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The Great Way #3
The Way Into Darkness
What was once the Peradaini Empire is now a wasted landscape of burned, empty cities and abandoned farmlands. The Blessing, now more numerous than ever, continues to spread across the continent, driving refugees to the dubious safety of the city walls. Unharvested crops mean that few strongholds have enough provisions to last the winter, although most know the grunts will take them before starvation will.
But hope survives. A piece of stolen magic just might halt the spread of The Blessing if Tejohn and Cazia can find a scholar with the skill to recreate the spell. If such a person still lives.
Unfortunately, they are nearly out of time. The few remaining human enclaves are isolated and under siege. Worse, The Blessing has spread to other sentient creatures. If Cazia and Tejohn are going to strike back at their monstrous enemy, they can not delay.
And there’s another, deeper question left unaddressed: where did The Blessing come from, and why have they invaded Kal-Maddum?
But hope survives. A piece of stolen magic just might halt the spread of The Blessing if Tejohn and Cazia can find a scholar with the skill to recreate the spell. If such a person still lives.
Unfortunately, they are nearly out of time. The few remaining human enclaves are isolated and under siege. Worse, The Blessing has spread to other sentient creatures. If Cazia and Tejohn are going to strike back at their monstrous enemy, they can not delay.
And there’s another, deeper question left unaddressed: where did The Blessing come from, and why have they invaded Kal-Maddum?
456 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 15, 2016
Want more stories from this world. This series really surprised me.
August 30, 2015
One good ride from start to end. Action, magic and culture intertwine, several answers come in a timely fashion, there is a definite conclusion and what is left out is open to the reader’s speculation. I really liked the ending, it almost caught me by surprise, it was almost abrupt, yet it was very fitting, and I felt no need for anything further.
In retrospect, though, I noticed that there were a few loose ends still around; nothing of primary importance, but still, I like it better when all the elements of a story are fully exploited and properly fleshed out. So, while I’m immensely happy about this trilogy, I’m sure a more polished wrapping-up was in order ().
My interest never wavered and all in all I found the plot original. I had a feeling that several of the races and places described in the book were familiar, from other stories and movies, but hey! It was very entertaining and, doubts about underwater physics aside, I read with gusto, savoring all the turns of the tale and the characters’ wit and strength.
Catzia and Tejohn are not complicated personalities but they are well-rounded and a pleasure to follow, I liked them both and was eager to see how their attitude and logic would steer their actions. During their ordeals, they grow and learn to listen and understand that the world is much, much more than what they can comprehend. On a little side note, I thought Catzia’s attitude towards all things male and of an age was a bit perplexing, given her personality and even accounting for her upbringing in a hostile environment, but It was fun to see how conscious she was of every man with handsome features in range.
Generally speaking, the representation of women was nice and there were no uncalled for romance subplots.
This third book starts powerfully; the story steadily gains momentum and develops on the foundations built in the second and first installments. There are many revelations and the climax was very immersive and gripping. Recommended for a pacey and pleasant read.
In retrospect, though, I noticed that there were a few loose ends still around; nothing of primary importance, but still, I like it better when all the elements of a story are fully exploited and properly fleshed out. So, while I’m immensely happy about this trilogy, I’m sure a more polished wrapping-up was in order ().
My interest never wavered and all in all I found the plot original. I had a feeling that several of the races and places described in the book were familiar, from other stories and movies, but hey! It was very entertaining and, doubts about underwater physics aside, I read with gusto, savoring all the turns of the tale and the characters’ wit and strength.
Catzia and Tejohn are not complicated personalities but they are well-rounded and a pleasure to follow, I liked them both and was eager to see how their attitude and logic would steer their actions. During their ordeals, they grow and learn to listen and understand that the world is much, much more than what they can comprehend. On a little side note, I thought Catzia’s attitude towards all things male and of an age was a bit perplexing, given her personality and even accounting for her upbringing in a hostile environment, but It was fun to see how conscious she was of every man with handsome features in range.
Generally speaking, the representation of women was nice and there were no uncalled for romance subplots.
