In the Ruins

Crown of Stars #6

by Kate Elliott

Set in an alternate Europe where bloody conflicts rage, the sixth book of the Crown of Stars epic fantasy series continues the world-shaking conflict for the survival of humanity

The lost land of the Aoi has returned at last to the earth from which it was cast forth millennia ago. And as tsunamis, earthquakes, and firestorms reshape the very land and seas, darkness descends everywhere. With the war for empire disrupted, all sides must regroup. And though the battle for survival must be the primary focus of all concerned, there are always those eager to seize power, no matter at what cost.

Though King Henry demanded with his last breath that Prince Sanglant accept his crown, many may refuse to honor the dying king’s wish. Liath, Sanglant’s wife, has been excommunicated and unless he agrees to put her aside, his own aunt, Mother Scholastica, is threatening to interdict Sanglant and all who follow him. And though he and Liath long to search for their missing daughter, Blessing, the demands of statecraft hold them hostage to Sanglant’s newly constituted court.

Henry’s wife, Adelheid, is determined to regain control of their empire. But she has let Antonia proclaim herself the new skopos, the Holy Mother who rules over all of the church. And Antonia has already proved herself an extremely dangerous ally.

The Aoi are divided between those who seek only to rebuild and warriors determined to claim revenge against the humans.

Stronghand, too, is consolidating his gains for his combined Eika/Alban empire, bent on further conquests, drawn in part by the bond he still shares with Alain.

And even as Liath seeks out the forbidden magic that could bring back the light of day, new alliances are forming and old ones being abandoned. Only time will tell who—if anyone—will emerge triumphant as cultures, religions, and races clash in the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world….

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic, Magic

Paperback

First published August 2, 2005

About the author

As a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.

Reviews

[Mayim de Vries · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Power is not wisdom. It is only power”

The world torn asunder had been made a whole again but at a terrible cost. What is more, the scattered remnants of humanity must only fight for survival in the nearly post-apocalyptic conditions but also face the challenge of the returned Ashioi. Book with such setup should be an exciting read. And yet, all we can see is a ruin of a once-great story. It's Been Ruined In the Ruins is a very apt title.

There are many reasons as to why this is the case.

Firstly, it is obvious that Ms Elliot lost control over her own tale. She cuts the threads she nurtured with loving care for five consecutive books suddenly Alain’s encounter with the Lady of Battles becomes not only pointless but altogether misleading; the Books of Secrets we were led to believe is all about the arts of mathematici suddenly becomes a theological text. On the one hand it is understandable, the magical drama has already happened so the prop needed to be appropriated in order not to become obsolete, but on the other it still feels like cheating. or fumbles with those that were bought up now and again in a promise of significance only to turn out as altogether insignificant if not redundant altogether Berthold and the seven sleepers, the sudden transformations Ivar and his merry band of lechers turning into saintly saviours sometimes are simply astonishing, but sometimes put the whole initial arc of the main story into question for instance, the change in Sanglant’s mother, especially in the context of this ominous prologue 6 books ago, does not make the tiniest sense. The deaths that happen are pointless and brief Anne, Heribert making it impossible for the reader to emotionally engage rather than gloss over while those that are long due, do not happen (it really is time to start eliminating protagonists, if you do not know what to do with them, Ms Elliott. Just kill them off and be done with it.)

Secondly, the terrible creature that Liath has become, an all-powerful man-eater with unique abilities, should feature in all the guidebooks for prospective writers as an anti-example of the main character. I hoped that she would be toned down by Sanglant, but they tend to exacerbate their flaws instead of alleviating them through teamwork and since they dominate the story, reading about their overly dramatised follies has become an aggravating exercise.

And as if this was not enough, there is the Snowflake Square (or triple even because of the triple heritage) aka Blessing, already resurrecting people and just about to walk on water too, all in a lovely form of a spoiled brat either throwing a tantrum or sporting a trout-pout. She is truly beyond bearable. Sometimes, I think that either I am reading this thread in the wrong way, and instead of taking Blessing seriously I should approach her as a comic relief (kind of Monty Python’s style of ridiculous absurdity) or that I have missed a clue that Ms Elliot actually calls her protagonists the opposite of what they are. Take princess Sapientia. Her name means wisdom; in reality, she is so stupid that to equal that somebody exceptionally hideous must have been called a Beauty. If we apply this rule to Blessing, in reality, she is not a blessing but a Curse. In the end, quite surprisingly, I often found myself in league with Antonia who after her encounters with this whiny creature, had to murmur psalms until she calmed herself. I murmured expletives.

