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Mage Errant #7
The Last Echo of the Lord of Bells: Mage Errant Book 7
A new kind of war has come to the continent of Ithos.
Airborne mage armies traverse enemy territory in utter secrecy. Vast city-liches conspire to influence events from afar, while city-states and archmages unleash strange new magics in a rapidly accelerating magical arms race. Nations and great powers that have remained quiescent for years have begun reaching out into the growing power vacuum. Magical superweapons and giant monsters are wielded by every side in an deadly tangle of alliances and factions, as each squabbling force spirals in towards their inevitable final conflict. At the center of that spiral lays the capital of the Havath Dominion, where a vengeful madman has proclaimed the precise date and time he will destroy the city.
The Last Echo will ring, and in its wake looms the threat of the Tongue Eater. Hugh and his friends are the only ones who can stop the ancient weapon, but the web of lies they've woven is fraying rapidly, and even their own allies have begun to question their mission. Monsters and archmages capable of leveling cities would stop at nothing to claim the Tongue Eater, leaving Hugh and the others with no one to trust.
And if they fail to stop the Tongue Eater, it could mean madness and death for the entire continent.
Airborne mage armies traverse enemy territory in utter secrecy. Vast city-liches conspire to influence events from afar, while city-states and archmages unleash strange new magics in a rapidly accelerating magical arms race. Nations and great powers that have remained quiescent for years have begun reaching out into the growing power vacuum. Magical superweapons and giant monsters are wielded by every side in an deadly tangle of alliances and factions, as each squabbling force spirals in towards their inevitable final conflict. At the center of that spiral lays the capital of the Havath Dominion, where a vengeful madman has proclaimed the precise date and time he will destroy the city.
The Last Echo will ring, and in its wake looms the threat of the Tongue Eater. Hugh and his friends are the only ones who can stop the ancient weapon, but the web of lies they've woven is fraying rapidly, and even their own allies have begun to question their mission. Monsters and archmages capable of leveling cities would stop at nothing to claim the Tongue Eater, leaving Hugh and the others with no one to trust.
And if they fail to stop the Tongue Eater, it could mean madness and death for the entire continent.
750 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2023
440 people are currently reading
1286 people want to read
About the author
John Bierce
11 books1,179 followersJohn Bierce is a fantasy novelist, history and science buff, SFF fan, and general all-around dork. He currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal.
https://johnbierce.com/
https://johnbierce.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
May 31, 2023
As books go, this one is undeniably epic. It's a grand conclusion to a series I've really enjoyed, one that's built from something deep but personal into a sprawling adventure across entire continents.
Unfortunately, much as I'm glad to have read and finished the series, this last instalment doesn't quite work for me. My issues with it are essentially summed up, I think, by the thought that I don't know whether it had an editor, but I think it needed quite a lot more editing.
First off, the pacing will probably excite some readers in that of this 500-600ish page book (depending on the size of your Kindle), about 70% of it is One Big Epic Showdown. The final battle starts at something like 20% in, I think, and doesn't fully conclude until we're up into the 90s. That will doubtless be absolutely thrilling for some people, and I think it's an exciting concept, but my gosh. It's just so Much. It gives Bierce an outing to show just how imaginative he is - I think the way he thinks about how different elemental affinities interact is astonishingly creative; the battle isn't just mages slinging spells at each other but expands into things like two incredibly powerful entities warring over who can redirect or destroy bits of the sewage system to prevent water-related poison magic spreading to the rest of the field. It's just really cool. And there's so Much of it. There are probably dozens of named characters with unique abilities involved in the battle. That's so Much.
The long and short of it is that this big of a fight is, for me at least, just absolutely exhausting. I found myself liberally skimming way more than I wanted to because I just couldn't handle it all. That's a me problem, not a John Bierce problem, but my gosh. I love this series, and this book had me just wanting it to be over. That wasn't a happy realisation. It's not that I didn't enjoy moments in this book, not at all, but I think I've decided I much prefer John Bierce when he's doing smaller-scale, more intimate and personal stories. I just think he's better at it, but I nevertheless appreciate the ambition in scaling this series up to such a Big Conclusion. I suppose that's sort of expected in the genre, so I can't exactly blame him for that.
So the sheer size and pacing is one of the areas I thought some editing might have helped. The other is the prose. From what I remember of Bierce's prose throughout this series, it's been economical in a good way. Y'know, that whole thing about prose getting out of the way of the story. Bierce's choice of words doesn't usually distract from enjoying a thoroughly readable romp that you can just sort of happily cruise through, but I found it noticeably clunkier in this book.
I'll end by saying again that I'm glad to have read this series. I think it was worth reading. I mean that. I don't think I'll continue to read more from the author, unfortunately, because the impression I get is that his work is expanding in a direction more akin to this book than to those earlier titles with which I had a much better experience. That said, it may well be the kind of thing you absolutely love, and I'll be glad if more people read John Bierce's work and find it to their tastes, so go right ahead. (Don't start with this one, though, because you won't understand anything that's going on. Start at the beginning of the Mage Errant series!)
Unfortunately, much as I'm glad to have read and finished the series, this last instalment doesn't quite work for me. My issues with it are essentially summed up, I think, by the thought that I don't know whether it had an editor, but I think it needed quite a lot more editing.
First off, the pacing will probably excite some readers in that of this 500-600ish page book (depending on the size of your Kindle), about 70% of it is One Big Epic Showdown. The final battle starts at something like 20% in, I think, and doesn't fully conclude until we're up into the 90s. That will doubtless be absolutely thrilling for some people, and I think it's an exciting concept, but my gosh. It's just so Much. It gives Bierce an outing to show just how imaginative he is - I think the way he thinks about how different elemental affinities interact is astonishingly creative; the battle isn't just mages slinging spells at each other but expands into things like two incredibly powerful entities warring over who can redirect or destroy bits of the sewage system to prevent water-related poison magic spreading to the rest of the field. It's just really cool. And there's so Much of it. There are probably dozens of named characters with unique abilities involved in the battle. That's so Much.
The long and short of it is that this big of a fight is, for me at least, just absolutely exhausting. I found myself liberally skimming way more than I wanted to because I just couldn't handle it all. That's a me problem, not a John Bierce problem, but my gosh. I love this series, and this book had me just wanting it to be over. That wasn't a happy realisation. It's not that I didn't enjoy moments in this book, not at all, but I think I've decided I much prefer John Bierce when he's doing smaller-scale, more intimate and personal stories. I just think he's better at it, but I nevertheless appreciate the ambition in scaling this series up to such a Big Conclusion. I suppose that's sort of expected in the genre, so I can't exactly blame him for that.
So the sheer size and pacing is one of the areas I thought some editing might have helped. The other is the prose. From what I remember of Bierce's prose throughout this series, it's been economical in a good way. Y'know, that whole thing about prose getting out of the way of the story. Bierce's choice of words doesn't usually distract from enjoying a thoroughly readable romp that you can just sort of happily cruise through, but I found it noticeably clunkier in this book.
I'll end by saying again that I'm glad to have read this series. I think it was worth reading. I mean that. I don't think I'll continue to read more from the author, unfortunately, because the impression I get is that his work is expanding in a direction more akin to this book than to those earlier titles with which I had a much better experience. That said, it may well be the kind of thing you absolutely love, and I'll be glad if more people read John Bierce's work and find it to their tastes, so go right ahead. (Don't start with this one, though, because you won't understand anything that's going on. Start at the beginning of the Mage Errant series!)
June 16, 2023
I never thought I would say it because I love reading about heart stopping action scenes and long and thrilling battle descriptions but this battle was just too long. To the point of becoming boring.
Some 80 percent of the book long.
The length by itself isn't the major problem except when the relationship developments are sacrificed.
And they were here...there is more about Alustin ,Clan Castis and other world travelers here than about out main five characters.
It's not that their parts were uninteresting but they were not what I expected. I would want to meet them in some short stories maybe.
I still liked the general plot, our heroes and the idea of reading more about them in the future stories and worlds!
Some 80 percent of the book long.
The length by itself isn't the major problem except when the relationship developments are sacrificed.
And they were here...there is more about Alustin ,Clan Castis and other world travelers here than about out main five characters.
It's not that their parts were uninteresting but they were not what I expected. I would want to meet them in some short stories maybe.
I still liked the general plot, our heroes and the idea of reading more about them in the future stories and worlds!
June 10, 2023
Probably more than 2x longer than needed
I really enjoyed the first handful of books in this series. They felt relatively polished for indie books, and I enjoyed the characters and the story. The last two books have felt like they were mostly filler. Which is shocking considering that this book is essentially a climax of a multi-book story arc.
I didn't count pages, but I feel it's a safe estimation to say that close to half of the book is written from perspectives of side characters, some of which are first introduced in this book. Even more annoying, most of those chapters do absolutely nothing to advance the story line. There were several chapters focusing on the backstory, fighting style, and current actions of some great power literally brought out of retirement for the big climactic battle. She dies. She does nothing to advance or retard potential world annihilation. She doesn't even run into any of the main characters, or any of the important side characters. Why? Why is she... even mentioned? I just skipped soo many pages.
I really enjoyed the first handful of books in this series. They felt relatively polished for indie books, and I enjoyed the characters and the story. The last two books have felt like they were mostly filler. Which is shocking considering that this book is essentially a climax of a multi-book story arc.
I didn't count pages, but I feel it's a safe estimation to say that close to half of the book is written from perspectives of side characters, some of which are first introduced in this book. Even more annoying, most of those chapters do absolutely nothing to advance the story line. There were several chapters focusing on the backstory, fighting style, and current actions of some great power literally brought out of retirement for the big climactic battle. She dies. She does nothing to advance or retard potential world annihilation. She doesn't even run into any of the main characters, or any of the important side characters. Why? Why is she... even mentioned? I just skipped soo many pages.