This third book starts powerfully; the story steadily gains momentum and develops on the foundations built in the second and first installments. There are many revelations and the climax was very immersive and gripping. Recommended for a pacey and pleasant read.
September 26, 2016
One of the best books i have read this year ; Harry Connolly is an excellent story teller. This is an Awesome epic fantasy.
I have finished reading all the three books and can see endless possibilities for this series to go on and wish to see the author gives us more of that. His fantasy books can be likened to that of Brian Stavely's or even Brandon Sanderson. To end it all Michael Kramer has done a awesome work on the audio books... Loved this series
I have finished reading all the three books and can see endless possibilities for this series to go on and wish to see the author gives us more of that. His fantasy books can be likened to that of Brian Stavely's or even Brandon Sanderson. To end it all Michael Kramer has done a awesome work on the audio books... Loved this series
August 23, 2019
Дочитал трилогию. Не сказать чтобы прям шедевр, но крепкое чтиво с приключениями, интригами, битвами, магией, политикой, монстрами и всем, что полагается по статусу эпической фентези. Слабее Эриксона, сильнее Фейста. Персонажи совсем хорошо удались, живые люди, не комиксные человечки.
Вполне можно прочесть.
4/5.
Вполне можно прочесть.
4/5.
January 1, 2015
A satisfying conclusion to a satisfying epic fantasy trilogy. Lessons are learned (and taught), plans are made (and unmade), and things not only happen, but people make those things happen, to their benefit or ruin.
And we discover that the Fourteenth Gift is the greatest gift of all, Love. No. No we do not.
And we discover that the Fourteenth Gift is the greatest gift of all, Love. No. No we do not.
September 28, 2015
Grateful am I to be permitted to travel The Way...
January 6, 2015
As the cliché goes, this is the thrilling conclusion to The Way into Chaos and The Way into Magic. In this case, the cliché is true. As with the previous two books, the pace doesn't let up.
Tejohn and Crezia finally meet up again, swap notes, and work out that they're in a position to finally start the fight back against the Blessing.
But there have been some annoying loose ends that have come up in our heroes' adventures, such as just what's going on in the Qorr Valley, and why the alligaunts leave piles of stones in your camp just before eating you. When our heroes discover what's behind these loose ends, they get tied up nicely while also changing the whole situation to something quite different and more dangerous.
The book neatly finishes off the story of The Great Way with a definite conclusion. But there's plenty in of scope in the world of Peradain for more stories and I hope we return there soon.
Tejohn and Crezia finally meet up again, swap notes, and work out that they're in a position to finally start the fight back against the Blessing.
But there have been some annoying loose ends that have come up in our heroes' adventures, such as just what's going on in the Qorr Valley, and why the alligaunts leave piles of stones in your camp just before eating you. When our heroes discover what's behind these loose ends, they get tied up nicely while also changing the whole situation to something quite different and more dangerous.
The book neatly finishes off the story of The Great Way with a definite conclusion. But there's plenty in of scope in the world of Peradain for more stories and I hope we return there soon.
February 22, 2015
(copied from my Amazon review)
What a journey! The last book of The Great Way brings a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, with no dull parts, as promised (the working title of the series was Epic Fantasy With No Dull Parts). None of my predictions came true, the twists were unexpected and believable. To all the readers who say "this is no Twenty Palaces," I want to assure you that this is still undeniably a Harry Connolly book. The signature eerie, alien otherness is even more noticeable in book three.
I was rooting for Tejohn from the first pages of book one. Cazia took her time to grow on me. I was afraid that a teenage protagonist would turn out to be the typical YA heroine, a special snowflake who falls for a pretty boy, and together they save the world. There was no boy (phew!), Cazia acted and thought like a 15-year-old girl would, and I should know - I was a 15-year-old girl once, albeit a long time ago.
So many favorite moments in this book that it is hard to pick one, but the prime numbers puzzle stands out to the nerd in me.
What a journey! The last book of The Great Way brings a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, with no dull parts, as promised (the working title of the series was Epic Fantasy With No Dull Parts). None of my predictions came true, the twists were unexpected and believable. To all the readers who say "this is no Twenty Palaces," I want to assure you that this is still undeniably a Harry Connolly book. The signature eerie, alien otherness is even more noticeable in book three.
