The Master of Heathcrest Hall

Mrs. Quent #3

by Galen Beckett

Even as her husband is about to attain undreamed-of power, Ivy Quent fears for her family’s safety. With war looming and turmoil sweeping the nation of Altania, Ivy finds the long-abandoned manor on the moors a temporary haven. But nowhere is really safe from the treachery that threatens all the Quents have risked to achieve. And an even greater peril is stirring deep within the countryside’s beautiful green estates. As Ivy dares an alliance with a brilliant illusionist and a dangerous lord, she races to master her forbidden talents and unravel the terrible truth at the heart of her land’s unrest—even as a triumphant, inhuman darkness rises to claim Altania eternally for its own.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Romance, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

718 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

What if there was a fantastical cause underlying the social constraints and limited choices confronting a heroine in a novel by Jane Austen or Charlotte Brontë? Galen Beckett began writing The Magicians and Mrs. Quent to answer that question.
The author lives in Colorado.

An alias for Mark Anthony.

Reviews

[Suburbangardener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I rate the whole series as five stars for its originality and the captivating characters. The finale of the trilogy packed an emotional punch, yet could have been stronger at the end had, as other reviewers complained, the author shown the crucial moments rather than merely summarized them after the fact. The reader has stood shoulder to shoulder with Ivy and Rafferdy through three novels; we want to be right there with them as they finally save the world. The book could also use a bit of tighter editing to eliminate some repetition.
As in The House on Durrow Street, the second installment, the political maneuverings of the Assembly were entertainingly twisted, yet did not dominate the story. By contrast with Durrow Street, where I was not that interested in Eldyn's story with the Siltheri, Eldyn's part here rose up as an equal to those of Ivy and Rafferdy. Eldyn's character grows into a true hero who deserves a happy ending.
Several reviewers were critical of Ivy's character and actions in this last book, finding her passive and somewhat obtuse. Her dithering and forgetfulness were quite in character and excusable here when one considers the emotional and physical stresses she undergoes. She suffers some seriously debilitating losses (and hormonal changes) and lacks emotional support while trying to keep her family together in trying times of looming war. I can forgive her lack of perfection. Perfect characters are boring.
Overall, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, providing some surprises and explaining questions raised in the previous books. I enjoyed my trip through this engaging fantasy world where the trees are alive, fierce and protective.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

More of the same from book 2: overwritten, draggy, repetitive, & so freakin’ slow. It’s a shame, really, because the first book was entertaining, funny, & unique—but once the author tried to strike out on his own, explaining the magic & daytimes & trees & whatnot, everything fun or gripping just ground to a halt with endless discussions about Altanian politics & Ivy bemoaning how she can’t decode her father’s journal & Eldyn angsting over his gayness.

[SPOILER PARAGRAPH]

Speaking of romance, I remarked re: book 1 how Ivy & Rafferdy should’ve ended up together, how she only seemed to marry Quent because the JANE EYRE homage demanded it, etc. The author’s forcing Ivy & Quent together becomes more obvious as the trilogy progresses—they have zero chemistry, & practically never even see each other on-page—which begs to question whether the author realized he’d written himself into a corner that was unnatural for the storyline, yet couldn’t get out of it without killing Quent to leave Ivy a widow. That’s just lazy writing. If you’re so tied to a homage that you can’t break the mold even when your story is hampered by said form, you need to rethink your purpose in writing it. Are you doing a strict retelling, or your own tale? These two sequels clearly indicate the latter, yet so much dragging page count is built on someone else’s form that you forced your story into. Tsk, tsk.

[/SPOILER PARAGRAPH]

Fortunately, the original book stands alone. I’ll keep that one & donate the sequels, because they’re not worth the effort.

Standard 2-star DNF (& I did like the opening chapter about the trees slaughtering the shadows. MORTAL KOMBAT!).

[Erika Gill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying really hard to decide whether or not I hated how easily all of the happily-ever-afters came.

I mean, they were all plausible enough. I suppose. But I generally am distrustful of authors who make every single element end the way I wanted them to end. This probably comes of reading George R. R. Martin and having my heart in my throat as I turn each page for fear someone I like has been murdered.

I don't know, but I'm so glad Ivy and Rafferdy ended up together because he was my favorite character in the whole series, even though I had to read the word "punch" so many times I no longer care for it because of him.

My inner ship-fangirl is pleased, but my lit major critic is wondering how successful Beckett was, exactly, with his whole experiment. The "mystical reasons" men dominated women were NEVER argued. It was just kind of like, women are witches and magicians are aliens. There is no establishment for an argument. It begs the question.

Also, the list of things that went unexplained was far longer than the list of things that were. Such as, what exactly is a White Thorn, what can she do, and why does she have to be female?

Siltheri are men born of witches, but if they can be illusionists why couldn't witches be too? Are there any homosexuals in this world who aren't men with witch blood? I don't think that was a particularly effective means of explaining the gay away. Especially because I don't see how being a witch's son would make you gay everysingletime.

I enjoyed the book, but really think it could have been better.

[Beth Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Master of Heathcrest Hall Beckett brings his trilogy to a satisfying conclusion as Ivoleyn and her husband Lord Quent, Lord Rafferdy, Eldyn Garrett and their allies are forced to confront the growing threats to Altania. Lord Quent goes up against the plotting of powerful politicians, Ivoleyn struggles to solve the puzzles her father has left her and find answers in her dreams of Altania's past, while Eldyn finds new uses fir his skills as an illusionist and Lord Rafferdy struggles to become the leader he was meant to be. Setting continues to fascinate here, with the sentient woods and the ever-changing periods of light and dark; there is a mesmerizing mix of the fantastic and a real if alternate Victorian England. One by one the many little mysteries sprinkled throughout the novels are gradually made clear,and the conclusion is most satisfying. The series is recommended to those who enjoy richly detailed fantasies. This reader found them an engaging mix of Jane Austen, Jane Eyre and the fantastic and wholly fascinating.

[liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last book of this trilogy was a huge improvement on the second. A lot of things actually happened! The author consistently made some really weird choices that I'm not sure what to think of, however.

I'm just not sure what was going on with the LGBT themes in these books. Since the entire series is predicated on a supernatural source of patriarchy (human male servants of the Ashen create it to keep magicians from uniting with witches, and to destroy the witches who could defeat the Ashen), I suppose it makes sense to tie issues of homophobia in, too. But if gay men only exist in this world because witches' bodies adapted to not produce male offspring who can reproduce, that positions gay men as aberrations who wouldn't exist in a "healthy" world without patriarchy. That's pretty disquieting. Also, what about any queer people who are not gay dudes? Do we just not exist, or do we simply exist outside of this whole struggle with the Ashen, or what?

In addition, the mordoth is a strange and unnecessary AIDS metaphor. I'm glad the mordoth can be cured, and the manner in which it can be cured is appropriate within the context of the magic system of these novels, but it was just strange. When illusionists have sex, if one man "gives" too much without "taking," he loses his light. Are we supposed to understand that being a top is inherently selfish to the point of possibly killing one's lovers? What?

