Source: Publisher
Description: Breen Siobhan Kelly grew up in the world of Man and was once unaware of her true nature. Now she is in Talamh, trying to heal after a terrible battle and heartbreaking losses. Her grandfather, the dark god Odran, has been defeated in his attempt to rule over Talamh, and over Breen--for now.
With the enemy cast out and the portal sealed, this is a time to rest and to prepare. Breen spreads her wings and realizes a power she's never experienced before. It's also a time for celebrations--of her first Christmas in both Talamh and Ireland, of solstice and weddings and births--and daring to find joy again in the wake of sorrow. She rededicates herself to writing her stories, and when his duties as taoiseach permit, she is together with Keegan, who has trained her as a warrior and whom she has grown to love.
It's Keegan who's at her side when the enemy's witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in her sleep, practicing black magick, sacrificing the innocent, and plotting a brutal destruction for Breen. And soon, united with him and with all of Talamh, she will seek out those in desperate need of rescue, and confront the darkness with every weapon she has: her sword, her magicks--and her courage...
Genre: Fiction - Fantasy
Why I Picked This Book: I really loved the previous two books so of course I had to finish up the trilogy.
My Impression: Even though I'm not much of a fantasy reader I really enjoyed the previous two books in the trilogy. I love the world and the friendships that Roberts creates. While there are two romances they tend to be a bit more of a background with the real focus being on preparing for battle, Breen finding who she really is and dealing with her demons (real and metaphorical), and just the daily goings on in Talamh. There are some fairly spicy scenes but only a few.
Why I Picked This Book: I really loved the previous two books so of course I had to finish up the trilogy.
My Impression: Even though I'm not much of a fantasy reader I really enjoyed the previous two books in the trilogy. I love the world and the friendships that Roberts creates. While there are two romances they tend to be a bit more of a background with the real focus being on preparing for battle, Breen finding who she really is and dealing with her demons (real and metaphorical), and just the daily goings on in Talamh. There are some fairly spicy scenes but only a few.
What kept this book from being the absolute cherry on top of a thoroughly enjoyable trilogy was the order of events in the book. There is a LOT of before scenes with prep work and training and cooking and more training and writing, etc. There are a few battles sprinkled here and there but they are very few and far between. The big battle that the whole trilogy has been leading up to doesn't come until almost the very end and there is very little after. Because the bulk of the book occurs during the before it tends to drag a bit and left me wanting more when the book ended. I've spent 3 books with these characters and would have loved to see more of the after - especially some events that are talked about frequently in the before.
This is a solid enjoyable trilogy that does wrap up well. I did enjoy this read even though it wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be. I did feel like it was the weakest in the trilogy though it does answer all the questions I had in the previous book. If you enjoy Roberts' other books I think you'll like this trilogy even if you aren't much of a fantasy reader.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course! I really enjoy Roberts' work and this trilogy was one of my favorites.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! Though I recommend starting from the beginning.
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! Though I recommend starting from the beginning.
It's been so long since I've read a Nora Roberts' book. This sounds good, although I'm not a big fantasy reader either.
ReplyDeleteYES! You have summed this up for me exactly. I couldn't really put my finger on it but these are the things that lessened it for me. I still liked it but I didn't love it exactly for the reasons you mention. Some moments were heartbreaking (dragons) and that caught me. But like you too much before the battle and not enough after. Still a worthwhile trilogy and may reread at some point.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little sad when the last book in a series is the weakest one, but at least you were still able to enjoy it overall.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read The Choice, but I recently read a review and they had similar issues with the book that you had. I've glad you enjoyed this series. Roberts is such a wonderful writer .
ReplyDeleteThis is a trilogy that I really want to read. Too bad this final book was the weakest one in the trilogy.
ReplyDeleteEach time I see a trusted reviewer express similar feelings to mine, I am sad but relieved it wasn't just me. I honestly felt it could have been a duology.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing you read this kind of Fantasy! 😊
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