The saving graces of the secondary characters (Hanna and Rosvita in particular) and Alain were too little too late to alter the disaster especially that they somehow vanished in a creative maelstrom Ms Elliot has unleashed a couple of books ago. As Jess noticed earlier: “Eliott is really trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink in her narrative. Kings, medieval, mathematicians, sorcerors, ‘elves’, phoenix, imaginary animals (heres looking at you, guivre), neaderthals, centaurs, magic, tribes, clergy, now time-travel?” Crown of Stars had started as an alternative Middle-Ages universe with enough ideas to sustain the story. For reasons unknown to me, Ms Elliot did not think this sufficient and kept adding new baubles. Now, she drowns in her own surplus of ideas and is unable to manage them (not to mention unleashing their full potential).

What is the most galling though, is the sad fact that in the midst of all this, we drown in repetitions! The first part is a summary of what has already happened and gives an overview of the main cast. While I can see it might be necessary in a series that spans over several volumes covering decades and dozens of POVs, since it does not bring anything new to the story, it could have easily been done in a couple of pages of a summary at the beginning thus saving the readers a couple of hours of the precious reading time.

What follows after, almost until the very end is an overview of the tide of destruction, general wailing, and then a travelogue of some sort. To give you an idea how badly is the whole thing planned, be warned that not even all of the sub-plots are present until the fourth part. Alain is virtually absent, so is Stronghand. The Aoi are dormant for the better part of the novel, purportedly just to give humans time to recover. It is as if time freezes when convenient and so when one thread is laboriously pushed forward by the Author nothing happens elsewhere like in an old-schools PRG where everybody patiently awaits their own turn.

And then, I have already lost count how many times the same phrases are used over and over (although at one point, “Ai, Lady!” has been replaced by ”I pray you!”) or we are forced to read the musings concerning Hugh (and how come any person be so beautiful can be so wicked) and fawning (really!) how dangerous he is. But what is the worst in this regard is the preposterous attempt at a love triangle Ms Elliot makes here. I am truly dreading of that is to come.

“It is the end of the world, my lord. What else can it be?”

Well, it can also be the end of a great series. I read In the Ruins within a couple of days, not because it was so great, but precisely because it was beyond redemption and I wanted to be done with the book as soon as humanly possible. I will read the finale only to be done with the series. However, if you do not suffer from the sad affliction of being unable to leave a series unfinished, do not come close to this novel as it will only ruin the favourable experience you might have had with the Crown of Stars.

___

Also in the series:

1. King's Dragon ★★★★★
2. Prince of Dogs ★★★★☆
3. The Burning Stone ★★★★☆
4. Child of Flame ★★★☆☆
5. The Gathering Strom ★★☆☆☆
7. Crown of Stars ★☆☆☆☆

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Ruins was definitely a transition book. The cataclysm took place at the end of the last book, and now what? Now the face of the world has changed, and so have allegiances. Power vacuums must be filled, and broken empires must band together or take advantage of the chaos.

Ultimately, this was a large-scale moving of chess pieces into place for the coming confrontation over what the world will look like. Whose religious vision will win out? The fanatics, the heretics? Which empire will be the strongest? Will people find peace or continue to slaughter each other over ancient grudges and differences?

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first volume in this series that failed to win me over, but you have to take it with a grain of salt because it was not intended as a discrete book. Kate Elliott wrote her heart out to bring her characters and world to their natural conclusion, but her publisher balked at the 430,000 word count, citing physical printing limitations, and Elliott made the agonizing decision to split the book in two, rather than make significant cuts. If only today's book binding technology were available fifteen years earlier! Because it can be done. (I'm looking at you, Stormlight archive with your 1300+ page cinder blocks.) And I find myself wondering if it were truly not possible at the time; Stephen King's uncut The Stand was 1153 pages in 1990. The page count for In the Ruins plus Crown of Stars, as first published, would have been under that. Was it simply that the publisher didn't want to put it out this way? I doubt this; I trust the accounts of the process from the author and publisher.

