Swords of Soul and Shadow: A Science Fantasy Romance Series

Gate Chronicles #3

by Alli Earnest

Two swords. One destiny.

With the fate of the world in her hands, Hallie Walker is at the mercy of a power she cannot control. When it leads her to a legendary sword once lost to time, the sword’s secrets could save them all. She only needs the courage to use it.

In the battle-worn capital, Kase Shackley fights to unite a city that no longer believes in the Shackley name. Haunted by his past and a fragile truce with a dangerous enemy, he’s determined to save his country—and Hallie—though it might cost his life.

As the world falls apart under Jagamot’s shadow, Hallie and Kase race to stop the destruction, even if it means using forbidden magic. Yet, in a war of gods, salvation may come at the price of their souls.

Swords of Soul & Shadow is the third and final installment in Kase’s and Hallie’s story, perfect those who love the world of Treasure Planet, the romance of Anastasia, and the banter of The Mummy.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Romantasy

898 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2025

About the author

ALLI EARNEST drinks way too much coffee and is obsessed with burning redwood-scented candles, but growing up with two sisters, she’s always been a tad overdramatic. It doesn’t help that she enjoys books with dragons, wizards, and laser swords.

Graduating with a bachelor's degree in Middle Grades Education, Alli taught English Language Arts for five years and tried to convince thirteen-year-olds that Poe wasn’t nearly as crazy as he sounded.

At present, Alli writes science-fiction and fantasy from an office filled with books and other collectibles. She’s active on Instagram and YouTube, fangirling over her favorite books and documenting her author life. She lives in the southern US with her husband, son, and dogs.

Reviews

[Abby (Reader of Clean Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

**This review contains SPOILERS so read at your own discretion.**

I received this as an ARC so here is my honest review.

Compared to the other books in the series, this kinda fell flat for me. I don’t know why. I mean, it was still good, and I liked it, but it wasn’t nearly as good as the other books for some reason.

This also took me FAR too long to read. In order for me to feel better about the time it took me to read, here is a list of contributing factors: I tend to read ebooks slower; school started, I was kinda busy, and I enjoyed it less.

It was kinda crazy how many different POVs there were. Most of the time, I like getting different POVs but to be honest, I didn’t really like getting Clara or Jove’s perspectives. They felt unnecessary.

I had this really weird thought. Since this takes place way into the future, I’m technically older than all of the characters. 😭

Now on to the real review!!

Harlan backstory? Yes, please. I really liked his POV ‘cause we got backstory. I love backstories. You know, I’m not really surprised why he ended up being the way he was. And I never would’ve suspected that he would sacrifice himself for Kase! He had some good left in him, I guess.

Ok so I probably should’ve been upset about Niels kissing Hallie. But I actually thought it was hilarious ‘cause of the sheer absurdity of his actions. I seriously laughed out loud. I also find his jealousy to be funny for some reason.

The Fogs are interesting. But I feel like there wasn’t really a point in them being in the story. Maybe I missed or forgot the significance?

The dancing scene? *Swoons* I absolutely, positively LOVE when the love interests (in any story) dance together. I want to learn how to ballroom dance just so I can dance with my future husband.

I never really thought of Kase as the kind of guy who would get tattoos.

Skibs is Asa?? I was so surprised! I kinda love that he and Kase are cousins. He also got a redemption arc so I’m happy.

I’m really glad that we get to actually meet Jack. The realm where the dead go if they weren’t ready to die (I’m blanking on its name lol) is so creative. I really liked how Jack called the chickens “the ladies” and “the girls” ‘cause that’s what we call our chickens!

Does Niels have to wear that bracelet forever now? And can Hallie ever take her ring off (not that she would want to)? I need an explanation please.

I actually though Hallie was gonna die. I was so scared.

I knew there was something going on between Saldr and Felyra.

This is how the epilogue made me feel: 🥹💕😁🥰🎉😍. I would’ve liked to actually see Kase and Hallie’s wedding but that’s not that big of a deal. THE EPILOGUE WAS GREAT.

[𐬺☼.☆彡sᥲrᥲ ☆彡.☼𐬻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

✧༻𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰༺✧
✧~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~✧
13+
Romance/kisses up to minor detail, hand holding,
Violence/ normal for a fantasy lol
Banter/ LOTS
✧~~~~~~~~~~~~~✧
𝐎𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒!!!
𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰..