On the other hand, the ways in which the mordoth haunts the lives of the illusionists was handled adequately, and the illusionists were generally well characterized and not caricatures. The books even avoid some of the big gay subplot cliches: Dercy doesn't die at the end, no one is particularly catty or mincing, Dercy and Eldyn's relationship receives equal development and care as the straight characters', and Eldyn continues to have a direct and real impact on the plot instead of dying tragically himself. But every gay man is a part of the theatre? Come on. There are just a lot of really weird decisions going on.

There were also a lot of pacing problems in the series overall. The first book is probably the most competent, though as a lot of reviewers here noted, Beckett was drawing so heavily off his inspiration material that it felt like two books hastily taped together. The second book was incredibly slow and had no noticeable climax. The third had too many. There were a LOT of themes and subplots going on by the third novel, and there was a ton of work left to do to tie each one up in one book.

The third book ends with a series of emotional and physical confrontations, a huge chunk of expository text once the much maligned Mr. Bennick has a chance to reveal his (obvious) good intentions, and then another 50 or so pages in which characters actually take action to conclude the revolution and occult battles. Every one of these final conclusions is told in retrospect. Rather than describing the final ritual to open the door to Cerephus and toss the Eye of Ran-Yahgren through it, Beckett has Ivy reflect on her safety and briefly summarize what she'd just finished doing. It's a weird way of undercutting any dramatic tension these final confrontations could have had. Since the preceding 100 or so pages were so intense, I wonder if Beckett either burned out or was trying to scale back the emotional toll of the conclusion. In either case, this strategy didn't really work. The series was just unsatisfying.

Overall, the series was fine. I wish I'd liked it better, but the Lovecraftian elements didn't do much for me, the stylized writing was annoying, the issues above all detracted from the books pretty significantly, and I never really fell in love with any of the characters except the Durrow street house. Too bad.

[Ashley E · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning and emotional conclusion to the trilogy that began with The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, The Master of Heathcrest Hall kept me glued to the pages for hours.

The war in Altania is drawing to a head. The king is dead, and the princess has yet to ascend the throne. The rebels are gaining strength. And Cerephus, the red planet, draws ever closer. As Ivy, Rafferdy and Eldyn go about their daily lives, events conspire to involve them in the fate of their nation... and the world at large. To stop the Ashen, all three of them will have to sacrifice more than they thought they would ever be willing.

This book left me awed, quite literally. It's much more emotional than the previous two and, finally, all those questions are answered. The origins of the Ashen, of magicians, witches and illusionists. What really happened to Mr. Lockwell. Mr. Bennick. The man in the dark mask. And so much more. Everything that has been building in the first two books is finally come to an end. It's truly a Grand Conjunction.

Not everything is expected, not everything is happy, but in the end, there is a feeling that everything has happened as it should. After millennia, and through the sacrifices and strivings of thousands of people through the ages, the course of the planets is finally set aright.

If you've read The Magicians and Mrs. Quent and The House on Durrow Street, don't miss this book. If you haven't read them yet, what are you waiting for?

[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a brief interlude in the distant past - which has a bearing later on in the story - MASTER OF HEATHCREST HALL opens following the events of the previous book, THE HOUSE ON DURROW STREET.

The old king is dead, and his daughter not yet crowned. Political machinations vie with those magickal and delay her coronation. The new Lord Rafferdy has joined another magical society, this one bent on preserving the Wyrdwood from those who would destroy it, leaving Altania to be devoured by its otherworldly foes, the Ashen.

Lady Quent is at home, rejoicing upon the success of her husband and her own efforts in the Evengrove. Unfortunately, she receives a disappointment soon thereafter, which turns out to be a harbinger of what is to come. She will soon discover that bedrock is in fact clay, and those high in the Altania’s government are not to be trusted with the country’s best interests.

Eldyn Garrit, illusionist at the Theatre of the Moon, pines for his lover Dercy. But he soon learns the art of impressions, and has a say in the coming strife between the rebels of Huntley Morden and the government. Without his efforts, everything Lord Rafferdy and Lady Quent worked so hard to gain would be lost.

This is a masterful final volume in the series. At once mannered and full of excitement, it brings the story to a close, neatly tying all of the loose threads together. Many things are explained, and both sadness and joy abound within the pages of this book. If you have read the first two books, do not wait - get this book and read it. You will be glad you did.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the other two books and the world that was created. This third book however was frustrating through and through. I often felt that the author was trying to be clever and rather than let the reader deduce the cleverness themselves, was shouting it from the pages.

I also hated how much he explained. I understand that you need to bring a reader up to speed if this is the first book they've picked up in a series that is already going. However, you need not tell me things that have already occurred in the very book I am reading.

I am glad that I was able to follow the characters to the end but I doubt I will reread the trilogy as I had the first two in preparation for the third's release.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros

Character Development

One character I have always consistently enjoyed seeing coming into his own is Rafferdy. It was wonderful to watch him go from idle rich who was determined not to care about anything but himself, to someone with goals and passions who's making a real effort to change the world for the better. Sure, it would have been nice if the catalyst for said change had been something other than meeting The Right Woman (a trope I dislike regardless of the specific combination of genders involved, for various reasons), but given that the influence of his father and actually having his eyes opened in multiple different ways to world-threatening peril also played a role, I can't exactly complain too hard.

In addition, I ended up liking Lady Shayde far more than I thought I would when I first started reading the books. I always do appreciate seeing a woman who can kick some legitimate ass, even if - and yes, I'll go ahead and acknowledge the problematic part right now - she's quite literally a tool in the hands of whichever man she deems strong enough to wield her. Even so, I liked that, lack of emotions aside, even this tool had free will and was capable of choosing whose hands she would put herself into, even to the point of cutting off her wielder when she deemed him no longer worthy. Speaking of which, I was very pleasantly surprised when, after Ivy and Rose were accosted by a group of soldiers intent on having their way with them, it wasn't Rafferdy who burst in to the rescue, but rather Lady Shayde, for reasons all her own and which had nothing to do with her relationship to any man.

On a more minor note, in much the same way I appreciate a story where even the characters we're supposed to be rooting for are shown to have real flaws, I also appreciate it when a narrative goes out of its way to show the good side of a character I actively dislike. In this case, Lady Marsdel's self-centredness, often to the point of implying that no one else's needs could possibly be more important than what she wanted, always grated on my nerves every time she was on-page. Nevertheless, when the chips were down and it really mattered, she did turn out to be loyal - even at cost to her own reputation and social standing - and it actually made me question how much of my negative perception of her was due to the fact that we've been seeing her primarily through Rafferdy's biased eyes. So, well-done on that count.

The Relationship Dynamics

As always, the ways in which the characters interact and influence each other remains one of the greatest strengths of this series. Easily the best aspect is that the author isn't afraid to evolve said relationships: marriages, friendships, and families all have to weather major life changes, and though the relationships have to adapt to accommodate said changes they more often than not come out all the stronger as a result - those that fall apart tend to be the ones that weren't worth the effort to begin with. Characters find out each others' Deep Dark Secrets, and react in positive or negative ways according to their individual dispositions and the nature of the relationship. I especially liked the emphasis on trust, and the importance of trust in holding a relationship together: any real friend who finds out that Ivy is a witch, or Eldyn is an illusionist, or Rafferdy has continued his study of magick in defiance of the law, accepts them for who they are and judges them on the basis of how they use their abilities rather than condemning them for the way they were born. It is a huge relief when everything is finally out among the three mains, and with a refreshingly minimum amount of angsty melodrama. Contrast this to the ignorant masses baying for the blood of anyone who's "different".

