The Bound Worlds is the satisfying conclusion to the Devoured Worlds trilogy. While Naira and Tarquin have found temporary peace, news soon comes to shatter it. The choices they make will preserve or destroy the worlds...and their future.

The Bound Worlds is such a compelling and richly layered read! Naira is one of my favorite characters and I really enjoyed her adventures. Megan O’Keefe includes many thrilling twists and brilliant science. This series is so unbelievably clever and every new reveal feels genuine. Naira and Tarquin’s romance takes a bit of a backseat in this installment, which makes sense since they’re trying to save the worlds.

One of my favorite parts is the found family and strong ensemble cast. O’Keefe writes great banter between the characters. Fletcher surprisingly grew on me in this book and I thought he was hilarious. The descriptive world-building is fantastic and feels vivid. Throughout the series, there is excellent LGBTQ+ rep. Naira also deals with chronic pain in a very realistic way. Readers who enjoy queer space operas, lovable characters, and action-packed adventures need to check out this series. I can’t wait to read what O’Keefe writes next!

Thank you to Megan O’Keefe, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Orbit Books for an advance copy of this third book in a series dealing with the future, dealing with physical and mental issues, the death of universes, action, great writing, and of course, love.

As a long, long time science fiction reader the changes that I have been witnessing in the genre have been extraordinary, and long coming in many ways. Especially in the subgenre of space opera, which for many years was a joyless mass of paperback originals, all with Roman numerals in the title, and all seeming to be written by writers who refused to let the dreams of Ronald Reagan die. Some were good, some were fine, many were forgettable. I stepped away from science fiction for a while, catching up on old stuff, but skipping most of the new, until I started hearing about stories that were expanding the reach of what I remember space opera being. New voices, new people, different ideas, even a little space opera bouffe. Within the last probably five years I have read more new science fiction than in the previous twenty years. And it has been a great thing. The only sad thing is reading the last book in a trilogy I've really enjoyed. The Bound Worlds is the third book in The Devoured World trilogy, written by Megan E. O'Keefe and has everything I enjoy in modern space opera, interesting characters, fascinating ideas, action, and characters I feel invested in.

Naira and Tarquin have gone through quite a lot today. Betrayed, shot at, killed, reborn, broken in mind but not spirt, pursued by enemies both known and unknown. They have seen worlds die, family betrayals, and found love between them, a love that does not seem to crack. Naira is suffering effects from being reprinted, a way of cheating death, but one hat can lead to a brain being cracked. Tarquin as a corporate head has vowed to help her, though the treatment is non-existent at this time. There new home is nearly destroyed in a terrorist attack, that Naira stops at the last second, but one that has given her a new symptom, maybe, or a new problem. Naira can see a Naira from the future, and she is slipping in and out of the being who she is, and who she might become. Tarquin is shown that the attack on his home was not a single act, but a larger act against most of the other families that control things. And this attack might lead to something larger, more universal, and could lead to the end.

A big bold story that continues to build on what O'Keefe has created in good ways. O'Keefe has a nice style and has both characters take the narrative lead in every other chapter. I always like this as the different points of view fill the story in more, and makes it easier to share information between characters, instead of just info-dumping or shoe-horning the information in. The characters are all well-developed and well-written, with a diverse cast who really are unique individuals and not security guy #5, as a lot of space opera tended to do. Even the romance is written well, these are characters who don't have to keep telling each other they love each other. They know. O'Keefe does this really well also.

This is the last book in the series, and really why start here. Start at the beginning and enjoy the ride. The ending works well with the story, and is a very satisfying conclusion. I look forward to more by Megan E. O'Keefe.

This had everything that I enjoyed from the space opera genre. It was everything that I was hoping for as a conclusion in the Devoured Worlds series. I enjoyed getting back to this world and was hooked with the world and characters. Megan E. O'Keefe always does a fantastic job in writing these types of books and left me wanting to read more. I thought it continued the story perfectly and can’t wait for whatever comes next for Megan E. O'Keefe.

O'keefe's writing is incredibly engaging and her character work is great. I really enjoyed the first two books and found the third to be a somewhat satisfying ending. This installment follows Tarquin and Naira as they try to navigate starting a new settlement while Naira is still cracked. In comparison to the rest of the series, this one might be my least favorite, not to say that it wasn't good. The plot and world building spiraled a bit out of control in this third book. While we spent so much time focusing on the problem of canus in the first two, it falls to the wayside and becomes a really minor plot point that doesn't really get solved.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The element of time travel gets added into the world in this book which is what muddied up the plot. I think if there were more established rules to the time travel and more focus on how the time travel fit into the rest of the overall narrative, it might have been better. At one point we have two Naira's and they are body switched but it's never really explained why other than future Naira is trying to save Tarquin.

