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rbecker29's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cyriax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
5.0
A fitting end.
That's all I've got to say.
You wanted more rampant carnage? You got it.
Ladies and gentlemen, Eskara Helsene aka the Corpse Queen has come to lay worlds to waste.
Morality be damned.
Wow.
That's all I've got to say.
You wanted more rampant carnage? You got it.
Ladies and gentlemen, Eskara Helsene aka the Corpse Queen has come to lay worlds to waste.
Morality be damned.
Wow.
eli_mageofpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
cassidychivers's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly I just finished this and need a day to process my thoughts.
But I think I'm going to be sad for days that I no longer have another book of Eska and Sssekaris to get lost in.
My love for this series really stems from these two, and their bond, banter and just overall character arcs. It's rare in fantasy to follow a character from childhood to adulthood and on. But we get to truly learn, grow and continue to make dumb but human mistakes with Eska. We watch Eska deal with childhood mistakes, moments of regret, friendships lost, memories lost to age and so much more. And we also get to experience these same moments through Sssekaris in a different way. It's truly a one of kind story.
Also Hayes is deeply insightful and the way this series handles mental health was beautiful. So many moments from this series and the final battle will stick with me forever.
& the world in this is deeply fascinating. I really want a whole encyclopedia on it and Sevorai
If you're looking for a sign to read this story please do.
& Please join me in pledging to The Corpse Queen
But I think I'm going to be sad for days that I no longer have another book of Eska and Sssekaris to get lost in.
My love for this series really stems from these two, and their bond, banter and just overall character arcs. It's rare in fantasy to follow a character from childhood to adulthood and on. But we get to truly learn, grow and continue to make dumb but human mistakes with Eska. We watch Eska deal with childhood mistakes, moments of regret, friendships lost, memories lost to age and so much more. And we also get to experience these same moments through Sssekaris in a different way. It's truly a one of kind story.
Also Hayes is deeply insightful and the way this series handles mental health was beautiful. So many moments from this series and the final battle will stick with me forever.
& the world in this is deeply fascinating. I really want a whole encyclopedia on it and Sevorai
If you're looking for a sign to read this story please do.
& Please join me in pledging to The Corpse Queen
hawkeyegonzalez's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This is a pretty epic conclusion to one of the more unique series I've ever read.
The entire book focuses on Eska and her people trying to unite the nations in Ovaeris and the lords of Sevorai in order to defeat the demon Norvet Meruun who will consume both realms. Unfortunately, because of Eska's reputation and actions in the previous books, things don't happen the way she expects.
The story does a good job at splitting time between exploring more of Ovaeris and Sevorai. We learn more about both Eska's and Ssserakis's past and the people/creatures in it. I especially enjoy reading more about the lords of Sevorai, and their designs are fantastic. The standout for me is Kekran. He's one of the most terrifying monsters I've read in recent memory, and his abilities are used to horrifying effect.
The final battle at the end is quite amazing. Although not a similar style of book, it reminded me a lot of the Demonata series by Darren Chan with its level of sheer death and destruction. It truly feels like no one is safe, which I love.
A few things did disappoint me, though. There are too many unresolved issues, particularly involving some characters in Sevorai. Also, for an epic, world-ending event, Tamura, Hardt, and Josef are severely underutilized, especially Josef. We are never given a satisfying conclusion to his and Eska's story together, which is one of the biggest driving forces behind the entire series.
Still, this is a great series that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading dark stories that don't always have a happy ending.
The entire book focuses on Eska and her people trying to unite the nations in Ovaeris and the lords of Sevorai in order to defeat the demon Norvet Meruun who will consume both realms. Unfortunately, because of Eska's reputation and actions in the previous books, things don't happen the way she expects.
The story does a good job at splitting time between exploring more of Ovaeris and Sevorai. We learn more about both Eska's and Ssserakis's past and the people/creatures in it. I especially enjoy reading more about the lords of Sevorai, and their designs are fantastic. The standout for me is Kekran. He's one of the most terrifying monsters I've read in recent memory, and his abilities are used to horrifying effect.
The final battle at the end is quite amazing. Although not a similar style of book, it reminded me a lot of the Demonata series by Darren Chan with its level of sheer death and destruction. It truly feels like no one is safe, which I love.
A few things did disappoint me, though. There are too many unresolved issues, particularly involving some characters in Sevorai. Also, for an epic, world-ending event, Tamura, Hardt, and Josef are severely underutilized, especially Josef. We are never given a satisfying conclusion to his and Eska's story together, which is one of the biggest driving forces behind the entire series.
Still, this is a great series that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading dark stories that don't always have a happy ending.
shelly2232's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Although this wasn't my favorite book in the War Eternal, it was a satisfying ending to one of my new favorite fantasy series. I really hope Rob J Hayes revisits this world again.
Although this wasn't my favorite book in the War Eternal, it was a satisfying ending to one of my new favorite fantasy series. I really hope Rob J Hayes revisits this world again.
guillaume_rho's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Death’s Beating Heart was my favorite book of the whole War Eternal series; it was a great way to end such an epic and dark saga.
A lot of this book takes place in Sevorai, the Other World. It was fascinating to get to see that mythical world of nightmares and horrors. The author’s creativity was on full display here, imagining dreadful monsters and unique creatures that were just familiar enough, but didn’t feel over-used from the genre.
The final battle was action-packed, but also very easy to follow thanks to the clear writing. Tragedy after tragedy hit Eska and the ones close to her, and I liked (as I did throughout the series) that there was always a steep price to pay to achieve what needed to be done. Nothing comes cheap in this world, and I’ve felt it all through Eska.
Seriously, poor Eska. I just wish she could get a moment to rest. That feeling is very reminiscent of Fitz in the Farseer trilogy from Robin Hobb – one of the openly-mentioned sources of inspiration for this series, so great job there, Mister Hayes!
chadh878's review against another edition
5.0
This was so good! It was the perfect end to the series, even though I am really sad it is over! This book wrapped everything up nicely and all the character growth from book 1 to book 5 was just awesome! This was the best book of the series!