99 problems, and a book ain't one

   The Labyrinth was the epic conclusion to the Nightfall Gardens trilogy. This book was everything I was hoping for with a few added gut-wrenching twists and a bittersweet end. After the other two stories in this series, it was apparent that we were heading towards a war of epic proportions in this book. I knew that the gardens would fall one way or another. What I was not prepared for was everything that would be lost in that happening! This book will send you in a tailspin of emotions. I thought I knew what I wanted when I started reading this, I was all jacked up and ready for this incredible battle.

And then it started going down and I was like...

As this battle was raging, in multiple locations, I then started having some doubts, did I really want this to happen? OMG what if something happens to one of these many characters that I have grown to love so much? Seriously at one point I was chanting, "No, not Arfast, oh god no, nothing better happen to him!" This trickster held a special place in heart! So I finally started to realize what this bloody battle to the end would mean, and I was struck with fear and longing for my favorites to all stay intact.

 It might have been even more unnerving considering how split up everyone was, half the brigade defending the Nightfall Manor, and the other troupe braving the most mysterious of gardens, the Labyrinth. Which by the way, the Labyrinth was, in one word, awesome! I loved that this housed most of the Gods of old. I immensely enjoyed the new characters that we met there, who were just full of surprises. Furrina brought a much needed comic relief to the savageness of the situation they were in. They were how I always envision the old world gods, strange, mysterious, kind of off their rocker, rather flippant, and having no real concept of mortality and the fragility of it. I loved this!

   I also loved that even in the face of seemingly inevitable doom, Lily's sense of right and her courage never wavered! She was a force to be reckoned with in this book, and I appreciated it so much more considering how far she has come from the vain and selfish girl she was in the first book. Silas, since the very beginning, always seemed to have a steadfast and truly good heart, and I loved him for it. But Lily's journey to becoming everything she was by The Labyrinth sky rocketed her into a top position in my heart! Even some of the reformed creatures from the gardens weaseled themselves in there! Polly with her utter devotion to Lily, decrepit Ozy the ever faithful servant to the Blackwood family, Osbold the pet gargoyle, Raga the witch, Erasmus P. Meriwether, Colonel Jackson, and many others! It was a fantastic line up of characters to care for, but it was also a large list of loves to say goodbye to.

On a final note I just want to say that one of the things I loved most about this trilogy was that this story felt ageless. It was one of those rarities along the lines of Harry Potter, or Percy Jackson, where I think someone at any age would find this tale enjoyable. It was extremely imaginative, well written, and centered around the timeless struggle of good vs evil. I was completely bewitched by Nightfall Gardens, and my only hope is that many, many other people will be too!

     **A special thanks to the author for providing copies of the whole trilogy in exchange for honest reviews.**