September 19, 2023
I need more books John
June 7, 2023
A magnificent ending to a truly epic story.... one that I hope will find resurgence in the future. I strongly implore anyone with an interest in fantasy and well thought-out magic systems to read the whole series!
May 22, 2023
And so we come to the end (for now) of the Mage Errant series.
In brief, this was a reasonably fitting conclusion to a series that ultimately ran one and a half books too long. If you were - like me - appalled by book six in all of its irrelevance, rest easy. This entry at least contains events that are (mostly) limited to Ithos.
If you like nonstop action and well-choreographed battles, you'll love this. If you want character-driven arcs, you'll probably leave feeling rather unfulfilled. Unfortunately, our core quintet have long since resolved their various inter- and intra-personal issues. As such, there isn't any meaningful growth for them as characters or as a team. There are a few minor issues that crop up, but none of them affect the plot so they feel tacked on. Someone gets a big revelation about their magic, seemingly out of nowhere... that doesn't have any sort of payoff. The gang's massively multiplied affinities? They get a fair bit of air-time, but again they don't really affect the story in a way that previous entries' regular teamwork could have.
Note: Having your characters say things like "this isn't one of your novels where everything gets resolved cleanly" doesn't actually absolve the author from resolving things cleanly. It's a cop-out for failing to include appropriate foreshadowing, and these fourth-wall breaks always pull me out of the story.
Speaking of foreshadowing, there's a fair bit of set-up for future multiversal novels, and while they weren't nearly as egregious as book six's they nevertheless felt superfluous. Oh, and to vindicate both myself and my fellow critics, none of the events of book six's extra-dimensional faffing about were necessary to advance the story.
Ultimately, I'm glad that I read this to reach a bit of closure with the series, but I have no intention of continuing with any new adventures.
MAJOR SPOILER
In brief, this was a reasonably fitting conclusion to a series that ultimately ran one and a half books too long. If you were - like me - appalled by book six in all of its irrelevance, rest easy. This entry at least contains events that are (mostly) limited to Ithos.
If you like nonstop action and well-choreographed battles, you'll love this. If you want character-driven arcs, you'll probably leave feeling rather unfulfilled. Unfortunately, our core quintet have long since resolved their various inter- and intra-personal issues. As such, there isn't any meaningful growth for them as characters or as a team. There are a few minor issues that crop up, but none of them affect the plot so they feel tacked on. Someone gets a big revelation about their magic, seemingly out of nowhere... that doesn't have any sort of payoff. The gang's massively multiplied affinities? They get a fair bit of air-time, but again they don't really affect the story in a way that previous entries' regular teamwork could have.
Note: Having your characters say things like "this isn't one of your novels where everything gets resolved cleanly" doesn't actually absolve the author from resolving things cleanly. It's a cop-out for failing to include appropriate foreshadowing, and these fourth-wall breaks always pull me out of the story.
Speaking of foreshadowing, there's a fair bit of set-up for future multiversal novels, and while they weren't nearly as egregious as book six's they nevertheless felt superfluous. Oh, and to vindicate both myself and my fellow critics, none of the events of book six's extra-dimensional faffing about were necessary to advance the story.
Ultimately, I'm glad that I read this to reach a bit of closure with the series, but I have no intention of continuing with any new adventures.
MAJOR SPOILER
July 12, 2023
I really wish Alustin was executed, but whatever, it’s an awesome book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2023
This was such a fun series to read! This was a fantastic and satisfying conclusion. Leaves you satisfied and wanting for more in a good way.
The entire series is very imaginative. The various locations the characters visit, different combinations of powers, the individual fight sequences are all very creative. So creative, it makes me feel intimidated because I'll never be able to come up with such fantastic scenes even if I tried really hard. All the characters in the book are very well written too. It is impressive how much author tries to treat these characters realistically instead of as plot elements. All the books are very entertaining to read and are paced very well.
All the books are plagued by poor editing too. Many times adjectives are over used, certain sentence structures are repeated over and over. I imagine it is not an issue for a lot of people, but I tend to get annoyed with these things. Another problem I have is how there's no drama in the relationship between main characters. they are all incredibly nice, understanding, apologetic and what not. I love wholesome stuff, but it can get nauseatingly wholesome at a point. The author knows this and explicitly states in text that this sort of relationship isn't healthy, that however doesn't make it fun to read some times (and by sometimes I mean like once a book maybe, so it is really not a big deal). The last issue I have with this book is romance between Hugh and Talia. The author does such a fantastic job of getting these two people into a relationship, but he never explores it. It feels like they're just friends who get physical. I don't mind if a series doesn't have romance, but I do find it distracting if the author puts so much effort into setup and no effort into payoff.
I should note that in grand scheme of things all these issues are minor, except for the editing (which is very prevalent). I very highly enjoyed reading the series, and I'd recommend this as a good starting point for people looking into progression fantasy (i like this better than cradle too). I'd also recommend this to people who just want a fun read where the author flexes his creative muscles every book.
The entire series overall gets 4/5, and I'm looking forward to reading whatever this author writes next.
P.s: his short fiction is insanely good.
The entire series is very imaginative. The various locations the characters visit, different combinations of powers, the individual fight sequences are all very creative. So creative, it makes me feel intimidated because I'll never be able to come up with such fantastic scenes even if I tried really hard. All the characters in the book are very well written too. It is impressive how much author tries to treat these characters realistically instead of as plot elements. All the books are very entertaining to read and are paced very well.
All the books are plagued by poor editing too. Many times adjectives are over used, certain sentence structures are repeated over and over. I imagine it is not an issue for a lot of people, but I tend to get annoyed with these things. Another problem I have is how there's no drama in the relationship between main characters. they are all incredibly nice, understanding, apologetic and what not. I love wholesome stuff, but it can get nauseatingly wholesome at a point. The author knows this and explicitly states in text that this sort of relationship isn't healthy, that however doesn't make it fun to read some times (and by sometimes I mean like once a book maybe, so it is really not a big deal). The last issue I have with this book is romance between Hugh and Talia. The author does such a fantastic job of getting these two people into a relationship, but he never explores it. It feels like they're just friends who get physical. I don't mind if a series doesn't have romance, but I do find it distracting if the author puts so much effort into setup and no effort into payoff.
I should note that in grand scheme of things all these issues are minor, except for the editing (which is very prevalent). I very highly enjoyed reading the series, and I'd recommend this as a good starting point for people looking into progression fantasy (i like this better than cradle too). I'd also recommend this to people who just want a fun read where the author flexes his creative muscles every book.
The entire series overall gets 4/5, and I'm looking forward to reading whatever this author writes next.
P.s: his short fiction is insanely good.
April 17, 2024
Recency bias is telling me this is in my new top 5 series of all time. Gah I love magic school with apprentice/master relationships so muchhhhhhhhhhhhh RECIPE TO MY HEART
November 25, 2024
Satisfying
Truly great series. Some of the best magic systems and world building; the political ramifications of the magical realities are done especially thoughtfully.
Truly great series. Some of the best magic systems and world building; the political ramifications of the magical realities are done especially thoughtfully.
May 16, 2023
Nice conclusion to a series I've enjoyed, with sweeping gestures towards the books that will comprise Space Balls 2: the Quest for More Money.
Also, lol at ~500 pages of A Showdown Battle.
Also, lol at ~500 pages of A Showdown Battle.
June 17, 2024
Before starting this one I read a lot of reviews. The majority of them complained about the fact that basically, this book is just a very long battle, and that the book could have been way shorter and still made its point and this gave me pause for a bit because I love this series. I was hoping for the best ending ever, but then, since I love this series, I started to read.
And I have to say that those reviews are not wrong, this book is basically a very long battle, with a bit of things before and after, but mostly it is about the fight. And still... it was perfect!
I was prepared to speed-read through some bits, but it didn't happen. I read every single word, every single page, because even if I agree that maybe it was a bit too much, and it could have been shorter, still it was perfect.
I loved this book and I am glad to say that, to me, this is a great ending for even a greater series.
One of the things I love the most in this book is the magic system because the author is a genius in finding new applications for the magic he invented, and seeing how his characters apply themselves to find new ways to use magic, and to create things and solving problems and all that, it was pure bliss!
And the irony and the sense of humor that are present in all the series made their appearance here too. And they were amazing!
But the characters are my absolute favorite thing in this series, and this book didn't disappoint me in the least. We get to see every single one of them (okay, it's not properly so, but still, we get to see almost all of them) and every one of them has some space. And I am not talking about the main ones, who I love to pieces and who, obviously, have a lot of space, but about the secondary ones. We get to see a lot of Clan Castis around, for example, and they are just awfully brilliant. And a pure terror. I love them!
And Indris and Ilina got a lot of space too! And Valia, we get some chapters from her POV too. And I appreciated it a lot.
It was amazing. Every one of them got to say their piece, and it was glorious.
Also, I really, really love the MCs here, they are like old friends, or family and they will be with me for a long time after the ending of this series, because I love them to pieces and, to me, they are perfect!
And I have to say that those reviews are not wrong, this book is basically a very long battle, with a bit of things before and after, but mostly it is about the fight. And still... it was perfect!
I was prepared to speed-read through some bits, but it didn't happen. I read every single word, every single page, because even if I agree that maybe it was a bit too much, and it could have been shorter, still it was perfect.
I loved this book and I am glad to say that, to me, this is a great ending for even a greater series.
One of the things I love the most in this book is the magic system because the author is a genius in finding new applications for the magic he invented, and seeing how his characters apply themselves to find new ways to use magic, and to create things and solving problems and all that, it was pure bliss!
