Admmittedly, I did not find this series as interesting as Stroud's previous works. It wasn't until this last book that I found myself invested in the main characters. In that regard, this was the best book in the series. But I do appreciate that Stroud is exploring the genres: from urban fantasy to fantasy, and now this dystopian/post apocalyptic. Here's hoping for science fiction next.

Story: Scarlett is still searching for her brother and feels she is getting closer. Albert, meanwhile, is coming to terms with his past. Enter a villain both thought dead and who suddenly wants to team up with them. Soon, the little band is running slave raids and freeing towns. But all the while, there is the realization that they can only keep doing this for so long before one mistake or bad bit of luck will end with their deaths.

As noted, there was some good character building and growth here that made the characters a lot more likeable. Stroud does have a formula: strong grounded female lead with an intelligent but less physically competent male partner. Here, Scarlett really needed a bit more intelligent thought and Albert is a cypher until this final book. Both come of age here nicely, though, and I kind of wish we could have started at this point and the characters grown a bit differently through the three book series.. That said, the writing is strong as ever, as is the world building.

In all, I enjoyed the series but didn't love it as much as I had hoped. This third book saved the series for me though and I appreciated how it all ended. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This series is a magical masterpiece! I implore you to start at the beginning...

I heart Scarlett and Albert so much! Their imperfect characters are perfectly crafted. The character development from book one to this last writing is brilliant. We have a full cast of quirky, solid side characters who make up this rag tag, self-made family. So many morally gray characters and I absolutely adore them all!

The witty dialogue, the death-defying moments, the absolutely deplorable evil characters and situations...The world building is so imaginative with its combination of futuristic and yet old time feel.

This book takes us full circle as our dynamic duo continues the search for Thomas, Scarlett's brother. We get several points of view through flashbacks, and the current timeline.

I was so unbelievably invested in all our beloved team members. This is another emotional and suspense filled installment with so much heart as well as heart stopping moments!

Perfect ending...but so sad to say goodbye to this series. I wouldn't mind another book maybe years in the future...:)

5 stars

I'm torn about this... and it's entirely my fault. I read book 1 in 2021 and enjoyed it. I missed book 2, and that's on me. I felt like there were things that I was missing because I hadn't read book 2, but again, that is my fault. (But I'm also excited to read book 2!) So, because I haven't read book 2, some things felt like spoilers; however, I'm the type who will have something spoiled and still read/watch it anyway. I can tell there has been a lot of character growth, and I love that. I also loved that there was no romantic connection between Scarlett and Albert. I love their friendship; it's truly special. Because I love Doctor Who, one would think I would be used to seeing a futuristic or dystopian England, but this felt fresh because Stroud is a genius with worldbuilding. He used the locations as if they were characters themselves, which was well done. I think because it's been almost four years since I've read the first one, it may be time for me to re-read the series from the beginning, and I'll finally get to read book 2. Stroud, to me, is up there with Rick Riordan on creating series that have such great re-readability.

The Outlaws Scarlett & Browne remains an all-time favorite for its iconic voice, witty characters, fascinating worldbuilding, and fast pace. In this third and final book in the series, Jonathan Stroud lives up to my highest expectations.

To begin with, I can’t think of a gentler way to describe Stroud’s prose than flawless. Every sentence, description, and turn of phrase sparks with energy, character, and uniqueness, making the story fly along at a headlong pace that renders it impossible to put down. The compulsive momentum that made the previous installments so memorable remains not just intact, but more powerful than ever, leaving me at the book’s end wishing only that I had more of Scarlett and Browne’s exploits to discover. (But perhaps I’m due for a reread of the previous books?)

The setting of Scarlett and Browne is one that I rarely see in a book that feels more fantasy than sci-fi—a futuristic England torn apart by a nebulous past filled with monsters and unsteady peace. Particularly in this volume, this world feels as much a character as any of the protagonists, one whose unlikely surprises change the ever-twisting plot as much as Scarlett or Browne’s decisions.

But Scarlett and Browne are the true stars of this book and series, and they are the only topic it is appropriate to finish a review off with. Unique, hilarious, and utterly believable, I would follow these two—inner demons, witty retorts, unexpected magical powers, and all—into any story they stumbled into next, particularly when boosted by their repartee. In this book we finally get to see the conclusions to both their personal journeys and their intersecting tales, and without any spoilers, it’s even better than I could’ve imagined.

Five extraordinarily well-deserved stars!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of The Legendary Scarlett &. Browne!

•𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓 & 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄

1. If you’ve read the first two books in the series, you can’t miss the thrilling conclusion!
2. Love to laugh? You’ll love seeing the antics these two partners get up to!
3. Ever wondered what it might be like to reside in a world filled with monsters? Wonder no more!
4. Enjoy a happy ending? This one won’t miss!
5. Do you love when the characters have supernatural powers? This one has several!

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Throughout their lawless careers, Scarlett McCain and Albert Browne have gotten out of trouble by shooting first, then running away. Now that's no longer an option. 

In this non-stop thrill-ride of a novel, we witness Albert’s return to the terrifying Stonemoor prison, follow Scarlett’s search for her long-lost brother, see a town besieged by the cannibal Tainted, and join the final confrontation against the cruel forces of the Faith Houses.

Along the way, our rebellious anti-heros will have to face up to the secrets of their past, and accept the challenge of shaping a better future.

A truly fantastic conclusion to a hilarious and sharp trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
Stroud knows how to write an adventure full of serious themes and topics. That is one of my favorite things about Stroud's middle grade work, and especially in this installment of the series. The world that Scarlett and Browne live in is brutal. There are religious extremists, western-style vigilantes, and children with scary powers. There are institutions, deaths, and violence. The stakes are incredibly high, and the emotions that each character go through are nuanced and messy.
That is one of the best things about this book - the very nuanced and very real emotions of these teens. Scarlett and Browne have been hiding from their pasts, and they have always shied away from sharing too much of it with each other, no matter the trust between them. But now, they are forced to confront them, and it turns out that it is impossible to do alone.
While this is a middle grade novel, I would consider it upper MG or lower YA. Stroud is a master at blending an adventurous world with the real horrors that such a world would inflict on a teen. He did it with Lockwood and Co., and he does it again with this book. Another fantastic, dark, and sharp series from one of my favorite Middle Grade writers.
Fantastic conclusion to this series!
Thank you to the publisher, to Stroud, and to Netgalley for this early copy in exchange for my honest review.

The concluding novel in the legendary trilogy about the notorious Outlaws Scarlett and Browne brings the series to a satisfying end… <i>right??

After two years of frivolous searching, hotheaded Scarlett McCain and easygoing Albert Browne have hit too many deadends in searching for Scarlett's long-lost little brother.

In that time, their fame has grown immensely as they have kept up their notorious actions of robbing banks… and setting enslaved individuals free. Real outlaw work, for sure.

They seem to have finally run out of leads on the long lost-sibling when they suddenly come across an old nemesis who seems to hold the information they need.

Scarlett and Browne set out on a new adventure, joined with they're usual companions— Joe and his granddaughter Ettie— as well as a new edition to the group.

Filled with nonstop action and unforgettable characters, the final revelations revealed about both of their pasts… will impact their future.

Lowkey sad that this was the end of such a great series that I’d fallen in love with last fall. But hey, all good things must come to an end, I guess.

All in all this was a great and strong ending to this fantastic series! I've really enjoyed every step of the way through this series.

Scarlett and Browne will forever be a legendary duo 🫂

This was an eARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This third installment of the adventures of Scarlett McCain and Albert Browne was super satisfying as it brought the series to a close. It amps up the action and adventure (and it even opens, more or less, with another bank heist) so fans of Scarlett's derring-do and Albert's prodigious powers should be more than satisfied. But, even more impressively, the book also does even more work with the bigger conceptual themes and explorations of virtue, conformity, autonomy, justice, and the social good in a non-preachy and organic way. And, most impressively, the author lets Scarlett and Albert grow in ways that feel true to the characters but also truly new and maybe even a bit heartening.

"The death-defying conclusion to the "audacious," "razor-sharp," and "raucous" exploits of the notorious outlaws Scarlett and Browne from the bestselling author of Lockwood and Co., Jonathan Stroud.

Throughout their lawless careers, Scarlett McCain and Albert Browne have gotten out of trouble by shooting first, then running away. Now that's no longer an option.

In this non-stop thrill-ride of a novel, we witness Albert's return to the terrifying Stonemoor prison, follow Scarlett's search for her long-lost brother, see a town besieged by the cannibal Tainted, and join the final confrontation against the cruel forces of the Faith Houses.

Along the way, our rebellious anti-heroes will have to face up to the secrets of their past, and accept the challenge of shaping a better future."

Damn I love Jonathan Stroud!

It is only when we truly face our past that we can move on. A Wonderful ending to the glorious adventures of Scarlett and Browne.

Publication Date: 3/25/25

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