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Waxways #3
Un fuego en los huesos
Ren’s quest to dismantle Kathor’s corrupt system comes to a head as political machinations and a mysterious disease take hold of the city in this gripping conclusion to the
New York Times
bestselling Waxways series.
After taking control of House Brood, Ren and Theo dreamed of using their newfound influence to change the rest of Kathor, but now they find their efforts being countered by the other great houses, who have no interest in a world where they enjoy less power.
No one understands that better than the Tin’Vori siblings. The return of their ancestral home was a decade in the making, but they’re eager to keep rising from the ashes. Nevelyn begins researching House Brood—and ends up face-to-face with an enemy that’s already slouching toward the gates of the city. The one enemy no one can a plague.
The victims experience strange bruising, an unquenchable thirst, and a temporary disruption in magic. When doctors trace the illness to its source, they find another corpses placed in strategic locations around the city. As Ren leads the hunt for the culprits, she’ll find herself two steps behind a devious enemy whose sights are set on an unexpected the city’s magic.
Survival will require every ounce of their skill, every bond old and new, or else the future Ren and Theo have worked to build will burn down with the rest of the world.
After taking control of House Brood, Ren and Theo dreamed of using their newfound influence to change the rest of Kathor, but now they find their efforts being countered by the other great houses, who have no interest in a world where they enjoy less power.
No one understands that better than the Tin’Vori siblings. The return of their ancestral home was a decade in the making, but they’re eager to keep rising from the ashes. Nevelyn begins researching House Brood—and ends up face-to-face with an enemy that’s already slouching toward the gates of the city. The one enemy no one can a plague.
The victims experience strange bruising, an unquenchable thirst, and a temporary disruption in magic. When doctors trace the illness to its source, they find another corpses placed in strategic locations around the city. As Ren leads the hunt for the culprits, she’ll find herself two steps behind a devious enemy whose sights are set on an unexpected the city’s magic.
Survival will require every ounce of their skill, every bond old and new, or else the future Ren and Theo have worked to build will burn down with the rest of the world.
672 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2025
120 people are currently reading
5298 people want to read
About the author
Scott Reintgen
19 books1,602 followersScott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
August 17, 2025
⭐️5.00⭐️
This finale has made me realise that this author is greatly underrated. I’ve never not enjoyed one of his series as a whole. The worlds he weaves are splendid Fantasy.
This finale has made me realise that this author is greatly underrated. I’ve never not enjoyed one of his series as a whole. The worlds he weaves are splendid Fantasy.
January 10, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded down
Thank you to Scott Reintgen, NetGalley, and the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for the e-print ARC of this wonderful book!
Wow! What a way to finish a series. I am delighted to say that the Waxways series went out with a bang that met all my standards—and decided to exceed them on some levels, too.
If you are wondering if you should read this book, I would absolutely, unhesitatingly recommend that you do, although clear some time in your schedule—once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it back down.
Ren, Theo, and the Tin’Vori siblings are back in an action-packed final installment to the Waxways series. There are threats that they’ve never faced before (including a debilitating plague and a powerful group of rebels), strain between political relationships, magic they’ve never encountered.… And there were so many plot-twists, I think I got whip-lash. Seriously, I was on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last, the final hundred pages or so more than any other. I fear that this is one that will put me in a reading slump.
And can we talk about the character development of Ren and Theo in this series? Obviously, we saw it in the last book, but this one just brings it all together so, so nicely. In A Burning in the Bones, both are forced to test the limits of their morality and determine what is important to them, and what they are willing to sacrifice in the end. What a way to test your characters, right?
Again, I don’t want to give it all away, especially as this is an ARC, but I will iterate that this is probably my favorite book in this series. It has no issue with crumbling away after the first few pages, disappointing readers who have eagerly been anticipating this book. Everything is quite neatly-perfect for fans of Reintgen’s work.
If you want a high-stakes read, with seemingly-impossible challenges, and personable, fleshed-out characters, I present to you A Burning in the Bones.
Happy reading!
Thank you to Scott Reintgen, NetGalley, and the publisher, Margaret K. McElderry Books, for the e-print ARC of this wonderful book!
Wow! What a way to finish a series. I am delighted to say that the Waxways series went out with a bang that met all my standards—and decided to exceed them on some levels, too.