I was rooting for Tejohn from the first pages of book one. Cazia took her time to grow on me. I was afraid that a teenage protagonist would turn out to be the typical YA heroine, a special snowflake who falls for a pretty boy, and together they save the world. There was no boy (phew!), Cazia acted and thought like a 15-year-old girl would, and I should know - I was a 15-year-old girl once, albeit a long time ago.
So many favorite moments in this book that it is hard to pick one, but the prime numbers puzzle stands out to the nerd in me.
October 4, 2015
This book is fantastic. Often in a trilogy, the story degrades along the way until the last book is the weakest. This was the reverse. The story developed so that this is the best book in the series, with a very strong and satisfying conclusion. This is an epic battle to save the world, and a lot of times an author will focus on the epic-ness of it all and the massive scale of the situation. But where this book succeeds is in sticking with our two main characters and the effects they individually have in this fight.
Also, the mythology and world-building that went into this series is awesome! The various species, gods, portals and their interactions are intriguing. The pacing of reveals throughout is really good, giving just enough to keep you going and leaving all the important questions answered at the end.
If you like fantasy/adventure stories, definitely check this out!
Also, the mythology and world-building that went into this series is awesome! The various species, gods, portals and their interactions are intriguing. The pacing of reveals throughout is really good, giving just enough to keep you going and leaving all the important questions answered at the end.
If you like fantasy/adventure stories, definitely check this out!
January 10, 2015
As a reader, you have to be careful which book you get excited about and how much expectation you want to build up for yourself about a book (cough*Tehanu*cough). Bad books really make you miserable if you were super excited about them.
Harry Connolly has earned my trust. I trust him to create a gripping real tale and he totally came through with this one. The fights, the relationships, the choices were just wow. The "tag-you-are-it" fight with the blue and purple monsters was insanely cool. The "lets throw stones" fight had me in grinning all the way. The "prime number challenge" and the follow-up events had me stunned.
This was one heck of a tale and I am going to be re-reading this for a while.
Harry Connolly has earned my trust. I trust him to create a gripping real tale and he totally came through with this one. The fights, the relationships, the choices were just wow. The "tag-you-are-it" fight with the blue and purple monsters was insanely cool. The "lets throw stones" fight had me in grinning all the way. The "prime number challenge" and the follow-up events had me stunned.
This was one heck of a tale and I am going to be re-reading this for a while.
January 3, 2015
A great conclusion to the Great Way Trilogy.
Here we reach a great climax for the story, the stakes are high, and the characters come through and step up their game and grow as people. There are threads left unresolved which I really liked, and the conclusion is satisfying.
Harry Connolly stepped outside of his previous works a lot in this trilogy, he embraced some big ideas, and he really gave us a great story.
Here we reach a great climax for the story, the stakes are high, and the characters come through and step up their game and grow as people. There are threads left unresolved which I really liked, and the conclusion is satisfying.
Harry Connolly stepped outside of his previous works a lot in this trilogy, he embraced some big ideas, and he really gave us a great story.
January 12, 2015
Provides a very satisfactory conclusion to story of giant empire-ending disaster.
February 16, 2015
Somewhat disappointed in the ending, mainly because it was the ending. Overall really liked the series.
July 13, 2015
I rarely actually enjoy multi-book epic fantasy. This series was worth reading.
November 17, 2022
🇬🇧 English review below ⬇
........................................................................................
Da ist es nun. Das Finale der „Der strahlende Weg“ Trilogie. Endlich werden wir erfahren woher die schrecklichen Grunzer herkommen und was es mit den Pforten auf sich hat. Das waren meine Gedanken als ich das Buch begann. Nun meine Fragen wurden zwar mehr oder weniger beantwortet, aber bei der Art und Weise hapert es etwas.