Ivy and Alasdare Quent are Happily Married, sure, but they're shown to have that happy relationship specifically because they put in the effort to maintain it: they support each other through good times and bad, they understand the value even the smallest of gestures can have to brighten up a good day or make a bad one less miserable, and if they ever keep secrets from one another, it's only to avoid breaking the confidence of someone else. The same can be said for Ivy and Rafferdy's strong friendship: each trusts the other unconditionally, and even though they know their feelings for each other are bound to cause some difficulty they both still value the other person enough for their own sake to find ways to make it work, and always take care to avoid any action that would rub salt in old wounds - and, when Ivy is offered a Sadistic Choice that would force her to choose between her husband and her friend, she refuses point blank to play that game: these are people she cares about, not goods to be priced at market, and which one she loves "more" is not and should not be a deciding factor. Eldyn and Sashie's relationship, by contrast, fell apart due to their mutual lack of respect for one another, and because each cared more for who they wanted the other person to be than for who they actually were: Eldyn wanted a meek, obediant piece of chattel he could marry off to the highest bidder without ever giving a single thought to her feelings on the matter, whereas Sashie cared only for her brother's values to align with her own ever-changing whims, and rejected him out of hand when he inevitably failed to live up to this impossible expectation. Plus it was nice to see that Eldyn eventually did seem to learn this lesson, and was able to have a frank, honest discussion with Lily about the difficulties and drawbacks of her life choices while still respecting that they were her choices to make, at the same time that Lily accepted that he could never return her affections in the way that she wanted and still chose to support him for who he was.

Cons

Midichlorians

Unfortunately, the longer this series goes on, the more Galen Beckett seems to be forgetting a very fundamental rule of writing fantasy:



I know I complained a bit in my review of the last book about the author's attempt to explain something that never needed to be explained in the first place. Reading a fantasy story by default involves a lot of suspension of disbelief, and paradoxically it can be quite a bit easier to suspend disbelief when an author hands you something fantastic and simply says "this is the way this world works, deal with it" than it is when the author attempts to justify the fantasy with a convoluted explanation that falls apart the second it comes up against real expertise - and unfortunately for this author, I know enough about astrophysics that no matter what explanation he gives for a planet's rotation to be so destabilized that the length of its daylight hours can vary by 20 hours or more from one day to the next without also being ejected from the solar system or being subject to tidal forces that cause the ocean to overrun the land or even rip the planet to pieces, I'm not going to buy it. (Also, the reason for the trees being sentient and capable of moving under their own power is that they'd evolved to fight back against dinosaurs? Come on. Because it's not like plants have evolved any other defenses against getting eaten that don't require such massive amounts of energy.)









Seriously, just say "it's magic" and have done with it. I promise I won't get mad.

The Mind Games

The longer the story went on, the less patience I had with Mr. Lockwell and the games he was playing with his daughter. Sure, he took a lot of necessary steps to make sure that no one but Ivy could access the essential information that he'd left behind for her, but after taking those steps... what reason could he possibly have to dole it out day by day, one tiny crumb at a time, giving her puzzle and riddle after puzzle and riddle without once providing even a single straight answer even though she is on a goddamn need to know basis? Providing a series of puzzles she and only she can solve in order to obtain access to his diary is one thing, so as to prevent said diary from falling into the wrong hands, but once she has it and knows how to read it... what point is there in making certain pages visible only for a few hours every day and then disappear, never to be seen again? Especially since she's been transcribing every single page as it appears anyway - and with excellent reason, considering they contain crucial information? Speaking of which, what's the point in burying the whereabouts of those people she desperately needs to talk to in yet another puzzle? You've already given her their names! Even if your diary did fall into the wrong hands, it's not like another reader could possibly use any other method to locate the people whose real names you've already so generously provided, like, I don't know, asking after them in the street? Which, come to think of it, would be a helluva a lot faster than solving whatever puzzles you've left. You are not helping your daughter by doing this. You are actively putting your daughter at a disadvantage relative to her enemies.

Which brings me to Problem Number Two: all of this is assuming that Ivy even sees the journal entries in the first place. What if Ivy had gotten violently ill (as did in fact happen at the very beginning of the book) right before a crucial page was due to appear? What if someone had tried to hold her captive (as did in fact happen at least once in each of the previous books) right before a crucial page was due to appear? What if she simply didn't check at the exact right time, and a page disappeared before she even had a chance to see it (as very nearly happened after Ivy had gotten accustomed to pages sticking around for a reasonable length of time, almost causing her to miss a crucial entry)? What if the house burned down, or the box was misplaced by a careless maid, or she was called away by a sudden emergency, or she simply gave up and decided to stop looking (which she nearly did do before you finally decided it was time to continue with your little game)? Why would you spend so much time jerking your daughter around like that when you could have simply clearly told her what you know and what she needs to do next, when the fate of the entire world is at stake?

And it's not only her father, either, but everyone.

You are not so clever as you believe. His harsh words sounded in her mind. You have made assumptions that are profoundly in error. Matters are not as you think.

Ivy shook her head. "Then help me to understand."

There is no time to explain things if you do not already understand. You must go to your father. Now!

Well geez, don't you think that it maybe, possibly could have helped the situation if you'd come clean with her from the start? If Ivy's misconceptions are causing her to make mistakes that put the world in danger, then you should be correcting those misconceptions before there's a goddamn crisis, you asshole! What's stopping you? No, really, what's stopping you? The fact that it might require you to drop that ~air of mystery~ act? You're putting the whole goddamn world in danger for the sake of your stupid theatrics!

But of course, none of this is actually about Ivy, is it? No, all of these puzzles and riddles and mind games are there solely for the sake of jerking the readers around, to keep us in suspense and keep us guessing. Which, granted, I generally don't mind - provided that the reasons make sense in-universe. And leaving a series of tantalizing clues and hints without a single solid lead in a way that's all but set up for the protagonist to fail is a game that's usually played by the psycho serial killer who gets a kick out of watching people tie themselves into knots trying to catch him - not by the so-called allies of the heroine who claim to care about the fate of the world!



...are we so sure these guys aren't secretly on the side of the Ashen?

What A Twist!

Wait a minute, so... Mr. Bennick is actually on their side? And Ivy should have trusted her father's words when he went on and on about how good and trustworthy Mr. Bennick was? Even though it was her father's words that condemned Mr. Bennick for a traitor in the first place? This... this doesn't make any sense! First he was a helpful friend, then he was a duplicitious deceiver, and now all of a sudden he's a friend again?



Ass Pull! I call Ass Pull!

Seriously, there's really only one plausible reason to pull this game of Musical Villains on us nearly 90% of the way through the final book in a series:



(That wasn't a compliment, by the way.)

The Drag

Other than that... well, things could get kind of long-winded.

