9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Much better!, June 4, 2006
After reading this book, I thought, finally! This is Trudi Canavan as I remember her from her first trilogy.
"Last of the Wilds" is a middle book, but in many ways is stronger than its predecessor, "Priestess of the White." In this book, the storylines for all the main character groups (the White, especially Auraya, the Pentadrians, the Wilds, the Elai and the Siyee) get more interesting. There is depth to each of the individual plots and the author sets up a complex and intriguing political scene for the third book.
One of Canavan's strengths is her ability to show all sides of the story, much like another favorite author of mine, Hilari Bell. By this I mean, the "bad guys" aren't necessarily bad, and the "good guys" may have questionable motives and actions too.
Whereas "Priestess" felt very linear (all Pentadrians are evil, all Circlians are good and just being vicitmized by the bad Pentadrians), "Last of the Wilds" delves deeper into the motives and thoughts behind the character groups' behavior. Both sides feel that they are "correct" and are trying to spread their influence, either through war, alliances, or whatever. I actually liked the Pentadrians in this book, because the author showed why and what they were trying to do. Meanwhile, I found myself not feeling kindly toward the Whites, because they seemed to lack compassion and fairness.
Then you've got the other major group, the Wilds, which are literally a wild card in the book. Emerahl runs off to find other people like her - with an unclear goal in mind, but it is fascinating to speculate what the author might do with this group in the third book. With their knowledge of what used to be, they might upset the balance and cause a completely different society to emerge. They already do upset the balance when Auraya discovers something shocking about one of them - forcing her to make a hard and surprising decision that makes you anxious to read the conclusion in the third book.
Overall, a MUCH BETTER book than the first one and well worth the time to read. I am definitely looking forward to the last book in the trilogy.
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10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
If you just want something to read..., May 2, 2006
This book's not bad - much like the first, it's very slow, not a lot of action, but with the bones of a good story. However, there is one glaring error that i can't believe made it through the editing process. At one point the author introduces a pair of conjoined twins who have since seperated themselves using magic... but one of the twins is male, and the other female. Oops! Conjoined twins are imperfectly seperated IDENTICAL twins.
Nitpicking aside, the characters are a bit bland, but the ideas behind them are interesting. It's an undemanding, gentle read. I think that Trudi Canavan has the potential to be a really good author, but so far this series lacks the conflict, the pacing and the excitement to achieve that potential.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Two good books in a row, May 8, 2006
"Last of the Wilds" is the second book of Trudi Canavan's second trilogy, the first being The Black Magician Trilogy. Although all of the living characters are still present in this book, the focus shifts from the Dreamweavers and the White to some of the other characters and characters sets. The Siyee are once again used as a culture bridge. Added to the mix are the Siyee's water bound cousin's the Elai (met briefly by Auraya in the first book). The Wilds, or unpredictable sorcerers, are of much interest. These long-lived or immortal characters (like Mirar and Emerahl), remember the history of the five Circlian Gods. Additionally, focus shifts to give the reader a better view of the foes from "Priestess of the White," the Pentadrians. We get a better look into the religion of the Pentadrians, their social structure, their mysterious five gods who rarely show themselves, and their continuing plans to spread their religion. I recommend this book. Be warned that it is Canavan's heftiest book yet, 555 pages and might not appeal to some readers because of this. I hope the conclusion of the series doesn't disapoint like the final epilogue of Black Magician.
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