✧-𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡-✧

✧~~~𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬~~~✧
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭..𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐊𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 :)
✧~~~~~~~~~✧

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐨 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝..


✧~~~𝙺𝚊𝚜𝚎~~~✧
𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐧.. 𝐌𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃..
𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐈 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐑..
𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐝
𝐎𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞...
𝐇𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭..
𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 :𝐃
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞..


✧~~~𝙷𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚎~~~✧

𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄
𝐛𝐫𝐨 𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐬 :(
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐨...
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞!!!
𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐫

𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐉𝐎𝐁
𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞..



✧~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~✧
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞
𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐄.
𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑
𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐭..𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 ;)

(𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐬)

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲
𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

✧~~~~𝐁𝐲𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 :)~~~~✧

(I received an arc and all opinions and thoughts were my own)

[Samaira Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book, and all opinions and reviews are my own.

I was not ready to finish this book. Every single page was written so well. The character development in this book was INSANE. I started liking characters who I thought I’d never not hate.

The new POVs were incredibly interesting, and I was sceptical about that in the beginning, but they all wove together.

That ending. The Epilogue literally had me giggling. I’m really happy Kase and Hallie, and Clara and Jove got their happy endings. They deserve it. I was so sure at least one of them would die.

The climax was just perfect. Every character went through A LOT in this book, and the ending was a perfect conclusion to their stories.

Hallie. She deserves everything for going through all of that. If you thought she’d had enough adventures in Cities and Realms, you were wrong.

I felt so bad for Kase many times throughout this book. Yes, he has his faults, but everything that happened to him…

What I found really special about this book was that while Kase and Hallie were a major part of this book as the protagonists, you grew to become equally attached to the others characters too.

“I will find you. I will find you in any and every timeline. I’d fight every dragon, find all the stars-blasted swords, die a thousand deaths if it meant I could be with you.”

The writing was also incredible. So many quotes, so many things I just HAD to highlight.

I would recommend this book to anyone, honestly. The slow-burn was perfect, the fantasy had so many layers that you felt like you were in this universe, right beside the characters.

[Lauryn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book. Guys THIS BOOK.
I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated and stressed, I had just about every emotion possible while reading this book. I lost track of the tears I shed. I read this on kindle and I highlighted something practically every chapter.

I literally can’t think of a better way to close out this series. I loved that it leaned a lot more into the fantasy elements as the series went on, and we went all out this book. Also shout out to the Lord of the Rings references, I loved those.

The character work was amazing and had me caring for characters I wanted to murder in previous books.

I had to limit myself, but here are some of my favorite quotes:
“He deserved the world. And she wouldn’t stop until she gave it to him.”
“ ‘And the book?’ ‘You could prove to be a banal dining companion’ (…) ‘Thus the book?’ ‘Thus the book’ “
“I will not lose another son.”
“Now that he’d spent time with his nephew, (…) if anyone so much looked at Samuel wrong, they would pay dearly”
“I will find you. I will find you in any and every timeline. I’d fight every dragon, find all the stars-blasted swords, die a thousand deaths if it meant I could be with you.”

This last quote had me sobbing for a solid five minutes before I could read anything more.

I could literally go on about this book for ages. I will most certainly read this again.

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating- 4.5 stars
(Kindle Unlimited)
I never thought that I would have gone for something like this but I am really glad that I gave it the chance because I adored this trilogy.

I fell so deeply in love with Kase and Hallie from their first encounter, which I am sorry Kase but you were acting like a dullkop. How did they go from their first encounter in a bookshop to where they are now? I am sorry but Kase is Will Herondale coded and nobody will change my mind on it (the author did also agree 😂) But the main characters were not only the ones that I did fall in love with too. Jove and Clara was another couple I loved. The whirlwind of emotions that I went through with these two was unreal.

This book was a chunky book which was filled with different points of views, some of which were from a different angle but it added to the richness of the book. I especially liked seeing flashbacks of when Harlan Shackley was younger and what eventually led to the full out war with the Cerls. It was nice to see a young Les too. It was heartbreaking as you got closer to the end but it did not excuse the actions of the person.