Roughly half a dozen times, Ivy thinks that she really does need to pay a visit to such-and-such a person, or have a word with her husband about X. So stop thinking that you should do it and do it! It's really not that hard! But no: it's nothing but bad weather this and propriety that, and she dawdles, and dawdles, and dawdles, right up until two people she desperately needed to talk to are murdered, one of them literally minutes before she finally decides to get up off her ass and go do something about this knowledge she's been sitting on for roughly a week, and a third person she desperately needs to talk to is too busy fleeing the city for fear of being murdered to impart any of that ~essential information~ she so desperately needs. (Seriously, you'd think she would've learned her lesson after that incident in the first book where she nearly got kidnapped because ~heaven forbid~ she flee for her life without putting on her bonnet first!) But hey, it's not like that whole "saving the world" thing is actually important or anything! At least she managed to avoid getting wet, and to save face in front of the neighbors!



Also, I don't need to have evolution explained to me three times in a row, or have stuff recapped that's already happened in this book. I've been reading it, thank you. I know what's happened. Though maybe the author is afraid we're going to forget about the actual plot in between all the padding? In which case don't you think it would be easier to, I don't know, try cutting out some of the padding?

The Scene Skipping

So now we're getting past the merely obnoxious stuff and into the part that was legitimately angering.

You know how I just complained about how long this author can drag the story out? Well, as long and dragging as some of the plot threads were, I'll concede that the author did genuinely put a lot of thought and effort into even the most mundane of scenes, so that even when he was writing about domestic bliss or day-to-day life things never got boring. So you'd think that once we started nearing the end, he'd be putting at least that same level of thought and effort into the climax, right?

Except no, he doesn't. Right when everything is coming together and we're reaching the moment of truth, the darkest hour where the heroes are going to do or die, the buildup is finally coming to a payoff... and the story skips over all of the climactic scenes! And I mean literally every single one of them! The plan to throw the gate to Cerephus into an endless feedback loop by a union of magick and witchcraft accompanied by Lady Shayde's Heroic Sacrifice? The scene gets cut immediately before the heroes set their plan into motion... and the next scene consists of Ivy coming up the stairs and telling us what happened, and in astonishingly sparse detail for a book that up to this point had spent multiple pages describing everything from stage rehearsals to dinner parties to Ivy balancing the household ledger! The rush to reach the final gate and rework the enchantments before the Ashen came through? A cut immediately right before Rafferdy starts his journey, and it only picks up again after the gate has been dug up and altered. The desperate final battle between Huntley Morden's men and Valhaine's army? Skipped. The final spell that would return Mr. Lockwell's mind to his body? Skipped. All of the most important scenes to the resolution of the story, and we were simply told, not shown.



Did the author just get tired of writing after 700 pages straight? Did he get bored, and want to be done with the thing right nownowNOW at all costs, even if that meant doing the equivalent of writing "Everything was fixed and they all lived happily ever after, The End"? What did you even write about the world-threatening peril for if you're going to pour all of your efforts into the domestic bliss and resolve the world-threatening peril with barely more than a footnote?

The Verdict

This series is lucky I tend to prioritize characters and relationships while reading a story, because the characters and relationships were interesting and well-developed enough to be legitimately engaging in their own right. Not enough to completely cover for shoddy plotting, no, but the shoddy plotting didn't matter as much to me if I could at least get some enjoyment out of watching the characters bounce off of each other.

[Kit★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so I thought this book was great. It was horribly sad though in certain spots, and I cried for a minute, not gonna deny it. I had just gotten so attached to Mr. Quent... But I don't want to say to much. I'll focus on what I liked most. I liked how things finally came together, and things were explained. I liked the feel of rushing down the hill to the conclusion, even if that rush was occasionally not that fast-paced. In fact, it even sort of moved slowly for a while in the middle, but it never once lost my attention. I've become so fond of Ivy, she's a great heroine, especially for the time-period, that old-fashioned type setting. She was brave and good and stayed strong, even when she wanted to crumble to the floor and never move again. But she wasn't aggravating, at least to me. She kept her old-fashioned sensibilities and sense of propriety, and was still a smart, fantastic character that I cared for like a friend. But Mr. Quent, Alasdare... sigh... I'm pretty sure I've already expounded on my love for him in my reviews of the earlier books in the series, but in this one it was the best, despite the pain. I could really feel his and Ivy's love, their bond. Even without being anything like a romance novel, I could feel it in the way they looked at each other, the simple things like touching hands in public. Made it even worse when the trouble hit home. I loved seeing the Wyrdwood again, makes me want to have that talent like Ivy's to hear the trees and have them do your bidding. I was kept intrigued by the developments of what was happening as the red planet Cerephus moved ever closer, the coming alignment of the planets. The descriptions of the days and nights of varying lengths, that killer cold that comes with days and days of darkness. I could picture so vividly. I really liked Eldyn in this one, his decision to aid the rebels, despite the danger to himself, his learning to make impressions and all that too. He proved himself to be brave and strong, and I was glad for it, and I really liked how in the end he and Dercy were setting off to the New Lands to open a tavern in the colony. Like America in the beginning, nothing but vast untamed wilderness, only in this book's world, it's Wyrdwood, those sentient-type trees with the power. I liked the brief times they got to go into the groves, I could envision the quiet, the green and cool shaded path leading to the ancient magick gateways, the sighing of the wind and the trees themselves... Rafferdy most especially proved himself a worthy hero by the end. For a guy who started off in the first book as a rakish sort of fop, clever and charming, but not real deep, he grew to be a good man. Plus, he had strong magick, and that's always cool, especially when he's one of the good guys. I especially liked learning more about Lady Shayde as well, finding out what she was, how she came about, what her purpose was. I hated her for the first like 2/3 of the book, as she was an enemy, but I like how she redeemed herself sort of, she served her true purpose and actually came to help Ivy, and the fight against the Ashen. I would've maybe liked to learn more of the first appearance of them and the first magicians and witches. I mean, a lot was explained by the end, but I still was left wondering about things at the same time, could've gone for more. But that's a good sign, keeps the tale in my mind for long times. I also would've liked to know more about how Rose and others have the rare talent for seeing the colors around people, the witches and Siltheri and etc. Is it because of magician's blood in the family line, as Rose's father was a magician? Or is it just random? Hmm... I kind of came to like Rafferdy's friends from Assembly, Coulten especially. I could read more about magick and all the things in the world of Altania (and beyond). I rather hope the author keeps writing more books. I liked how this book made me feel, saddened but content, happy but with a lingering sigh. I was glad in the end that Lily lived her dream of working with the theater and the illusionists, even though she was saddened by Eldyn's tastes not running her way. She did what she wanted, and I'm glad she grew up from the flibbertigibbet she was in the series' beginning. I liked the uniting of Morden and the princess once Valhain's armies and the Ashen were defeated, and the way the new government was set up, like an optimistic ending. I wonder if the days will ever even out to be like how we know 'em in real life, instead of all out of whack, seeing as how Cerephus was darkened and moving away in the end, presumably to explode or something. Hopefully it's gone for good. But I hope the people and the trees of this world don't lose their magick now that the threat is gone, that would be sad. Oh! I am very happy though that Ivy got to have a baby, and that it was Mr. Quent's, it was for me a very happy part of the ending that a bit of him remained, and that she'd be a witch like her mama. Made me smile.
So, this book, and this series, to me, is one I'm going to hang on to, and re-read again one day. I loved how it combined the historical setting I love with the fantasy and magic and mystery of an alternate world, and the aspect of beings from other worlds and strange happenings in space. And the trees! I love trees, so these trees with their power were great. As long as I'm not on the bad side of 'em, b/c that'd be scary. I'd love to read more books by this author, and not even necessarily in this same world, a whole new story'd be great too. I like the writing style a lot, and the characters and plot were excellent too. It's a keeper :D

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was just looking over my review for the prior book in the trilogy, The House on Durrow Street, and this book has a lot of the same stylistic issues that I had with that book - namely that a lot of things happen off-screen, so to speak, and the things that happen on-screen are often repetitive.

