Review: Perfect finish to the perfect series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 30, 2012
Disclaimer: If you have not read the previous two books in the series, this review is going to have some spoilers for you.Do you like it when a series ends perfectly? Is it not nice to know that everything that was left unanswered in the previous books is finally answered by the author and the loose ends are tied together is the most perfect of bows? Personally, I don't like series which end with things not explained clearly, or where it is left to the readers' imagination about what happened to the characters after the series ended.  If you like your series to finally end, and to end well, then this is the book. This is definitely the biggest reason why I am giving this book a five-star rating.At the end of the last book in the series, we all knew that a war was coming, a war where the draykoni were going to try and lay claim to the world and fight the humans to regain control. Well, we are definitely not disappointed in that regard. The war forms one of the main story arcs in the book and it is a grand war, with everyone from humans to drakoni to the Lokants involved in it. In fact, the second big story arc in the book is about how the Lokants influence and meddle with everything that is going on. Of course, as expected Krays and Limbane end up on opposite sides of the war. I can't tell you much more about the lokants' influence on the whole situation without giving away the ending, but I'll just tell you that there is a lot more going on than you can ever imagine. The war between Limbane and Krays is much more important than some petty rivalry.I just love the development of Llandry as a character throughout the series. In this book, Llandry is now a mature, and dare I say, powerful human and draykon. I am amazed at the amount she has grown in the series, from the young, shy girl into a woman who has the power to bend wills, who stand up for herself and others, who can take charge of situations and who can be a mentor to others. Eva has also grown a lot, which may seem surprising. But, she too has been put into something completely new, and has undergone a lot of change since coming to know about her Lokant heritage. I really like how Pensould learns really quickly what it really means to be human. He may still have trouble, but there are times when seeing things from his perspective make me wonder about why humans behave in a particular manner. The relationship of Eva and Tren really grows too. Their love for each other comes out clearly, as they face immense danger together, support each other, and are not willing to leave the other behind.The author never ceases to amaze me. Every time I think I have a firm grasp on where the story is headed, I get completely thrown off. In this book too, I had a mental image of how the book would progress and end. It did go on for quite a while in that direction when, WHAM! It took a completely different turn, and a story arc I could have never thought of is introduced. This story arc is so important because it perfectly ties off whatever we know about the world, its races and its history. It also creates an extremely powerful ending, one which left me breathless with action, anticipation, dread and relief. The ending finally explains why the draykoni can travel so seamlessly throughout the three worlds, why the humans have the ingenuity needed to win the war, and how the Lokants have been the reason behind all that is wrong and has been wrong with the worlds for a very long time.There are some really powerful emotions explored in this book and they definitely deserve a separate mention. The author explores the high and lows of the emotional rollercoaster, with the good, bad and ugly all getting into play. The need for revenge for the draykoni, the quest for power by the Lokants, the love shared between Llandry and Pensould, the mercilessness of the power plays bwtween the Lokants, the desire to defend one's home, all these make the book an extremely powerful read. By the end, the readers are left gasping at how much each of the races in the book has at stake!This book is the perfect ending to the series; I really could not have asked anything more. This is a rare occasion where I am not left with questions but with a satisfied feeling for having taken this this wonderful journey with the author and her characters. Would it be too much of a spoiler if I say that all the main characters end up being happy, finally?