And the irony and the sense of humor that are present in all the series made their appearance here too. And they were amazing!
But the characters are my absolute favorite thing in this series, and this book didn't disappoint me in the least. We get to see every single one of them (okay, it's not properly so, but still, we get to see almost all of them) and every one of them has some space. And I am not talking about the main ones, who I love to pieces and who, obviously, have a lot of space, but about the secondary ones. We get to see a lot of Clan Castis around, for example, and they are just awfully brilliant. And a pure terror. I love them!
And Indris and Ilina got a lot of space too! And Valia, we get some chapters from her POV too. And I appreciated it a lot.
It was amazing. Every one of them got to say their piece, and it was glorious.
Also, I really, really love the MCs here, they are like old friends, or family and they will be with me for a long time after the ending of this series, because I love them to pieces and, to me, they are perfect!
May 24, 2023
I'm of two minds on completing this series. One half of me is satisfied with how this book ended and how it set the stage for some interesting future adventures for our merry band of protagonists.
The other half is mildly annoyed at how the end of The Siege of Skyhold marked a bait-and-switch for me where the story seemed to become too focused on Alustin's revenge and setting the stage for the final battle. When we did get that final battle, and it's pretty much the entirety of this book, Hugh and his friends felt like side characters for much of it. Innumerable PoV switches and vignettes just became distractions and a little tedious to wade through. I enjoyed the last 20% but overall this felt like a more satisfying conclusions to Alustin's story than it did for Hugh and his friends.
The other half is mildly annoyed at how the end of The Siege of Skyhold marked a bait-and-switch for me where the story seemed to become too focused on Alustin's revenge and setting the stage for the final battle. When we did get that final battle, and it's pretty much the entirety of this book, Hugh and his friends felt like side characters for much of it. Innumerable PoV switches and vignettes just became distractions and a little tedious to wade through. I enjoyed the last 20% but overall this felt like a more satisfying conclusions to Alustin's story than it did for Hugh and his friends.
February 19, 2024
Cheese and rice, thank God that's finally over. While i rated most books a 4, I'd give the entire series as a whole a 2.5. Things you want more details on you don't get, and things you don't care about you get all the details on. Over all the plots and battle scenes where good, and while I enjoyed the characters magical/affinitty development, we never got much back story to see a real personal development in my opinion.
May 19, 2023
A wonderful conclusion to the series. Fantastic character development with the standard worldbuilding and action scenes I can expect from a John Bierce novel.
I'm anxiously waiting for his next series to release later this year. He has cemented his status as a "Day one - buy their books" author for me.
I'm anxiously waiting for his next series to release later this year. He has cemented his status as a "Day one - buy their books" author for me.
July 13, 2023
Really solid end to a very fun series. It's rare to say that a series increases in quality with each book but I think it's true here. And 800+ pages for one battle? Usually I'd hate that but it worked great.
September 10, 2023
Good ending to series but has left me wanting more! Lots of little hints about potential future books
March 4, 2024
Few things I'd like to have seen done in another way, but man
What an epic conclusion
I loved it
What an epic conclusion
I loved it
February 2, 2025
One big continuous battle as the heroes of the story try to stop a final threat that could destroy the world. It’s felt great to see every character come together for the final battle and see the full breadth of magics at play, but the book felt like it was dragging along.
The final plot twist was well worth the at times sluggish pace, and I will definitely be coming back to enjoy this series again.
Highly recommended!
The final plot twist was well worth the at times sluggish pace, and I will definitely be coming back to enjoy this series again.
Highly recommended!
May 21, 2023
Finished Mage Errant! I have loved to read this series it has so much heart and beautiful messages in combination with a huge fantastical and epic world. Read it!
Now on to the last book. After the previous books I should have expected even more fantastical elements from Bierce but I was still amazed at the new creatures, uses of magic and multiworld implications that was introduced here. This world is so big and it feels so lived in. I want even more from these characters, I hope we get it.
The punchin is spectacular and the battles so epic interwoven with friendship, humor and the unexpected twists and turns. Emotional moments that made me cry and fun moments that made me laugh out loud. The good parts did have a bit of a negative side for me as well. I have a bit of a hard time visualizing all the fantastical scenes and battles. Bierce constantly comes up with something new and exotic that makes me confused and amazed at the same time. The pacing and speed of his books are usually something I love but in this one it was almost to much. I wanted more moments between our characters focusing om dealing with emotions, forgiveness, revenge and ultimately friendship and family. He does that so well that I want more. Some of the moments broke my heart and made me cry big time.
Now on to the last book. After the previous books I should have expected even more fantastical elements from Bierce but I was still amazed at the new creatures, uses of magic and multiworld implications that was introduced here. This world is so big and it feels so lived in. I want even more from these characters, I hope we get it.