As we switch perspectives from one character to a next we often, also, experience a passing of time, and then we get a summary of what happened in that time - which removes and and all tension from these scenes, especially when they includes battles or things because, well, we sort of know the outcome, don't we?

The worst example of this was in the freaking climax where we basically go over the plan of action, in belabored detail, and then we skip to after the battle and learn that, well, everything sort of went to plan so, well, that's that, then.

o_O

I don't know if Beckett has done this on purpose for some reason, or if he's just not very good at figuring out what should go on the page and what should be summarized?

***

As to characters, Eldyn had a much more relevant role this time around, and his parts, at least in the beginning, were often the more interesting ones. Unfortunately, towards the end, his role was sort of over, so he was shunted off to the background more often than not. (I was not sad to see no sign of his sister in this book.)


Rafferdy, conversely, didn't have much going on in the beginning, aside from some scheming and politics and whatnot, but became much more involved towards the end. We do see a lot of character growth in Rafferdy, which is good, but my main complaint with it is that a lot of it sort of already happened in the second book and yet he's still sort of acting shocked about it the whole time.


We see a bit more of Mr. Quent in this book, which is nice. I'm glad to see more of his character, since he's so often absent from the previous books. But I was rather bothered by a certain plot point pertaining to him, mostly because it felt so forced. See, the first book sets up a romance between Rafferdy and Ivy that never comes to be, Ivy marries Mr. Quent and Rafferdy is forever regretful. So, then, of course, we have to have Mr. Quent perform a noble sacrifice which not only bolsters his character, but paves the way for Ivy and Rafferdy to finally get together. Ugh.


And then there's Ivy. Oh, what to say about Ivy? Mostly I'll say I'm rather disappointed in Ivy.

See, Ivy is, ostensibly, thee main character of the series, it being named after her and all, but she never really plays any sort of proactive role. She's constantly reacting to things around her, and never really taking charge of anything - aside from taking care of people.

We're constantly told how intelligent and clever she is, and yet she fails to solve, like, any of the riddles or clues that are left for her - or, if she does solve them, she does it too late for them to be of any use.

And, even worse than that, when she's point blank told to do something - like to gather certain people together - she constantly dithers about it. Well, it's dark. Well, it's raining. Well, there's this other stuff going on and I just can't spare an hour away from the people I need to take care of because, of course, that's my main role as a woman.

Never-fucking-mind that it's about the end of the world and something you could actually DO to maybe help that NOT HAPPEN!

*ahem*

Where was I?


Oh, yes. One character which becomes rather interesting in this final installment is Lady Shayde, but I can't say too much without giving things away.

***

That said, it wasn't a bad book - just disappointing... but, then, my expectations were set rather high after the first book, which I really enjoyed, and even though the second was more lackluster I had held out hope for a spectacular finish and just, well... didn't get it.

But it does tie things up - a bit too neatly, at times - and there are still moments that are exciting or touching or interesting and whatnot.

I did read the whole 718 pages of it in just a touch over a week - and that's including a busy week full of rehearsals and family parties and things - so it doesn't really drag, for all that.

It's just that I think it could be so much better than it was, and that always leaves me feeling a bit sad... But I don't hate it, by a long shot, and still do have some fond thoughts of it, regardless, so it can't be all bad. :)

[notyourmonkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you write a review when the ideas about the book that hooked you in the first place are also the ones you find most troubling? This is sort of a review of all three books in the series but does so in light of the revelations at the end of the third book (and thus will be spoiler-tagged).

On the face of it, this series is wildly up my alley. Second-world fantasy that's a mashup with drawing-room romances/comedy of manners, with a dash of Lovecraftian horror sprinkled in? Actual onscreen queer romance? Heck yes sign me up.

Is the pastiche in the first book really obvious? Yep. Do most characters seem like flimsy trappings who only exist to give the POV characters something to react against or to further the POV characters' plot, with no inner life of their own? Absolutely. Even with the POV characters, did I get a lot of telling of their qualities and not much showing? Sure. Buuuuuut did I still enjoy it? An enthusiastic yes!

But. But. Herein lies spoiler discussion focused on gender and sexuality.

So while I enjoy the idea of exploring how societal strictures against the activities of women could be influenced by magic instead of just, y'know, the patriarchy (or, rather, I suppose, that the root of patriarchal norms is based on magic), I don't think the author stuck the landing on this one. And I am deeply troubled by the implication that the only reason queer men exist is because they are the children-of-witches-who-probably-should-have-been-daughters.

Like, okay, cool that you incorporate queer people (exclusively men) into your quasi-Regency fantasy series, but when you try to "explain" their existence as the rare sons of witches and magicians, that the strong preference of witches' magic for women means that that magic somehow makes the few boys who are born more feminine and thus prefer the company of their own gender? Yeah, that's kinda fucked up. Even as the author is constructing a queer romance, he's also subtextually implying that the reason these two dudes fell in love is because they were "supposed" to be women. Pretty sure that's not what Born This Way was aiming for, y'all.

It's like it's very clear that this author, even when trying to incorporate a POV queer man with an onscreen love interest (and one of only two characters who are explicitly (not like that) indicated to be having sex!), didn't, uh, actually do much thinking about gender and queerness at all. The worldbuilding is rich in other ways (even if not in characterization), so it just really speaks to laziness when considering implications of his gender-based magic stuff. So, okay, ladies like dudes, so clearly dudes who like dudes are kind of like ladies, amiright? Which is why, I suspect, we never see ladies liking ladies in this world! Becaues the only possible reason queer people would exist in this world is magic-related, amiright?

I mean, these are easy fixes, people. Have at least one non-Siltheri queer dude appear. Have at least one queer woman appear. Boom, you're no longer being creepy about sexuality via gender! Because do I think that the author thought about the creepy implications of how he set all this up? No I do not, and that's why it's a problem of neglect, not malice. (Still a problem, though.)

And, okay, yes, your book doesn't technically have to include trans people (more's the pity), but if you're going to construct an entire society based on gender-divided magic, at least show me that you've thought about what gender is - because if the reason witches are always women is because of that second X chromosome (which I think is what is implied by all the vaguely genetics-based conversations about not!Darwin and moths), then I guarantee you're gonna have at least a dude or three who can talk to the trees. But I digress.

It felt a lot like trying to have cake and eat it, too. It felt like a story deeply concerned about gender (and to some extent sexuality) that doesn't realize it's only barely scratched the surface.