If you are wondering if you should read this book, I would absolutely, unhesitatingly recommend that you do, although clear some time in your schedule—once you pick it up, you won’t want to put it back down.
Ren, Theo, and the Tin’Vori siblings are back in an action-packed final installment to the Waxways series. There are threats that they’ve never faced before (including a debilitating plague and a powerful group of rebels), strain between political relationships, magic they’ve never encountered.… And there were so many plot-twists, I think I got whip-lash. Seriously, I was on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last, the final hundred pages or so more than any other. I fear that this is one that will put me in a reading slump.
And can we talk about the character development of Ren and Theo in this series? Obviously, we saw it in the last book, but this one just brings it all together so, so nicely. In A Burning in the Bones, both are forced to test the limits of their morality and determine what is important to them, and what they are willing to sacrifice in the end. What a way to test your characters, right?
Again, I don’t want to give it all away, especially as this is an ARC, but I will iterate that this is probably my favorite book in this series. It has no issue with crumbling away after the first few pages, disappointing readers who have eagerly been anticipating this book. Everything is quite neatly-perfect for fans of Reintgen’s work.
If you want a high-stakes read, with seemingly-impossible challenges, and personable, fleshed-out characters, I present to you A Burning in the Bones.
Happy reading!
January 16, 2025
For the duration of this book, I sat on the edge of my seat. Split into 4 parts, the final installment of the Waxways trilogy culminates in the true results of Ren's quest for revenge. I loved the third POV that Reintgen added; Mercy gave nuance to parts of the struggles in Kathor and beyond that other characters were not privy to. When I thought I had everything figured out, I was repeatedly wrong. The magic system in this book varied more than the previous books to see special magical abilities that more people possess and how those could benefit the wizards in their understanding of the plague that ravages the area and the survival of their world. I found myself not wanting to believe the tragic events as they unfolded and questions left unanswered for even the characters, but that is life. Not every trauma requires a full explanation. Theo and Ren's bond strengthens beyond what I expected. Ren's emotional growth is striking, but I do wish we got to know Theo on a deeper level. Sacrifices fit the circumstances, despite each still hitting hard. Reintgen delivers an impactful ending that feels reminiscent of the battle of Hogwarts in a way but with a hope of peace and community.
Thank you to Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster for a chance to read an early copy of this book! I have been anxious for the conclusion of the series for a WHILE.
Thank you to Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books / Simon & Schuster for a chance to read an early copy of this book! I have been anxious for the conclusion of the series for a WHILE.
June 4, 2025
‘Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation.
But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses.
Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell.
After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays; Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids—which doesn’t sit well with any of them…..’
This series gave me Harry Potter vibes (probably the magic school and class hierarchy). I have been chasing that feeling again since about fourth grade so naturally I had to read. The first book started out a little slow for me but by page 100 I was hooked and turning pages. I can only say I loved books two and three so much. This series got better as it went on and by the end I knew I would be adding to my top series for the year.
But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses.
Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell.
After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays; Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids—which doesn’t sit well with any of them…..’
This series gave me Harry Potter vibes (probably the magic school and class hierarchy). I have been chasing that feeling again since about fourth grade so naturally I had to read. The first book started out a little slow for me but by page 100 I was hooked and turning pages. I can only say I loved books two and three so much. This series got better as it went on and by the end I knew I would be adding to my top series for the year.
February 26, 2025
Wow, I loved this book. I devoured this trilogy over the last month and am so happy I did. The second book was so-so, but the last one really made it. I liked the characters and their development. The plot was fast-paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a great high fantasy series.
February 5, 2025
I mean this in the best way possible: this series honestly reminds me so much of the Scholomance series, especially with the main characters being like El and Orion.
March 19, 2025
Incredible!
January 29, 2025
I was both excited and dreading this book. Excited bc I love the characters and world, dreading it bc it’s the last one. Sigh. Maybe we can convince him to write a prequel or spin off?!?
Ok, sorry - focusing now on my actual review of A Burning in the Bones. No surprise here - I loved it!!! It amazes me how different each book in this series is while still keeping an overarching theme and plot. We meet a new character, Mercy, who had one of my favorite storylines and shoutout to Devlin, last seen breaking up with Ren in A Door in the Dark! Loved that little callback. In addition to Mercy and Ren’s POVs, I was thrilled that we again have the Tin’Vori siblings with Nevelyn as our third POV.
