My top favourite series of the year!!! Mousai series is best and amazingly written story by E.J.Mellow. Each book follows three sisters. I was hooked when i read Song of the forever rains and Dance of the burning sea. I just devoured this one. It was good to see all the three sisters together here and there. This book is my favourite one and yea, it was intriguing, thrilling, plot twists and romance. Oh gods, how could I not love romance between Arabessa and Zimri. Their love story was beautifully sad but it was perfect. I'd highly recommend this series to anyone and it was worth it!!

I'm beyond happy to get to review this book but sad that the series came to an end but the characters will remain in my heart. Thank you E.J. Mellow and Netgalley.

This review is based on an ARC of Symphony for a Deadly Throne which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Montlake).

Just as magical, intriguing, and romantic as the previous two books of the Mousai series! I'm a bit sad that this is the end, really.

"If the book is so good, why did you only give it 3 stars, huh?" Good question, pal. The rating I give this novel is for how beautiful and evocative the writing is, and how truly stunning the worldbuilding is. This is a fabulous work of fiction (and that cover!!!11!1!) That said, I am not inclined to rate this any higher because 1) I did not connect with (or really even like) the main characters in this one, 2) though Arabessa's trials were interesting, the ending seemed melodramatic and unnecessary, and 3) was the pronoun game set to this level of difficulty in the previous books? Listen, I know we're living in progressive times, but you can't establish a character with they/them pronouns and then sometimes call them she/her and sometimes not. It gets confusing. (This is excluding Achack, the literally gender-fluid ancient entity.) Also, what's wrong with being Thief Queen? Okay, I'm gonna back off now. This is getting spicy and I'm too Nervous™ for that.

The Mousai was an unexpectedly enjoyable reading experience for me. Though my interest and enjoyment declined with each subsequent book, as a whole I was more than satisfied with this trilogy!

I loved all of these books in the Mousai series so much! Each sister has sure unique and wonderful magical gifts and each book's story waives the most beautiful stories of fantasy, love, suspense and action. E.J. Mellow created amazing plots with each book and the Symphony for a Deadly Throne was an excellent way to end the Mousai series. Arabessa Bassette is the oldest sister of three and her story was of finder her own way and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Her beautiful, yet sad love story with Zimri was perfectly done. It was not overly done and it help create an amazing overall story with the whole plot. I would defiantly recommend this series and this book to anyone, the writing was perfect and the story was impactful, 5 big stars! Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC.

This trilogy feels like dessert to read.
the three main characters, sister Arabessa, Larkyra and Nyia all have their own book. Normally l am not a fan of each book following a different protaganist, but the three sisters are each So unique with fun stories.
I loved each installment to this series and I’m sad it’s over. it is a unique read with a satisfying plot and satisfying romances . We get all the fun tropes
too! enemies to lovers, friends to
lovers and arranged marriages. Seriously, these books have
So much to offer. And that includes a fun unique magic system based in a world where morals are gray and you aren’t quite sure what will happen.

Oh Mellow, you have done it again, this was such a beautiful capstone to a wonderful trilogy. I love this world so much, well really the two worlds, and how debauchery, indulgence, and villainy are not shamed but celebrated - not the world I'd want to live in (for reasons this book explores), but a nice change of pace from the "hero" tropes you commonly see in SFF. Anyway, back to the storyline... I l loved this book for all the reasons I normally can't stand romance fantasy: steamy sexy times, lots of inner dialogue/conflict, and heavy dose of martyr-ism. It was incredibly well done, I was invested in what happened to all of the characters (incl side characters), and was only minimally bothered by the lack of addl world building. The two POVs saved this book in that respect, the provided good antidotes to each other and counter weights. The emphasis on sacrifice and individual choice was a bit on the nose but again, I was all in and really liked it!

Solid 4 stars, highly recommend this series!

Not sure how i feel about this book, not crazy about it, maybe is just my mood too, also is the third book and I haven read the first two, I would have to update my review once I catch up with the first two, so it can be actually accurate

After reading the first two books in this series, Arabella didn't feel like she would be my favourite sister. She came across as uptight and not very relatable. I loved this book. Ara and Zimri are the best couple in this series. I don't normally like friends to lovers tropes but in this case I will make an exception. A beautiful ending to an amazing series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC. E.J Mellow creates such unique magic and I love escaping into her fantasy worlds. I love that her characters are strong and powerful. I loved this entire series and this conclusion following the story of Arabessa and Zimri did not disappoint.