I feel really sad that this trilogy has now came to a end but the epilogue was beautiful and really was the perfect ending to a brilliant trilogy.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Alli Earnest for this ARC!
•
My rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ (4.5 stars out of 5)
•
The conclusion to this trilogy had me on a roller coaster of emotions. My stress level was through the roof with all of the characters in a near constant state of jeopardy. I laughed. I cried. I squealed and got the warm fuzzies. I was on the edge of my seat and found myself being surprised a lot, whether it was by a pov I wasn't expecting or a direction I wasn't expecting or just being surprised by how much something affected me. If you had told me while reading the last two books that I would cry over *redacted* when they *redacted*, I would never have believed you. I loved the romance in this book. Even when Kase and Hallie are separated, they are top of mind for each other. The way that they love each other and the lengths they would go to for the other person are beautiful. Kase has been added to my long list of book boyfriends. I thought this book was a very satisfying conclusion to this series and I will miss these characters.

[thelilcloseddoorbookgal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping to love this one, but I could never fully get into it. I would be into it sometimes, then another chapter would take me out again. Most of the elements I love are there (unique world, high stakes, complex characters, deep themes, etc.), but the pacing was mainly what let me down.

[Alice Lind · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first two books in the series—they were engaging, well-paced, and full of intrigue. Unfortunately, this installment didn’t resonate with me in the same way. While the writing remains strong and the world-building is solid, I found the plot less compelling and struggled to stay fully engaged. It may simply come down to personal preference, but this one didn’t quite capture the spark of the earlier books. That said, I still appreciate the author’s creativity.

[Alyssa Lopez-Racine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars

This one fell a little flat for me. It seemed like the story dragged at times, and the book felt too long overall. I don’t mind a multi-POV narrative, but this one had too many points of view. Some were less interesting and didn’t add much to the plot in my opinion (like I didn’t care for Neils at all).

They also spend way too much time in the Catacombs, which made the story less engaging for me, especially compared to the first two books, which were much more adventure-driven in my opinion.

While the magic system was occasionally difficult to follow, it remains incredibly interesting and one of the series’ strongest aspects.

I LOVED Kase and Hallie’s relationship! I didn’t enjoy their separation at the beginning, but it definitely made their reunion that much sweeter. And that ending? ABSOLUTE PERFECTION.

I did enjoy this book, but it took me far longer to finish than the other two. Still, I really liked the series as a whole.

[Hannah Barclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. I LOVED THIS ONE. It may or may not have properly converted to me to a fantasy reader now 😅 This book was pretty big in size for me, but it never felt too long. I loved all the different perspectives and back stories and it made me feel for characters that I wanted dead from the start of the series. Had me on the edge of my seat and swallowing potential tears. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride with this one and couldn’t figure out who was good and who was bad til like part 3!! The plot felt easier to follow in this one despite so much going on but that was probably also to do with all the world building in the first few books and the fact many more details came together here. Some beautiful descriptive an emotive writing really set the scenes, overall great book!

Content: violence, murder

[Kayla Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Phenomenal ending to a phenomenal series! Loved the additional POVs - it really helped add nuance to multiple characters throughout book. Great character arcs and development, as well as lots of action, adventure, twists, and of course a great love story.

I was literally kicking my feet at the interactions between Kase and Hallie!

Highly recommend this book and series to everyone!

[Amelia Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. That ending... That was wonderful.

[Elly Valdes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I FLEW through those last 300 pages - I’m sad to see this series end, it was so refreshing and so so fun! The magic system doesn’t make any sense to me, but no magic system ever does, it’s all based on vibes! Kase Shackley my heart

[Kierra Coerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an ending. I laughed, I cried. Oh my goodness….five stars isn’t enough for this book. It was a spectacular ending to an amazing series. The twists and turns of this book, oh my gosh. I have no words. This was just an incredible story. The emotional rollercoaster that it was to read. Spectacular wrote, Alli. This has become my new favorite book! I need everyone I know to read this series.

[Samantha Bourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed enough to receive an ARC of this book. Which might I just start by saying is the highlight of my reading year. 

I absolutely adored this conclusion to the series. I loved how well everything came together. Pieces of information we got in the earlier books finally made sense. It was so cool getting to see Hallie learn to use her essence ability and it was described beautifully. 

The writing in this book is spectacular. I love the way Alli Earnest can weave together a story with beautiful descriptions and masterful one liners. 

Getting some new pov's in this book definitely added to the overall story and was good insight into characters behavior. I did still find myself longing to be either in Kase or Hallie's pov though. 

I love their relationship, how well they have grown together and continue to bring out the est in each other, even if they do still grump at each other on occasion, they have learnt how to resolve conflict alot faster than when they first met. 

The Epilogue was my favourite part of this book (if I had to pick a favourite I honestly don't want to). It had me grinning like a crazy person. 

