This was a decent end to the trilogy. Perhaps it wasn't what I expected, or at least what I wanted, but it was satisfying and it ended on a good note. It reminded me of what happened in the last book without sounding like a retelling (which is good in itself because I couldn't really remember much of the plot) and it brought back the past nicely without feeling like it came out of nowhere.

The author did a good job of keeping the usual maturity levels as is expected in YA (because of the genre I can understand the exaggerated gestures and tells). As annoying as it is at times I never had trouble believe they were teens and I was able to put up with their overreactions and their trains of thought without too much hassle. They matured throughout the series but not too much so that they didn't still keep that same feeling within the book - it was gradual and well developed. I don't find Elizabeth well written, though, and that was a problem I had since the last book. I understand characters are who they are but it's annoying to read headstrong female characters in the 19th century with attitudes that fit more in ours - no matter what they think or feel, their society still would have shaped them and all her ideas and her behaviour couldn't have been so contrary to the time regardless of the role she had as mistress in her own home, how she valued education in women, and what her lineage and importance was. Juliet at least still felt like she was part of the world but Elizabeth wasn't very well written (especially in regards to her age because I had to be reminded she wasn't the same age as the other heroines despite the awkward way the author tried to narrate her into sounding smart and mature).

I like Lucy's end. It was unexpected but well done (even though I felt like her degeneration into wanting Juliet to operate on Edward and even her assistance in the deed was too quick).

I thought more would come out of the plague bodies in the basement. I felt like I was supposed to believe that they were killed by Elizabeth or her servants and it was hidden but they were just convenient body parts that were placed in the house early on plot-wise just so that they could be available when needed and that was boring and it felt like a false promise, too.

I didn't quite like Edward's fate but it felt like a decent ending even if I didn't want that loneliness for him. If this book in the series was modelled after Frankenstein then I can see why his fate mirrored the monster's end and how our inability to know what really happens to him once he leaves the group gives off a finality even if his story continues past this one.

I liked the twist with Juliet's true parentage. It was unexpected but not really out of nowhere and it was handled nicely. I liked how she was able to take that and get past her fear of turning into her father (even though maybe it was a bit of a cop out since she couldn't have done it without that). I especially liked the truth about her mother yet I wish there was a bit more of a focus on how Juliet reacts to her true lineage and the truth about their past.

For the end of the series it was a decent end. It kept the Gothic feel, even though I felt like the author sometimes forced it on me with the narrative, and the plot wrapped up well. I may not have liked the setting, especially with Elizabeth being out of her time, but Juliet brought it all to a decent end and the characters' fate didn't leave me upset with how everything turned out. I think I would've preferred the series if it strayed on its own path after the first novel, instead of constantly finding Gothic novels to take inspiration from, but all in all it was a good run and it moved to its own tune well enough.