Lastly, I have real issue with the ending. I love that Naira and Tarquin get to be together and I'm glad that they are happy, but the author breaks all of the established rules of the world to achieve that ending. From the beginning, the reader is told that once someone cracks and falls to the endless scream it is impossible to bring them back. The first two books majorly focuses on the fact that Tarquin's dad cannot bring back his mom from cracking. While in the second book it is established that software has been created to put the cracked back together, it is still limited in its use, and can only be used if someone has not fully cracked and screamed. Tarquin fully cracks in the end and falls the endless scream. Naira is forced to live without him and is a shadow of herself. Kav and Fletcher decide that they are going to try and put Tarquin's map back together and they just do???? They succeed in doing something that NO ONE ELSE has ever been able to do and it doesn't even take them that long. You're telling me that an unsolvable problem that has been focused on by all Merit families and specialists for YEARS is solved in a matter of months by a finalizer and a hacker?? It's not believable and it felt like a cop out on the author's part. If you're going to kill Tarquin then actually kill him, or don't, but the in between, stretching of the rules and world building is lame.

Genre: science fiction

This review contains spoilers for books one and two, but not for book three.

Tarquin and Naira know that every day they have is borrowed time. Naira’s map is cracked after being double printed, and she starts to have terrible visions of the future. Canus is assimilating whole populations of traditionally printed people. Amarthrite, the safer mineral, is in much shorter supply. Lines and alliances are crossed, and trust is hard to come by. On top of this, there’s a new problem: the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, and it’s intrinsically tied to some of the maps.

The final installment of the Devoured Worlds trilogy takes us to new emotional depths: Megan E O’Keefe dials up the angst meter (for historical romance readers, we’re talking Meredith Duran level angst for the first half of the book). O’Keefe is simultaneously working on multiple levels of development with plot, character, and worldbuilding. Her character development is impressive, giving main and side characters room to grow over three books, to continue to make mistakes, change their minds, betray each other, and fight for what they believe. Everything about the romance and the character development is absolutely top tier. Reading this for Naira and Tarquin, Kav, Kuma, Cass, Fletcher, and all of our other favorites and enemies, the book is a true five star experience.

It’s the mark of good worldbuilding that the writer still has room to expand their world in a third book, particularly when it ties meaningfully into our previous knowledge of the universe. That said, the literal expansion of the universe as worldbuilding and plot device was completely unexpected. As worldbuilding, I might have preferred hints of this in an earlier book to convince me of the necessity of the plot for the third book. The shift wasn’t entirely unwelcome, but it was unexpected, and made the trilogy feel less complete in some ways.

O’Keefe is tackling a lot of concepts again in this book, but the most important one may be that of Naira’s character. She’s cracked - the double printing for an extended period of time makes her neural map less cohesive - but she fights getting “fixed” because she knows the potential side effects could be worse, and she still sees herself as whole. Throughout this final installment we have a character that others perceive as damaged, and yet from her own perspective, we see Naira both struggle and embrace who she has become.

Look, I cried a lot, and that’s worth five stars in and of itself. This book isn’t perfect (in my opinion, book two, The Fractured Dark, actually is perfect), but it does everything emotional that I wanted it to. I suspect those reading for the romance may love this more than those reading for science fiction tropes. I’m looking forward to a reread when this comes out on audiobook, and Tarquin and Naira will live rent free in my head for years to come.

Thank you as always to NetGalley & Orbit for approving an ARC for me in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a great ending to the trilogy. This all started because someone I follow on TikTok raved about The Blighted Stars, and I quickly fell deep in this space opera. I was so nervous to read the second book and this final book because I never wanted this series, these characters, this intricate twisty plot, to be over.

First and foremost, the characters remain absolutely amazing. I criedddd many times during the ending but fear not - everything turns out okay! There were moments of double crossing and then triple crossing, and I couldn't see where things were going to end up.

Secondly, speaking of the twists in the plot?! Did not see most of them coming! So, excellent plot and storytelling, 10/10 recommend. The double crossing? Many times I was like WHAT while reading this book.