All of the players on the stage find themselves literally in the ruins caused by the events of the prior book, and they struggle to regain their footing in a changed landscape. With multiple changes of fortune, at a couple of points the plot felt slightly forced, as certain parties were moved around, often through off-screen action. For the first time in the series, and only once or twice, I conscioulsy felt the author playing puppetmaster, maneuvering characters into position for whatever final fate awaits them. Some characters had very little time on the page, such as Stronghand and Rosita (I think I'm getting her name wrong at the moment), and I found myself missing them. Hugh, that gorgeous slippery evil bastard, got plenty of exposure. I can't wait for him to (please) die.

Because it is in truth only half a book, In the Ruins suffers in comparison to its prequels. Most tellingly, it lacks a climax. Theoretically it could have been revised to add an extra power punch at this mid-way point, but I appreciate that neither Elliott nor her editors tried to change the story at this point. It was written as a complete tale, and I eagerly anticipate the final portion of this saga.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an okay installment, better than the one before. But it’s only the first half of the final book, which was split in two due to length (a counterintuitive choice; seven is such a prominent number in the mythology of the series that I had a hard time believing this wasn’t the plan all along). As such, it’s incomplete, ending without a climax or the close of any plot arcs. And the structure is strange; we spend a good bit of time with Liath and Sanglant in the first 2/3 of the book, only for them to disappear without fanfare from the final third. Meanwhile Alain pops up only a couple of times.

This book begins just after the cataclysm, and the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is an interesting change (though I am skeptical about the world’s being so suddenly depopulated). It’s as if the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs hit instead during the early Middle Ages. Meanwhile, toward the end of the book we get an Ashioi POV, as they seem poised to play a larger role in the next book – while I’m not sold on that plotline yet, their portrayal all along seems to have been a clever bit of misdirection. Up to this point I’d thought of them as elves, in large part because they were seen as almost mythological beings, but now they clearly seem to be Aztecs, not elvish at all.

For the most part though, this series has gone on too long for me (please keep in mind that I have little patience for long series). The machinations of Hugh and Antonia have just gotten old; once a villain has been thwarted before, continuing to watch them pursue the same goal through new strategies loses its luster for me. Meanwhile, the couple of developments that did start to excite me were quickly diffused. Constance’s proposal to challenge Sabella was an exciting moment . . . followed up by Sabella’s army retreating the moment Alain stares down a couple of scouts. And then Sanglant’s being forced to choose between Liath and the crown could have been a huge plot development, but then . . . he isn't. And our heroes don’t have a whole lot to do, which draws attention to the wrong things, like Liath’s wildly fluctuating social skills – one minute her cluelessness seems explicable only by reference to the autism spectrum, the next she comes up with some astute solution – and scenes of “political maneuvering.” I always hate these in fantasy, because they just boil down to the author comparing the imperturbability of everyone present. In fairness, this is in no way unique to Elliott, who has fewer such scenes than most epic fantasy authors whose books include power struggles among the nobility.

Overall, a decent read, but a seven-book series is too long to hold my interest, even when the major conflicts change from book to book. I’m ready for it to be over.


EDIT: Crown of Stars ratings:

King’s Dragon: 4
Prince of Dogs: 3.5
The Burning Stone: 4
Child of Flame: 3
The Gathering Storm: 2.5
In the Ruins: 3
Crown of Stars: 3

[Dom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another really solid entry in the series. Although I don’t think it will stand out in my memory over time, everything was moving along quite nicely here. You can feel that we’re getting to the end of the series, and I suppose in a way that made this feel a bit like a transition book in places.

[Rindis · Rating 3 out of 5]

In origin, this is half a book. Each volume of the Crown of Stars series was longer than the last, and here at the end it finally got too long to put under one cover.

It's also hard to figure out how to treat this section of the series. The major world-changing event was the return of the Ashoi (or not, with the potential of destroying the planet in the process), at the end of the fifth book. Is this this just a denouement? As usual, the entire, by now very large, cast of characters show up with their individual threads running forward. While things happen with all of them, most of them don't get any kind of recognizable arc in this book, which shows its 'part one of two' nature.

