When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) [Hardcover]

Mercedes Lackey (Author), James Mallory (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3 | Publication Date: July 25, 2006

Despite a great working of Wild Magic and High Magic that struck at the heart of the Demon Queen's evil plots, Knight-Mage Kellen and his Elven allies are still seen as enemies by the human Mage Council. The Elves and their allies must find a way to shatter the Demons' hold on the human Mages, for without their High Magic, the forces of Light will be destroyed by the forces of Darkness.
The Commander of the Armies of Light decides to turn an Elven mine into a refuge for those driven from their homes by the war. Kellen is put in command of the force of engineers and warriors who will fortify the mine and does not learn until it is nearly too late that the caverns are full of Shadowed Elves. Vestakia, the half-human, half-Demon healer, finds that she has begun to be able to read the mind of her Demon father, Crown Prince Zyperis.
The Demon Queen, Savilla, is preparing a great sacrifice that will summon He Who Is back to the world and make her the ultimate ruler forever. When Wild Mage Idalia learns of Savilla's plans, she knows there is only one way to prevent the coming of He Who Is. A very different sort of sacrifice must be made.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of Lackey and Mallory's highly readable conclusion to their Obsidian fantasy trilogy (after 2004's To Light a Candle), Knight-Mage [Kellen], leader of the alliance of humans and elves, has his work cut out for him when the forces of demon queen Savilla go on the offensive. Fortunately, [Kellen] has a powerful ally in the half-breed healer Vestakia, who because she's half demon can read the mind of her demon father and provide priceless information on their enemies. The deft handling of the romance between [Kellen] and Vestakia helps heighten suspense as the struggle on both the physical and magical planes grows more intense. Short scenes speed the action, which at times can be hard to follow, even for those familiar with the previous two volumes. Nonetheless, high fantasy fans should appreciate the intelligent storytelling with an unmistakable flavor of Andre Norton at her best. (July)
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Review

To Light a Candle
A New York Times bestseller

"Lackey and Mallory combine their talents for storytelling and world crafting into a panoramic effort. Filled with magic, dragons, elves, and other mythical creatures, this belongs in most fantasy collections."--Library Journal

The Outstretched Shadow
Best Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror, VOYA

"In the captivating world conjured by veteran Lackey and classical scholar Mallory, there are three types of magic, each of which has its own rules, limits and variables. Kellen sets down a road he never expected to take, on a journey of dire importance to both humans and nonhumans (the latter including elves, unicorns, and other enchanting creatures). The narrative speeds to the end, leaving the reader satisfied and wanting to know more."--Publishers Weekly

"[Kellen's] father banishes him forever from the City and to a horrific death prearranged by the mages. The Wild Magic has another agenda for him, however, involving an acerbic unicorn and a woman--heavens!--to learn the Wild (but not sex) Magic from. Delightful."--Booklist

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765302217
• ISBN-13: 978-0765302212
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing, November 26, 2006

By 

E. W Wolfner "Erik" (Delray Beach, FL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed reading the first two books. The problem with the third book is that it suddenly resolved everything, without using any of the plot elements that had been hinted at and amplified through the first two books. I felt somehow cheated, as if I had been sold a flashy gemstone that turned out to be nothing but cheap glass. After all the effort to paint the demons as powerful, evil, and intelligent, they show virtually none of those qualities in the third book. The impending "war" turns out to be one battle. There were so many possible directions the book could have taken, instead it just plodded along and suddenly dropped the reader off a cliff into oblivion. It would have been better to make this series four books if that was necessary instead of trying to conclude everthing in the last few pages of the book. The ending of the story really wasn't even believable.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rather Disappointed, August 17, 2006

By 

E. Brady "Shadowstorm" (Cleveland, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) (Hardcover)

First I have to say that I enjoyed the first two books of this series. However, I feel extremely cheated at the end of this book. This book seemed more about war strategy than plot and character development. As a previous reviewer stated there was so much that was left out.
*Kellen's relationship with father
*The whereabouts of Kellen's mother
*Relationship developments with Idalia and Vestakia

Also the final battle...I have to say it...was pathetic. After all that happened the bad guy is just poof defeated, no witty lines, and Vestakia never even meets her father...which I have been waiting to read. I don't know if they just wanted this story over with, but the effort and time was not applied to this ending as have been with others. I am a avid fantasy reader and I can honestly say that this was one of my most disappointing conclusions ever.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A trilogy for a change, July 31, 2006

By 

New Dad Dave (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When Darkness Falls (The Obsidian Trilogy, Book 3) (Hardcover)

While I agree with some of the negative points regarding the simplicity of this concluding book, I must say that it really was a page turner. Once it got going, I really was enjoying the pace and energy and looked forward to enjoying the conclusion.

This is always a good feeling to have when reading, and I think the authors did a fine job creating a world that came alive.

Finally, I do have to say, I am thankful that they actually wrote a trilogy, and if that means a few of the details are sacrificed, to keep it a trilogy - then thanks to them! I've been a little frustrated recently getting to the end of a book (The most recent being the excellent George R.R. Martin books), and finding out that the story won't be complete for 7 books! Another 2 years minimum to find out how that excellent story turns out! Geesh!

Thanks for a good read!