Review: Fit for a Throne

Fit for a Throne by Abigail Manning is the third and final book in the Fit for a Crown dark romantasy trilogy. I received an ARC of this book with a strong recommendation to read the first two, which I did. It is essential to at least read the second book to understand what's happening in this one, but it's best to read all three in order. This is the final battle of the trilogy. The title seems appropriate since it reads a bit like a clean/censored version of Game of Thrones, set in a violent world where everyone is forced to shed blood in their claim to the throne. If you enjoyed the first two books, you will enjoy this one. If you were hoping for more levity after the bleak tone of the first two, you won't find it here.

Diaspro has chosen a prince, but now the throne is under siege as secrets have been revealed and masks have been shed. There were a few final twists to wrap up unanswered questions from the first two books, but they didn't shock me as much as the ones from the previous books because this series taught me to expect the unexpected. Diaspro must finally uncover the secret of her kingdom's enchanted vault to protect it from the wicked prince. She is joined by a few allies who thankfully don't betray her now that she finally knows who she can trust. The path ahead is fraught with torture and bloodshed, but our heroes are relentless on their quest to save both kingdoms.

This book reminded me a little of the third season of Tangled and Rapunzel's struggles with Cassandra, which I appreciated. All of the interpersonal relationships in the trilogy are strained due to every character having a traumatic backstory. Because of this, I had a hard time rooting for the main couple, whose quieter romantic moments were few and far between. The few times that they did interact, they mostly talked about how much they hated each other, and I guess we were supposed to find that romantic, but I can't say that I did. Every character's loyalty was put to the test with their very lives, making this world a difficult place to be a good person.

Though Abigail's previous works are more to my personal taste than this one, Fit for a Throne does a great job of tying up loose ends to bring the trilogy to a close. All the mysterious players who were teased in earlier books finally shed their masks, revealing some familiar faces with hidden roles that are pivotal to the future of both kingdoms. Diaspro grows a great deal as a character across all three books. I wouldn't say I loved her by the end of the series, but she was a lot more likable than when she was first introduced in Fit for a Prince. People who think her fairy tale books have too much humor or levity would probably enjoy this trilogy more than I did.

Overall, Fit for a Throne is a satisfying ending to the Fit for a Crown trilogy. Abigail Manning's fast-paced writing style makes for a suspenseful page-turner with new surprises in every chapter that will keep readers guessing until the very end. The book successfully dances on the edge of darker fantasy while consistently avoiding spice, foul language, and graphic violence. If that's what you're looking for in a romantasy, that is exactly what you will find in this series.