But... one of the major themes of the series brings it over to what I call "dynastic fantasy". One of the major concerns has been control of the conjoined kingdom of Wendar and Varre, and with the last couple of books, Aosta as well. With the death of King Henry at the end of book five, this is now a major question as none of the obvious heirs are in a good position. This shows better development, with power struggles in Wendar, Aosta, and among the Ashoi all being much of the focus of the action, and the end promises a better focus on Wendar itself for the end of the series.

What actually holds this book together, however, is the weather. Between the giant storm and volcanism caused by the return to earth of missing pieces, and spells to keep the skies clear at important positions, much of the continent is under a perpetual cloud cover for the several months of the book, with signs that it might change only coming at the very end. Concerns and reactions to this are one of the constants through the majority of the different threads.

Overall, this book reshuffles the furniture a bit to cover several now-dead characters, but continues reaching for some form of final climax. Frankly, there's so much up in the air, I'm not sure how it can be wrapped up in one book.

[Joebot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best book thus far.

The end of the last book had cataclysmic repercussions; shame that I was so bored in getting there. I liked, though, where this book went with that. That said, there's still a lot of character and plot issues here. Like, seriously, what is Alain's endgame, and why keep wasting him?

Off to the last book and an end to this journey

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

After blasting through the first five books and being blown away from the climax of The Gathering Storm….

We have a bridge book.

Now there is nothing wrong with that. Shifting political allegiances. Fallout from all that has transpired. But really at its essence…this is a prelude for the grande finale.

Never thought I’d be happy to have the despicable Hugh grace the pages. In this case though I did. His evilness is on another level.

So let’s hope he meets the worst of fates in book 7. >:)

[Clay Kallam · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review is of the Crown of Stars series, not the individual books, but is attached to each one so that potential readers know what they’re getting into. It is imperative to begin with “King’s Dragon,” of course, and once involved, the difference in quality and focus of each of the seven volumes is far less important than the impact of the series as a whole.)

Crown of Stars is a sprawling, sometimes confusing, seven volumes of epic medieval fantasy that is worth the investment of time and energy to track its multitude of characters through complex plots and subplots as they battle their way through 4,000 pages of magic, catastrophe and of course, eventual redemption.

But first it has to be said that Kate Elliott doesn’t bring every one of her characters all the way home, as more than a few are killed relatively early in the series, and some that seem destined for an early demise just keep hanging on. This kind of uncertainty, and some unexpected plot twists, keep the pages turning, and makes this long series an entertaining and worthwhile ride.

The setup is a thinly disguised medieval Europe (think 9th century) a few generations after the death of Charlemagne (called Taillefer in the book). The echoes of the Dariyan (read “Roman”) Empire still linger, but the political side of the book is concerned with the dynastic maneuverings of Central European dukes and kings, which are complex to begin with and get even more so as the books roll on.

The fantasy aspect combines powerful magic wielded by a minority of humans, plus some non-human races (though the Eika are the Vikings) and cosmology that resembles the ancient Greek theories about the spheres of existence that surround Earth.

And then of course there are the human interactions, ranging from obsession (both love and hate), religious fervor, lust for power, and revenge, all played out through a cast of what seems like thousands. (Keeping track isn’t all that easy, and when Elliott wraps everything up, it’s not a simple task to sort everything, and everyone, out on just one reading.)

Though there are many point-of-view characters, probably the two most important are Liath, a young woman who has spent her life running away from something her father greatly fears, and Alain, a young farm boy who draws the attention of powerful humans and spirits.

But almost equally important are Sanglant, a bastard son of King Henry whose mother is a mysterious Aoi (perhaps human, perhaps just slightly different); Rosvita, a nun and advisor to King Henry; Ivar, a young nobleman; and Stronghand, a young Eika warrior.

There are plenty of villains, fully fleshed out minor characters, a magical catastrophe, and most important in works as long and complex as this one, a satisfying ending.

