2.5-Star Review of Wages of War by Elle Beaumont and Christis Christie

Bringing the sweeping conflicts to a satisfying close and providing emotional gratification was not easy in Wages of War, the final installment of the Immortal Realms trilogy. Unfortunately, it does not rise to the occasion. It feels burdensome because of inconsistent pacing, incomplete character arcs, and an unbreakable, faltering primary romance, no less while offering hints of the political intricacies and magical battles that first drew me to the series.

Through BookSirens I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

They are a king and queen at odds, broken by past mistakes. But conquering their foe will mean uniting once again.

Zryan is faced with the devastation wrought by his spurned lover, and he must now address the threat on his doorstep, protecting not only his kingdom but family. However, putting a stop to his enemy will prove difficult as she has outpaced him and his brothers at every step.

After an attempt on her life, Alessia is more than ready to vanquish the foes surrounding them, but the hardest part is discovering how vast the web of deception has spread. The fae plaguing the three realms must be brought down. But if they hope to conquer their enemy, she must forgive her husband's transgressions, and unite with him fully.

With time running out for Lucem—and the other realms—Zryan and Alessia must set aside their quarrels to battle side by side before death comes for them all.

Wages of War is the thrilling conclusion to the Immortal Realms Trilogy! It is filled with second chances, epic battles, steamy romance, and magic. For readers who enjoy Carissa Broadbent, Laura Thalassa, Sarah J. Maas, and Charissa Weaks.

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Opinion

Let’s start with the main characters: Zryan and Alessia. In the first two books, I found both of them to be deeply unlikable, frustrating at best. That said, for Wages of War, I went in with a cautiously optimistic hope that this book would add some much-needed emotional depth to finally connect with them. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Even after the first ten chapters, I didn’t feel any more attached to the characters. Their interactions were still lukewarm, their dialogue still fractured, and their attempts to move past their issues felt more like a forced plot device instead of a genuine attempt at character development.

I found myself far more interested in Zryan and Alessia’s three children—who are minor characters but, in their short screen time, displayed more depth and emotional complexity than their parents ever did. It speaks volumes when the side characters provide more emotional investment than the couple the entire story is built around.

In terms of tension, the villain Phaedora felt limply delivered. She is cruel enough to be an actual threat, and her power is sufficient to give the plot some pending urgency, but her motivations are unclear, and her methods are too monotonous. The “web of deception” that was promised is not as shocking as it could have been; it never felt knotted. The tension was definitely there on paper, but the emotional intensity around it did not hit fully.

One of the brightest points in this book is the shocking return of an old enemy from the brothers’ pasts. Even if this is a brief moment, it adds a lot of unsought energy to the book’s mid-section. For a small moment, I remembered what the trilogy had the potential to be: surprising, moving, and intimate at the same time. Sadly, this flame did not last long. It was quickly drowned by another stereotypical battle and yet another forced moment of romantic “healing” between Zryan and Alessia.

The resolution and climax simultaneously lacked depth and felt rushed. With how many times the series claimed “epic battles” and “steamy romance,” I was left feeling disappointed by both. The last fight with the antagonist was lacking in the spectacle that one would hope for after three books of build-up, and the emotional reward was virtually nonexistent. The ending attempted to make everything clean and tidy, but for me, felt more like a light fizzle instead of a glorious closing.

Conclusion

Wages of War is ultimately a sad conclusion to a promising trilogy. This novel can disappoint readers who are hoping for a fulfilling fantasy climax, deep romantic tension, or interesting characters. Even if there are several standout scenes, especially involving supporting characters or unexpected turns, the narrative as a whole isn’t elevated by them. I doubt I will return to the realms for a re-read, and I bid them a lukewarm farewell.

About Elle Beaumont

Elle Beaumont is a writer who loves creating vivid fantasy and science fiction worlds in the young adult genre as well as new adult. She lives in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband and two children. When not writing or chasing around her children, she can be seen crocheting, candle-making and taking care of her animals. More than once she has proclaimed that coffee is lifeblood, and it is how she refrains from becoming a zombie.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram

About Christis Christie

Christis Christie was born and raised in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada where she spent most of her time either reading someone else’s book, or dreaming of writing her own. Her favourite thing to dive into is an epic fantasy, or anything else magical and wondrous that really allows her imagination to take her away.

She now lives on the East Coast in Halifax, Nova Scotia where she works as an event designer, putting her interior decorating degree to wonderful use. Whenever she’s not busy magically transforming venues for her clients, Christis is working on her own writing, or spending with her boyfriend and her cat, Robert.

Her other dreams consist of one day visiting Costa Rica and spending the night at the Toucan Rescue Ranch with the sloths!

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