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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
One of the first series in a long time where I can say I was honestly, profoundly sad to see it end. These books are absolutely stellar - the prose throughout them is consistently little short of exquisite, the scope of the story is epic and immersive, and the characters are certainly some of the most unique and realistic I've met. I was completely enthralled throughout the quartet, and The Singing is possibly the best of them all. I read it in three hours this afternoon, completely unable to put it down.
Although I found the way the third book was narrated exclusively from Hem's viewpoint a little bit disappointing, I felt that the alternation between Maerad and Hem worked very well in this installment, and the tidbits from Cadvan and a few of the other characters added even more depth. The story was full of excitement and adventure, love and loss, discovery and rediscovery, emotion, and a host of smaller twists and details that enhanced the realism and helped draw the reader even deeper. The entire series has been completely enthralling. I was entranced by the way Maerad's entire journey was influenced by darkness - nothing works out perfectly: a lot of things go wrong, she makes many bad choices and does harm - sometimes irreparable - to people she cares about, but the story never grows too bleak. The lack of ease with which Maerad comes into her powers, unravels the Treesong, finds her brother, and defeats the Winterking and The Nameless One - and grows from a girl into a woman - weaves the reader's interest inseparably into the story. The times of despair and difficulty make the reader empathize, but hope is never lost. They pull through, in the end, and have enough pure luck along the way to hold the reader's keen interest. And the ever-changing dimensions of Maerad and Cadvan's relationship is one the hinges of my attraction to the books. I must say I really admire Cadvan's patience, but also the way he's imperfect - even when he grows so (rightfully!) angry at Maerad, he never lets it permanently stand in the way of their friendship. These are astonishingly well-developed fictional people. Both Hem and Maerad acquit themselves very believably, identifiably, and endearingly.
The whole tale is epic, a masterpiece of prose (with some pretty decent poetry and interesting history thrown in!), and the Books of Pellinor are some of the best I've ever read. I'm so disappointed there aren't any more!
Although I found the way the third book was narrated exclusively from Hem's viewpoint a little bit disappointing, I felt that the alternation between Maerad and Hem worked very well in this installment, and the tidbits from Cadvan and a few of the other characters added even more depth. The story was full of excitement and adventure, love and loss, discovery and rediscovery, emotion, and a host of smaller twists and details that enhanced the realism and helped draw the reader even deeper. The entire series has been completely enthralling. I was entranced by the way Maerad's entire journey was influenced by darkness - nothing works out perfectly: a lot of things go wrong, she makes many bad choices and does harm - sometimes irreparable - to people she cares about, but the story never grows too bleak. The lack of ease with which Maerad comes into her powers, unravels the Treesong, finds her brother, and defeats the Winterking and The Nameless One - and grows from a girl into a woman - weaves the reader's interest inseparably into the story. The times of despair and difficulty make the reader empathize, but hope is never lost. They pull through, in the end, and have enough pure luck along the way to hold the reader's keen interest. And the ever-changing dimensions of Maerad and Cadvan's relationship is one the hinges of my attraction to the books. I must say I really admire Cadvan's patience, but also the way he's imperfect - even when he grows so (rightfully!) angry at Maerad, he never lets it permanently stand in the way of their friendship. These are astonishingly well-developed fictional people. Both Hem and Maerad acquit themselves very believably, identifiably, and endearingly.
The whole tale is epic, a masterpiece of prose (with some pretty decent poetry and interesting history thrown in!), and the Books of Pellinor are some of the best I've ever read. I'm so disappointed there aren't any more!
My one complaint would be that I didn't want the story to end. I also would have liked a longer epilogue or for there to be more chapters of the aftermath, just to see how life would be like for the characters following all the danger they had been through from the very first book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Genocide, Grief, Dysphoria
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
adventurous
emotional
slow-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:
Complicated
This is the conclusion to this series, so it carries a lot of emotion that has built up over the course of several books. It tied up the series and brought the characters to a satisfying place in the end.
Croggon’s writing is so, so gorgeous and the world she builds is very lush and full. I can understand why it might bog some people down, as she’s in the same vein of Tolkien in the sheer detail given to the natural world (of course, not surpassing in quality, but of similar flavor), but I loved it.
I would have preferred if Croggon aged the siblings up a little, but it was not detrimental to the story, just more a personal preference for characters in literature that I consume.
Otherwise, this is a really fitting finish for a really enjoyable fantasy story.
Croggon’s writing is so, so gorgeous and the world she builds is very lush and full. I can understand why it might bog some people down, as she’s in the same vein of Tolkien in the sheer detail given to the natural world (of course, not surpassing in quality, but of similar flavor), but I loved it.
I would have preferred if Croggon aged the siblings up a little, but it was not detrimental to the story, just more a personal preference for characters in literature that I consume.
Otherwise, this is a really fitting finish for a really enjoyable fantasy story.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the actual storyline and plot of this book, I can't understand why it's presented as an academic text, with commentary at the beginning and end. It's just so strange, and really mars my enjoyment of it.
I didn't quite like all the POV switches, but that was all. Good book, great series. I'm grateful it wasn't great enough for me to be "reticent" for a few days.
While everything that was expected did happen in the story there was great unevenness in a lot of places and the flow changed many times. I personally feel this was a letdown to the climax of the amazing story Croggon had been weaving in the last three books, especially the romance between Maered and Cadvan which could have been developed more profoundly.