The Crown of Stars, all in all, is an excellent medieval fantasy, though not quite up to Miles Cameron’s Traitor Son Cycle (which was written after this) and perhaps a little too complicated for its own good. And naturally, some of the seven volumes are better than others, but if “King’s Dragon” grabs your interest, then go ahead and buy the other six – you’ll have thousands of pages of enjoyment ahead, and the luxury of knowing that you have months of good reading on the way.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different storylines are coming together. There is a lot of political intrigue and manipulation especially at the hands of Hugh. Gosh, I want to see justice!
I hope to see more of Stronghand and Alain in the last book. Ashioi and Sanglant got lots of page count here. We see how all the different conflicts between countries are shaping up for the last book.

[Kristi-anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read these a while ago and was one of best sets I read so far, so anticipating all the way through all 7 books omg such good set I wished they never end, one of those where you finish and think "NOW WHAT?! :("
AWESOME!

[Jasmine]

Roommate: Why are you making that noise?
Me: My book!
Roommate: Ah-huh?
Me: Everything is happening! It's all terrible! Heresy! Nothing good! I love everyone!
Roommate: Huh.
Me: I love everyone! Except Hugh and Antonia and You and oh GOD so many people.
Roommate: *eyebrows raised* Huh.

[Alicia Aringdale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a slog. I know that originally this book and the final book were combined but the author chose to split them up because of how long it was but unfortunately that leaves this book just being a ton of build up to things that aren't going to come to fruition till the next book. It was also hard because the characters I like most like Hanna, Rosvita, Stronghand, and Theophanu were not around for much of the narrative. I was also crushed by Heribert's death. I still fucking HATE Sanglant and I hope Liath leaves him but I am sure she never will. This asshole has the nerve to yell at his wife for being in the same room with the man who raped her when he has literally fucked his way across the globe for 4 years while she was gone. What a douche. I also have very little patience for Adelheid and she was a big character is this book. One the plus side at the end we got to see more of the Ashioi and their culture and I love Secha as I hope she is a bigger character at the end here. I am also interested to see what happens to Ivar, Constance, and Alain. Onto the final book to find out how it all ends.

[Barry Mulvany · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books have taken quite an odd direction and I'm not totally sure what to make of them.

The great catechism as happened and now it's left for the survivors to pick up the pieces. The humans and other races are now also going to have to deal with the Ashoi while they themselves will have to decide whether they will go for reconciliation or for war.

This book and the next were meant to be one book and it does show a bit. Pretty much the whole book is manoeuvring of the various factions for what will presumably the endgame in the last volume. Sanglant is dealing with Henry's last wish and will have to convince the church and nobles in Wendar of his right to rule. Sabella is getting her pieces in place again, and in the South, Adelheid and Antonia are making their plays for power over what's left of Aosta and the Church.

Being honest, I felt it was all a little anti-climatic. The major event that I thought the whole series was building to has already happened and now we're just kind of back to where it all began. I don't really care who rules, yes Sanglant is better than most but not a lot would change. Alain is barely in the book but the saint vibe is getting stronger. I liked Liath's outlook the best, in that she just wants to fix things for all people, but the politics keeps getting in the way.

I'm getting that this might be what the author wanted to examine, not just the lead up to a major event but also its aftermath. There's another book to go so we'll obviously see where it all all ends up but I've a feeling it's going to be a bit more prosaic than I'd imagined but hey that's on me. I still enjoyed it mostly (except for the one of the most contrived scenes I've ever read to give a recap of what's happened before) so I'll give that to the author considering I was really thrown here. Not a bad book in recap but it was definitely not what I expected.

Please see this and other reviews at https://barrysbloodybooks.home.blog/

[Shaitarn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down because of annoyances.

OK, I'm going to say it - I fear the author has lost control of this series. It has many, many threads and many, many (too many, perhaps?) POV characters. They all seem to be following their own particular plot, and in this penultimate book there's no real sign of those threads coming together in any meaningful fashion. And I still can't bear the main female character, Liath - she's a supreme snowflake with specialness shining out of every orifice, so the sections where she appears force me to grit my teeth and plunge through them as fast as possible.

I hope the next book is an awesome 5 star experience that pulls everything together brilliantly and forces me to eat humble pie as I am forced to admit the author is far smarter and generally greater than I am. I honestly hope it does. My fear is that it won't.