Lastly, I still just don't want this series to end, but it honestly wrapped up so nicely and answered almost all of my questions (the unanswered one is basically how the rest of MERIT unfolds, but the timeline wouldn't have covered that). I'd say that while I didn't want it to end, I also don't want it to continue because Tarq and Nai have been through so much shit and I just want them to live HEA.

I am OBSESSED with this series, and I'm so in love with the way this final book wraps up Naira and Tarquin's story in such an epic way. Normally I have a hard time digesting big series/long books quickly, but this series is so easy to get lost in and this finale is exactly what I would have hoped it could be,

I've always loved how O'Keefe writes her characters, and this book really dug into new and difficult issues for them in such a believable way. Naira's new life and the difficulties that come with losing so much of her normal way of living was very well done. Also the balance between Tarquin and Naira's relationship and the fate of the world felt very well handled, I was so invested in every angle of the plot and was ready to go on whatever ride the author wanted me to experience.

I think keeping such a breakneck pace in this long of a book is very impressive. I was kept on my toes the entire time I was reading. As always with this series the twists were juicy, and finally reaching the end was so emotional because I just didn't want to say goodbye to this series.

I'm a new found huge fan of O'Keefe's writing, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Incredible. Amazing. Thrilling. INTENSE. This series is everything and each book was somehow better than the last. What an ending to such an epic story of the universe but also a deep exploration of what it means to love someone, to trust them, to truly know them, to set them free at the cost of your own heart. A thousand stars. SO FREAKING GOOD.

This was a dread-inducing, prolonged anxiety spiral of a trilogy conclusion. The conflict expands fairly quickly in the start of this installment, as we are faced with a new challenge in the fight against cannus, and this conflict reshapes the world as we know it (again!). Where this installment shines is in its primary romance between Tarquin and Naira. It's complicated and tense, and we are forced to grapple with all new dimensions in their power imbalance and backgrounds. In this conclusion to their story, they each have to navigate how to be a person the other will be able to love and respect despite the horrific, universe-altering decisions they each will need to make.

There is so much that feels pitch-perfect in this - the character studies, the alternating POVs, the reflections on sacrifice, redemption and freewill. The one challenge I have at the conclusion, though, is a feeling we lost the plot somewhere in the primary conflict. I'm left still fairly confused about how key issues resolved (did they resolve at all, actually?) and wish the conflict had been carried through more evenly. Our focus expanded and contracted a LOT in this, and it felt a bit disconnected from the first two books' central story arcs. That said, this trilogy is really strong, and I highly recommend it to SFF readers who love a compelling primary romance and character-driven conflict.

I loved the first two books in this series and was happy to read the conclusion!

So much going on, read if you're a fan of .. betrayal, troubled relationships, building a future

I just reviewed The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O'Keefe. #NetGalley

Unfortunately, this was not a great instalment for me in the series. This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year but it felt as though there wasn’t quite enough content to fully flesh out a competent story and so it ended up having a lot of filler with Naira constantly finding reason to be upset with Tarquin.

Will definitely continue to read all of O’Keefes books, this was an outlier in an otherwise excellent catalogue.

I loved the final installment of this trilogy. It continued to develop the characters, tied a bunch of the plot lines up, and was written at a break neck pace. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2024 and it delivered and then some. The only thing I don’t like about finishing this book is that the trilogy is complete and I don’t get to read more about these characters. Highly recommend!

What a world!?!? This story put me into a crazy mindset. Such great world building and characters. Highly highly recommend this gem of a dtory

I've been anticipating this third and final installment in the Devoured Worlds series since I read the first installment about a year ago. We've reached a crisis point: Naira and Tarquin might be in love, but they're dealing with the possible extermination of the human race. (Let's just say that the first two books present the idea of a human population subjugated to a parasitical fungus, while the third book goes even further - think inevitable heat death of the universe style.)

Like the first two books in the series, this is almost non-stop action: Naira and Tarquin are dealing with political machinations, spatial and temporal displacements, and the ramifications of what befell Naira at the end of The Fractured Dark.

Speaking of those ramifications, I loved O'Keefe's depiction of Naira as a person with a disability. As someone who was almost super-abled in the first two books (thanks to the body modifications and her own training and dedication), this change is very difficult for her and for her colleagues and friends. Much of the conflict stems from Tarquin's desire to protect her. He still loves her, but feels that he cannot be honest about the almost-insurmountable challenges they are facing.

