Justice

The Tainted Realm #3

by Ian Irvine

The final battle -- the ultimate price.
The once beautiful land of Hightspall is being carved up by warring armies led by figures from out of legend. One army is headed by the charismatic brute, Axil Grandys, and the other by Lyf, resurrected sorcerer-king and Axil's ancient nemesis.
Only the escaped slave Tali and her unreliable magic stand in their way -- but Tali's gift grows more painful every time she uses it. As the armies converge on the fateful peak of Touchstone, Tali and her ally Rix must find a way to overcome Lyf and prevent Axil from using the Three Spells that will destroy Hightspall forever.
JUSTICE is the shattering finale to Ian Irvine's fantasy epic Tainted Realm trilogy.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook

656 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

About the author

I'm an Australian author of 34 novels, mainly fantasy. They include the bestselling Three Worlds epic fantasy sequence, which has sold over a million print copies. It comprises The View from the Mirror quartet, The Well of Echoes quartet and The Song of the Tears trilogy. I’ve just finished The Gates of Good and Evil quartet, the long-awaited sequel to The View from the Mirror. Book 3, The Perilous Tower, was published recently and the final book, The Sapphire Portal, will be published on November 1, 2020.
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WHY I WRITE
Funny thing is, I never wanted to be a writer. From an early age my ambition was to be a scientist. I’m an expert in pollution and I’ve spent my professional life studying it in far-flung places like Mauritius, Sumatra, Mongolia, South Korea, the Philippines, Papua-New Guinea and Western Samoa, as well as all over Australia. Often scuba diving to the bottom of foul, smelly harbours and hammering tubes deep into the polluted mud to collect samples for chemical analysis. Now that’s living!

I was a small, quiet kid who devoured books from the moment I learned to read. When I was naughty, Mum wouldn’t let me read anything for a week – talk about a cruel and unusual punishment.

I discovered fantasy in the early 70’s, with The Lord of the Rings and the Earthsea trilogy, and was immediately hooked. But there wasn’t much fantasy in those days; within a couple of years I’d read everything available. I wanted more and bigger tales, on vaster canvases, but they didn’t exist. That’s why I had to become a writer – to write the kind of stories I wanted to read.

WHAT I WRITE
I’ve never wanted to write about superheroes or huge, reckless warriors who know no fear. I write epic fantasy about underdogs and ordinary people who, in pursuit of their goals, are put to the limit of human endurance. My characters aren’t fantasy stereotypes, they’re real people with believable motivations and unfortunate flaws. I’m well known for strong female characters who have as many adventures as the men, and frequently get them out of trouble (I have five sisters). My characters are often small or clumsy or inexperienced or handicapped in some way, yet they make up for it with cleverness, ingenuity or sheer, low cunning. My antagonists are real, complex people who do bad things for strong and deeply-held reasons – never ‘just because they’re evil’.

Though my characters suffer every kind of torment imaginable, at their lowest point they discover the truest form of courage – they keep fighting because the fate of the people they care for, and the world they love, depends on them never giving up.

SOME RECENT REVIEWS
"Irvine is a veteran storyteller who excels in sustaining complex plots with well-rounded characters. Here, he delivers a compelling tale of vengeance, loyalty, and the search for a place in the world." Starred review, Library Journal (US)

"That Grand Master of the vast epic is with us again! The first gripping volume of what promises to be a vintage Irvine treat. More please!" Crisetta MacLeod, Aurealis Express

"Incredibly exciting. The end will have you eagerly anticipating the next book." Good Reading (Aus)

"He knows how to spin an epic yarn and tell it with real gusto ... ambitious in scope and tirelessly action-stuffed." SFX

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The scene is set,the die is cast, the pieces are all on the table and the players are set to strut and fret their hour upon the stage, but I imagine the question that most of us will ask with fervid intensity when we pick this book from the shelf is... 'is Justice a fitting conclusion to the Three Realms Trilogy.'. My answer is a resounding YES!

Of course most of us asking that question will have already made the decision to buy this book but for those of you that haven't picked up the first two yet I'd say if you like epic fantasy then you should read these. Its not a choice you'll regret.

Like Rebellion Justice starts with a solid 'previously in the Tainted Realms' chapter but again like Rebellion this is not a book which you'll get the best out of if you read it in isolation.

As I've now come to expect, Justice adds more plot twists and character development, and one of the things I particularly liked was the way Ian managed to give some of the characters I described as manga-esque more human dimensions which (for me) made them far more interesting as bad guys.

Once again the good guys aren't entirely good and the bad guys (with one possible exception) aren't entirely bad and all have qualities you can admire. It's all immersive stuff, drives on at an aggressive pace and while I listened to this rather than read it (of which more later) I found myself looking forward to sitting down with it more and more as the story wove itself around me.

Of course everyone has a truly horrible time of it. There is blood, battle and epic confrontation enough for all, plus there's all sorts of fantastic things going on in even the smallest details. Fans of the Three World series will have things to enjoy as well.

