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eclectasy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
beanut's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hollykyte's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
sagareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
heyjaycee's review against another edition
5.0
It’s ten years after the end of the Fifth Blight. After the destruction of the Chantry at Kirkwall and the subsequent slaughter of the city’s Circle mages, war has erupted between mages and templars across Thedas. Mages who want to fight are massing at Andoral’s Reach. But others, seeking only safety from the templars who would destroy them, make their way through the desolate Anderfels to Weisshaupt, home of the Grey Wardens.
Among them is Valya, a young city elf and mage from Hossberg. On reaching Weisshaupt and sanctuary, she and her fellow mages are put to work in the library, looking for any information they can find about intelligent darkspawn, though they’re not told why. But, during her research, Valya discovers a hidden diary belonging to another elven mage: Isseya, a Grey Warden from the time of the Fourth Blight, and sister to the famed hero Garahel who ended that Blight by killing the Archdemon.
Merciel weaves Isseya’s headlong, years-spanning tale of horror and heroism during the Blight around Valya’s quieter story of discovering herself, safe at last inside the walls of Weisshaupt. And in the end, what Valya finds in Isseya’s diary will change not only her own fate but that of all Thedas.
The Grey Warden order has always been the apotheosis of Dragon Age’s dark fantasy theme. In Last Flight the boundaries between good and evil are crossed and crossed again, becoming blurred beyond recognition, by a Grey Warden order that is the world’s only hope of salvation in the face of apocalypse. Nothing is simple, nothing is clear. And even so, even as Isseya transgresses, even as things go from bad to worse, she’s brilliant. She shines. You can’t fail to love her, to inhabit her, to catch your breath when she performs some death-defying stunt or comes up with a world-saving idea.
Merciel’s story really shines when it comes to the griffons. Merciel clearly knows her animals, and that comes through in the depiction of the blood and the grace of a working human-animal partnership in time of war.
I cried more than once at this book. Be warned: there are detailed—not gratuitous, but detailed—descriptions of animal suffering and death within these pages.
Ultimately Last Flight made me cry and gasp, broke and mended my heart, and left me breathless as I put it down for the last time—just like the Dragon Age games always did. To me, this is the best of the Dragon Age tie-in novels. I’m glad I left it 'til last.
Among them is Valya, a young city elf and mage from Hossberg. On reaching Weisshaupt and sanctuary, she and her fellow mages are put to work in the library, looking for any information they can find about intelligent darkspawn, though they’re not told why. But, during her research, Valya discovers a hidden diary belonging to another elven mage: Isseya, a Grey Warden from the time of the Fourth Blight, and sister to the famed hero Garahel who ended that Blight by killing the Archdemon.
Merciel weaves Isseya’s headlong, years-spanning tale of horror and heroism during the Blight around Valya’s quieter story of discovering herself, safe at last inside the walls of Weisshaupt. And in the end, what Valya finds in Isseya’s diary will change not only her own fate but that of all Thedas.
The Grey Warden order has always been the apotheosis of Dragon Age’s dark fantasy theme. In Last Flight the boundaries between good and evil are crossed and crossed again, becoming blurred beyond recognition, by a Grey Warden order that is the world’s only hope of salvation in the face of apocalypse. Nothing is simple, nothing is clear. And even so, even as Isseya transgresses, even as things go from bad to worse, she’s brilliant. She shines. You can’t fail to love her, to inhabit her, to catch your breath when she performs some death-defying stunt or comes up with a world-saving idea.
Merciel’s story really shines when it comes to the griffons. Merciel clearly knows her animals, and that comes through in the depiction of the blood and the grace of a working human-animal partnership in time of war.
I cried more than once at this book. Be warned: there are detailed—not gratuitous, but detailed—descriptions of animal suffering and death within these pages.
Ultimately Last Flight made me cry and gasp, broke and mended my heart, and left me breathless as I put it down for the last time—just like the Dragon Age games always did. To me, this is the best of the Dragon Age tie-in novels. I’m glad I left it 'til last.
samhain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There's not much to say apart that the Dragon Age books are, like their comic counterparts, surprisingly good fantasy novels of their own. I would recommend them without hesitation, even to people who haven't played the games. Especially to the ones who would like to start reading fantasy stories but feel overwhelmed when they research popular series. They're short, nice reads, and a good introduction to "Oh good gosh there's a mythical creature in my medieval times!"
catsy2022's review against another edition
4.0
Probably the best one I've read of the Dragon Age novels.
I was much more interested in this one than the others.
And I skipped reading them in order just to get to this one.
I was much more interested in this one than the others.
And I skipped reading them in order just to get to this one.
snslayer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The finest tie-in novel I have ever read. Last Flight was an expansion of lore, but a compelling story all its own. Obviously it has a great advantage in that it deals primarily with griffons but the characters were compelling, their struggles were real and very moving, the horror they faced was staggering.
Being a tie-in novel, there is some awkwardness from the translation of mechanics (largely magical mechanics) necessitated by the video game medium, but nothing so glaring as to interrupt my pleasure in everything else going on.
This is a necessary read for any fan of Dragon Age and, honestly, could probably be enjoyed even by someone who has never played the game.
Being a tie-in novel, there is some awkwardness from the translation of mechanics (largely magical mechanics) necessitated by the video game medium, but nothing so glaring as to interrupt my pleasure in everything else going on.
This is a necessary read for any fan of Dragon Age and, honestly, could probably be enjoyed even by someone who has never played the game.