The main problem I ran into is that I was way more invested in their relationship than the fact that they had to save the universe. A lot of the surrounding plot got really big (specifically those spatial/temporal displacements) and I wanted to drill down to the personal. That said, the experience of reading this book was superlative: I bit my nails, got an anxiety tummy ache, and misted up at several points. I just might have to go back and experience the full trilogy again!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Bound Worldswas the perfect ending to The Devoured Worlds. It’s always scary to read the last book in a series you love, but this not only exceeded any expectations I had, but it did it beautifully.

If you know me, you know I love Megan E. O’Keefe’s space operas and I haven’t shut up about The Blighted Stars since I got my hands on that book. And here we are. It’s over and I’m in love with the ending. This was such a high-stakes book I knew, inevitably, characters would die. I told myself I’d be happy as long as a specific someone survived. And then I experienced the book through waves after waves of realization that I didn’t want anyone to die (not even he-who-shall-not-be-named).

he Bound Worlds felt like running an Iron Man (a crazy ‘obstacle course’ that not many people finish). And by the 85% mark, it all seemed to end… beautifully. But it wasn’t an ending. And what came after was such an emotional roller coaster I cried for the first time in three years (which is crazy, if this book has healed my tear ducts, I owe O’Keefe a beer lol). I’m going to do my thing and do my usual ‘fangirl’ review, meaning that I will talk about shit I keep obsessing about. I usually call it the ‘good’ and the ‘not-so-good’ list, but unlike Naira’s ‘to-stab’ list, my not-so-good list remains empty this time. This won’t have spoilers (but I will have spoiler talk at the end because wow).

- Characters: 10/10. Obsessed. What do I even say? I don’t do drugs, but what O’Keefe’s characters make me feel must be what snorting coke feels like. They’re funny, adorable, brilliant. By the end of the book I felt so dumb for how much I was crying. BUT I’ve spent so much time reading and re-reading about Nai, Tarq, Kav, and Kuma that I lowkey need them to come into existence and adopt me.
- Twists: Shit man. Too many. So good. I didn’t expect half of them. If you’re reading this book, I’ll just tell you: don’t forget the Chinese rooms. And do keep in mind who resonates and who doesn’t.
- No questions left unanswered and no loose ends</b>: This. I had so many. All of them answered. Even at the end when I was bawling my eyes out and I was just thinking ‘I just don’t get why this had to happen.’ O’Keefe clarified it all brilliantly. And I do want to explain this wasn’t a deus ex machina kind of thing either.
- The writing and pace: I love her writing. Pace-wise? Shit. This was fast-paced. You didn’t get a break until the 80% mark and then all shit blew up and the sobbing started. But I loved it. I wish we had 50 more pages after the end just to vibe with everyone and chill for two minutes.
- Representation: I started my ‘O’Keefe journey’ with The Protectorate and I was coming from loving The Expanse series, and I was critical. Too critical. But the one thing that set O’Keege apart was just how deliciously diverse her characters are. We got nonbinary, we got trans, we got different ethnicities, we have straight, gay, old, and disabled (visually disabled but also the less visible kind). And it just rocks. I remember re-reading The Protectorate when I broke my right ankle because Sanda didn’t have a right leg and it just made me feel okay to know Sanda did not stop being badass and incredible for a single minute. And Naira is the same. I don’t have chronic pain or anything that I can sympathize with, but the visibility of this, the fact that we have a transgender main character, we have a nonbinary demisexual character, we have a mix of ethnicities and there is not an ounce of hate or discrimination. I always say sci-fi authors should do this: you’re creating a world and you have the power to make normal things normal. Sexual or ethnic minorities struggle in the real world, create one that isn’t as shitty. And O’Keefe is the queen of that.
- Tarquin: I have given Tarq his own section in every review just to berate him. That’s no more. I am sorry for calling Tarquin a shithead and a little shit and saying he has <s>mushed banana</s>rocks in place of a brain.
- The ending: I already said it but it was perfect. Exceeded every expectation and did not let me down. I could’ve gone without O’Keefe making me cry for 40 pages though.

Now to the spoiler rambling:
’m one of those readers that likes to guess what’s going to happen. Here were my predictions (which btw I wrote down the day before I started the book):
1) Kuma or Kav will die. Most likely Kuma.
2) Tarquin or Naira will die. Most likely Tarq.
3) Fletcher will somehow ruin my day.
4) The Bridge shit will be finally explained.
5) Kav-Cass something.
6) We’ll hopefully understand what’s up with the Einkorn.
7) Chiyo will ruin my day.

Funny, eh? All the loose threads were followed. And I guessed the deaths which honestly fucking sucks, but I’m so happy Kav’s alive.