[Wajahat Khan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slower than the other books and also a complete set up for the finale, so understandably, this book was not as good. The Ashioi don’t get enough time to fully flesh out their history and culture so it seems very rushed and dense which was also not enjoyable. Seeing the characters navigate the new, catastrophic world was fun though and seeing how everyone manages the deaths from the previous book was fun. The politics seem almost a moot point by now, but I understand the role it will play in the finale. I think the best thing this book does is show how much our main characters have grown. I am impressed with Liath, Ivar, Alain, and Hannah’s ability to puff out their chests and command respect when in the first book, they were all bumbling kids scraping to get by. Shout out to Rage and Sorrow who have made it this far!

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

'In the Ruins' is volume six within Kate Elliott's epic series "Crown of stars" that contains 7 books, portraying fantasy fiction at its very best and any reader who enjoys reading this particular genre then i urge you to read Kate Elliott's series. This book i love slightly more than the others because of its depth & detail that the author goes into within the storyline and plot, compared to the previous first books where the adventure is just begining and introduced to the reader. It is grand, powerful and a majestic peice of writing that blew me away and which was so gripping that i was utterly spellbound after reading book 1 (King's Dragon). The storyline is completely origional and unique which captures ones imagination instantly, transporting you to a world of magic, mystery and compelling drama. It is a detailed story that is most intricatly woven and which keeps you guessing throughout, so when it came to the finale of book 7 "Crown of Stars" i just did not want it to end! This series is done uncommonly well that poses truly acomplished storytelling, and as a concequence i have nothing but praise for the author as her writing style has a fluidity to it that makes you want to read on and engaes you. This series is an apsolute treasure and you will find yourself enjoying the journey that these books take you on as much as, or more than, the final destination. The human dilemas and drama's that are also very much a part of the storyline cannot help but grip you and add a deeper depth of meaning to the story. I was sitting on the edge of my seat most of the time throughout this series due to the non-stop action, compelling drama, fast-paced action and exciting mystery that made this a truly fantastic read. Kate Elliott is a genious of a writer who has created a series that is so poinant, beautiful and utterly mesmirising and something that many readers will love.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an entertaining, robust, suspenseful and well written read. She introduces some fascinating dilemmas that were great fun to see play out. It was amazing, and I only wish the quality had been this good throughout the rest of the series!!! I think Kate Elliott's major problem is pacing - it should be half the books it is. It seems every fantasy book has that overlong trial by fire that the main character goes through, given she did it for every major character, it prevented the series from becoming as fully developed as it finally gets in book 6. Not to mention that you don't even start to grasp the full extent of her world until book 3! I thought that keeping it under wraps was clever and made for suspense when you finally began to see clues, I just wish it would have happened quicker.

Her strength is definitely in plotting, and that's where this book shines. Now that it seems every major character's story and trials are through and they are the people they must be to grapple with ensuing events, it is well paced action.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, it really startled me how quickly I came to the end of this book. Like, I didn't even read that much or that often? Did I?

With this one, you can tell it was originally half of one longer book, but so long as you already own the next one and can continue immediately, it's no problem at all.

All the books in the Crown of Stars series are worth reading, definitely. This one has plenty of moments where you will certainly exclaim aloud, and even rush to rant to someone about what just happened-- even though they have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly, the only reason I haven't started the next one yet is because I'm all too aware that it is the last. This series is too good.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if surviving the cataclysm wasn't bad enough, now everyone has to find their way home, fight enemies on all sides, deal with double crossing 'allies', and try to keep the rest of civilization from starving to death.
Not a very cheery book...but one of the best. As much as I hate when the bad guys seem to get away with one evil deed after another, it does make the story more realistic.
Now, on to the last book.

[Edward Rathke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things continue on, twisting and swirling.

I do feel a bit fatigued by the whole affair but Elliott does a great job of juggling her characters and constantly throwing them into new, difficult situations. It's the kind of thing that makes a big huge fantasy series a big huge fantasy series.

Whenever I finish these books, though, I always feel vaguely unsatisfied. I suppose it's because I never quite get what I want from them. At the same time, I don't really know what I want from them. I do like the overall shape of the series. Where book five is the culmination of so many promises and hints from the first book...but now there's more. A great cataclysm closes out that fifth book and now the world must deal with the aftermath, with the ever changing political climate of wars, cataclysms, unlikely or unwanted successions, and so much politicking.

