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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
What a rollercoaster for sure and all the emotions I am feeling are insane!
So sad that this series has come to an end, but this book was a worthy addition to the story with an ending that caused an aching pain in my chest, first with sadness and then with beautiful sacrifice. While this novel definitely had the silliness that wove through the previous stories, it also had an emotional depth which was fitting as we say goodbye to the well-loved characters. I have suggested this series to any and every fantasy-lover who will listen. It has everything - a seer with a Dirk Gently-like humor, a strong heroine, every supernatural and paranormal creature you can think of as well as a hunter, a strange dwelling, a ridiculous ex-assistant, villains, love stories, adventure, silliness, and sadness... If you haven't read it yet, please do.
Wow, a lot of mixed feelings on how this book/series ended. All in all, I really liked this series and do recommend it, but I felt like this book got extremely chaotic and didn't really explain a lot of things very well. I was left with a lot of questions. I also personally didn't care for the way that he chose to direct the story of the Seer.
I think that I would have liked this series better if Ritter had stuck more to episodic stories, as I love these characters and the dialogue so much. Where I felt like the books struggled was with this big huge GRAND SCHEME where everything had to tie together and mean something BIG, and instead just felt sloppy and confused.
But all that to say that I really do love these books, and The Dire King was a decent conclusion. I'll look forward to seeing what Ritter does next.
I think that I would have liked this series better if Ritter had stuck more to episodic stories, as I love these characters and the dialogue so much. Where I felt like the books struggled was with this big huge GRAND SCHEME where everything had to tie together and mean something BIG, and instead just felt sloppy and confused.
But all that to say that I really do love these books, and The Dire King was a decent conclusion. I'll look forward to seeing what Ritter does next.
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm glad I finished the series, but it didn't finish as strong as it started for me. Generally I enjoyed the story and the characters. There were a few great lines and moments, but also quite a number that frustrated me or irritated me, mostly in terms of worldview. I realized just how badly it was going for me when I DIDN'T bawl my way through the last couple of chapters despite emotional events...
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
There is a trans character, which is interesting in light of the authors (accidentally, I guess) conflicting messages about whether it's good to follow all of your natural inclinations or not... There's also I bit I read as a broad hint that 'tyranny' is just an excuse for not liking laws necessary to bring us together, which I found frustrating in it's lack of context--I agree the used that way in some cases, but I'm afraid young readers might just absorb it in a way that makes them suspicious of everyone calling out unjust laws, which also exist and need to be called out. All of which to say, I wouldn't personally recommend this series for younger readers, but teens who are ready to think through all of the subtle issues could enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
This was a fantastically satisfying conclusion to an excellent series. It wrapped up without entirely ending, gave the characters a lot to do, and had enough twists and turns to keep me entertained and engaged all the way through.
I really loved how they balanced the fact that the narrator wasn't the traditional protagonist while still making her central and fundamental to the plot and the series. She really earned her place, and grew a lot over the course of the series. Also, there wasn't a single moment when I thought, "Yup, this is a dude trying to write a lady." Excellent characterization.
I loved the way the mysteries didn't take over but earned their place beside the magic, and I look forward to seeing what Ritter writes next.
I really loved how they balanced the fact that the narrator wasn't the traditional protagonist while still making her central and fundamental to the plot and the series. She really earned her place, and grew a lot over the course of the series. Also, there wasn't a single moment when I thought, "Yup, this is a dude trying to write a lady." Excellent characterization.
I loved the way the mysteries didn't take over but earned their place beside the magic, and I look forward to seeing what Ritter writes next.
And at 11:48 she hits her page goal of 10,000 pages for the year
3.5*
Not my favourite, but a good ending to the series. After being scared to death... there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Still would have preferred things to go in a different way.
Not my favourite, but a good ending to the series. After being scared to death... there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Still would have preferred things to go in a different way.
Wow wow wow. What a great wrap up to a fun series that I have just binged through in a few days. I have laughed and cried my way through all of the books but this one is just peak and the way all of it gets wrapped up is a worthwhile ride.
I'm a little sad that this series has come to an end, but I'm very happy with the last book.