The punchin is spectacular and the battles so epic interwoven with friendship, humor and the unexpected twists and turns. Emotional moments that made me cry and fun moments that made me laugh out loud. The good parts did have a bit of a negative side for me as well. I have a bit of a hard time visualizing all the fantastical scenes and battles. Bierce constantly comes up with something new and exotic that makes me confused and amazed at the same time. The pacing and speed of his books are usually something I love but in this one it was almost to much. I wanted more moments between our characters focusing om dealing with emotions, forgiveness, revenge and ultimately friendship and family. He does that so well that I want more. Some of the moments broke my heart and made me cry big time.
May 31, 2023
Cool worldbuilding and magic systems fight an epic battle against dialogue that reads like someone told Chat-GPT to fill a quip quota past overflowing. Lots of fun if you turn your brain off.
May 20, 2023
Great conclusion to a great serie with the promise of more to come.
There aren't that many fantasy series that I enjoyed as much as this one. You get attached to each character and you get transported within the world (or worlds should I say ;-) ). I highly recommend this book to those who love fantasy.
Can't wait for the next serie (More Gods Than Stars) in the Aetheriad that John Bierce will let us discover.
There aren't that many fantasy series that I enjoyed as much as this one. You get attached to each character and you get transported within the world (or worlds should I say ;-) ). I highly recommend this book to those who love fantasy.
Can't wait for the next serie (More Gods Than Stars) in the Aetheriad that John Bierce will let us discover.
June 6, 2023
Nice ending to the series. Loved the epic library at the end. I wouldn’t have minded living forever in a magical library.
However I feel that this book was the weakest in the series in terms of plot and writing. There were too many events happening at the same time, and as it dragged on, it felt less thrilling and more tedious. I also found myself losing interest when the pov changed to the side characters, especially since I forgot who the characters were most of the time.
However I feel that this book was the weakest in the series in terms of plot and writing. There were too many events happening at the same time, and as it dragged on, it felt less thrilling and more tedious. I also found myself losing interest when the pov changed to the side characters, especially since I forgot who the characters were most of the time.
November 2, 2025
By the time I am writing this review, I have read this book and this entire cycle 3 times. I am captivated by this world, the characters and the magic system that is even growing with this last book and the previous one as well.
When I finished this book for the first time, I felt the same way I did when I finished reading Harry Potter 7 for the first time. Sad that it is finished but happy to have been able to enjoy this ride. But here, there is still hope to see Hugh and his friends in the future.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this universe.
When I finished this book for the first time, I felt the same way I did when I finished reading Harry Potter 7 for the first time. Sad that it is finished but happy to have been able to enjoy this ride. But here, there is still hope to see Hugh and his friends in the future.
I can’t wait to read the next book in this universe.
January 12, 2024
Disappointing end to the series
The whole book felt overwritten like the author wanted to show off all the cool magic concepts he hadn’t been able to use. The batter were a drag to get through. Also the character development of Hugh was unbelievable, sure he gained more confidence but not enough to make a perfect speech on hand with emotional depth. He still an awkward guy. Hesitant to read more of Bierce’s books in the future.
The whole book felt overwritten like the author wanted to show off all the cool magic concepts he hadn’t been able to use. The batter were a drag to get through. Also the character development of Hugh was unbelievable, sure he gained more confidence but not enough to make a perfect speech on hand with emotional depth. He still an awkward guy. Hesitant to read more of Bierce’s books in the future.
May 15, 2023
Mage Errant is one of my all time favorite series. Especially loved how Hugh, Talia, Sabae and Godrick had complete trust in each other. Despite the escalating events as the series progressed, this series was a comfort read for me.
The final book was an amazing conclusion to the series. The battle build up, powerful mages and great powers battling it out, we even get a glimpse of Named powers fighting it out, and so on. Plenty of revelations and foundation laid for future series.
The book started with Alustin's plans and doubts, bickering amongst allies, news about Coven wrecking havoc on Havathi villages, Sica joining the battle, etc. Alustin's mental battle with the Tongue Eater continued and we got a hint that the Echo will be used to disable the Intertwined (liches of Havath city).
I was expecting the gang to crash land a Coven meeting in a dramatic fashion :D (like one of Talia's story sayings). Anyway, we got another example of author's worldbuilding skills as the gang moved through the Highvale kingdom to find the meeting's location. It was nice to learn more about the effects of Limnan magic, like Talia able to lift Godrick! Of course, Mackerel's antics like wanting a pet prisoner and trying to steal Ilinia's scarf was adorable. Rhodes finally made an appearance again — I totally didn't expect him to have become a vigilante!!
Valia's POV gave us glimpses into Havath's preparations as well as their own internal political issues. Frankly, Valia as a character didn't work for me throughout the series, especially her (mis)management of Sacred Swordsmen. Her complicated relation with Alustin was well written though, and she did shine briefly towards the end of the battle. I wouldn't have minded her surviving and working together with Alustin in a future series.
