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The Fey #5
Victory
The conflict on Blue Isle reaches a violent peak in "Victory", as the islanders revolt against the Fey army. Still thirsty for revenge, the islanders sap Fey magic. And King Nicholas discovers another weapon: religious artifacts that could harm the Fey army as much as the dreaded holy water. When the Fey army stands against the Blue Islanders, victory depends upon a most unlikely alliance. King Nicholas must join together with the man who killed his wife--or all of Blue Isle will suffer.
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 1998
15 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,365 books720 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 6, 2021
Review from 2021:
Easily the best book of the series. This is definitely rounded up but I left the 4 star rating.
Review from 2017:
My favorite installment so far. Lots of action and the cooling down period after battle felt rushed
Easily the best book of the series. This is definitely rounded up but I left the 4 star rating.
Review from 2017:
My favorite installment so far. Lots of action and the cooling down period after battle felt rushed
April 23, 2021
I'm rounding up.
This is one of (if I recall) my two favorite installments of this series so far. I don't recommend starting the series here, but it might be feasible.
This is one of (if I recall) my two favorite installments of this series so far. I don't recommend starting the series here, but it might be feasible.
September 11, 2019
The magic system is great but never really explained, which is great in it's own way.
June 20, 2014
Sorry to say, another sloppy book. Words are transposed, character names are mangled (eg a character named Denl is referred to as Dent for a few pages) and chapters start ending like I'm listening to an episodic radio play. Think endings like, and (I'm making up these examples) "He had his troops. But would they be enough?" then two chapters later "Her strength had returned. But would it be enough?" and so on
Basically it just feels like the book was rushed and could have used another run through the word polishing machine.
The story itself is also starting to feel kind of redundant as well. The magic of Blue Isle feels like a deus ex machina solution to the Fey invasion. Blue Isle itself is feeling constrained.
Rusch did manage to have me feeling some sympathy for Matthias which was quite a feat.
But Nicholas... if feels like the Fey have essentially exterminated the people of the Island. The major city has been burned to the ground and its residents put to the sword. The farmlands have been burned and the people harvested for lamps or what not. Constant has been wiped out. Who is left?
And yet Nicholas is all about forgive and forget by the end of the book. All the sub-commanders who carried out the Black Kings orders and butchered children? They're our pals now!
It was kind of gross.
Maybe I just need a break; I'm just not feeling this series any more.
Basically it just feels like the book was rushed and could have used another run through the word polishing machine.
The story itself is also starting to feel kind of redundant as well. The magic of Blue Isle feels like a deus ex machina solution to the Fey invasion. Blue Isle itself is feeling constrained.
Rusch did manage to have me feeling some sympathy for Matthias which was quite a feat.
But Nicholas... if feels like the Fey have essentially exterminated the people of the Island. The major city has been burned to the ground and its residents put to the sword. The farmlands have been burned and the people harvested for lamps or what not. Constant has been wiped out. Who is left?
And yet Nicholas is all about forgive and forget by the end of the book. All the sub-commanders who carried out the Black Kings orders and butchered children? They're our pals now!
It was kind of gross.
Maybe I just need a break; I'm just not feeling this series any more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2015
6,5/10
[Recensione cumulativa per i libri dal 2 al 5 della serie]
Il primo e l'ultimo libro della serie sono, IMO, i peggiori: mentre nel primo l'autrice si prende il suo bel tempo per delineare l'ambientazione e mettere le basi per l'avventura (e nel frattempo l'autore prende sonno), e nell'ultimo cade nella tentazione del deus ex machina paraculissimo che lascia con l'amaro in bocca, nei tre volumi centrali fa centro con una storia che non ha niente da invidiare - anzi, IMO ha qualcosa da insegnare - alle Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco: un intreccio di varie linee narrative che convergono nel finale, un cast eccezionale di personaggi sfaccettati e ben caratterizzati tanto che sarei in difficoltà ad indicare chi è il protagonista e chi l'antagonista, e colpi di scena e morti a volontà (una in particolare mi ha spezzato il cuore). Anche l'ambientazione fa la sua figura, con un sistema magico al contempo semplice e versatile che gioca un ruolo determinante in diverse svolte della trama.
[Recensione cumulativa per i libri dal 2 al 5 della serie]
Il primo e l'ultimo libro della serie sono, IMO, i peggiori: mentre nel primo l'autrice si prende il suo bel tempo per delineare l'ambientazione e mettere le basi per l'avventura (e nel frattempo l'autore prende sonno), e nell'ultimo cade nella tentazione del deus ex machina paraculissimo che lascia con l'amaro in bocca, nei tre volumi centrali fa centro con una storia che non ha niente da invidiare - anzi, IMO ha qualcosa da insegnare - alle Cronache del Ghiaccio e del Fuoco: un intreccio di varie linee narrative che convergono nel finale, un cast eccezionale di personaggi sfaccettati e ben caratterizzati tanto che sarei in difficoltà ad indicare chi è il protagonista e chi l'antagonista, e colpi di scena e morti a volontà (una in particolare mi ha spezzato il cuore). Anche l'ambientazione fa la sua figura, con un sistema magico al contempo semplice e versatile che gioca un ruolo determinante in diverse svolte della trama.
