Review: A fine finale to a fine trilogy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 3, 2011
Having read the first two books of The Tormay Trilogy, The Hawk and His Boy and The Shadow at the Gates, I was eagerly anticipating the conclusion to Mr. Bunn's epic cycle, The Wicked Day. Let's just say, I was not disappointed in the least, though on a few finer points I do have a few words to say against the ending of this wonderful journey.In the first two novels, we met a host of characters, the chief of which being Jute, Declan Farrow, and Owain Gawinn. Jute had cut his finger on a dagger which passed on the power in the blood still staining the blade: the power of the wind itself. Protected by Declan Farrow, Jute has been trying to learn to harness his new power, and the end of book two left the boy and the man chasing after Declan's sister, who had just been kidnapped. Owain Gawinn, on the other had, was a fairly minor character in the first two books, the head of the army, who grew in importance as book three progressed, and as the forces of darkness brought an army of their own to destroy all the land of Tormay.There are very few passages in this novel that are lacking in action. There is always something happening, and in a way there is almost too much happening. Jute's development, as important as it is, just takes too long. But-a big but-I certainly didn't mind reading about all the near-misses and narrow-escapes along the way. When Jute finally does come into his power as the Wind Lord, it is awesome indeed. There had been hints of what he'd be capable of strewn through the first two books and the first part of this third novel, but I was ill-prepared still for just how strong Jute would turn out to be. However, he is far from omnipotent, and Mr. Bunn gives us a brief and poignant look at just how much temptation comes with that power.Declan Farrow-called Ronan in the first two books-went from being a dis-likable character to a truly heroic one. More than any other character in this book, even Jute and Owain, I found myself cheering for him. Owain is the moral pillar in the tale, true and faithful to a system and a lord that is failing him miserably, and yet he always does what is right until the last. It is great to see such a character in fantasy again, amid the heap of morally ambiguous military men. Such persons may not have existed in the real world (or very rarely), but that does not change the fact that such goodness is inspirational. He lifts everyone around him, as an example to all.The villains continued to be no less frightening than before, and though I had already guessed early in book two the true identity of the Arch Fiend, Mr. Bunn threw some nice red herrings in the way to make me doubt my perception. Even when I was proven right, I was still blown away by the revelation, as I understood the implications of that knowledge in a way I had not when I first figured him out.My primary concern with book two, the annoying ghost, resurfaced in part again here. There is a startling revelation as to the ghost's identity, but it just felt a little too neat and tidy. What's more, the revelation brings with it the discovery of an old book everyone's been looking for all story long only to see Jute throw the book away as though an invaluable bauble. I was very disappointed. All we hear of the book thereafter is a brief note in the epilogue telling us nobody knows what became of the book. Argh! As to the ghost, he remained a bit annoying, but I grew to love him in the same way Jute did, and when Jute told the ghost that they are friends, I felt my heart warming a little. Even ghosts need friends, after all. There is bit of a thematic concern with remorse and regret in the ghost's character, but I was not buying it most of the time-for reasons stated above concerning the ghost's identity.Anyhow, aside from that, I can't really complain at all here. It has been a long time since I read the concluding volume of an epic saga that was so satisfying. Epic is exactly the term to describe the last twenty-percent or so, and Lord of the Rings came to mind on more than one occasion, not in a derivative sense but in a comparatively epic sense. The Wicked Day is certainly a worthy capstone to a fantastic trilogy, and if I have one complaint left to voice it would be that the story is over, which makes me very sad indeed.