School Library Journal calls THE LAST WISH OF BRISTOL KEATS by Mary E. Pearson “beautiful” and “impossible to put down” in starred review

★ The Last Wish of Bristol Keats (Limited Stenciled Edge Edition) by Mary E. Pearson
Publisher: Flatiron. (The Courting of Bristol Keats, Book 2.) Nov. 2025.

“Pearson brings readers back to Elphame in this beautiful and tense sequel to The Courting of Bristol Keats, completing the romantasy duology. Bristol, the daughter of the Dark Monster and a traitor to the crown, now might be the kingdom’s only hope for salvation. Bristol prepares for war on multiple fronts: her love life with the interim king, Tyghan; her tangled loyalties; and protecting the kingdom from the looming threats to the crown and Elphame. Difficult choices await her. Will love be enough to carry Bristol and Tyghan through the deception and betrayal from their own pasts? The building tension makes this book impossible to put down. 

VERDICT: Pearson expertly weaves together romance, action, and atmosphere, pulling in readers, who soon won’t want to leave Elphame and the friendships she has developed in the duology. A perfect read for fans of Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series and Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing.”

Reviewed by Leigh Verburg, Jul 01, 2025