What an absolutely amazing finish to the Mousai trilogy! Mellow expands upon the world of the Thief Kingdom while keeping it intimate, familiar, and entrancing from the very first page.

In this book, we follow the eldest of the Bassett sisters, Arabessa. Without giving away any spoilers, we watch her grow and evolve from an already strong character into a woman who is confident, self assured, and powerful (and I'm not just talking about her magic). As she experiences the twists and turns, so do we, and I felt that we experienced everything side by side with Arabessa.

When reading the previous Mousai books, I felt that Arabessa was the sister I related to the least. By the end of Symphony for a Deadly Throne, I completely changed the opinion I had of her and I was rooting for her every step of her journey. Her heartache, determination, and passions jumped off the page and had my heart racing as I read through this book.

Mellow is a sensational writer and I find myself wanting more in this universe but also very much ready to read whatever else she decides to write. This entire trilogy is in my top series of all time, and this book was the perfect way to wrap up everyone's stories.

Symphony for a deadly throne is the third book in the Mousai series by E.J. Mellow. This book follows the oldest Bassette sister, Arabessa. This book like the rest of the series is amazing, I can’t put them down. I have loved the series from the beginning but I found that each book keeps getting better and better. This is the final book in the trilogy and the ending couldn’t be better, I didn’t want it to end.Thank you Netgally for an advance reader ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was most excited for this book because the pairing of Arabessa and Zimri has been set up since the first book and it is definitely my favorite of the series.

The pacing is quick and filled with tension and yearning in a wonderful way that made me not want to put it down.

As the eldest Bassette sister, Arabessa deals a lot with being her own person and living her life without regrets. Zimri is so interesting and it was fun to finally see more of him.

As with the others in the series the cover is absolutely gorgeous and it was a wonderful conclusion to the sisters’ stories.

*Spoilers*


An absolutely beautiful end to this epic series!
I will say I was skeptical at first. It seemed to me like Arabessa’s story began a bit slower than the first two in this series, and the only thing really going on was Zimri agreeing to marry Kattiva, and the reveal about the Bassette’s mother, which I felt was played up more than it needed to be.
As the story progressed I found myself happily mistaken. The 3 trials made for enough adventure and thrill to match the previous novels, and the sacrifice Ara makes in the ending had me in tears!!!
Huge fan of Zimri and Ara’s relationship and dynamics as well. 😍

Excellent, excellent work!

The only downside of this book was knowing finishing the book meant the trilogy was over. This book was just as well written as the rest with even more anticipation woven throughout. I loved finally getting to know the older sister that's been in the peripheral of the last two book - on oh man, so I love the love story! Highly recommend this book (and the entire trilogy)!

Symphony for a Deadly Throne was my favourite book in the Mousai series. This book covers Arabessa and her relationship with Zimri, the close confidant of her father.

The book begins with a series of flashbacks to Zimri's early life and how he began his journey to becoming the thief king's confidant. During these flashbacks Mellow shows the Arabessa and Zimri's first meeting. I really enjoyed reading about their early lives and how they fell in love. So, when a Zimri had to make a decision to choose between Arabessa and the destiny his parents left him I was bawling. As seen in the earlier book Arabessa is entirely selfless and nearly forces Zimri's decision, this is furthered by a choice she had to make herself.

The scenes in which the Mousai perform together are shown again in this book and I would argue even better and more interesting. Mellow also intrigued me throughout the book during Arabessa's trials.

I also loved the use of magic and secrets that were used in the book. Because whilst Arabessa had many secrets that she wanted to tell her loved ones they mostly understood that she could not tell. And I enjoyed how Zimri found out the main secret.

<i> "You are never too late. You are all the pieces of my heart." </i>

As the previous two books, it was amazing. Each and every book was unique and they touched my heart in a different way. For Ara's book, I saw myself in those pages in her struggles as an oldest child. One who has to bear most burden, to do everything because she had to, not because she wanted to. I love Ara and how the story was going. Zimri is a dear, but I have personal issues with "asking a girl to be your mistress" no matter how good the reason is, so I'm sorry Zimri but nay lol.

It was a beautiful third installment of Mousai series!

Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Age: Adult Fantasy Romance
Series: Mousavi
Book: Third and Final in the trilogy (although could be read as a standalone).

(For reference I rated the first book 4 Stars and the second book 4.5 Stars so for me this series really does just get better and better!)