Doch bevor ich irgendwas zum Inhalt des Buches sage, muss ich anmerken, dass das einer der schlechtesten Klapptexte ist, die ich jemals im Leben gelesen habe. Das einzige gute an ihm ist, dass er nicht Spoilert. Wie sollte er auch. Denn er beschreibt offenbar ein völlig anderes Buch und erklärt eine Person zum Protagonisten die seit dem ersten Band nicht mehr auftaucht, sondern lediglich namentlich erwähnt wird. Und auch in diesem letzten band taucht Prinz Lar kein einziges mal auf, geschweige denn ���beschreitet er den strahlenden Weg“ Wer auch immer den Klapptext verfasst hat, hat offensichtlich weder das Buch gelesen, noch sich am Original Klapptext orientiert. Einfach nur zum Kopfschütteln.
Kommen wir aber zum Buch selbst. Der zweite band hatte mich ja positiv überrascht, indem er weniger langatmig war als der erste. Ich hoffte, dass der Autor diese Schiene beibehalten würde. Ein Großteil des Buches war dem auch so.
Der finale Band setzt ebenfalls nahtlos an seinem Vorgänger an und nach eine kurzen Orientierungszeit war ich wieder völlig in der Geschichte versunken. Die Charaktere Cazia und Tejohn haben sich toll entwickelt und auch das Zusammenspiel der Beiden, als sie dann wieder aufeinandertreffen hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Mit regem Interesse verfolgte ich wie die beiden ihre Mission zu beenden versuchen und bangte in den Kämpfen mit ihnen. Es kommt diesmal auch zu größeren Auseinandersetzungen mit den Grunzen, die mir ebenfalls gut gefallen haben.
Die ersten 400 Seiten fühlte ich mich gut unterhalten. Doch dann war irgendwie die Luft raus. Es ging mehr um Organisatorisches und alle schienen mir keinen wirklichen Plan zu haben, wie es denn nun mit der Rückeroberung voran gehen sollte.
So richtig enttäuscht haben mich dann die letzten 100 Seiten. Es wirkt als sei dem Autor eingefallen, dass er ja immer noch nicht das große Rätsel gelöst hat und nun musste schnell eine Lösung her. Diese war in meinen Augen nicht sehr schlüssig und viel zu plötzlich stellte sich jemand als Übeltäter her raus, der bisher keine Beachtung in den Büchern fand. Hinzu kam die völlig verwirrende Sache mit den Göttern.
Das alles wäre noch ok gewesen, wenn denn wenigstens alle Fragen auf die ein oder andere Art beantwortet worden wäre. Wurden sie aber nicht und am Ende ist die Bedrohung immer noch da. Aber das kratz keinen mehr. Wird schon alles gut werden., den Rest kann sich der Leser selber ausdenken. Ich hatte nicht das Gefühl, dass dieser Band geschweige denn die Geschichte abgeschlossen ist. Das ist sehr frustrierend und ich habe sehr lange überlegt dem Buch deswegen nur 3/6 zu geben.
Fazit
Die ersten 400 Seiten waren sehr unterhaltsam mit gewachsenen Charakteren, gelüfteten Geheimnissen und spannenden Scharmützel. Doch dann kam ein verwirrende und sehr offen gelassenes Ende, dass leider das ganze Buch deutlich runter zieht. Schade, die Trilogie hätte einen besseren Abschluss verdient.
◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾
❗Important note: English is not my first language. So that English-speaking community members can still read my review, my review has been translated with the help of a translation program (since I don't have the time to translate it myself every time). I therefore apologize for any mistakes and strange phrasing.
Here it is now. The finale of "The Shining Path" trilogy. Finally we will learn where the terrible grunts come from and what the gates are all about. Those were my thoughts when I started the book. Well, my questions were more or less answered, but the way they were answered was a bit lacking.
But before I say anything about the content of the book, I have to say that this is one of the worst blurbs I have ever read in my life. The only good thing about it is that it doesn't spoil. How could it? Because it obviously describes a completely different book and declares a person to be the protagonist who has not appeared since the first volume, but is merely mentioned by name. And Prince Lar does not appear once in this last volume either, let alone "treads the shining path". Whoever wrote the blurb obviously neither read the book nor followed the original blurb. Simply to shake one's head.