[Rosu Aquabutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been charmed and captured by this series since reading the first two pages of The Magicians and Mrs. Quent while sitting at a chair in Chapters. I have evangelized the trilogy to all of my friends, bought copies for gifts, sent (largely ignored) fanmail to the author. I went from being charmed at the flawed Magicians to dazzled by the brilliant The House on Durrow Street. With the massive leap in quality between the first book and the second, and the sheer amount of love and affection I have for these characters, I went into The Master of Heathcrest Hall with a thousand expectations that were so high they could never be realistically met.

I am almost completely satisfied with this book.

In The Master of Heathcrest Hall, we pick up on the three main characters several months after the end of House. Ivoleyn Quent's husband has been nominated for the position of Lord Inquirer, but she's haunted by disturbing dreams of an Altania long past. Eldyn Garriet turns to war photography as desperate times in Invarel close down theatres, and pines for his terminally ill lover. And Dashton Rafferdy schemes with an illegal magical society to protect the ancient trees of Altania, the last line of defense against the Lovecraftian Ashen from the wandering planet. The Grand Conjunction of the planets is growing near, and the witch, the illusionist, and the magician are the only thing that can stop the Ashen and their slaves from devastating the entire world.

The last installment of the series does not have the thrilling climax of the second, but the darkness that it takes its three lead characters into is unflinching. Despite having seen most of the developments coming in advance, my heart was still in my throat throughout most of the book, cringing against what I knew what sure to come. The action ramps up far earlier than it did in either Magicians or House, and sustains itself longer. While I missed some of the more measured mannerly aspects of the previous books, the pace was very appropriate for the final one of a series. The answers to all the mysteries of Lady Shayde, Mr. Bennick, Mr. Lockwell, Cerephus, the Ashen, and the man in the black mask are all extremely satisfying and well telegraphed, and there was no revelation I felt myself disappointed by. All the characters had incredibly satisfying arcs -- I was especially impressed by how Lily's story resolved, for sure a minor character she's had a fantastic character trajectory.

This series comes so highly recommended. Galen Beckett is a fantastic writer and his story improves by leaps in each book. The framing of the world is unique and complex and the three main characters are so loveable and charismatic.

If I have anything bad to say about this book, it's that I found the big climax seemed to actively AVOID actually writing the action segments (moving the Eye, the battle at Pennerly). I love my books high on dialogue and low on action but that was a little sketchy even for me. Secondly, I wasn't happy with how my favourite character, Eldyn, did so little in the actual climax. Yeah, he was the one who got the map out and that was the only thing that let them win at the end but come on, would it have been so hard to have him come along to Heathcrest Hall at the end? I know he's sick and just then reunited with Dercy but I've been telling myself that Eldyn's separation from the other two characters was going to pay off in the last book and it DID, but not as much as I'd have hoped.

These complaints are just me whining, though. I love this book and this series and I am SO sad that it's over. The epilogue had me crying and it was the perfect tempo of going everywhere and meeting everyone without being all last chapter of Harry Potter about it. I wish so badly that there was more in this world, I just love it so much.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've greatly enjoyed Galen Beckett's Mrs. Quent trilogy, of which The Master of Heathcrest Hall is the final volume. At the start of the series it felt like a Jane Austen era romance with magic added in, but by the end it is clear that it is the reverse: it is epic fantasy, but clothed in the style and manners of a regency novel. It's a delightful departure from a typical sword and sorcery tale, but lacking none of the magic and adventure.

Heathcrest Hall brings back all of the usual cast: Ivoleyn Quent, mistress of the Wyrdwood, the dashing magician, Mr. Rafferdy, and the illusionist Eldyn Garritt, as well as a host of quirky and entertaining secondary characters. Myriad plotlines are woven together as we discover the true nature of these different magic users (witches, magicians, and illusionists), and they all must employ their talents to combat the invading Ashen that threaten to destroy their world.

Beckett's story never failed to entertain me, but it did frustrate me in some places. As with the previous books, I found the ending to be slightly underwhelming. Grand, exciting events are happening, yet often they are skipped over and described only briefly and in retrospect. Discoveries that should be big revelations (such as the identity of the man in black, a mystery since early in the first book) are ho hum—merely interesting facts rather that eye opening moments that force you to reconsider everything that came before. Many of the mysteries and riddles that drive the plot have the flimsiest of justifications, and I can't help but think that if a few characters had just been a little more open and direct that everything would have been cleared up in no time.

But these things don't change the fact that this book (and the series before it) was tremendous fun to read. After accepting the plot-mandated contrivances as a conceit of the genre and just enjoying the story for what it is, I would happily dwell in Beckett's world for a few books more, if he let me.

[D.w. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed this series. Beckett as a writer able to invoke imagery is by far one of the best that I have encountered. That he blends this with the background of a society well founded in Regency and Victorian times, with the romance from books that we now write for those eras amazes me.

Why this series deserves your notice is founded on those reasons. We have a strong series of fantasy work, excellent writing, and a storyline that is entwined with regency romance and victorian motifs as well. But it is a series and jumping in here at the third book, though a complete work, still has us building on work that has gone before in the Magician and Mrs. Quent and the House on Durrow Street.

The world is beset by an ill and our heroine and our heroes are those who can fix the problem, we hope. They have done so in the last two books and of course knowing that a book will have an uplifting ending, we believe such will be the case by the end of this story.

How we get there is challenging and rewarding. And as I have said the imagery and language used to take us there is worth the price of admission. The only failing I can site, is that near the end, as the opposition is to finally be defeated we have one character now reveal to us much of the reasoning for the fight. And it is a reveal. With 2000 pages that have come before and a great deal of information about why our heroes have come to this fight, certainly we could have more pieces of the puzzle and thus only a paragraph or two to tie it all together. Not pages of material of backstory at the last juncture.

Put that aside, gloss over those few pages, and this is a great series and a good last book. One only hopes that Beckett will have more to tell us as time goes by in this world.

[Cissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This was a brilliant end to the trilogy! Very meaty and with excellent pacing, and satisfying endings (though not without sadness).

Despite my usual need to understand hot things work, Beckett pulls off a world with irregular days and nights, and unpredictable planetary motions in a way that encourages me to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy it; it's so matter-of-fact.

The world, too, is interesting- it's the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (sort of), and there is a "peasant rebellion". This is unusual in fantasy books, and has been a topic of discussion among some of us fantasy fans; we get bored with it being all nobles, all the time. These novels cover a broader range of the society.

This is a wonderful series! Please, though- don't start with this one; start with "The Magicians and Mrs. Quent". Beckett is considerate enough to put in a few pertinent reminders of the previous 2 books in this one... but I don't think it'd be enough to make sense of the plot if one had not read them (albeit a while ago).

Highly recommended! And I thank the publishers for giving me an ARC, though that has not at all affected my review (I did buy the previous 2!).

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It is over 700 pages, and I was worried, but finished it in no time because it was just so darn good! Wonderful treatment of re-introducing you to the main characters and storylines in a natural, unforced way. Great action and mystery throughout. Always keeps you guessing and reading! Described as a combination of Bronte sisters meets magic it is an excellent world that Galen Beckett has created with interesting characters who struggle with what is right and what is wrong in a very real and endearing way. Highly recommend the whole series for those who like fantasy, mystery and primness!

Sad that this is probably the end of this series, and hoping that there will be more from this great author!

