Reviews

As a final installment in a series, it was very satisfying. High stakes, good conclusion to the character development arcs we've been following through the last three books, and an extremely tense confrontation with a villain.
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of explanation for how the villain did XYZ, and while the main character states she's mourning at the end, I don't really see it. (Obviously, I'll write my own version of a mourning scene that wouldn't have fit with the pacing of the book.)
Other than those fairly minor nitpicks, this is definitely a first-rate book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the reading.

posies23's review against another edition

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5.0

The fourth book in the series wraps things up in an engaging manner. Plotlines are resolved, secrets are revealed, and Alanna finally gets some of the closure that was lacking in the first three books. The characters have grown fairly organically over the course of the novel, and I was shocked at how much I came to care about some of them as the novel wrapped up.

My initial thought upon finishing the quartet is that I wish I had read it earlier. It was published originally when I was in high school (The mid-to-late 1980's), and I'm not sure why none of my fantasy-loving friends never suggested I read it. (Although, to be fair, I was much more into hard sci-fi and horror when I was in high school, so I'm not sure I would have read it unless they stuck it in my hands and said "YOU MUST READ THIS!)

Overall, it was a very engaging read, with a lot to say about societal roles, friendship, duty, and following your heart.

Highly recommended.

lydv33's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

steph01924's review against another edition

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5.0

A fitting end to a series that spawned a wonderfully rich fantasy world. Check out my review over at Forever Young Adult.

triplebriiii's review against another edition

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4.5

Such a good ending to the series. Liam can fucking choke. Also, astounded still that this middle grade series had the MC in a sexual relationship with THREE different men over the course of the series. Not at all saying that that is bad, it's actually refreshing and very well done. And honestly one of the reasons why I still love this series. Definitely has it's issues but there is a reason why I reread this whole series every few years.

I love George so much 😭😭😭

abbeygoess's review against another edition

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4.0

A satisfying end to Alanna's adventure. Again, I loved being able to read Tamora Pierce's Afterword regarding the series. Seeing that she also felt it was a little rushed and hearing her explanation of why made sense. Revisiting this series about 20 years after I first read it was such a cool experience. I can see why I loved these as a kid and I can see how deeply these books impacted my love of reading... And the kinds of books I gravitate toward. I can't wait to start re-reading the next quartet in the Realm of Tortall!

sarai_te's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-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? No

3.5

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