I am so glad that I finally read this book! I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this book near its release date but it fell through the cracks somehow. As more time passed, I realized that I would need to refresh my memory of the first two books in the trilogy before I could review the book properly so I put off reading it. I decided to push this book to the top of my list recently and it was a very good decision. I thoroughly enjoyed my re-read of the first two books in the trilogy and was eager to experience this book for the first time. I really had a good time with this one.

This is a trilogy that really needs to be read in order. Things have been building to the events in this book for the entire trilogy and I was excited to see how things would work out. Victor Draconi has been working towards a plan to eliminate the other Families and take control of everything himself. Lila and the other Sinclairs are aware of his plan and they are working to do whatever they can to stop him.

This story was exciting and there were a few scenes that were incredibly action-packed. There were a few scenes where I was really worried about how things would work out for this group of characters that I have grown to care for and some scenes that broke my heart. I loved the way that the monsters and magical abilities were such a vital part of the story. It was great to see Lila really become a trusted member of the Sinclair Family as they came together with the other Families to fight a common threat.

Brittany Pressley did a fantastic job with the narration once again. I looked forward to putting my headphones on and escaping into Lila's world for a few hours. I really felt like she brought this story to life. She did a fantastic job with all of the character voices and brought a lot of emotion into her reading. I believe that her narration added to my enjoyment of this story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderful trilogy set in a very interesting world. I had a great time going on this adventure with Lila, Devon, Felix, Oscar, and the rest of the characters. I cannot wait to read more of Jennifer Estep's work.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

I hadn't realized this was book 3 in the series. I hadn't yet read book 2. Will come back to this one once I read Dark Heart of Magic. Thank you for the chance to read.

I had to start Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep a second time. When I tried to listen to it the first time I couldn’t get passed the handfuls of “I/he/she sniped”. In the Midwest I have never heard that phrase. It was jarring each and every time and it seemed to be a lot.

Bright Blaze of Magic was a satisfactory wrap up to the Black Blade trilogy. I hate to say it but there wasn’t a ton of surprises for motives and such. Lila Merriweather remained the girl her mother raised her to be.

I enjoyed the characters and the storyline but it didn’t blow my mind. I thought the world building was done well. The pacing never seemed to work for me. There seemed to be a lot of frenzied action and then an abrupt stop or no pause whatsoever.

I’m sure I’m one of the few who found Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep a middle of the road story. I still want to give Estep’s adult series a try!

Outstanding! This book grabbed my attention and didn't let go! I hope the author keeps writing for ages, because it's probably one of my favorites!

I enjoyed Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep. I love all Jennifer Estep's books. I look forward to reading her next book. I plan on stocking this book in my store. Thank you for letting me read it.

I liked the world building. Monsters with character are good. The characters in the book tho, are kind of flat. They're all the same - speak the same, act the same, think the same. That could've been done a lot better. And the romance - eyeroll. Another insta-crush. Thankfully they weren't always acting it out, so I was happier when the story moved along without Devon and Lila making out. The book would've been just as good without them being together. Not every book has to pair off its male and female characters.

The evil guy here was straight out evil. No reason, no remorse. This whole thing could've been fleshed out better. Why did his henchmen go along with his evil plan? How did the other Families let this go on so long without checking Mr. Evil? Aren't there rules? And then there's the obvious stupidity of the MC in order to get the story rolling in a certain direction. If you know the guy has some nefarious plan up his sleeve, why don't you have better plans?

Aside from all that, I liked the way it was written. I was in a burned out mood when I read it, and the style was good enough to pick me up and interest me. I'm far from loving the book, but it was ok. I rate it just under 4 stars. I recommend it if you're bored, but put it on hold if you're not.

Disclaimer: I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Love this series. And this was a great end to the series. Jennifer Estep won me over with her Mythos Academy series she wrote, that's one of my all time favorite series, this series was a lot different than those but was still good.

The book kept my attention and the romance was light, but not too light.

Bright Blaze of Magic was such a great read! I don’t know why it took me so long to commit to reading – maybe because it was the last book in the series? That’s not usually a problem for me, as I love the satisfaction of actually being current on a series… but for some reason I dragged my feet picking up Bright Blaze of Magic.
What Worked:

I ADORE these characters. They are very mature for YA (the fantasy tends to do that), but they do still hold on to some of their youth – in terms of hopefulness and naivety. They withstand a lot of loss in this book with strength and dedication to their loved ones, which I enjoyed reading. I was especially impressed with one character who had the moral courage to choose what was right over her kin. A tough call to make, but an important one to know how to make when necessary.
Y’all know I’m an animal lover and in this series, for me, the monsters are a lot like animals. I just love them and the respect that Lila shows to them makes me love her all the more. There are some great moments with a lochness monster (as opposed to THE Lochness Monster) and I think s/he became my favorite monster of the series.
The story is filled with action, suspense and magic – like I’ve come to expect from Jennifer Estep. A couple fairly epic magical fights, a few chases… just lots of nail biting action!
This one definitely stomps on your heart a bit more than the others. Some heart wrenching moments that force our young characters to act very adult.
What Could Have Worked Better

I feel like there were a few points that happened too easily. Yes, there’s some tough moments. But there’s also some points where you’re thinking, “really? and that’s it?”
I struggle with Mo as a family leader – he just seems to fun and not serious enough with his Hawaiian shirts. He’s a great guy, but how anyone takes him seriously I just don’t know.
I’m really glad y’all voted for me to finally finish this trilogy from Estep! I enjoyed it and thought it was a great conclusion.

An excellent conclusion to the trilogy. I truly enjoyed every moment.