There is so much that happens in ABITB! It truly is chaos in the best way with no lulls in the action and the intricate plotting the author is known for. I was left with a few questions at the end, but honestly think I need to reread a few sections bc enough things were happening that I might have missed a few details.
I absolutely loved how the journey concluded for these characters. I don’t want to say too much to give any thing away, but think fans of the first two books will love this one too!
A quick side note - so many fantasy series feel like they are drawn out in a cash grab, turning 2 books plot into 5 books. It was SO refreshing to have 3 solid books with full plots and no cheesy to be continued style cliffhangers. It’s also intelligent YA, as in it never talks down to the readers and works well for teens and adults. I absolutely loved this series and can’t recommend it enough!
Thanks Simon Teen for the gifted copy!
Ok, sorry - focusing now on my actual review of A Burning in the Bones. No surprise here - I loved it!!! It amazes me how different each book in this series is while still keeping an overarching theme and plot. We meet a new character, Mercy, who had one of my favorite storylines and shoutout to Devlin, last seen breaking up with Ren in A Door in the Dark! Loved that little callback. In addition to Mercy and Ren’s POVs, I was thrilled that we again have the Tin’Vori siblings with Nevelyn as our third POV.
There is so much that happens in ABITB! It truly is chaos in the best way with no lulls in the action and the intricate plotting the author is known for. I was left with a few questions at the end, but honestly think I need to reread a few sections bc enough things were happening that I might have missed a few details.
I absolutely loved how the journey concluded for these characters. I don’t want to say too much to give any thing away, but think fans of the first two books will love this one too!
A quick side note - so many fantasy series feel like they are drawn out in a cash grab, turning 2 books plot into 5 books. It was SO refreshing to have 3 solid books with full plots and no cheesy to be continued style cliffhangers. It’s also intelligent YA, as in it never talks down to the readers and works well for teens and adults. I absolutely loved this series and can’t recommend it enough!
Thanks Simon Teen for the gifted copy!
April 1, 2025
Hmm. There is some interesting stuff in this series but it seems very much of a “kitchen sink” fantasy. Maybe I just don’t remember the first two books well enough, but there also seems to be a lot of stuff out of left field in book three. (“Here, meet this new villain!”) Also
We do at least get to see Ren pay (a bit) for her righteousness and unchecked rage.
I found book two to be the strongest in the series. Book three wraps things up neatly. This is probably a series best read as one book, one right after another. The whole thing could have used an editorial pass from someone new to the series. It needed tightening up, with more focus on fewer characters and leaning into the magical system. (For example, Vega, the sentient stone bird, hardly comes into play.) Did the author plot out the whole series before publishing the first? Hard to say.
Would I read another book by the author? Maybe.
We do at least get to see Ren pay (a bit) for her righteousness and unchecked rage.
I found book two to be the strongest in the series. Book three wraps things up neatly. This is probably a series best read as one book, one right after another. The whole thing could have used an editorial pass from someone new to the series. It needed tightening up, with more focus on fewer characters and leaning into the magical system. (For example, Vega, the sentient stone bird, hardly comes into play.) Did the author plot out the whole series before publishing the first? Hard to say.
Would I read another book by the author? Maybe.
April 1, 2025
⭐️4.5 I think this was my favorite read of the year so far! I had been desperately waiting for this book to drop since June and I’m happy to say that it was well worth the weight! I absolutely adored this book! 🤩
Plot: I highly recommend reading this series all at once. There are a lot of characters and backstories to keep straight. I had read the first two books this past summer and did not want to do a reread, so I went into this one kind of blind. I could remember bits and pieces from the past couple books and some of it was a little confusing at first because I didn’t remember everything. however, once I got past that, the plot was really easy to follow. It was very intriguing and I was on the edge of my seat for like 80% of this book! For some reason, I always really love books that have a plot of a mysterious illness that must be cured. It’s just so interesting to me. 😅
Characters: I adored this entire cast of characters! They were also different and unique and all of their stories are very captivating. I really enjoyed getting to know Mercy, as she wasn’t in the other two books. I was also really happy to see that Rin and the Tin’Vories were back with their povs! I couldn’t remember from the first two books in my previous reviews, that I wasn’t really the biggest fan of Rin. She really grew on me in this book. I loved her character development and seeing where she was at the beginning of the trilogy and at the end. I am definitely a big Rin fan now. However, Nevelyn was my absolute favorite! I love her quiet, powerful character and just how protective of her family she is. I also really loved getting to see her take on a more maternal role in this book when she takes in Josey. Theo, as always, is too pure for this world. My baby can do no wrong 🥹😂
Romance: there’s not a whole lot of romance in this book, but what little there is is really sweet. I think that it added a perfect little add-on/sub plot to this series and it did not need any more page time or any less. It was just perfect. In this book, there was one really quick fade to black/steamy moment between Rin and Theo, but it was not overly descriptive. It was at most kissing and then getting a little handsy.