But, yes, the novel works. I like it overall, but maybe it's just the general clumsiness of Elliott's writing. She does a lot of things very well but a lot is so traditional and telegraphed that it's a bit numbing to go through at times. That being said, some of the developments make me questions many of the assumptions I had made. We'll see if the story of Alain goes somewhere as interesting as I now hope, or if it ends up where I expected it to go around book two or three.

Anyrate, probably just going to dive into the next book in a few days and try to close out this huge series.

It might not be great, but it's definitely good enough.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

IT's a really great Fantasy series, I think it has 6 or 7 books in it - anyway, definetly worth a read.

Hard Words:

presaged
belligerent
acquiesced
A few tarried
uncanny thing
slewed around
untarnished from its waking
salty brine
inundating the land
quailed and faltered
tail sluicing back and forth
their night's bivouac
rose precipitously
clefts and holes
flowed in full spate
said tartly
It's a tern
onerous task
nodded amiably
Stalactites glittered
fetid winter hall
blessings for fecundity
splotched canvas
gaggle of young clerics
congealed breath of the Enemy
air off one of the fumaroles
With his quirt
blithely ignored
seemed so callow
swarthy and short
soughing whisper
promontory had a rounded gleam
paler spume
gnarled and low like the ubiquitous olives
susurration of leaves
brine of the waters
declivities in the land
a horse neigh
She scanned the vale
balanced adroitly with his stump
significant palisade
an empty byre
who blanched more
salted venison
borage was blooming
Ash and sycamore
a postern gate
cool, stalwart
rich burgundy underrobe
expression suffused with rage
they were weaned
strummed a lute
pliant manners
simplest colloquies
canted away
foisted on me now
every word in every capitulary and cartulary
wharves were farther downstream
spoke tersely
a dirty coif
clucking of chickens
a silver ewer
skeins of yarn
three spindles
six fleeces also used for bedding
With these victuals they ate well
there was one scaffolding
the mizzle shushed away into the trees
neither quarreling nor levity
center of the apse
in expiation for the sins of humankind
looking tousled and sleepy
repudiating and exiling
the marble bier, but for now a slab of cedar carved with curling acanthus
petitions, the litigants, and her decisions
God would succor them
a quintet of young lords
the geas laid on him at birth.
A smattering of rain kissed his face
The avenue debouched into an open space
truculent son
from sordid experience
The languor smothered her
Look at this fletching
running from the conflagration
left the land fallow
said Geoffrey brusquely
soldiers tromped onto the porch
wished to assuage their shame
They were officious and grasping
to castigate her
long stretches of wall demarcating the plazas
out of the interstices of time
a wharf
the colonnade fronting the hall
He was swarthy
lying, unscrupulous creatures
a kirtle that covers their loins
ubiquitous layer of pale grasses
agreed Hugh affably
coagulating around his fingers
waited so long to castigate them.

[Matthew Murawski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another weakish installment in the series, especially for the penultimate book.

Understandably there needed to be some sort of reset after the climax in book 5, but it took almost the entirety of In the Ruins to develop any sort of tension again. I expected a lot of set up for the big finale, but there was barely any develop of the two antagonists until the very end. Part of the issue I think is that there are simply too many characters and Elliot chooses to focus on the less interesting ones.

Stronghand, obviously the best character, has only one chapter after a fairly major arc in Gathering Storm. Sanglant and Liath are featured in the first half and then disappear for the rest of the book until the epilogue. Alain is finally being interesting and leaning into his saintliness, but his plot has so little motivation that those chapters, while a major improvement over his trials and tribulations in earlier books, feel meandering.

I wanted more from Hugh and Antonia. After Anne's great weaving, Antonia's paltry ability to raise some galla is decidedly boring, and Hugh's end game is to teach the Aoi how to weave in exchange for Liath? Really?

Every chapter with Anna or Blessing could be removed.

So far this series has felt epic in length, but unsatisfying epic in deeds.