I'm so sad that this story has come to an end. Yet I'm satisfied with how it concluded. I will greatly miss these characters and can't wait to read whatever Alli puts out next. 

P.s. I'm like a month behind on reviews so sorry for that. 

[Stevie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh I just love everything about this series! This was a great finish.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid ending to a great trilogy!

There was a lot to love in this final book.

1. We finally got some backstory on Kase’s father and what made him so awful. The flashback chapters were some of my favorite.

2. Kase and Hallie’s relationship saw more page time (it felt like) than the other two books combined. There were a lot of ups and downs and I enjoyed seeing them progress through it all. Of course they get their HEA and it made the slooooow burn in the beginning worth it.

3. I enjoyed Jove and Clara’s story and we got a lot more in this book.

There were only a couple things I didn’t love:

1. The magic system was hard for me to understand and follow. And that’s probably just me, but even then I felt it could have used more clarification in book one. I am a very logical, rules oriented, put everything in a box please kind of person. So when magic systems are a little more vague or don’t come with a straight explanation right off the bat I struggle. In this series we got bits and pieces as we went along and there’s a lot of bits and pieces at play. I was confused in the beginning of the series about what the Essences were exactly and what each one could do. I didn’t walk away from book one with a clear understanding of the magic system and how it was set up for the series. Then there’s Chronals and Chosen and relics and vassals and swords and gates and Soul… it’s a lot.

2. This baby was a DOOR STOP coming in at 725 pages. Which is totally fine with me and understandable for the end of a fantasy series. I felt there was enough plot points and characters to resolve to justify that length of book. However. The first two books and the beginning of this book saw a lot of movement and action. We were constantly going to different places and doing things. For a 700 page book we sure spent a LOT of time in the catacombs. At times I was questioning why Hallie or other characters weren’t going and doing things with all the new information they kept getting. Why were they STILL underground? It felt a little draggy in the 500-600 page range.


Overall I loved this series and would recommend it! I hope this author continues writing and publishing!

[Katie Tustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy five stars!! Would totally give more if I could.

This book was SO AMAZING!!! I laughed, cried, sat in shock, and smiled so hard! Kase and Hallie are so perfect, and I could not have been happier with the way it ended. I was definitely worried there for a minute in the last few chapters, but it was worth the happy ending. I’m sad the series is over, but it’s one hundred percent an all time favorite.

Alli Earnest, I cannot wait to see what story you tell next!!

[Mariette Feltrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unnecessarily long? Definitely.
Confusing world-building? Occasionally.
Regrets reading it? None.

[Amelie Warden · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was absolutely amazeballs

[Haley Annabelle]

Just not interesting enough. And I took my sisters advice and convinced myself I don’t have to finish everything I start.

[Grace Patten · Rating 5 out of 5]

May the stars rise upon you…
And may they never fall when the morning breaks.

~ review ~
This book! Absolutely love all of the characters! That ending! I was scared for a bit that it wouldn’t end the way I thought it would, but it was amazing! Love all the banter and heartfelt moments too💕 I never cry in books, I tear up a lot, but I actually cried reading the ending. Love this whole series!

~ character rambling ~
KASE AND HALLIE!!!🤍 Loved getting to see Harlan’s side of things in this book, too! I knew he had a story behind his cold mask. So happy with what happened with Ben! Really enjoyed getting more of Jove and Clara too! the moments with Stowe and Kase were so sweet! Still so sad about Zeke tho😭

~ content/trigger warnings ~
Violence (including blood, death, dismemberment, sewing one’s wounds, killing), a mention of young boy flashing cameraman, and kissing.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley (cozytaleswithash) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series from the start. It’s been full of action, adventure, and characters that feel like real, imperfect people dealing with real, imperfect feelings and situations.

I thought things wrapped up well, and I appreciated the epilogue, for my emotional wellbeing. 😅

Content: no spice, no real-world language, some violence and death typical of fantasy/sci-fi books

[Mandee Joy Nuce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Wow! what a whirlwind of emotions. Swords of Soul and Shadow really looks into all the different emotions, and accurately did so. When characters were happy, I felt joy right along with them. When characters were full of hurt and heartache, I felt it too. It was such a fitting conclusion to the Gate Chronicles. For myself, I felt there was a little too much on the romance side for me, which is why I docked a star. Honestly it was a 4.5, but Goodreads doesn't have that option🙄. Also I appreciate that there was no true profanity. It had different world building words such as "stars" or "star blasted", which didn't bother me. I was glad that Kase and Hallie get their happy ending.
Favorite Quote:
"Hallie didn’t believe in soulmates. The impossibility of it was too much, and life was too disorganized for something like that. Choosing someone every day, no matter their flaws—that was true love."
The storytelling was delightful, and I will definitely be getting a physical copy.

[Biz Leathers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much, Alli, for this ARC!

I think I will need to go back and change my rating for book 2. If I recall, I rated it 3 ⭐️s because the couple were just so aggravating with communication throughout that one and that's one of my biggest peeves but seeing the growth they had as individuals and a couple was so cute this book around.

The only reason I am rating this one 4 instead of 5 was because of how long it took for Hallie and Kase to reunite. I still wasn't a huge fan of the other POVs. And we even got a couple of extra POVs, and in doing so, it felt like the plot was dragging a little bit in the middle. I miss the yearning and world building of the first one, but I still LOVE this world that Alli created. She truly loves her characters, and I still, very much, appreciated this book!

The ending was chef's kiss!

Great job, Alli! I ordered my physical copy so I could complete my trilogy set. I am grateful for this series. All the nostalgic nods to classic literature and the unique things you did to draw out this story were a lot of fun to experience.

[Natasha Dosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful finale to this trilogy. Loved every page. Immersive world building, characters you can’t stop thinking about and fantastic plot twists. Highly recommend!

[Kortnee - The Closed Door Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not read the first two book read those before reading this review as their will be spoilers to the previous books in this review!

Overview:

Language 🤐: Clean (Made Up Swear words)

Romance ❤️‍🔥: Kissing only (not very descriptive)

Violence ⚔️: This is a decently violent book this is decently descriptive and graphic like definitely in the PG13 range I would say for violence, talks of like shooting and blood pooling and such. Just be aware, it was more on the edge of my comfort zone like much more graphic and it would not be for me, but nothing overly bothered me there are some violent on page deaths so just be aware I mean the world is semi ending in this books so it shouldn't be a surprise especially with what we read in the previous two books so if you read those and got to here you should be fine I would think

⚠️Capture, lots of threat to life, loss of life on page, deals with a range of emotion and death, the world is ending basically so lots of such things going on, unwanted kiss, crude jokes for a bit, drunken brawl, drinking and smoking mentioned, Panic attack on page, suicidal thoughts⚠️

Tropes/Micro tropes
- World ending and needing rescuing
- Would let the world burn for each other
- Sacrificing for one another
- Ancient Magic
- Separate journeys
- Multiple POV (one of which takes place in the past and was just great)
- Best reuniting of the FMC & MMC
- Awesome fight scenes
- Daring flight fights
- Daring rescues

My Thoughts:

THIS SERIES IS AMAZING! This book wrapped up this amazing series so well! What a rollercoaster of emotions this series was and this book! I laughed and I cried during this book, but it ends in such a beautiful way that all the trials and struggles are worth it. I can not get over the depth of emotions and turmoil that is explored during this action packed book and the series as a whole!

Kase and Hallie absolutely have my heart! Their struggles and growth throughout this series but this book especially is just WONDERFUL! I just can not get enough of these two and how deep their love and devotion for one another is. I loved that it was not just all rainbow and butterflies for these two that they had real personal relationship struggles along with the whole world coming down around them and them having to deal with that. I appreciated that there was that personal relationship struggle as well and that it wasn't glossed over but I felt really worked through. Alli really like tore my heart apart and put it back together multiple times during this story.

The characters all of them are wonderful! It is interesting seeing the varieties of struggles they are faced with as they deal with their past mistakes, the fact the world is crumbling around them and trying to seek redemption. I felt like there was ways to relate to all of this amazing characters and understand all their unique struggles. I just feel like Alli did such a wonderful job of bringing all this wonderful characters to life. I felt like I could feel their anguish and their struggles their longing for one another and how they each differently dealt with the cards life had dealt them. Even when I was frustrated with their choice I understood why they were driven to such choices.

Oh Kase sweet poor Kase who is so hard on himself and had so much to deal with. Again I don't know that I can really do justice to the depth of emotions that is explored through each character. Hallie is a heroine you can relate with and want to yell to find another way (or at least that was me several times) Jove and Clara's POV were always a delight for me to read and to see their growth and struggle as well. Even the characters we didn't get a POV for I still could understand and feel deeply for! Also I never thought I would feel good about one character that I thought I would hate till the end but goodness I cried...yes I cried and if you know you know I won't say more.

This series is one that I wish I could forget and read again for the first time! I loved it and it truly was a rollercoaster of emotions! I know a story is so good when I am so sad to leave the characters behind. This was one of those series for me. I felt and related deeply to many of the characters and their struggles! I'm so grateful I've been able to read this wonderful story!

I would suggest refreshing your memory of the precious books it had been a bit since I read either and felt a bit loss at times I didn't realize till after I finished there was a glossary at the back of the book I would suggest using that to help keep things straight. Even though I didn't remember everything it came back to me as I read and I was never too loss.

Thanks to Alli for allowing me to be an ARC reader of this wonderful book! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

[Anna Daggett · Rating 5 out of 5]

“He smelled of leather and woodsmoke and...home. He smelled like home.” (Swords of Soul and Shadow by Alli Earnest, page 459 in the ARC copy )
“We could be sitting in a library reading books, with nothing to bother us but the proper use of dinner forks, and I would still love you. And if you’ll let me, I’ll prove it.” (Swords of Soul and Shadow by Alli Earnest, page 634 in the ARC copy)
I was fortunate enough to be one of the lucky people who got an ARC read of this book. I just want to start off by saying thank you to Alli Earnest for it.
This is genuinely my favorite series that I will always recommend to anyone who loves to read. And if you are like me, you grew up in the early 2000s watching movies like Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Planet, and Anastasia. And this whole entire series just reminds me of childhood memories.
This is the third and final installment of the Gate Chronicals series, and it genuinely had one of the, if not the, best endings to a series that I have read. Each character got an ending to their story that felt right for them and that genuinely just wrapped up such a beautiful series.
Throughout this book I got to see the background stories of a few different characters that up until this book, I never truly fully understood why they were the way that they were. And I truly love it how the author gives each character their own stories, with their own thoughts, experiences, actions, reasons for actions, and reasons for why they turned out the way that they did. There is not a single character that is too small or too on the side to not get their own story, and I really appreciate that. The author definitely does a fantastic job of delving into each character that she writes.
I particularly loved the romance in this book, and watching it grow and mature more throughout it. You can genuinely tell that they have a deep connection and that they truly love each other. It’s not one of those love stories where the connection and romance is only surface level and doesn’t go any deeper. Kase’s and Hallie’s love story is genuinely beautiful and one that is full of meaningfulness, genuine respect, protecting each other, understanding each other, and genuine love.
All in all, this was a perfect conclusion to genuinely such an amazing series. And yes, I am sad to see it end, but I am truly happy with the way that it did.

[Mya Elizabeth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay wow
That ended so beautifully
Wow

This story is SOOOOOO rich and descriptive
I’m not gonna lie I was confused at times but I know when I read all three books again I’ll understand a lot better

But this was a great book!
Not my favorite out of the three though
I felt that the plot was dragging in the beginning and in the middle a bit too

One big reason I loved this series was because of the adventures! I LOVE a good adventure. But this book has like three settings, largely in one setting
I felt cramped in this one setting 😂

Also I hate when characters are split up so I didn’t like that in the beginning
I feel like that coulda been sped up more

We unlock a few new POVs that I found to be so interesting!!!

Character development in this entire series is so phenomenal
Looking at where everyone started vs where they ended WOW
Alli really developed EACH character so well
I know how they all think, what drives them
That’s what you call a great author

Kase is such a great example of character development
my Kase! I love him so much
I absolutely loved his fierceness and loyalty and his humor
He has grown so much and I think you’re gonna love the man he’s become by the end

And of course my girl Hallie! Love her so much too 🥹

There was A LOT of secrets unveiled in this
It was giving me whiplash
And I had delayed reactions to almost all of them 💀
*10 chapters after the plot twist*
“WAIT A MINUTE”

The emotional roller coaster was absolutely terrifying and amazing
Honestly a lot of this book the main emotion you’ll feel is despair
Like there was no positive news at all
I was like dang can I be happy for a minute 😭
Kase and Hallie made me happy though
They were my saving grace
And the epilogue IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF OH MY GOSH
I literally cannot stop going back to read it
Just because it amazes me how far they’ve come and it warms my heart and I literally wanna sob tears of joy and embrace them

I can’t belive I have to leave them
Like it physically pains me to leave this world behind

Although this book didn’t quite reach my high expectations I still think it was a great end to this series