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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tying up the loose ends, July 21, 2006
This is not just a finale for this trilogy, it's a satisfying conclusion to the entire Wraeththu arc. Characters you haven't even though of since the first book show up, and there are new revelations about other longtime characters that will surprise you. Pell is still his ornery self, and he gets much more "screen time" than he's had in a while in the series. Everything left hanging since the beginning of the series is answered here: Do you want to finally know where Wraeththu and Kamagrian come from? It's here. Do you want to know what happens when a harling is conceived by three, rather than two, hara? It's here. What of Lileem and her library? Yup, that's here too. If the above confuses you, it's meant to. If you don't understand that, you really shouldn't read this book yet. Some books in some trilogies or series can be read as a standalone novel. While I suppose you might get some enjoyment if you tried it with this one, you'd also be immune to many of the surprises here... if you don't remember Velaxis, for instance, you're going to miss something big. Go get the Tor Omnibus book of the first trilogy (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312890001/sr=8-1/qid=1153545978/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0218912-8749768?ie=UTF8">Wraeththu</a>) and start there. For the rest of you, though, those who want to know what Theide's been up to and whatever became of Ponclast, this conclusion does not disappoint.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent finale, June 19, 2006
Seldom you see a fantasy trilogy conclding itself in a manner so rich and satisfying. All the threads come to end in a stunning yet convincing way, and the plot unfurls in an intriguing, fascinating way. Seven years after the war on Fulminir, we witness the predicaments of three second-generation hara conceived during the fateful eventsin Shades: the proud and troubled Darquiel, growing in the far nothern realm of Olopade, the pampered and naive Loki, the favoured son of the Tigrons Calanthe and Pellaz,and the devious Geburael, son of the enemy of the Tigrons, Ponclast, andof the traitorous son of Pellaz, Abrimel. Geburael lives in the dark dimension of Thanatep with his brother Diablo, that teached him only hate and desires of revenge. The lives of Geburael, Loki and Darquiel will come at a crucial point in the magic land of Anakhai. Meanwhuile, the Kamagrian Lileem, in the realm of the Multiversal Library (in which one hears the echo of the Infinite Library of Jorge Luis Borges), will discover the very secret of the birth and meaning of Wraeththu. And even the all-powerful Thiede will have a part in this final disclosure. Magnificently narrated, rich in details of strange and arcane realms, with charachters described in a so vivid and superbly detailed manner, that the reader will never forget them, this novel is a worthy conclusion of a trilogy that I think is no less magical and beautiful than the first Wraeththu Trilogy.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful ending, May 6, 2007
This book is one of the reasons why I love Storm Constantine's work. She manages to take everything she built up in the first two books of the trilogy, and bring it all together. There's no stretching the text or trying desperately to fill pages; the pacing is wonderful, and it's a page turner right to the end. And it gets complex! All the hints from the first book, as well as some from the original Wraeththu trilogy, are brought together here in a plot that's more bizarre and fascinating than I'd imagined. Ancient angelic lore, occultism and interplanar travel are featured as Wraeththu work through a truly monumental period of growth in their history. The story is full of suspense, with an incredibly satisfying ending. As is Constantine's style, we get to see some really interesting sides of various characters; I was particularly surprised to see what happened to Ponclast in this book. She has a good sense of balance for switching from one set of characters to the next, not letting us go too long without checking on everyone. This book really brought the trilogy together, and it's going to be a favorite read of mine for years to come.
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