[Lucas Jarche · Rating 2 out of 5]

At times Crown of Stars feels like pushing around characters on a chessboard. Nobody's doing any capturing and the important pieces like the Queen or the King only move a few spaces, while the pawns and knights and bishops are zooming around doing something I guess. I think it's time to move from the opening to the endgame, take out a few pieces and give the king and queen some room to move.

There's only one book left in the series. Where things should be contracting and focusing, the plot and characters and focus still feels so broad. I can't help but re-imagine the series from the single point of view of Alain, with a few characters taken out, more time together with Liath, a pared-down plot, and a few books shorter. That would be a series I would enjoy reading. Instead we've got these brand new plots - like the Aoi's tradition vs adaptation argument, or Antonia's new bid for power - without resolving old ones.

Still, there are moments when its merits shine through. Despite the many religious trials and interrogations, I still enjoy reading the next one. The Aoi finding Hugh physically repulsive was a nice touch. And the narrator's voice for Blessing is always a joy.

[Michel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik had het natuurlijk moeten weten, dat er nog veel losse einden te knopen waren. Een heel volk dat teruggekomen is van 2700 vakantie (al is het voor sommigen onder hen maar alsof er een paar jaar zijn verstreken), mensen die verloren hebben in het vorige boek maar niet dood zijn en dus nog gevaarlijk, allerlei allianties, verraad allerhande, tovenarij, monsters, wraak, religie en al dan niet gerechtvaardigde ketterij, politiek en realpolitik.

Het is eigenlijk wel een dicht op elkaar gepakte reeks boeken. Ook dit boek vloog voorbij, trouwens.

Het volgende is wel het laatste in de reeks, dus dan moét het wel allemaal opgelost geraken. Voor hetzelfde geld is het een zoals George R.R. Martin ons al decennia belooft bittersweet ending, maar ik kan denk ik wel ongeveer een outline zien van hoe het een happy end zou kunnen krijgen. Ik zet mijn geld daar min of meer in: alle rassen in relatieve peis en vree met elkaar, de slechteriken gestraft en de goeie mensen beloond.

[Ren Bedasbad · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 6th book in the Crown of Stars series starts where the last book leaves off. Since the last book ended on such a momentous event, I was expecting the momentum to continue, but it doesn't. This whole book is slow and with such a disastrous event, it just bogs down to politics. I have liked the politics in this series, but this book seems out of place. There is no urgency. There doesn't seem to be any repercussions to past character actions. Certain characters are also treated in a way that doesn't make sense. I enjoyed the religious angle in the world, but in this book it seems more tedious.

[Dalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book very much feels transitional, with the cataclysm of the book before settling into place. I am finding it hard to care much about many of the characters at this point (Liath and Sanglant seem stuck without much room for growth, it's hard to write a toddler as a sympathetic character in Blessing, Antonia and Hugh and their ilk are all delving further into comic evil, and I just don't really care about the Ashioi). Hopefully things get pulled together in the final book. I'm also not a huge fan of Alain's arc in this one, transitioning to holy man just wandering around setting small things right. I guess we'll see how it all wraps up.

[Ryan Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

At this point, I feel like the series is dragging on too long. I like the main characters, and the sense of mystery in the world is great, but there's a bit too much time spent with point-of-view characters that just aren't that interesting to read about. Overall, this book felt like setup for the final volume.

I still liked it, and Elliott is a good writer. I just feel that perhaps the series has overstayed its welcome at this point. That being said, I'm still excited to see how it ends.

Rating: 6/10

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to fall back into a short book, if you can call 21 hours short. Compared to the novels before it this book had a slower pace and less action. However the intrigue is still very much present. Watching all the various players react and cope with the aftermath of the various natural disasters

I wish we had seen a bit more of some of our characters like Stronghand and Hannah and how their treks went as they navigate the changed landscape. Thought the addition of the Lost ones made up for it a bit to me.

[Elyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much of this book did not need to exist. This book and Crown of Stars should have just been combined into one book. I actually enjoyed The Gathering Storm apart from how long it was taking to actually get to the cataclysm. I think Kate Elliot overreached with all the various plot threads and characters...and usually I really enjoy that level of complexity in a narrative. It was not handled smoothly in these last few novels (probably because she kept adding more people and more narratives in and making nonsensical decisions...)

Anyway, I'm glad I got through it, but definitely not something I would reread.