Review: Love, loss, hope, and heartbreak - fitting end to it all!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 30, 2014
Balance is the third and final installment in this series.  There is so much plot that I almost don't know where to begin...We meet up with Semara, Ryder, and Raeth exactly where we left off.  The three Triune members and their ragtag crew must escape Queen Valderak's attack.  The Triune is the only way to defeat the Queen, so they must survive or all hope is lost.  All three must learn to work together and use the talents of those around them to win the war and free all people, humans, Kantians, and Neumarians alike.  Semara and Ryder negotiate the hills and valleys of their relationship while fighting a war.  At the same time, Penton and Raeth begin to explore their own love connection.  Love, lies, deceit, hope, and heartbreak abound.So, even just thinking about the enormity of the plot makes me dizzy.  I've enjoyed these characters and watched them grow up. Still, there were almost too many threads to follow. Such that in-depth explanations were frequently required.  The book is a love story of many sorts: love of people, love of family, love of friends, and love of a lifetime.  For me, the personal connections are what propelled the story.  Even when Semara and the General forced themselves to appear unaffected, we get a good picture of their struggles with emotions during wartime.  The characters grow up and experience love and relationships, but all in a VERY PG / fade to black sort of way.I enjoyed the conclusion, especially the epilogue, but I almost felt as if this story was too much for me - too epic and far reaching.  Though, the personal relationships and interactions kept me reading until the end. It was a good ending to the series.