War threatens. The game board is set. But the Minstrel is missing…Advancing his growing power, the Dread Prince breaks free of his prison and brings a faction of dragons under his control, stirring unrest and hatred in the newly united kingdoms of Tellurae Aquaous.When the dragon wards of Kallayohm are targeted in a ruthless attack, the High King travels there to administer justice. But the … justice. But the trial results in a crippling blow that leaves him reeling.
On the heels of defeat, an unexpected message from the erstwhile Minstrel arrives, pleading with his friends for rescue. Together, the High King and his companions must follow the fragile trail, braving peril and darkness that will test the measure of them all…
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Everything comes to a head. All the kingdoms, even a few we haven’t yet met. All the forces of evil. All of the leaders who we’ve come to know and love over the course of the series step up to play their role. There is a great battle. Sacrifices will be made. Lives will be lost. And finally, we learn who the minstrel is and if the one he serves is as good and as powerful as the minstrel believes he is.
It’s an amazing finale. I’m sad for it to be over but blown away by how good this series was. I am ready to start reading it all over again and will be listing it among my favorite family-friendly, good-versus-evil epic fiction series.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the narrator and have reviewed it willingly.
This is one of those series that grows on you. I liked the first book, but I wasn’t invested enough in the story yet to truly appreciate it. The author was still growing her craft and developing her characters. By the time I got to book four, I found myself completely enraptured in her world, begging for more, and saddened to realize the series had finally come to an end. What an epic, enthralling adventure.
What I liked:
The world-building. Ms. Schmidt has a gift for painting full-scale worlds with unique cultures and compelling histories, a world so real I wish I could hop on a plane and go for a visit. The backstory is so rich and cleverly sprinkled throughout the story that I never felt as if I were sitting in a history class, but rather like I was living it as it happened.
The characters. Ah, the characters! Even the minor cast will tug at your heart and leave you wishing you had more. And I’m so glad that many of the cast carry over from book to book, allowing us to experience their tales to the fullest. Brant is, as always, my favorite—but the other characters grew on me even more. Particularly Yole, Kitry, the Minstrel and especially Kamarie. I felt that THIS book of all the books pulled her to her lowest and yet to her highest, finally giving her the chance to prove her mettle. I wept with her, cheered with her, longed for her to succeed.
The author’s voice. Ms. Schmidt has a compelling way with words. I love her descriptions, the richness of her passages, the detail and love she installs on the page. I tried to pick one quote from the book to share, but there are too many of them…I would have to copy half the book. I finally chose this bit, because it is at once chilling and beautiful.
“The sea of undead fighters was endless…Their ferocity was only matched by their eerie silence. Even as they fought and fell, they uttered not a word or cry, as if the silence of the grave had risen up to swallow the living.”
What I would have liked done differently:
Um. Not much. This story blew me away with its complexity and beauty. In the earlier books, the omniscient point of view was distracting and took me forever to get used to, but by the time she reached book four, Ms. Schmidt had mastered the technique so well I didn’t even NOTICE the point of view. I think I would have liked more of the story to be told from Kamarie’s perspective. So much of her adventure we see through the eyes of others, and her story is SO GOOD in this book. But I love the characters surrounding her too much to make a big fuss about this point, because in all honesty I wouldn’t want to give up a minute of my time with them either. My only other constructive comment is…why can’t there be a book five? Wink, wink. Just saying. I could really use one more book.
I suggest this book to fans of Tolkien and Lewis. If you like epic fantasy, compelling allegory and rich story-worlds, this book is a sure win. I rate this book high PG for thematic elements and battle sequences.