*non-spoiler review*

The beautifully written Mousavi trilogy follows three sister sorceress and their journey of self discovery, growth and love. 'Symphony for a deadly Throne' follows our last sister, the eldest in our trio; Arabessa. The book I have been the most excited to read ever since Zimri and Arabessa's introduction in book one.

Mellows writing once again captures your heart from the outset, her lyrical and almost hypnotic storytelling weaves through every chapter; giving you beautiful imagery of the world of Adilor and the Theif Kingdom. Mellows characters are well written, fleshed out and so lovingly flawed you can't help but relate to their struggles and celebrate their triumphs alongside them.

Arabessa is a strong, feisty, intelligent woman and my personal favourite of the three sisters. Her story is set much more so in the Theif Kingdom itself than the two books previously and her romance with Zimri is unique, being a childhood friendship turn hidden stolen romance.

Without giving too much away Arabessa must decide if her love for Zimri or the opportunity to fight for the throne is more important to her and what a ride it is! Mellow manages to thread the main two plots expertly with subplots and side characters to create the most wonderful, bitter sweet ending to this fabulous series and if I'm being completely honest I'm a little sad to see it go.

A huge thank you to E.J. Mellow, Montlake and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You can find the two previous books in the series via Kindle Unlimited as well as in audio book and physical copies.

I can't wait to relive this journey on release day: February 14th 2023

Am so grateful to be part of the small handful to have gotten the early copy. A huge thank you to E.J. Mellow and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Where do I even begin? The way Jacqueline truly outdid herself with this final instalment of the Mousai series. I’m in shock, I’m in awe, I’m in tears (???) - the story of Arabessa and Zimri, and their tumultuous journey in figuring out their duties and desires, was an absolute ride and a half. Everything was so well thought out and executed, and there wasn’t a point in the book that felt too draggy. The plot itself was fantastic. You’ve got the whole relationship situation which takes up a better part of the storyline, but underneath that you also have a substantial (major) story that Arabessa has to deal with on her own, partnered with another side problem that Zimri has found himself in. I just thought this interweaving of small plots and big plots was really well done, and the pacing was fairly smooth too.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a world of a unique magic system, for a couple who has gone (and is still going) through so much just to be together, and for main characters who are simply trying their best to find a balance between their responsibilities and their hearts.

On the flip side, I wouldn't recommend this book if a reader is not too keen in reading lyrical proses - at times, the execution of the story/series can sometimes feel like historical fiction which admittedly isn't a bad thing but can be a turn off to some - or if a reader dislikes the portrayal of lack of communication. The story itself is not entirely a miscommunication trope, it's more that the characters have been sworn by magic to omit and compartmentalise certain information - which again might frustrate some readers so, just a fair warning!

In all,
star rating: 5
spice rating: 2.5 (there are two major spicy scenes in the book but they're not too explicit)
tear rating: 2 (got a bit snotty nearing the end, not gonna lie)

I read the first two in this series and loved them immensely! Even though we follow different set of characters from the first two, I still highly recommend if you love NA/fantasy/romance!

Just finished this book. I can’t believe it is over 😭😭 This book brought more emotions out of me than the first two books. Arabessa has choices to make and her choices bring both pros and cons. As the eldest sister she has many masks and seeing her unfold and show those masks was a rollercoaster. One of the many reasons I enjoy reading books by E. J. Mellow is that she is not afraid to be real and in some circumstance cause pain to her beloved characters. It’s raw, painful and beautiful. What a great conclusion to this trilogy. Many thanks for sharing Larkyra, Niya, and Arabessa with 💙❤️💚 I can’t wait to read the physical book on February 14, 2023. Great timing with the release date 😉

“You are the eclipse who will forever consume my heart”

What a wonderful ending to such a fantastic series! Most love stories are of couples who meet, and eventually fall in love. Yet this one is of love that has been around for years in secret. But it just wasn’t meant to be.

It just pulls at my heart strings that they get to experience this all consuming love but they deny it. With just snippets of time together. What a terrible way to spend your life. Alone and pining for each other.

She is so strong, so controlled. There was just so much pressure on her between being the eldest and all the responsibility that comes from that. Yet also on how much responsibility goes into keeping her sisters in line. One slip up from her control, and chaos ensues.

In don’t want to give out spoilers, so all in all a wonderful closure to The their kingdom and the Bassette sisters (seriously, they are amazing and I wish I was one of them 😍)