As expected, Kanderon indeed became a mobile lich! Talia helping Hugh use the dream-path to contact Kanderon was nice. It took me until this book to understand why Keayda's interactions felt off — lich issues (another example was Jycenna, fungus lich, possibly connected with other worlds too!). When Kanderon mentioned she needed another year or so to complete the transformation, I guessed that she was going to join the battle anyhow. But still, it was a shock that she abandoned so many powerful augments to do so! I wonder if she'll still find a way for abilities like worldhopping.
The last echo turned out to be typical Alustin — taking advantage of bureaucracy and his rare affinity combinations to wreck such a devastation. And to pile on Havath's misery, the Coven (on the back of their own ingenuity) followed up with an impressive blow in the heart of the city. Once the battle started in earnest, it was difficult to stop reading. This was the longest battle sequence I've come across since the final book of Wheel of Time and it took me multiple days to finish (since I was reading slower than usual as a beta reader).
The Hidden clan gag was hilarious and I also enjoyed the team work of Talia's parents (but I wonder if Hugh secretly felt relieved after Kanderon sent them off world :P). The gang facing off Alustin was inevitable, but still it was a painful reunion. By chance, Valia managed to save Alustin from Sabae's punch. Then they all faced off each other, mimicking the three-way main battle. And of course, Alustin easily drew conclusions about Kanderon being alive and the four way pact.
Amidst this mayhem, the Librarian Errants successfully deployed the Chitin Wand and the emergent labyrinth completed Havath city's destruction. Liar, Wanderer and Tetragnath showed up and destroyed the representatives of multiversal faction behind Havath. I wonder if the young man on the cusp of becoming a Named will show up in a future series, join Hugh's team, etc (same for the demon, Tienkis).
Given the events at the end of the fifth book, I was certainly on the edge whenever the gang members were in danger. When Mackerel was affected due to the Chitin Wand, I was really afraid we'd lose him. Thankfully it wasn't so, and we even got a glimpse of Labyrinth Builders. Talia ruminating over Alustin's comment about her weapon capability was another concern, which nearly came to pass when she was fighting Heliothrax at the end. Not sure I could've handled that.
The Sican Elder was a terrifying force, but Heliothrax's new monstrous grafting was even more so. That Ilinia and Indris (along with others who randomly came and went) could keep her busy for so long was impressive. Eudaxus was another surprise, didn't expect him to be so effective and survived even after he messed with Heliothrax's shadows. Too many great powers fought in the battle to list them all here, but the bamboo was certainly the most annoying.
I'm sure the author had a good laugh when almost every fan predicted Mackerel will eat the Tongue Eater. We should've known better by now. I didn't expect the gang to talk Alustin out of destroying the Tongue Eater, even with compelling arguments. Alustin, Valia and the gang finally got together to prevent the destruction. And Mackerel got books to eat anyway, in the form of resonators. One of my guesses was that Kanderon would use the labyrinth to reach Havath, which was dashed when they concluded the emergent labyrinth was no longer connected to other worlds. But then I wondered how Liar and others had arrived and if they had another way back (turns out, it was the pocket world library).
It was amazing to see how far the gang have come in terms of their magical powers and how far they still had to go. Sabae going past the brawl that included the Sican Elder was breathtaking, as was her punch later to break into Heliothrax's defenses. Hugh's ascent past the Eye to reach one of the resonators was another great display of his flexibility, and he even took notes! And then we got that chapter of Hugh holding. Talia was at her destructive best against Heliothrax, she has an incredible ability to cause damage. Godrick's "for Artur" ploy was fitting too, and I hope he'll further develop his decoy strategy. I was wondering if Mackerel would also cause some direct damage to Heliothrax. His team work with Alustin was cool.
Indris went down heroically. Ilinia gave her all too, the elemental release was cool but also added more chaos in an already desolate city. After last minute gambles (I particularly liked the scent marble affecting one of the grafted dragons, after Godrick had failed earlier with his attempt at scent based distraction), Mackerel gobbling up the final resonator was almost anti-climatic. And finally, finally, Kanderon showed up to put an end to the Heliothrax menance. Mind boggling that she has an infant star in her demesne to call upon starfire at command!!
After the emotional reunion and multiversal revelations, it wasn't that big of a surprise that Alustin's execution was staged. I wonder if he'll succeed someday in establishing his version of the internet for knowledge sharing. I'm also eager to see how he'll react to Kemetrias' paper mages and take his paper/ink/farseeing magic to the next level. The library in the pocket universe was another cool revelation!
I wish Kanderon had much more presence in this book, but as the guiding hand behind the gang as well as establishing a new version of Librarian Errants, she's bound to feature more in future series. The gang are on their way to become Named powers, and already started on the path by spending time on Raigon. I also wish we'd get some more novels like the sixth book in this series — visiting worlds, gaining new type of powers, some low stakes adventure and so on.
Overall, an amazing end to this epic series. One of the rare occasions where I followed it right from the first book (usually I'm late to the bandwagon).
The final book was an amazing conclusion to the series. The battle build up, powerful mages and great powers battling it out, we even get a glimpse of Named powers fighting it out, and so on. Plenty of revelations and foundation laid for future series.