Age rating (spice, cussing, gore): there’s one quick steamy moment, a small to moderate use of language. There is one use of the F word. there is a little bit of gore in this book, referring to gushing blood, body, mutilation, and necromancy. I personally didn’t think it was bad, and it was not out of place for the series. It just really fit in with this book and this world. Overall, I’d say this book is great for 13/14+
The Waxways trilogy was an absolute blast, and I am discovering that this may be one of my new favorite authors, as I have loved every book of his that I’ve read. I cannot wait to come back and reread these someday!
Plot: I highly recommend reading this series all at once. There are a lot of characters and backstories to keep straight. I had read the first two books this past summer and did not want to do a reread, so I went into this one kind of blind. I could remember bits and pieces from the past couple books and some of it was a little confusing at first because I didn’t remember everything. however, once I got past that, the plot was really easy to follow. It was very intriguing and I was on the edge of my seat for like 80% of this book! For some reason, I always really love books that have a plot of a mysterious illness that must be cured. It’s just so interesting to me. 😅
Characters: I adored this entire cast of characters! They were also different and unique and all of their stories are very captivating. I really enjoyed getting to know Mercy, as she wasn’t in the other two books. I was also really happy to see that Rin and the Tin’Vories were back with their povs! I couldn’t remember from the first two books in my previous reviews, that I wasn’t really the biggest fan of Rin. She really grew on me in this book. I loved her character development and seeing where she was at the beginning of the trilogy and at the end. I am definitely a big Rin fan now. However, Nevelyn was my absolute favorite! I love her quiet, powerful character and just how protective of her family she is. I also really loved getting to see her take on a more maternal role in this book when she takes in Josey. Theo, as always, is too pure for this world. My baby can do no wrong 🥹😂
Romance: there’s not a whole lot of romance in this book, but what little there is is really sweet. I think that it added a perfect little add-on/sub plot to this series and it did not need any more page time or any less. It was just perfect. In this book, there was one really quick fade to black/steamy moment between Rin and Theo, but it was not overly descriptive. It was at most kissing and then getting a little handsy.
Age rating (spice, cussing, gore): there’s one quick steamy moment, a small to moderate use of language. There is one use of the F word. there is a little bit of gore in this book, referring to gushing blood, body, mutilation, and necromancy. I personally didn’t think it was bad, and it was not out of place for the series. It just really fit in with this book and this world. Overall, I’d say this book is great for 13/14+
The Waxways trilogy was an absolute blast, and I am discovering that this may be one of my new favorite authors, as I have loved every book of his that I’ve read. I cannot wait to come back and reread these someday!
September 17, 2025
La trilogía Waxways, de Scott Reintgen, o sea la de Una puerta en la sombra, ha sido un descubrimiento maravilloso. Y este libro, que es el último, no se queda atrás. Me ha dado las mismas vibes que el primero, y para mí eso es muy bueno.
Son libros de fantasía pero con tintes de thriller y misterio. Puede que sean algo juveniles pero diría que tampoco tan juvenil como otros que puedas imaginar.
Estos libros tienen de todo: magia, acción, varitas, algo de romance. Bueno, escenas spicy no tienen, pero todo lo demás sí. Tiene un mundo mágico muy bien construido, un sistema de magia muy interesante, una historia de clases brutal.
Sus personajes... En fin, maravilla. La protagonista tiene moralidad gris, es fuerte, es potente. Y las otras protagonistas de este libro, me tienen enamorado.
Y el final... los pelos de punta. Es un cierre prácticamente perfecto. Le daría 4,5 estrellas.
Son libros de fantasía pero con tintes de thriller y misterio. Puede que sean algo juveniles pero diría que tampoco tan juvenil como otros que puedas imaginar.
