Slay

The end of the book left me in ugly tears. I really wish the author had given Callon a different character arc from the beginning, or at least let Talc live. Under these circumstances, I understand why he chose to move on and agree with his decision—but I'm still heartbroken.

I'm on the fence about her becoming queen. 

I'm disappointed that there wasn't more from the elves about the shamans, especially since it was their fault and Cora wasn't even alive at that time. The “cure” felt a bit rushed, though I'm forever happy Cora helped them. 
I would have loved to learn more about Moose—what is he, exactly? Animal, monster, magical beast?

I may have missed it, but how did King Lux kill Talc? Why did his sword pierce her scales so easily? I think I'll need to review that passage later on.

And what about the witches! They were such an integral part of the world, yet we know so little about them. And the Shadow Lands! I'm so intrigued by them, as well as the demons. There was so much fascinating world-building that I'm a bit sad Cora's adventures ended with so much left unexplored.

From start to finish, I wasn't a fan of Rush. I know he did everything he could to right his wrongs, but I'm just not sure if I like the villain-to-hero arc or if it was the execution that didn't quite work for me. The constant reminders from everyone around him didn't help much, either.