But let's get to the book itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the second volume, which was less lengthy than the first. I hoped that the author would continue on this track. For a large part of the book this was the case.
The final volume also continues seamlessly from its predecessor and after a short orientation period I was completely immersed in the story again. The characters Cazia and Tejohn developed very well and I also liked the interaction between the two when they meet again. I followed with great interest how the two of them tried to complete their mission and was anxious during the fights with them. This time there are also major confrontations with the grunts, which I also enjoyed.
I felt well entertained for the first 400 pages. But then somehow the air was out. It was more about organisational matters and everyone seemed to me to have no real plan as to how the reconquest should proceed.
I was really disappointed by the last 100 pages. It seems as if the author had remembered that he still hadn't solved the big mystery and now had to come up with a solution quickly. In my opinion, the solution was not very conclusive and someone who had not been mentioned in the books before suddenly turned out to be the culprit. Then there was the completely confusing matter of the gods.
All this would have been okay if at least all the questions had been answered in one way or another. But they weren't and in the end the threat is still there. But nobody cares anymore. Everything will be all right, the rest is up to the reader. I didn't get the feeling that this volume was finished, let alone the story. This is very frustrating and I considered giving the book only 3/6 for a very long time because of this.
Conclusion
The first 400 pages were very entertaining with characters grown, secrets revealed and exciting skirmishes. But then came a confusing and very open ending that unfortunately drags the whole book down considerably. Too bad, the trilogy deserved a better ending.
........................................................................................
Da ist es nun. Das Finale der „Der strahlende Weg“ Trilogie. Endlich werden wir erfahren woher die schrecklichen Grunzer herkommen und was es mit den Pforten auf sich hat. Das waren meine Gedanken als ich das Buch begann. Nun meine Fragen wurden zwar mehr oder weniger beantwortet, aber bei der Art und Weise hapert es etwas.
Doch bevor ich irgendwas zum Inhalt des Buches sage, muss ich anmerken, dass das einer der schlechtesten Klapptexte ist, die ich jemals im Leben gelesen habe. Das einzige gute an ihm ist, dass er nicht Spoilert. Wie sollte er auch. Denn er beschreibt offenbar ein völlig anderes Buch und erklärt eine Person zum Protagonisten die seit dem ersten Band nicht mehr auftaucht, sondern lediglich namentlich erwähnt wird. Und auch in diesem letzten band taucht Prinz Lar kein einziges mal auf, geschweige denn ���beschreitet er den strahlenden Weg“ Wer auch immer den Klapptext verfasst hat, hat offensichtlich weder das Buch gelesen, noch sich am Original Klapptext orientiert. Einfach nur zum Kopfschütteln.
Kommen wir aber zum Buch selbst. Der zweite band hatte mich ja positiv überrascht, indem er weniger langatmig war als der erste. Ich hoffte, dass der Autor diese Schiene beibehalten würde. Ein Großteil des Buches war dem auch so.
Der finale Band setzt ebenfalls nahtlos an seinem Vorgänger an und nach eine kurzen Orientierungszeit war ich wieder völlig in der Geschichte versunken. Die Charaktere Cazia und Tejohn haben sich toll entwickelt und auch das Zusammenspiel der Beiden, als sie dann wieder aufeinandertreffen hat mir sehr gut gefallen. Mit regem Interesse verfolgte ich wie die beiden ihre Mission zu beenden versuchen und bangte in den Kämpfen mit ihnen. Es kommt diesmal auch zu größeren Auseinandersetzungen mit den Grunzen, die mir ebenfalls gut gefallen haben.
Die ersten 400 Seiten fühlte ich mich gut unterhalten. Doch dann war irgendwie die Luft raus. Es ging mehr um Organisatorisches und alle schienen mir keinen wirklichen Plan zu haben, wie es denn nun mit der Rückeroberung voran gehen sollte.
So richtig enttäuscht haben mich dann die letzten 100 Seiten. Es wirkt als sei dem Autor eingefallen, dass er ja immer noch nicht das große Rätsel gelöst hat und nun musste schnell eine Lösung her. Diese war in meinen Augen nicht sehr schlüssig und viel zu plötzlich stellte sich jemand als Übeltäter her raus, der bisher keine Beachtung in den Büchern fand. Hinzu kam die völlig verwirrende Sache mit den Göttern.