Estos libros tienen de todo: magia, acción, varitas, algo de romance. Bueno, escenas spicy no tienen, pero todo lo demás sí. Tiene un mundo mágico muy bien construido, un sistema de magia muy interesante, una historia de clases brutal.
Sus personajes... En fin, maravilla. La protagonista tiene moralidad gris, es fuerte, es potente. Y las otras protagonistas de este libro, me tienen enamorado.
Y el final... los pelos de punta. Es un cierre prácticamente perfecto. Le daría 4,5 estrellas.
April 1, 2025
I made a reel last year after finishing AWITW with the sound from Julia Fox where she says, "I don't like to speak of things before they are finished but it's so far a masterpiece if I do say so myself." I didn't how spot on that would be but now that I have completed the series, a better sound byte doesn't exist. ABITB was my most anticipated release of 2025 and once again this author knocked it out of the park. We got a brand new POV for this book in Mercy, and she might be my favorite storyline of them all. I love how each book in the trilogy can deliver a unique story while still following the main plot of the series and concluding in a satisfying way. No gimicky cliffhangers, no filler to extend the series which we see so much of lately. Reintgen writes evolving and endearing characters, an amazing world with an interesting but not difficult to understand magic system, layers of intricate plotlines with subtle foreshadowing or nods to things that happened over the series without dragging out the pacing, and overall just a super enjoyable book each and every time. I am so sad to lose these characters and this world, I'm kind of hoping maybe we could get a prequel series. Scott, if you see this, Grandma Shiverian was highly entertaining and I bet she was fun when she was younger too! Thank you to @simon.teen for my gifted copy, this one releases February 4th, 2025 and you're gonna wanna grab all 3 books if you haven't already, trust me!
November 21, 2025
It was a little slow at the beginning for me but ended up enjoying it! It took me a while to catch up because it’s been so long since I read book 2, but once I caught up and saw characters I recognized, I got hooked again!
May 23, 2025
4.5 Stars... I will definitely revisit this series.
March 15, 2025
5/5 Stars.
I never know where Scott Reintgen is going with his stories.
This trilogy really evolved as well as all the characters in it in a way I did not expect.
I never know where Scott Reintgen is going with his stories.
This trilogy really evolved as well as all the characters in it in a way I did not expect.
July 16, 2025
Ren Monroe... önümüzden yürü be kraliçe!!
March 15, 2025
Oh my god, this book, like the two that came before it, was so freaking GOOD! I will never run out of praise for the sheer genius of world building, plotting, character development, and pacing that Reintgen expertly doles out. One of my favourite things about this series was watching Ren be so damn smart in so many different ways. The challenges she rose to in each installment were unique and undeniably gripping to read about.
Not to mention each new character we met along her journey! I was delighted to read more Dahvid and absolutely loved Mercy! I also need to gush about how refreshing and fun it is to read about all kinds of super smart and brave ladies working together and being fucking awesome.
Finally, the almost-surgery scene?!? I was not expecting to be hit with that level of beautiful romance.
This was an absolutely perfect ending to what has become one of my all-time favourite fantasy series.
Not to mention each new character we met along her journey! I was delighted to read more Dahvid and absolutely loved Mercy! I also need to gush about how refreshing and fun it is to read about all kinds of super smart and brave ladies working together and being fucking awesome.
Finally, the almost-surgery scene?!? I was not expecting to be hit with that level of beautiful romance.
This was an absolutely perfect ending to what has become one of my all-time favourite fantasy series.
December 14, 2025
Such a good, sad, ending to the trilogy.
May 28, 2025
okay stop this was so funnn. absolutely obsessed with the magic system and want MORE but alas no other side series...
as a side note, mercy's reader talked SO SLOW. legit had to tick up the audiobook a notch each time her chapters came up lol.
as a side note, mercy's reader talked SO SLOW. legit had to tick up the audiobook a notch each time her chapters came up lol.
July 7, 2025
It took a while for me to get into this one, but it definitely ended with a bang! As a trilogy, I rate this at 4-stars.
I recommend.
I recommend.
November 28, 2025
Finally, a book where Ren had some actual growth as a character and she didn't irritate me the entire time!
I did find that the dragon being the one controlling and manipulating everything was a little predictable given the world and, well, the cover, but also because of that, the stakes felt extremely high. This felt like a true battle, with very huge consequences, as opposed to other books that also end with huge battles with unbeatable odds, but then they just end up falling somewhat flat, so that made a nice change.
