Maybe not a full review of this last book alone, but the three book series. I didn’t do a full reread this time around, but checking my notes and internal vibes against the whole – this is easily a five star series. 

The dark academia atmosphere is the perfect setting and Bardugo crafted it masterfully. From the occult magic and gritty topics, all three books stand well by themselves. The addition of journal entries and other text excerpts continues this archeological theme I liked in the previous book. The characters, however, are the soul of this series, and this aspect will be my favorite to reminisce.

I liked the developments between Alex and Darlington, as well as the messier fallout between Alex and Mercy, and the emotional connection between them all. Alex, Darlington, Dawes, Tripp, and in some way Turner, make an awesome crew. Their interactions are engaging and fun, I like how they bounce ideas off each other. I wish I could have a Dawes meal to savor, and Tripp to make me laugh, it’s the little things that made me connect to the story and its heroes. 

It’s a little hard to part with this world, I think the story overall has great re-readability, it’s mysterious, raw, and emotional in a realistic way. A big part of me hopes Bardugo will continue this in a spin off, wouldn’t be the first (or second) time. The epilogue gave me a small hope in that, if wishes were fishes? 👀 

Title: Dead Beat
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Mystery
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️