Das alles wäre noch ok gewesen, wenn denn wenigstens alle Fragen auf die ein oder andere Art beantwortet worden wäre. Wurden sie aber nicht und am Ende ist die Bedrohung immer noch da. Aber das kratz keinen mehr. Wird schon alles gut werden., den Rest kann sich der Leser selber ausdenken. Ich hatte nicht das Gefühl, dass dieser Band geschweige denn die Geschichte abgeschlossen ist. Das ist sehr frustrierend und ich habe sehr lange überlegt dem Buch deswegen nur 3/6 zu geben.
Fazit
Die ersten 400 Seiten waren sehr unterhaltsam mit gewachsenen Charakteren, gelüfteten Geheimnissen und spannenden Scharmützel. Doch dann kam ein verwirrende und sehr offen gelassenes Ende, dass leider das ganze Buch deutlich runter zieht. Schade, die Trilogie hätte einen besseren Abschluss verdient.
◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾◾
❗Important note: English is not my first language. So that English-speaking community members can still read my review, my review has been translated with the help of a translation program (since I don't have the time to translate it myself every time). I therefore apologize for any mistakes and strange phrasing.
Here it is now. The finale of "The Shining Path" trilogy. Finally we will learn where the terrible grunts come from and what the gates are all about. Those were my thoughts when I started the book. Well, my questions were more or less answered, but the way they were answered was a bit lacking.
But before I say anything about the content of the book, I have to say that this is one of the worst blurbs I have ever read in my life. The only good thing about it is that it doesn't spoil. How could it? Because it obviously describes a completely different book and declares a person to be the protagonist who has not appeared since the first volume, but is merely mentioned by name. And Prince Lar does not appear once in this last volume either, let alone "treads the shining path". Whoever wrote the blurb obviously neither read the book nor followed the original blurb. Simply to shake one's head.
But let's get to the book itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the second volume, which was less lengthy than the first. I hoped that the author would continue on this track. For a large part of the book this was the case.
The final volume also continues seamlessly from its predecessor and after a short orientation period I was completely immersed in the story again. The characters Cazia and Tejohn developed very well and I also liked the interaction between the two when they meet again. I followed with great interest how the two of them tried to complete their mission and was anxious during the fights with them. This time there are also major confrontations with the grunts, which I also enjoyed.
I felt well entertained for the first 400 pages. But then somehow the air was out. It was more about organisational matters and everyone seemed to me to have no real plan as to how the reconquest should proceed.
I was really disappointed by the last 100 pages. It seems as if the author had remembered that he still hadn't solved the big mystery and now had to come up with a solution quickly. In my opinion, the solution was not very conclusive and someone who had not been mentioned in the books before suddenly turned out to be the culprit. Then there was the completely confusing matter of the gods.
All this would have been okay if at least all the questions had been answered in one way or another. But they weren't and in the end the threat is still there. But nobody cares anymore. Everything will be all right, the rest is up to the reader. I didn't get the feeling that this volume was finished, let alone the story. This is very frustrating and I considered giving the book only 3/6 for a very long time because of this.
Conclusion
The first 400 pages were very entertaining with characters grown, secrets revealed and exciting skirmishes. But then came a confusing and very open ending that unfortunately drags the whole book down considerably. Too bad, the trilogy deserved a better ending.
September 17, 2017
I'm not sure what Harry Connolly believes personally but this book followed the trend I have been seeing in some fantasy books recently. The 'gods' are not 'gods' at all, they could be defeated, and they are powerful but uncaring, all they want is to know things. Most of the book isn't about the gods at all but that aspect intrigues me, and I think that how they work impacted the ending of this trilogy in a bad way. I really enjoyed the books especially the magic and some of the characters, but I actually liked the first two books a lot more than this one.
