altogether, which in turn makes the protagonists' fights all worth it.

I love the mythology, the visuals, all being rooted in the pre-Columbian Americas. Each culture is very distinct in the world Roanhorse has created, and that is most obvious here, but all of them are crafted with such love. I see so much of my family and loved ones reflected in the styles and traditions described! 

It's a wonderful thing, to have a book - a whole series - that makes me feel cozy, gives me action and intrigue and strong interpersonal relationships, and that I can see myself in. I want to reread this series every day forever.

An incredible conclusion to the trilogy. Somehow, Roanhorse outdid herself with this third book. I didn't think the series could possibly get even better, but Mirrored Heavens is beyond my wildest dreams. It's everything I want fantasy to be: compelling and complex characters, an immersive world, plot that had me itching to read more, and deeply emotional story beats. What a way to wrap up this tale!

This book was a journey. It took me a while to get through. I think I may not enjoy books about war, fantasy or otherwise. There was so much talking and planning battles, a la Brandon Sanderson. Not my fave. 

It's an odd experience to root for no one, really. But the world is so rich, and I did love two of the characters (the main women), and I would totally read any spinoff stories about Xiala.