storytimed's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent end to excellent series. Loved: Theophanu!!!! Theophanu/Stronghand!!!!!! Disliked: Hanna's ending, Hugh getting away with it, Liath and Sanglant's resurrection (felt unearned).
kittenscribble's review against another edition
3.0
Fantasy, last in the Crown of Stars series. The sweeping conclusion: though the world is riven and ravaged, the royal rivals continue fighting over the throne. The wave that has been building through the series crests and breaks in one last, great, bloody battle, after which we are given just enough hints to be sure that most of the protagonists lived happy lives. Conclusive, but rather hastily so considering the sheer bulk of the books that preceded it.
cornflower's review
5.0
It's a complete mystery to me why this series isn't better known. I'm writing this after reading all 7 books, and devoured them all. Unlike some other series set in a medieval-like world, the characters are complex and develop, the violence is never gratuitous, and the varying points of view keep the many threads together.
Spoilers here in my impressions on the last in the series.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that the astronomy and parts of the religious background are at times hard to follow. In the last book I also felt that some of my favourite threads in the story did not fully round off - Stronghand's motivation and strategy in the last book seemed lacking compared to the earlier books although I 'liked' what happened, and I wanted/expected more from the arc of him and Alain meeting again; theirs were 2 of my favourite characters. Other reviewers have said they felt sorry for Wolfhere and that he was a sad figure; my impression was that he was too fixed on the path he'd been set on and refused or failed to make better choices. The characters, relationship and response to events of Liath, Sanglant and their 'brat' were excellent, I liked how they developed and progressed without falling into happy ever after resolution. I loved those little repetitions of sanglant watching Liath walk away, or that his voice always sounded like that.
All in all a truly brilliant series overall a 5 star, and really ought to be better known.
Spoilers here in my impressions on the last in the series.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that the astronomy and parts of the religious background are at times hard to follow. In the last book I also felt that some of my favourite threads in the story did not fully round off - Stronghand's motivation and strategy in the last book seemed lacking compared to the earlier books although I 'liked' what happened, and I wanted/expected more from the arc of him and Alain meeting again; theirs were 2 of my favourite characters. Other reviewers have said they felt sorry for Wolfhere and that he was a sad figure; my impression was that he was too fixed on the path he'd been set on and refused or failed to make better choices. The characters, relationship and response to events of Liath, Sanglant and their 'brat' were excellent, I liked how they developed and progressed without falling into happy ever after resolution. I loved those little repetitions of sanglant watching Liath walk away, or that his voice always sounded like that.
All in all a truly brilliant series overall a 5 star, and really ought to be better known.
vaderbird's review
2.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
dark_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Forewarning: this won't be a terribly well-written review (if that even applies to any of my reviews), it being the end of 2020, during which I read this entire series which I enjoyed quite a bit, although it felt longer than it technically was. Mostly I will have to just let the four stars stand for themselves, with only these brief notes:
It was a genuinely satisfying conclusion, consistent with the rest of the series and true to the characters. The build-up to the climax(es) was exciting. There were some details that made me feel like I missed something; I may have, or it may just be a feature of this series in which many things happen "off screen", in keeping with the strict character POVs that are diligently maintained.
The denouement felt out of character; it was overall too wistful, compared with the tone of the rest of the story. I consumed this over the course of a single year, and someone reading contemporaneously with initial publication might feel differently, as I'm sure the author did, living and breathing this world for a decade.
It was an ambitious series, Kate Elliott's first foray into straight fantasy, and a successful effort. It has classic fantasy sensibilities, wholly original content, and the author's unique style. As much as I enjoyed it, I have a hard time recommending it. It takes patience to enjoy it, and if you're not committed after the first two books or so, I would not advise continuing. It might be best reserved at this point for established fans of the author who aren't afraid to tackle a long series.
It was a genuinely satisfying conclusion, consistent with the rest of the series and true to the characters. The build-up to the climax(es) was exciting. There were some details that made me feel like I missed something; I may have, or it may just be a feature of this series in which many things happen "off screen", in keeping with the strict character POVs that are diligently maintained.
The denouement felt out of character; it was overall too wistful, compared with the tone of the rest of the story. I consumed this over the course of a single year, and someone reading contemporaneously with initial publication might feel differently, as I'm sure the author did, living and breathing this world for a decade.
It was an ambitious series, Kate Elliott's first foray into straight fantasy, and a successful effort. It has classic fantasy sensibilities, wholly original content, and the author's unique style. As much as I enjoyed it, I have a hard time recommending it. It takes patience to enjoy it, and if you're not committed after the first two books or so, I would not advise continuing. It might be best reserved at this point for established fans of the author who aren't afraid to tackle a long series.
judith_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
firesoulbird's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
bookworm5732's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
matth's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
eafiu's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
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