I liked how it ended in many ways and everything wrapped up very nicely though abruptly, (except for one person who I thought would end up coming back, where did he go????) But I was disappointed in the gods. They didn't give much hope at all, humans had only themselves to rely on.
I felt like the character development all happened in the first two books. But I still loved the characters. They story was fast paced and I read/listened (on audio) to this story in almost record time. The world building was amazing as always and expanded even more. It was an enjoyable read.
There is a lot of violence but that is as expected in a fantasy story. There was no bad language or sexual content, although in this book there are a lot of characters who don't have any clothes, but that has to be since Also the characters inspect a naked Evening Person (non human race) But it was otherwise a clean story as far as I remember.
I liked how it ended in many ways and everything wrapped up very nicely though abruptly, (except for one person who I thought would end up coming back, where did he go????) But I was disappointed in the gods. They didn't give much hope at all, humans had only themselves to rely on.
I felt like the character development all happened in the first two books. But I still loved the characters. They story was fast paced and I read/listened (on audio) to this story in almost record time. The world building was amazing as always and expanded even more. It was an enjoyable read.
There is a lot of violence but that is as expected in a fantasy story. There was no bad language or sexual content, although in this book there are a lot of characters who don't have any clothes, but that has to be since Also the characters inspect a naked Evening Person (non human race) But it was otherwise a clean story as far as I remember.
March 5, 2020
(I can't believe that it took me two whole books to finally figure out that the Blessing overrunning the land are just a stand-in for a zombie apocalypse.)
Very good end to the story. All the threads and plot-lines come together and answers are found. It all seemed a bit too quick to wrap up, though, especially with the scale of the crisis that these characters and those around them had seen and been through. Many clues were dropped during the course of the chapters, but it wasn't really until one great revelation that both readers and Tejohn and Cazia were able to put all the pieces together. (Even so, it was all such a great twist.)
Interesting questions about the future of Kal-Maddum and if humanity can survive and reclaim anything that was lost with what's left.
Well worth another read in the future for me.
Very good end to the story. All the threads and plot-lines come together and answers are found. It all seemed a bit too quick to wrap up, though, especially with the scale of the crisis that these characters and those around them had seen and been through. Many clues were dropped during the course of the chapters, but it wasn't really until one great revelation that both readers and Tejohn and Cazia were able to put all the pieces together. (Even so, it was all such a great twist.)
Interesting questions about the future of Kal-Maddum and if humanity can survive and reclaim anything that was lost with what's left.
Well worth another read in the future for me.
July 20, 2019
I read this series in the worst possible way -- spread out over ages, and it's a book that is consistent all the way through, and things that happen in the beginning matter at the end. The characters are smart, and they are good at making connections. I loved the way it inspected fantasy tropes and sometimes used them and sometimes played against them. I loved how the two protagonists traveled almost as far in their relationships as they did geographically.
October 8, 2017
Good, but not great Fantasy series. Instead of a trilogy, this reads like a single novel arbitrarily broken into three parts for the purposes of sales. Gets a little overly convoluted at times, and the big twist/reveal for the series is just...meh. I can't motivate myself to say more. This is light fantasy reading, brutal and violent, but not overly realistic/gritty.
December 31, 2017
More interesting ideas. More "too many tangents". He's trying to subvert tropes, but takes on too many in one go. There's a long list of Kickstarter backers at the end, so the actual book ends at 90% completion...which honestly made me confused to realize that the climax was the climax. It had felt more like one more sidequest.
May 29, 2021
Great trilogy!
Can't say enough good things about this series. Great characters, lots of adventures, and some pretty wild creatures. His imagination is incredible and he is an awesome storyteller. I was hooked right from the get-go. Read all three books and then venture on to the Twenty Palaces if you haven't already. Enjoy!!
Can't say enough good things about this series. Great characters, lots of adventures, and some pretty wild creatures. His imagination is incredible and he is an awesome storyteller. I was hooked right from the get-go. Read all three books and then venture on to the Twenty Palaces if you haven't already. Enjoy!!
July 27, 2019
A Trilogy well worth savoring!
Truly a satisfying conclusion! Great conflicts ascend to faster and faster series of compelling reveals of the causes of all the conflict. Wonderfully imaginative!
Truly a satisfying conclusion! Great conflicts ascend to faster and faster series of compelling reveals of the causes of all the conflict. Wonderfully imaginative!
July 7, 2017
Nicht das Ende das ich mir gewünscht hätte, für mich ist noch nicht alles erzählt.
Schade.
Schade.
August 21, 2017
Left me wanting more. Hopefully this will not be the last book from this world.
May 5, 2018
What a pleasant and exciting journey! Too bad it had to end. I will miss Tejohn and the others. The author created a really great world.
March 6, 2019
Best of the trilogy
May 16, 2022
Very complex and satisfying conclusion to an epic tale.
December 27, 2020
Der Abschluss der Trilogie begeisterte wieder durch das unglaublich vielseitige Worldbuilding, zumal man einiges neues über die anderen Völker und den Ursprung der Portale erfährt. Die meisten meine Fragen wurden beantwortet, die Auflösung war für mich nicht vorhersehbar und der Abschluss für die Hauptcharaktere gefiel mir auch. Das Ende selbst war ziemlich offen, ich hätte durchaus auch noch 50-100 Seiten mehr gelesen, in denen die Handlung noch etwas voranschreitet und wo man vielleicht den Fokus ein wenig von den Hauptfiguren weglenken hätte können um andere Figuren näher zu beleuchten.
Die Hauptfiguren selbst haben mir bis zum Schluss super gefallen. Alleine wenn man mal vergleicht wie sie angefangen haben und wo sie jetzt sind....Wow! Sowohl Cazia als auch Tejohn haben unglaublich viel während ihrer Reise gelernt und sind mehrmals über sich selbst hinaus gewachsen.
An dieser Stelle sollte ich vielleicht noch erwähnen, dass die deutsche Ausgabe den schlechtesten Klappentext hat, den ich je bei einem Buch gesehen habe!
SPOILER!!
Prinz Lar, welcher im Klappentext als Hauptfigur angepriesen wird, kommt nämlich überhaupt nicht vor. Er wird in 2 Sätzen mal kurz erwähnt, aber das wars. Man erfährt weder, was aus ihm geworden ist, noch ob sich in Zukunft noch mal irgendwer (z.B. Cazia) auf die Suche nach ihm machen wird oder so. Ich bin mit total falschen Erwartungen in den Band eingestiegen und hatte mich schon gefreut, herauszufinden was jetzt mit Lar ist... aber nein.
SPOILER ENDE!!!
Bis auf den Klappentext war es ein echt gutes Buch, mit für meinen Geschmack ein paar zu vielen offenen Fragen aber großartiger Charakterentwicklung und einem fantastischen Worldbuilding, das seinesgleichen sucht.
Die Hauptfiguren selbst haben mir bis zum Schluss super gefallen. Alleine wenn man mal vergleicht wie sie angefangen haben und wo sie jetzt sind....Wow! Sowohl Cazia als auch Tejohn haben unglaublich viel während ihrer Reise gelernt und sind mehrmals über sich selbst hinaus gewachsen.
An dieser Stelle sollte ich vielleicht noch erwähnen, dass die deutsche Ausgabe den schlechtesten Klappentext hat, den ich je bei einem Buch gesehen habe!
SPOILER!!
Prinz Lar, welcher im Klappentext als Hauptfigur angepriesen wird, kommt nämlich überhaupt nicht vor. Er wird in 2 Sätzen mal kurz erwähnt, aber das wars. Man erfährt weder, was aus ihm geworden ist, noch ob sich in Zukunft noch mal irgendwer (z.B. Cazia) auf die Suche nach ihm machen wird oder so. Ich bin mit total falschen Erwartungen in den Band eingestiegen und hatte mich schon gefreut, herauszufinden was jetzt mit Lar ist... aber nein.
SPOILER ENDE!!!
Bis auf den Klappentext war es ein echt gutes Buch, mit für meinen Geschmack ein paar zu vielen offenen Fragen aber großartiger Charakterentwicklung und einem fantastischen Worldbuilding, das seinesgleichen sucht.
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