Old Dog, New Tricks

Old Dog, New Tricks by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book closes out this series with high stakes, deepening lore, and a heroine who finally steps fully into her own.

Following Thierry as she confronts old wounds, dangerous enemies, and the weight of her legacy, this installment leans hard into emotional payoff and dark magic. The tone is intense and often unsettling, but it’s also rich with character growth and long-awaited answers, making it a compelling (if slightly maddening) stopping point for the series.

We learn *A LOT* in this book. Thierry comes into her power in a way that feels earned, gets meaningful time with her father that genuinely landed for me, and pulls off some surprisingly clever maneuvers to contain the big bad. There’s also long-overdue resolution with Rook that adds emotional closure - even if it also highlights how much more story there could be. That said, the body-horror-adjacent moments (there’s a fair amount of flesh flaying) made me cringe, and while Shaw does appear, he’s conveniently kidnapped for most of the book - A+ decision, still don’t like him. My biggest frustration is that this is where the main series stops - Thierry does get her happy ending, but it feels like it’s only just beginning.

This is dark, emotionally dense, and packed with revelations, even if the ending feels more like a handoff than a true goodbye. I’d absolutely recommend continuing on to the connected spinoffs if you want more resolution and time in this world - they help smooth out that abrupt sense of “wait, that’s it?” Perfect for fans of gritty urban fantasy, complicated family dynamics, and heroines who grow into their power the hard way. Definitely worth the read, just don’t stop here.

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