January 23, 2015
Summary: Concluding story of the fey (although I see more books in the series await) on the Blue Isle. KKR is becoming one of my favourite authors and this book is typical of her style - well thought out, excellent characters and characterisations intricate plot and she leaves no doubts about what each of the main characters is thinking and trying to do. While the outcome of the book is fairly predictable, the steps to get their, the plot steps, the revelations of the magic system are all breathtaking. Really excellent, highly recommended.
Plotline: Twists and turns, unexpected events, strange loyalties, its all here.
Premise: Finally we learn the core secrets of the magic in this little universe and it is quite bizarre, but it all works really well. We also lean that their is a third location of power to be discovered (in a future book perhaps)
Writing: I really like KKR's style building up arguments, really descriptive and methodical.
Ending: Much magic, much death, brilliant ending
Pace: Never a dull moment
Plotline: Twists and turns, unexpected events, strange loyalties, its all here.
Premise: Finally we learn the core secrets of the magic in this little universe and it is quite bizarre, but it all works really well. We also lean that their is a third location of power to be discovered (in a future book perhaps)
Writing: I really like KKR's style building up arguments, really descriptive and methodical.
Ending: Much magic, much death, brilliant ending
Pace: Never a dull moment
August 13, 2010
The last book of the series. While I enjoyed it, it really did feel like the author "F**k! I haven't explained enough of the back story, so I need to do it all in THIS book!"
...
Luckily for her, she did it went and entertaining. Like the last few bits of the puzzle items slipped into place - it turned out while I was wrong in the specifics of my assumptions that I made in Book 1, I was right in the generalities that those assumptions required. Can you tell I'm trying to avoid spoilers here?
Looking back on the series - it was good. While it stumbled some with regards to the flow, plot, and characterization, as a whole it was a good series, I'd definitely read other books by the author, and maybe in a few years, reread the series - which requires me to care about the characters and not the plot itself. It does a delightful job of painting the world in shades of gray, with competing motivations to each character causing them to make needful sacrifices throughout the series.
...
Luckily for her, she did it went and entertaining. Like the last few bits of the puzzle items slipped into place - it turned out while I was wrong in the specifics of my assumptions that I made in Book 1, I was right in the generalities that those assumptions required. Can you tell I'm trying to avoid spoilers here?
Looking back on the series - it was good. While it stumbled some with regards to the flow, plot, and characterization, as a whole it was a good series, I'd definitely read other books by the author, and maybe in a few years, reread the series - which requires me to care about the characters and not the plot itself. It does a delightful job of painting the world in shades of gray, with competing motivations to each character causing them to make needful sacrifices throughout the series.
December 29, 2014
Everything the series has built up comes together in this book and focuses in on the final act. It's a bit of a deus ex machina, but it's not too bad as it has been set up to some extent in the previous books. The Roca's cave does seem to be incredibly convenient though, and it doesn't really feel that the characters earn their final victory, especially when it comes down, in the end, to two people using a super-weapon to face off against an army.
I would have preferred if Rugad had been killed by Sebastian, as that felt like an earned victory, but that would have completely changed the book, and if the stuff about the Roca and the Blooders was going to stay then it would need some other justification.
Still looking forward to reading the remaining three books though.
I would have preferred if Rugad had been killed by Sebastian, as that felt like an earned victory, but that would have completely changed the book, and if the stuff about the Roca and the Blooders was going to stay then it would need some other justification.
Still looking forward to reading the remaining three books though.
March 15, 2015
A bit sloppy with the proofreading and some exposition that could possibly have been dealt with in the last volume as well as a case of "deus ex caverna" (although it has been foreshadowed enough over the last four volumes so maybe not) and more questions raised than answered but a gripping finale with costs paid and bittersweetness enough to temper even the hardest of hearts. Loved it.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
December 22, 2008
A good solid ending to a well-done fantasy series.
Read
July 30, 2011Really interesting series with very strong religious overtones. Has one religion against magic and the Fey as the ultimate transgressors. Shows the fey as many faceted. Fascinating.
May 31, 2012
Much improved over the fourth book. Enjoyed how this book flowed.
February 20, 2013
I really enjoyed this, it feels like a good conclusion to the series and i'm looking forward to reading the black queen which comes next.
October 8, 2013
21hrs:42mns
April 22, 2017
A tremendously detailed addition to the Fey series.
It is hard to believe the amount of detail in this volume, especially when you consider how much Ms. Rusch writes.
This volume is a great addition that takes us through a battle whose victory determines no just who will rule,but who will rule who?
In regards to religion we see the islander religion collapse then find their religion was based on a lie then find that hearts can change to a religion a little closer to what we are accustomed to.
Which brings back to the amazing detail in so many part of the story and particularly notable in this volume. Some of the war scenes are a little graphic, but being a novel you control the view.
It is hard to believe the amount of detail in this volume, especially when you consider how much Ms. Rusch writes.
This volume is a great addition that takes us through a battle whose victory determines no just who will rule,but who will rule who?
In regards to religion we see the islander religion collapse then find their religion was based on a lie then find that hearts can change to a religion a little closer to what we are accustomed to.
Which brings back to the amazing detail in so many part of the story and particularly notable in this volume. Some of the war scenes are a little graphic, but being a novel you control the view.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews