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erebus53's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The conclusion to the Dalemark Quartet sees the major characters gathered together by fate, and a child from the distant future pulled through time to help fulfill a prophesy.
So.. full disclosure; love me a good prophesy story, like time travel if it's done well, A+ if there aren't loads of stupid battles. This ticks those boxes. It does run a bit like a mystery plot. Everyone is trying to figure out what portents mean, who can be trusted, what the secrets are, and who got rid of one of the rightful heirs.
What really separates this from a lot of stories for children is that characters from previous books are not all getting on, and they aren't all immediately welcoming out of some duty to fanservice. Though they appear in this part of the timeline, it is very much as though (as I had suspected) the first 3 books were backstories or origins, of what happens in this story. I also like that the integrity of the timeline is kept consistent and I get the feeling that the ending is the Right ending rather than the happiest ending.
I can see why this series would be marketed as a whole book (like how Lord of the Rings is 3 in 1) and I did tend to think of each volume as a "chapter" in the story. It was good fun. Can recommend.
So.. full disclosure; love me a good prophesy story, like time travel if it's done well, A+ if there aren't loads of stupid battles. This ticks those boxes. It does run a bit like a mystery plot. Everyone is trying to figure out what portents mean, who can be trusted, what the secrets are, and who got rid of one of the rightful heirs.
What really separates this from a lot of stories for children is that characters from previous books are not all getting on, and they aren't all immediately welcoming out of some duty to fanservice. Though they appear in this part of the timeline, it is very much as though (as I had suspected) the first 3 books were backstories or origins, of what happens in this story. I also like that the integrity of the timeline is kept consistent and I get the feeling that the ending is the Right ending rather than the happiest ending.
I can see why this series would be marketed as a whole book (like how Lord of the Rings is 3 in 1) and I did tend to think of each volume as a "chapter" in the story. It was good fun. Can recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Body shaming and Classism