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A review by angrywombat
Days of Air and Darkness by Katharine Kerr
4.0
This was an excellent book - quite sad and moving, but a fitting end to the Westlands cycle.
Finally we're getting back to the wonderful "Deverry cultural intrigue" that drew me to the series as a whole :) The first main part of the book is another of the flashbacks periods that Ms Kerr writes so well. We go back to Rhodry and Jill while they are walking the road as Silver Daggers. Here we get involved in dark dealings of revenge and murder, with a bit of added dweomer for spice. This was my favorite part of the book, and it was great to have the old characters (especially the cunning young Jill) back for a time.
The latter half of the book is mainly concerned with the war between the Horsekin and the the northern folk (a human city, and their elvish and dwarvish allies) This was a bitter tale, with much violence and sad death. It was a real loss when Meer (the Horsekin Bard) was killed, just as he was getting interesting and becoming a real character. But he wasn't the only one - Both Yraen and Jill meet their deaths in this war - so while the war is won it is a very bittersweet victory.
The tone of the writing seems a reflection on Rhodry - in the earlier Daggerspell cycle, war was described more like a violent dance, full of blood and death, but also exciting. Now it seems Rhodry is older and the war is more of a slow grind that leaves nothing by sorrow in its wake.
I especially enjoyed the interactions of Rhodry and Arsozah. This dragon has real character!
Finally we're getting back to the wonderful "Deverry cultural intrigue" that drew me to the series as a whole :) The first main part of the book is another of the flashbacks periods that Ms Kerr writes so well. We go back to Rhodry and Jill while they are walking the road as Silver Daggers. Here we get involved in dark dealings of revenge and murder, with a bit of added dweomer for spice. This was my favorite part of the book, and it was great to have the old characters (especially the cunning young Jill) back for a time.
The latter half of the book is mainly concerned with the war between the Horsekin and the the northern folk (a human city, and their elvish and dwarvish allies) This was a bitter tale, with much violence and sad death. It was a real loss when Meer (the Horsekin Bard) was killed, just as he was getting interesting and becoming a real character. But he wasn't the only one - Both Yraen and Jill meet their deaths in this war - so while the war is won it is a very bittersweet victory.
The tone of the writing seems a reflection on Rhodry - in the earlier Daggerspell cycle, war was described more like a violent dance, full of blood and death, but also exciting. Now it seems Rhodry is older and the war is more of a slow grind that leaves nothing by sorrow in its wake.
I especially enjoyed the interactions of Rhodry and Arsozah. This dragon has real character!