For all this its still not flawless for me. Some of the characters and their actions irritated the hell out of me and I found myself wanting to step in to the pages and give them a good slapping, because frankly they deserved it in a big way. This is at once good because I clearly cared about the characters and bad because I really do want to see people at their best in these terrible situations, not being petty and stupid. If I had a but more leeway on the scoring I'd be giving it perhaps 9/10 but given the reviewing sytem on Goodreads I feel its closer to 5 stars than four.

So in conclusion (there's more I want to say but I am trying to keep this review spoiler free), yes this is a fine read. Ian Irvine remains fresh, original and creative. He brings this story to an epic conclusion, giving we fans the ending we need – which is not always what we want mind you. He also cleverly leaves an opening for further stories set in this world which I for one will look forward to seeing.

Audio

I cant really add much to my previous review. Grant Carwright is an excellent voice actor. Each character (and there are lots) is distinct and instantly recognizable, and his reading is both clear and engaging. If he wasn't as involved in the story as I was he should be winning oscars because he certainly seemed to be!

So for me Grant is the voice of the Tainted Realms. He's added to my experience of the tale and played a huge part in building my image of the characters, world and story. Thank you Grant.

Postscript.

And finally. If Ian Irvine does read this review; I got it. Awesome idea!

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything I liked about Vengeance seemed to vanish over the course of Rebellion and Justice. Despite its flaws, Vengeance was a unique read, with an interesting world, story and magic system. Its characters are what held it back from ever being great however and that has not changed with Justice. All of these characters are flawed in the worst ways and never seem to grow or change over the course of this series. I am all for flawed characters but these ones are flawed to the point of being incredibly annoying to read. By the end of Justice I hoped some of them would meet their end and perhaps let the other characters grow, but no.

What was a good story turns to a convoluted mess in Justice and so many new elements are introduced, even in the latter stage of the novel, making it drag forever and only serving to be frustrating, rather than giving us the closure we need. I struggled to care for anything that was happening and just wanted to see how it all ended.

Ian Irvine is a solid writer though, don't get me wrong. I particularly enjoy his descriptions of the world but that just isn't enough to save Justice. With a tighter focus on the story and likeable characters, this series could have been a worthy addition to fantasy. I'd say to give this a try only if you are looking for something different and you are willing to turn a blind eye to some glaring faults. 2.5/5

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it Loved it LOVED IT !
Am a fan of all books Irvine as he has yet to let me down. This trilogy started with a gentle build following the lives of 3 conflicting races and their inability to cohabitate their shared world. Their are flawed heoes and heroines, confused villains and a touch of magic and things from the deep dark past.
He slyly gives a couple of veiled references/links to previous stories or did I read too much into those lines ?
Their are twists and turns as in any good plot and I find his real strength comes from his world building expertese and his geographic background.
I deliberately delayed reading the first book until the third had been released as I grow weary of reading a bk 1 and then by the time the next one comes out it takes a while to get back in.
I must say though Ian always gives a recap of the previous book to bring one up to square.
Do yourself a favour and grab this series.

[K.S. Nikakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've just done a review of this for Aurealis Xpress. This is the first Ian Irvine book I've read and it certainly cleared up the problems I sometimes have between what constitutes epic fantasy and high fantasy. It is a juggernaut of near death experiences, and as Book 3,it is the conclusion of a trilogy. I've not read the other two but Ian provides good outlines at the beginning that steer skilfully between letting the reader know/or reminding them of what happened in Books 1 and 2. If you like epic fantasy, you'll certainly like this series. The one thing I did notice is that the series uses the same female face artwork as the Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina. The colour is the same too in this final book. This bothered me. What do others think.

[Hails H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm so disappointed about where this book goes! Tali has spent the entire series being everyone's hero...then all her friends abandon her at the first sign of weakness. I had to skim the last third of the book, as the characters were really frustrating me. I'm hoping to reread it better when I'm not so annoyed.
Rannilt was so likeable in the first 2 books, but by the end of this she was a nasty brat, yet everyone loves her.
The plot lines were a little all over the place and the ending was unresolved. Tali and Tobry's relationship, as well as Rix and Glynnie's, are forced and unbelievable by the end.
Wanted to love this conclusion so much, but it fell flat. Giving stars just cos I love Ian Irvine's books, and the first 2 books.

[Jon Carton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I love some of Ian Irvine's other stories, specifically the View from the Mirror and Well of Echoes series, I have to admit that upon reflection, this trilogy just did not grab me as much as the others did. The lore and the world itself were really well done, as you'd expect from reading Irvine's other work, and I particularly enjoyed the idea of the Engine and the Kharon/Kharoon - this seems an oddly familiar word from another series, are we hinting at something Ian? Very clever if so!

