Guardian Heir (Ruling Magic Book 3) Lissa Bolts

Please take in count that this is a spoiler-free review for book 3. This means it’s full of spoilers of books 1 and 2.

Synopsis

She’s finally done it. Mother’s pushed me over the edge.

The woman has taken things from me. People. One of them I can never get back.

She started this war thinking we’d simply fall down at her feet. You know, kiss her expensive little stilettos. After all, she’s the most powerful mage in existence. And she’s got help.

We’re outnumbered and, to be honest, outmatched. But me and Rik? Together, we might just be enough. Fate has brought us together—irrevocably and in ways we never saw coming.

And that’s not all.

A darkness has awoken within me, and I have to admit, I kinda like it. It gives me power like I’ve never had before. I see the other mages, scampering out of my way like I’m some kind of monster.

Maybe I am.

Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that Mother knows I’m coming for her. Her reign? It’s ending.

And it won’t be the only thing I destroy when I get there.

Review

*Trigger warnings? I don’t think so, but it has torture and a sick woman trying to kill her own children 🤔. It has a fade-to-black sex scene, non-descriptive.*

“I feel like a pawn—a puppet, pulled by fate’s strings.”
“But that’s just it. Fate might be guiding you, but all the choices you’ve made? Those were your own.”

In brief, do yourself a favor and grab this series. Lot of rambling and quotes if you keep reading my review 😅.

Isla is broken. After Sarah’s death, or actually murder by Remy’s own hands, Iz hates her “Mother” more than ever.

At least they got Remi back, but she’s just a shell of who she was. Another gift of the Magnate to her beloved daughter…

I’d been a punching bag for so long that she thought I was soft. That I wouldn’t sink to Mother’s level. My face lit with a feral grin. Hope she likes surprises.

There’s no way to stop the war between Splendor and Taramur now. So they must find a way to win at all cost.

At least Iz/Thea and Killian/Rik are together now. And they have some REALLY unexpected allies too.

“Fate is dealing you an interesting hand, Isla. It has led you this far and I have enery faith that it will see you through.”

But Victoria has never been more powerful, and the caeli and terra resources (the ones that allow magic to exist) are growing dangerously low in Taramur.

Some new discovered powers, along with some specials connections will be the key to win the war. But the world needs balance… Are they willing to sacrifice what it will take?

I was made to bring Mother down. But it did leave one giant question mark behind. Would I still be alive at the end of it?

Ok, first things first… I don’t forgive you Lissa! 😭

Sarah was my favorite character AND she was Chilean! My heart 💔

But well, back to the story (without Sarah 🥺). We get to see a different image of Iz. The latest events have made such damage that she’s willing to do anything to destroy Victoria, even kill… or worst.

I was like a shaken can of soda—and when I blew, it wouldn’t be pretty.

The only thing keeping her from the abyss is Rik, our beloved Sovereign of Taramur (#TeamRik).

A boy said a few nice words and I turned into a pile of goo. This was not good for my badass persona.

Their relationship is growing stronger, but the battles in their immediate future won’t be easy.

I really enjoyed this book. Iz’s evolution was something worth seeing, along with her relationship with Rik and also with Eve, Harper and Merc.

Would men ever learn that women didn’t like their words thrown back at them? Especially with air quotes?

I loved Eve, but I couldn’t help the feeling that she was Sarah’s replacement, and I didn’t like that.

About the battles, I really enjoy the way Lissa writes action scenes, so these are always good. Iz took her rightful place as the chosen one, and she has help, but I would have liked to see Rik a little more badass. His powers are quite something, and it’s nice to see that the guy is the damsel in distress once in a while, but I feel he was in the middle of these two sides.

“Why me?”
“I think a lot of people have asked that question over the centuries,” he said. “There’s not really a textbook answer, except that some are sent a call and it is their choice wheter or not to answer it.”
Cool. Didn’t know it was that easy, I’ll just let this one go to voicemail…

Still, I’m just being picky. I loved this book, and the whole saga. It goes to my favorites and I got a deep love for most of the characters, particularly Rik. And same as Rik goes to fight on the top of my book boyfriends list, Iz is going to my book best friends one. And, of course, Lissa to my favorite authors.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re like one of those book boyfriends.”
He looked up at me over his mug. “What’s a book boyfriend?”
“You know. The perfect boyfriend, as written about in books. Exactly how every girl imagines their boyfriend to be, but it’s so unrealistic that nobody actually expects to have one in real life.”
He grunted.

I won’t give it five stars, but I read this book in the middle of a huge time crisis (meaning I had zero time for reading), so it took me months to read it and I believe I would have enjoyed it even more if I had been able to read it faster. I feel the need to clarify that the book, and the whole series honestly, is a fast and fun read normally. I took too long, it was not a problem with the book.