I think this might be the best book of the entire series, though that might be partially because Ren wasn't so infuriating, haha.
I loved the new addition of Mercy. She was such a unique character with such a fun point of view. And her magic system... wow! While I could see how some people could see it as contrived, a convenient way to make sure certain characters live without completely diminishing the stakes, it somehow worked. The only time I felt that her using her power to save someone really wasn't truly needed was at the end, when she saved Nevelyn. Do I think Nevelyn needed to live? No, I don't. I also somewhat question whether Nevelyn, herself, would have actually wanted to come back? She knowingly sacrificed herself to save the wizards, and I feel she might have been somewhat happy to possibly be reunited with Garth in the afterlife. But I can also see why Mercy would have wanted to save her, mostly I think so Dahvid wouldn't have to lose someone else, but he ended up losing Mercy as well.
I really wish we could have gotten more Theo, as he is still my favorite character, but I guess I'll take the fact that he didn't die as a consultation prize.
I would say my biggest complaint has to do with the fact that the dragon would have been aware of the fact that there are other big cities out there, other cities that also run off of magic, but yet his only focus is Kathor and destroying their magic?? If you want to truly get rid of magic, you need to get rid of it everywhere. I also find it weird that none of the other characters seemed to think about the other cities, even Dahvid and Nevelyn, who spent the last book in a different city. They are not the only wizards left as the ending of the book seems to imply, but the only ones left near Kathor.
Overall, I really liked the book and think it's worth a read. I think the ending was done very well and left you with just the right amount of hope for this world.
I did find that the dragon being the one controlling and manipulating everything was a little predictable given the world and, well, the cover, but also because of that, the stakes felt extremely high. This felt like a true battle, with very huge consequences, as opposed to other books that also end with huge battles with unbeatable odds, but then they just end up falling somewhat flat, so that made a nice change.
I think this might be the best book of the entire series, though that might be partially because Ren wasn't so infuriating, haha.
I loved the new addition of Mercy. She was such a unique character with such a fun point of view. And her magic system... wow! While I could see how some people could see it as contrived, a convenient way to make sure certain characters live without completely diminishing the stakes, it somehow worked. The only time I felt that her using her power to save someone really wasn't truly needed was at the end, when she saved Nevelyn. Do I think Nevelyn needed to live? No, I don't. I also somewhat question whether Nevelyn, herself, would have actually wanted to come back? She knowingly sacrificed herself to save the wizards, and I feel she might have been somewhat happy to possibly be reunited with Garth in the afterlife. But I can also see why Mercy would have wanted to save her, mostly I think so Dahvid wouldn't have to lose someone else, but he ended up losing Mercy as well.
I really wish we could have gotten more Theo, as he is still my favorite character, but I guess I'll take the fact that he didn't die as a consultation prize.
I would say my biggest complaint has to do with the fact that the dragon would have been aware of the fact that there are other big cities out there, other cities that also run off of magic, but yet his only focus is Kathor and destroying their magic?? If you want to truly get rid of magic, you need to get rid of it everywhere. I also find it weird that none of the other characters seemed to think about the other cities, even Dahvid and Nevelyn, who spent the last book in a different city. They are not the only wizards left as the ending of the book seems to imply, but the only ones left near Kathor.
Overall, I really liked the book and think it's worth a read. I think the ending was done very well and left you with just the right amount of hope for this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
I could not put this book down! Completely enthralling. By far the best of the trilogy. I ran the gamut of emotions while reading. At first I was hesitant about the new character and POV of Mercy Whitaker, but she turned out to be one of my favorite characters alongside Ren Monroe. What a satisfying and thrilling conclusion to this (underrated) series 👏
November 30, 2024
I have supported this series since book 1, successfully arguing for its inclusion in our district's summer reading program for high school students. Book 1 was so good that I doubted subsequent books could meet such lofty expectations. I need not have worried, each book in the series has been equally as good as A Door in the Dark. A Burning in the Bones is a great conclusion to the story, taking the characters you have grown to love, and in some cases mistrust, in a direction that I had not foreseen. The story is great, the pacing is spot on, and the ending is very well done, although I do feel one of the biggest resolutions was glossed over a little too much, I do have one small concern. I firmly support an author's ability to write as they see fit. However, in a climate where books are being heavily scrutinized, I wish the author had not chosen to include 3 uses of the "f-word". Trust me, the students hear it (and say it) more than 3 times in an hour. However, that inclusion may be the reason some schools are not allowed to include this book in their collection. I am not saying I support that line of thinking - just that it may work against this book in some situations. As for me, I loved this entire series!