As stories go I thought the plot was interesting and had plenty of twists both major and subtle. The hints at connections with certain characters and races from the other series was most enjoyable. For all this though, I didn't particularly like any of the characters. I love flawed characters and anti-heroes as much as the next guy, but certain characters were so flawed and behaved in such outrageous manners that I didn't really find them believable. Holm is one of my favourite characters in this regard, as I found him the most down to earth - similarly, Axil's character remained consistent throughout the series and even had some considerable character development during this final book which I really liked. Glynnie and Tali behaved fairly ridiculously at certain points though - I guess it could be argued that given their extraordinary situations, they're bound to behave strangely, but for me they simply crossed a line.

I won't spoil the ending by revealing specific details, I'll only say that most of the main plot points throughout the series came to their conclusions, and most were satisfying. The two 'big' twists felt a bit cliche to me, but I suspect that's just personal preference. I'd probably give this title a 3.5/5 if I could, but as it stands, it just doesn't do it enough for me to give it a 4.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was amazing to finally see this book on the shelves in Ballarat. I especially liked the little summaries of the previous two books at the start to refresh your memory.
Justice takes up where Rebellion left off, with Tali and Rix trying to kill their mutual friend turned caitsthe to put him out of his misery. Of course they are interrupted when quakes rock the land due to the mysterious Engine hidden underground.
Tali continues to battle the power of the master pearl inside her head, one that is getting more painful to use magery each time.
Meanwhile, Rix is battling the Five Heroes, of whom Grandys has a personal vendetta against Rix and seeks to destroy him and his armies.
After some captures, escapes and recaptures, the stunning world of the Tainted Realm, a really appropriate name, and the adventures of Tali, Rix and Tobry come to a, if not happy, a content ending.
My favourite quote is from page 305, as Lyf and Errek are discussing life. Errek says that life is an eternal joke, that "a man who can't laugh at his own frailties and follies is a man who has no capacity to learn from his mistakes".

[Dennis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series has frustrating case of 'everyman' knowledge. Slaves living underground their whole lives know about coral reefs and 'everyone is upset at Tali' - the whole keeps understanding and mood swings with the feelings of one character. Holm knows gossip/intel from other camps without talking to anyone to get the information!

People somehow 'know' that Rix is 'Deadhand'....

A great story, but the bleed between characters and the unexplained knowledge by characters that didn't have access to information is rampart - and annoying.

I wanted Rannilt to have her throat cut the whole series.

[Alistair Geddes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tainted Realm trilogy is a rollercoaster ride, that barely lets the reader draw breath as the protagonists (and antagonists) lurch from one catastrophe to another. There is a lovely nod to the author's Three Worlds series. The Engine referred to throughout the novels was an innovative and intriguing concept. The novels could be enjoyed by readers who wouldn't normally venture towards fantasy as a lot of the tropes, conceits and concepts of the genre are subverted or dispensed with altogether.

All in all an enjoyable series of novels.

[David Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

With long breaks between me reading the three entries my memory was a bit murky the fine points. After a few chapters in the characters just seemed flawed in a bad way. Kept going and the flaws just never disapeared. I remember really liking the first two books but now I wonder if i remember incorrectly or if this book was just not well done. The story was cool idea but I found the character's actions just off the entire time. It had some really good parts but the characters just really stuck out as being sub par.

[Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. This YA fantasy book has a lot of good things going for it. Since this was the third in the series I really liked that there was a recap of the first two books in the preface to bring you up to date. This story has many layers but it. is easy to follow the various back stories and ongoing story line. I found the dialogue abrupt at times but I'll attribute that to guessing it's a YA novel.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole, I really liked the series, but I am disappointed with how it was ended. It feels largely unfinished and I am left with a longing to know how the world that was created actually ends. Is it destroyed, or is it healed? Do they leave? *sigh* I dislike final books that leave so much unresolved.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like far too many works if epic fantasy, the plot becomes increasingly loose as the book goes on. The climax is messy enough that there are 50 pages afterward to try to explain it and actually wrap up the story. Not to mention that the characters are basically done their arcs halfway through. The whole series would benefit from being editted down to one book.

[Katharine (Ventureadlaxre)]

Katharine is a judge for the Aurealis Awards. This review is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.

[Kayla Quay · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! Best author ever!! I was impressed by this book but then 2 pages from the end, Ian Irvine pulls out a surprise that I should have seen coming but never did. Great read of the entire series in total :) can't wait for the next ones to begin

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great to read the conclusion to the trilogy. Ian Irvine doesn't disappoint.

[Andrew Holden · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the end of this series, I was just reading to see what happens and I was not engaged like I have been with the author's previous series. The characters were the main downfall of this series.

[Trilby Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Had me glued to find out what happens. Love Mr Irvine's style and ability to take me on a journey. Thank you. Still a definite fan.

[Trilby Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. I was totally absorbed and could not wait to see how the plot unraveled. It did, with several unexpected twists which make Ian Irvine the master of storytelling that he is.