What surprised me the most was Tarquin. The first two books were very romance-y which I usually don’t like, but I really enjoyed Naira and Tarquin. Was it too much sometimes? Yes. But I honestly don’t care because these were moments in which we got to stop and take a breath. The series has three chunky books that are high-stakes and action-y, and it was nice to have one or two pages where Naira wasn’t getting a headache or Tarquin was having his hourly meltdown. But <i>The Bound Worlds</i> wasn’t as romance-y. And that’s because the relationship was established and the two characters were just trying to fix the world in their own way. Tarq’s always been prone to keeping secrets and having meltdowns, this has continued. But the meltdowns haven’t been as common and he’s been very focused on “Naira will drown me in the toilet if I focus on this instead of what I should focus on,” and it’s been beautiful. To see the growth he’s had in these books.

We got quite a few reminders that Tarq would die throughout the book and I was torn between thinking these were red herrings or actual warnings. It was both. But by the end of the book, I didn’t see Tarquin like a dumb cub, a little shit, a no-brain-only-rocks person. And so it sucked. It just sucked so much. I have an eye condition and I can’t cry, but when he cracked? Shit, that got me bad. I was not expecting it. I was angry that Jonsun was somehow still around (Fletcher you had ONE job dude) and when he said he had Tar’s map, I knew. And it sucked because we had been told so many times Tarq would crack. And shit. I kept thinking that I wish it had been Naira, and that was such a surprise because I thought I liked her better, but idk.

Now some rapid-fire thoughts:
- Can we all agree that Kav’s the smartest person in this book? In the first book, Tarq jokes that the Conservators only have a shitty hacker, someone named Ayuba. And I hate it when people bow but Tarquin should make it a job to bow at Kav 10 hours a day. He’s funny, smart, and a genius. And I hope he eats lots of snow and reads lots of books from now on.
- Lee and Marko should adopt me too.
- Cass, Helms, and Diaz are awesome.
- If I lived in this world I would make it a hobby to crack and fix Jonsun in a loophole. Not really but my god I hated this bitch. And Jessel? What the fuck. The way I was not expecting that. The way I was NOT expecting Tarquin to tell them EVERYTHING. TARQ UGH.
- Perfect use of Pliny with the proposal it melted my heart.
- Rock-boy is a good boy and I’m very happy.
- I have forgiven Fletcher. I repeat: I. Have. Forgiven. Fletcher. Wow.
- That “Hello, World,” had me CRACKING UP. I’m going to assume O’Keefe has tried FreeCodeCamp?
- I found it hilarious that the Protectorate was supposed to have weird time things and we didn’t, but the Devoured World was not supposed to have them and I ended up with a headache. It was surprisingly easy to follow, though. This is the first book by O’Keefe that I have followed to the T without having to ‘just trust the process’ continuously.
- Kuma’s death destroyed me. But I respect her decision. Fuck Jonsun.
- Did I say I love Kav already? I guess. Bye.

If anyone wants to chat about the Devoured Worlds please do let me know I am and will forever be obsessed.

First, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. This is a wonderful series that focused on pain love loss and betrayal, all the standard sci-fi tropes. The author still doesn’t know how to distinguish genders and favors writing feminine mindsets too much. There could have been a little more tightening of the plot and it got a little tiring for Naira to get constantly captured then free herself or be saved without much impact. The one issue with this series is that it never felt there was any true punishment or finality for actions and multiple characters just keep coming back. The author ends by talking about her own chronic pain. Which I relate to. But the end of the series waves away the fact that pain likely never ends. O’Keefe pulls some punches, as she so often does, and it cheapens the series in the end.

What an outstanding conclusion to The Devoured Worlds Trilogy. I'm still wrapping mind around this ending but I absolutely loved all three books. Bravo!

Worlds will collide and fates will be rewritten in the thrilling conclusion to the Devoured Worlds space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O’Keefe.

Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future. Catastrophe strikes when Tarquin uncovers a plot to bring about the end of the universe. As humanity races against the clock to prevent their extinction, old secrets come to light and loyalties fracture, and Naira realizes she may be the key to saving the world—or ending it.

This was a fitting conclusion to a very solid sci-fi trilogy. I had my issues with books one and two, pacing and the like. The bound worlds, book three was my favorite of the trilogy however. The series was wrapped up very well in my opinion and I was very satisfied with the way everything ended up. Megan O'Keeffe is starting to get more appreciated with every release, and I think the respect is well earned. Overall, this was a very solid sci-fi trilogy and I give it four stars:)