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so badly to like this third book in the series, but I just couldn't.

It's dull and predictable. The first book had the clever homages to Austen and Bronte, but the continued series tries too hard. I still wish I'd liked it.

I received this book for free through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The speed with which I consumed all three of the Mrs. Quent books attests to my fondness for them. Why? Magic. Sentient trees. Planetary alignments. The mannered life of past periods. Romance between people I liked - and examples of love that are not standard he+she on teen hormones! I had a hard time putting this down until I finished with a satisfied sigh.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during Regency Magic (March & April 2016)

Night and day start and stop when they wish. No almanac can predict the umbrals and lumenals. The red planet Cerephus grows brighter in the sky, easily seen during even the sunniest of lumenals. Despite all evidence to the contrary a grand conjunction looks imminent in the heavens. Ivy is convinced that she and Rafferdy have stopped the Ashen by trapping Gambrel behind one of the doors in the house on Durrow Street, but there is an ominous warning, "when twelve who wander stand as one, through the door the dark will come." Ivy is also plagued by dreams, dark and prophetic during the umbrals and the man called the black stork has visited again, warning her that the Ashen, the first ones, the ancients, the darkness between the stars are coming and they are hungry. But what is Ivy to do? She is pregnant and stuck in Invarel, unable to do much but read. One book in particular, The Towers of Ardaunto, might hold the key. While a seemingly lurid Gothic romance, Ivy is quickly convinced that it is actually about something much more. She thinks it is about her husband's childhood friend, Ashaydea, who was transformed into the White Thorn, the blade of the king's black dog. When Ivy learns the book was written by one of her father's fellow magicians she realizes that perhaps she misjudged some of the members of her father's magical order. Perhaps they are not all evil? Especially as these members are being killed for something they all possess.

The world is changing outside Ivy's windows as her confinement is enforced. The king has died and there is a lot of hemming and hawing about placing the crown on the head of his daughter. Any woman could be a witch these days, so can she be trusted? With the arrival of Huntley Morden on the shores of Altania the king's black dog, Lord Valhaine, uses the situation to his advantage, incarcerating the princess and seizing control for himself, casting down the crown. But Lord Valhaine is in thrall to Gambrel's High Order of the Golden Door and he will do their bidding, preparing the world for the arrival of the Ashen. Invarel devolves into a police state, with the government waging war against all of Altania, from it's people to it's Wyrdwood. The university is shuttered, knowledge is dangerous, magic even more so. Those who can are fleeing to their country estates, for those who must remain there are privations. Revolts are a regular occurrence, troops are everywhere, and The Theatre of the Moon is forced to remain open, entertaining the troops baser instincts. The puppet government starts to turn against those previously loyal to the crown and Mr. Quent is sent to prison. His death is one of many that will happen before the war ends, because it is war. Rafferdy joins Huntley Morden, Eldyn aids the rebellion, the two old friends now comrades in arms. But it's Ivy and her power that might save Altania. Ivy and a White Thorn.

There are books that you fall into and never want to leave. Yes, you NEED to know how it all turns out, but at the same time you're trying to think of ways to actually hide yourself in the pages of the narrative like Thursday Next and ignore the fact that there is an end in sight and you're getting closer to it each day. Just skimming The Master of Heathcrest Hall for this review was a dangerous task, I felt myself being pulled back into the story. I had to forcefully remind myself again and again that I had a job to do, and that job was to convert others to this series so that we can all go and live there together. Perhaps a little cottage just down from Heathcrest Hall? That would do me just fine. We can make our own subdivision of real people in this fictional world! The world that Galen Beckett has created is just as real to me as that created by J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. I know I will think about it often and long for times when I can dip into the pages again. But while I was reading it I had one major concern, and that was the safety of all these friends that I held dear and whether they would make it out alive, but more importantly, get their HEA. For a book with such great dangers and magical destructive forces that kill many it might seem unrealistic that everyone gets a HEA. But you know what I say? Who cares! This is fantasy, this is magic, this is the way I want all my books to end. Everyone ends up with love in their lives and a place in the world! What better ending is there?

One aspect of this volume that I wasn't so sure of at first was Ivy's prophetic dreams of prehistoric Altania. It felt like The Clan of the Cave Bear with magicians, but not in any fun and cool mashup. I think the reason I didn't at first like this plot contrivance was that it felt a little hokey doing this as a cold open for the book. The reader needed to be reconnected to Ivy before being shoved into her subconscious. Once the "dream" was more integrated into the plot I really started to like it. I started analyzing the dream for significance. Of course Galen does tie it all in together seamlessly in the end, I still think it needed a better initial set up. Because what this dream is really about is tying Ivy to her lineage. Forging a connection to all the witches that came before her. Basically, she's Buffy meeting the First Slayer, the Primitive. Think how long it was on Buffy the Vampire Slayer before we got into this mythos? Four long seasons. The episode that reveals the Primitive, "Restless," is one of the best pieces of television writing ever. We are shown dreams that are obviously connected to each member of the Scooby Gang that work there way to the reveal of the Primitive. Yes, Galen has forged a connection between us and Ivy, but that connection needs to be reestablished before diving headfirst into the mythos of this world. In fact, I think this slightly awkward opening is the only thing I can take issue with in this book.

What Galen does do seamlessly is continue expanding the magical system of his world. While there are the three set "categories" of magic with Magician, Witch, and Illusionist, he starts adding in people that fit between these hard and fast definitions. The most obvious is seen with Ivy's sister Rose. Rose isn't a witch, not being a descendant from any famous line like Ivy is, but she isn't without abilities. Rose sees colors. Perhaps they are only colors of magical people, because that is all she does see, but who knows? Anyone else want a spin off for Rose? It's clear that she is able to see the health and vibrancy of Ivy's unborn son, and it's Rose who realizes that Ivy has miscarried because the color is gone. But more importantly Rose answers the question that has been plaguing her family for years. She figures out how their father lost his mind. He didn't lose it so much as transfer his mind into the house on Durrow Street, giving it his consciousness and therefore protecting what was inside the house. He looks through the wooden eyes, he watches over his family. In fact Rose is able to see where he is in the house because his color appears, and she is even able to communicate with him. I love that Rose has this ability, not just because it shows the range of worldbuilding that Galen went to, but because it takes Ivy's sisters from being just background scenery from a Jane Austen novel and makes them integral to the plot.

But above and beyond all these magical "categories" there is Lady Shayde, she who was Ashaydea, Mr. Quent's childhood friend. I CAN NOT stress how enamored I was by her character development, because once again Galen shows that in his world, while men are important, the women are the true power. Lady Shayde at first defies explanation, she is a product of magic but something more, something unique, a tool that was created, but a creation in which she was complicit. She is the most feared of all and in fact if it wasn't for her, evil and Gambrel would not have been vanquished and the Ashen would have won. But what's so unique and provocative about the way Galen tells her story is it's with a story within a story. Ivy discovers the book, The Towers of Ardaunto, and she realizes over time that it's not just a lurid Gothic romance, but a bleak story about the making of a White Thorn. At first Ivy thinks that it was the book that gave the magician Mr. Bennick the idea to make Lady Shayde, but she eventually realizes that this is in fact the reverse. Another of her father's magical circle wrote The Towers of Ardaunto after knowing the story of Ashaydea. Shivers. Literally. Like The Tales of Beedle the Bard but written by Mrs. Radcliffe or Charlotte Bronte. In fact, is there anyway I could like read all of The Towers of Ardaunto? I'm not joking. The excerpts made me NEED this book in my life as well.