February 2, 2025
I spent yesterday reading all 1,328 pages of this trilogy, and kudos to Mr. Reintgen for holding my attention that long. Each book in the trilogy has a story arc, and each comes to a satisfying conclusion. But Mr. Reintgen raises the stakes in this final book.
The conflict here is bigger. There are new characters introduced. The romance is more overt. And there's a real urgency to the proceedings that'll keep you turning pages. Could this final volume--by far the longest--have been shorter? Yeah, as is so often the case. But the author wasn't too terribly self-indulgent.
Fantasy novels can be, well, fantastic, but so many of them are offensively derivative. Scott Reintgen isn't reinventing the wheel here. His story falls broadly under the dark academia umbrella. But his characters have depth. He tells three distinct stories in the course of his trilogy. And overall, there's a freshness here. I didn't feel like I'd already read this half a dozen times. 1,328 pages is an investment, but I got plenty of bang for my buck.
The conflict here is bigger. There are new characters introduced. The romance is more overt. And there's a real urgency to the proceedings that'll keep you turning pages. Could this final volume--by far the longest--have been shorter? Yeah, as is so often the case. But the author wasn't too terribly self-indulgent.
Fantasy novels can be, well, fantastic, but so many of them are offensively derivative. Scott Reintgen isn't reinventing the wheel here. His story falls broadly under the dark academia umbrella. But his characters have depth. He tells three distinct stories in the course of his trilogy. And overall, there's a freshness here. I didn't feel like I'd already read this half a dozen times. 1,328 pages is an investment, but I got plenty of bang for my buck.
January 12, 2026
So after you've accomplished your bloody & brutal revenge, what's next? In the case that the bloody & brutal revenge took out the head of a member of the people in charge, it's tackling the bloody & brutal revolutionaries that want to fill the power vacuum. Not only that, but this red ribbon army comes with their own city-crippling pandemic! Bet the author wished more people had triple-magically-sealed masks back in 2020-2021!
More world-building, more insights into characters we were given hints at in previous books, more philosophy on corrupt systems & alternatives to it, and most importantly of all, the waxways STILL are plot relevant in this one just as much as it was in the 1st & 2nd books. (As much as I love the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, them ice cream cones aren't exactly relevant)
Also, to further prove this takes in a fantasy land, Theo Brood is just too good a guy for his woman. Her deep, dark secrets magically come to light and he's still "don't care; still love her." Something else pops up further down the story that shows the big bad credits her as his primary rise to power, and Theo Brood STILL goes "this ain't that kinda YA-relationship-BS book" & is very reasonable about the whole thing. Ladies, get you a man that supports women's wrongs as much as women's rights!
The trilogy as a whole is pretty amazing as it starts out as "What if graduate-school level Hermione got tossed into a Hunger Games style wilderness survival story" and it escalates to "what if graduate-school level Hermione has to deal with either fighting the power vs fighting the plague?"
You love to see her stay true to herself or how much she wants to change for an actual better world. And the POV from other characters just makes the narrative that much richer as it shows other stuff happening besides the misadventures of graduate-school level Hermione.
More world-building, more insights into characters we were given hints at in previous books, more philosophy on corrupt systems & alternatives to it, and most importantly of all, the waxways STILL are plot relevant in this one just as much as it was in the 1st & 2nd books. (As much as I love the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy, them ice cream cones aren't exactly relevant)
Also, to further prove this takes in a fantasy land, Theo Brood is just too good a guy for his woman. Her deep, dark secrets magically come to light and he's still "don't care; still love her." Something else pops up further down the story that shows the big bad credits her as his primary rise to power, and Theo Brood STILL goes "this ain't that kinda YA-relationship-BS book" & is very reasonable about the whole thing. Ladies, get you a man that supports women's wrongs as much as women's rights!
The trilogy as a whole is pretty amazing as it starts out as "What if graduate-school level Hermione got tossed into a Hunger Games style wilderness survival story" and it escalates to "what if graduate-school level Hermione has to deal with either fighting the power vs fighting the plague?"
