A review by theatlantean
The Broken Kings by Robert Holdstock
3.0
A bit of a disappointing ending to an otherwise solid trilogy. Without spoilers I can't say too much, but if it were a storyless journey, it would be all right, but the various story threads gradually fizzle away until you're left wondering what was the point of the details?
The other issue I had may be a perceptual one, but the emotional engagement with the protagonist (surely one of the more important reasons for running with a first-person account?) was, until the final few dozen pages, absolutely non-existent.
The story as a whole cannot finish, due to who Merlin is and what he will become, but I did expect some sort of dramatic denouement that would grip; me. It did not, I am afraid to say, which is very disappointing, because the first book in the trilogy was so good.
The other issue I had may be a perceptual one, but the emotional engagement with the protagonist (surely one of the more important reasons for running with a first-person account?) was, until the final few dozen pages, absolutely non-existent.
The story as a whole cannot finish, due to who Merlin is and what he will become, but I did expect some sort of dramatic denouement that would grip; me. It did not, I am afraid to say, which is very disappointing, because the first book in the trilogy was so good.