What was most powerful in this story though was the use of photography. Yes, it's not really "photography" and is an image captured by an illusionist and then projected onto a plate and printed, but it's basically the magical equivalent of a technology we are familiar with. What is so powerful is that Eldyn aids the rebellion more than anyone else by documenting the truth with his "impressions." Because an impression captured by an illusionist can not lie. Like photography before Photoshop, think how much of history, of The Truth, was brought to the masses through photographs? Words are well and good, but an image is literally worth a thousand words. Eldyn's capturing of the soldiers attacking students helps to shift the feelings about the government. The government says one thing, but here's a picture showing it as it happened so you can decide for yourself what the truth actually is. Being able to see an unadulterated image aids in the dissemination of knowledge. This new medium isn't just revolutionary, it aids the revolution. As an artist I love how Galen has, in a fantasy world, shown how an artistic medium has literally changed worlds. Yes, this might be fantasy, but fantasy reflects us and our society and our world. Therefore whenever people say they don't like a certain genre, I say give it a chance. Who knows what kind of book will reflect something back to you and perhaps open you mind.

[Cheryl Gatling]

This being the third book in a trilogy, I knew what to expect, or thought I did. I settled in for a slow, atmospheric progression. That was exactly what the first half delivered. Things got a lot more exciting about halfway through, and I plowed through the end of the book.

In the beginning, there are lots of hints of trouble brewing in the background: rebellion in the outlying districts of the country, a clampdown on “unpatriotic” speech in the capital, rampant inflation, especially of candles, and the increasingly chaotic day-night cycle.

Ivy spends her time trying to figure out what her father was trying to tell her in his journal, whose entries only appear at certain times, and then fade away. She is to gather all the magicians of her father’s old circle. But they are all scattered. How can she find them. And some, like Bennick, have turned evil. She has to gather the magicians, find pieces of a keystone, and… then what?

Meanwhile, time is running out. The conjunction of the planets approaches. And then something terrible will happen. Actually we already know what will happen. There will be a night so long and cold that people will dread that it will never end. And the Ashen, the grey, ravenously hungry beings from the red planet Cerephus, will leap to earth and start devouring everyone and everything.

Only one thing can stop them: the Wyrdwood, the stands of ancient trees. But men in power in the government are actively campaigning to have all the Wyrdwood destroyed, as dangerous to humans. Which they are. The trees of the Wyrdwood will kill people (kind of like the Whomping Willow of Harry Potter, only worse). But only if you annoy them. Witches are what they call women who have the ability to communicate with the trees of the Wyrdwood, to calm them or to incite them. But the same faction that wants to kill all the Wyrdwood also wants to kill all the witches.

Ivy’s husband, Mr Quent, now Sir Quent, is working to protect both the trees and the witches, knowing they are vital to national security. There are rumors that he will be promoted, but in the end he is disgraced. Ivy, who had been the darling of society, has no more visitors. But that’s OK. No one goes to parties anymore, anyway. And everyone who can flee the city has already fled.

At this point I wondered, why can’t you just explain yourself? Why no impassioned speeches in the Assembly explaining what the Wyrdwood can do for you? Why no public service announcements in the broadsheets? Why no illusion plays dramatizing how the Wyrdwood saved humanity in the past, and can do it again? Then I thought, how is that working for us with climate change? Millions of Americans still don’t think it's an important issue, and it’s not for lack of having it explained.

Besides, in this story, the bad guys do know they Ashen are coming, and are going to destroy everything. They just think they can cut some kind of deal with them. They weighed personal profit and personal power against the good of the many, and chose power. We know they are going to end up just as dead as everyone else if they have their way, but hey, some people are like that.

One thing that I liked about this book is that the younger Lockwood sisters, Rose and Lily, who have been air-headed dingbats up till now, good mostly for comic relief, both grow into their own. They each develop unique talents, which are useful. They remain oddball characters, but they are strong in their own way. (I wished a similar redemption might have been found for Eldyn’s sister Sashie, who entered the convent, and then completely disappeared.)

I also thought that this series of books would make a great movie. Or series of movies. I could picture it, with the blue light of magic crackling over ancient stone gateways, and the silver sparkles of illusions rising off Eldyn’s hands into the dark sky, and the Wyrdwood darkly creaking and groaning, reaching down over the wall to lift a man screaming into the air. And solid, bearded Mr Quent like a young Sean Connery. And Rafferdy played by I don’t know what dashing young man with broad shoulders to set off his sleek velvet coat, and a strong jaw that will end up covered with a stubbly beard as he ends up roughing it as an officer in the field. I don’t know why this series isn’t better known.

I think my favorite part may be that the heroes of the book are the trees. The old trees are good, but they are not safe. And nature is like that. Nature is wild, and powerful, and can kill you a thousand ways, but we can have no life without her, and our only hope is to find a way to be partners, not enemies.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this series, but it's tough to recommend because it's so long. All of the POV characters ended up having something interesting to contribute to the plot, even if it wasn't obvious from the start. I was annoyed that the main point of writing a book like this - to come up with a fantasy reason for the excessive manners and oppression of women present in a Regency setting - wasn't really obvious until halfway through the third book. Otherwise, I'm glad I finally finished this series on the second try.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to a lovely trilogy. While moving more into the realm of fantasy and abandoning some of the victorian vibe of the earlier books, The Master of Heathcrest Hall ends the series rather perfectly, with enough pain to balance out the happy endings and make everything feel earned. A great series, and I'd love to read more books set in this world.

[Vickie Noble · Rating 4 out of 5]

This trilogy was pretty good. It was set around the 1800's. It was about witches, magicians, and illusionists coming together to save the world from the evil Ashen. I loved the characters and the time period and the story line. But I felt the author was too wordy. I felt the books could have been shortened by half.

[Lili Evergreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely the best book of the trilogy, filled with tension, tragedy, and high-stakes. The pacing is much better and tighter than the previous two and there's a lot that happens to our characters throughout. The climax and final confrontation with the Ashen was rather rushed, but everything came together to create a satisfying happy ending for everyone. All in all, a very enjoyable book!

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

It takes a lot of pages to tie up all the loose ends from the other Mrs. Quent books, making this book perhaps 1/3 longer than I'd prefer. But Beckett delivers on his promises and throws in a number of twists to create a satisfying and beautiful ending to the trilogy.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over more epic ending than I thought. I appreciate that Ivy was able to have two happy love stories in her life, and not in a way that felt pushy. I liked the magic but stayed for the love stories....

[Jose Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consume this series....

...as it has consumed me. You won’t be disappointed. It might take a little getting accustomed to the pace. But once you do, you’ll find it difficult to put down.

[William A. Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying read

I became invested in the characters and am sad to leave them behind. A very well-crafted fantasy that reminds me of another favorite, "Jonathon Strange and Mister Norrell".

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent finish to the trilogy of Mrs. Quent. The drama and the characters really came to life.