You love to see her stay true to herself or how much she wants to change for an actual better world. And the POV from other characters just makes the narrative that much richer as it shows other stuff happening besides the misadventures of graduate-school level Hermione.
November 14, 2025
This is the culmination of the story, and boy is it… interesting. Once again we are introduced to another character but their backstory is far too similar to Rens to feel significant or the make use truly feel attached. The story DRAGS at some points where I would hesitate to pick it up again for fear of being clinically bored. The plot as a whole is fairly interesting? There is some decent conflicts between characters especially with the resolution of what happened in the first book. Unfortunately it ultimately felt… anticlimactic and as for the ending of the story of the whole it was predictable the mystery is solved there is self sacrifice (also a another repetition from the previous novel) and because we got like “a book” to get attached to the character that was sacrificing themselves it just wasn’t effective in generating an emotional response. (And i am not one to shy away from crying because a character died or a book affected me so) but this book kinda flopped, not even mad just disappointed. I hesitated to pick it up after the second book and generally feel as though I shouldn’t have. It was interesting enough to finish if that says anything
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
A solid conclusion to the Waxways series.
If you just love epic fantasy, this series is a good pick. I struggled with it most of the way through because there’s just nothing here we haven’t seen before, and despite being initially marketed as Dark Academia, only a small portion of the first book in any way fits the bill.
The rest is mostly standard high fantasy, which isn’t a bad thing. But it’s a crowded field where it seems like nothing is new anymore, and that’s where this series falls down on the job a bit. This felt a lot like a better written but less fun version of Falling Kingdoms, which was itself pretty shopworn in concept when it came out about a decade ago.
That said, the writing itself is good, and though the book is too long (especially for a fantasy epic that is thin on world building), it’s the best one of the series and the ending is solidly plotted.
I wish this series had found a more original plot thread the focus on, but it’s entertaining enough.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
If you just love epic fantasy, this series is a good pick. I struggled with it most of the way through because there’s just nothing here we haven’t seen before, and despite being initially marketed as Dark Academia, only a small portion of the first book in any way fits the bill.
The rest is mostly standard high fantasy, which isn’t a bad thing. But it’s a crowded field where it seems like nothing is new anymore, and that’s where this series falls down on the job a bit. This felt a lot like a better written but less fun version of Falling Kingdoms, which was itself pretty shopworn in concept when it came out about a decade ago.
That said, the writing itself is good, and though the book is too long (especially for a fantasy epic that is thin on world building), it’s the best one of the series and the ending is solidly plotted.
I wish this series had found a more original plot thread the focus on, but it’s entertaining enough.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
March 26, 2025
I feel like when I first started out, I was really rushing to read this book. It was the third in the series, I wanted to know how it would end, and I wasn’t really connecting with one of the characters point of view. However, I slowed it down and actually took the time to enjoy this story – and I’m so happy that I gave it the time it deserved! If you love well thought out magic systems, a low-key sub plot of romance between two likable characters, and amazing friendships, action, and a little bit of humor, this is totally the story for you. It is extremely well done, and I can’t rave about it enough!
June 5, 2025
A fantastic trilogy overall, but this one stood out from the rest. This whole story is such an important commentary on class divide. Such a good read for younger readers entering a very very unfair world. What will we do with what we're given? Who will we hurt along the way? What truly defines justice and is it worth it in the end?
I haven't even started on the fantastic heroines of the story! Young women who are multifaceted and immensely intelligent. Who make mistakes and learn from them. Ren Monroe you are so special to me.
Thank you Sarah for recommending this series it is exactly the kind of fantasy I love to read. I wish it was more popular than it is. Please read it if you haven't.
I haven't even started on the fantastic heroines of the story! Young women who are multifaceted and immensely intelligent. Who make mistakes and learn from them. Ren Monroe you are so special to me.
Thank you Sarah for recommending this series it is exactly the kind of fantasy I love to read. I wish it was more popular than it is. Please read it if you haven't.
February 15, 2025
such an underrated series omg so good, more people need to read this series. Each books has like such different stories/plots going on that keep you interested, and the story never feels like it’s dragging on. And I love Theo, he has my heart he’s just so understanding and sweet. I love Ren and Theo’s relationship so much and they’re so perfect as a team. The ending was pretty satisfying as well. Felt like it was all wrapped up very well imo. Also, the magic transportation system is one of the best and most unique things about this series.
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