The book started with Alustin's plans and doubts, bickering amongst allies, news about Coven wrecking havoc on Havathi villages, Sica joining the battle, etc. Alustin's mental battle with the Tongue Eater continued and we got a hint that the Echo will be used to disable the Intertwined (liches of Havath city).
I was expecting the gang to crash land a Coven meeting in a dramatic fashion :D (like one of Talia's story sayings). Anyway, we got another example of author's worldbuilding skills as the gang moved through the Highvale kingdom to find the meeting's location. It was nice to learn more about the effects of Limnan magic, like Talia able to lift Godrick! Of course, Mackerel's antics like wanting a pet prisoner and trying to steal Ilinia's scarf was adorable. Rhodes finally made an appearance again — I totally didn't expect him to have become a vigilante!!
Valia's POV gave us glimpses into Havath's preparations as well as their own internal political issues. Frankly, Valia as a character didn't work for me throughout the series, especially her (mis)management of Sacred Swordsmen. Her complicated relation with Alustin was well written though, and she did shine briefly towards the end of the battle. I wouldn't have minded her surviving and working together with Alustin in a future series.
As expected, Kanderon indeed became a mobile lich! Talia helping Hugh use the dream-path to contact Kanderon was nice. It took me until this book to understand why Keayda's interactions felt off — lich issues (another example was Jycenna, fungus lich, possibly connected with other worlds too!). When Kanderon mentioned she needed another year or so to complete the transformation, I guessed that she was going to join the battle anyhow. But still, it was a shock that she abandoned so many powerful augments to do so! I wonder if she'll still find a way for abilities like worldhopping.
The last echo turned out to be typical Alustin — taking advantage of bureaucracy and his rare affinity combinations to wreck such a devastation. And to pile on Havath's misery, the Coven (on the back of their own ingenuity) followed up with an impressive blow in the heart of the city. Once the battle started in earnest, it was difficult to stop reading. This was the longest battle sequence I've come across since the final book of Wheel of Time and it took me multiple days to finish (since I was reading slower than usual as a beta reader).
The Hidden clan gag was hilarious and I also enjoyed the team work of Talia's parents (but I wonder if Hugh secretly felt relieved after Kanderon sent them off world :P). The gang facing off Alustin was inevitable, but still it was a painful reunion. By chance, Valia managed to save Alustin from Sabae's punch. Then they all faced off each other, mimicking the three-way main battle. And of course, Alustin easily drew conclusions about Kanderon being alive and the four way pact.
Amidst this mayhem, the Librarian Errants successfully deployed the Chitin Wand and the emergent labyrinth completed Havath city's destruction. Liar, Wanderer and Tetragnath showed up and destroyed the representatives of multiversal faction behind Havath. I wonder if the young man on the cusp of becoming a Named will show up in a future series, join Hugh's team, etc (same for the demon, Tienkis).
Given the events at the end of the fifth book, I was certainly on the edge whenever the gang members were in danger. When Mackerel was affected due to the Chitin Wand, I was really afraid we'd lose him. Thankfully it wasn't so, and we even got a glimpse of Labyrinth Builders. Talia ruminating over Alustin's comment about her weapon capability was another concern, which nearly came to pass when she was fighting Heliothrax at the end. Not sure I could've handled that.
The Sican Elder was a terrifying force, but Heliothrax's new monstrous grafting was even more so. That Ilinia and Indris (along with others who randomly came and went) could keep her busy for so long was impressive. Eudaxus was another surprise, didn't expect him to be so effective and survived even after he messed with Heliothrax's shadows. Too many great powers fought in the battle to list them all here, but the bamboo was certainly the most annoying.
I'm sure the author had a good laugh when almost every fan predicted Mackerel will eat the Tongue Eater. We should've known better by now. I didn't expect the gang to talk Alustin out of destroying the Tongue Eater, even with compelling arguments. Alustin, Valia and the gang finally got together to prevent the destruction. And Mackerel got books to eat anyway, in the form of resonators. One of my guesses was that Kanderon would use the labyrinth to reach Havath, which was dashed when they concluded the emergent labyrinth was no longer connected to other worlds. But then I wondered how Liar and others had arrived and if they had another way back (turns out, it was the pocket world library).
It was amazing to see how far the gang have come in terms of their magical powers and how far they still had to go. Sabae going past the brawl that included the Sican Elder was breathtaking, as was her punch later to break into Heliothrax's defenses. Hugh's ascent past the Eye to reach one of the resonators was another great display of his flexibility, and he even took notes! And then we got that chapter of Hugh holding. Talia was at her destructive best against Heliothrax, she has an incredible ability to cause damage. Godrick's "for Artur" ploy was fitting too, and I hope he'll further develop his decoy strategy. I was wondering if Mackerel would also cause some direct damage to Heliothrax. His team work with Alustin was cool.
Indris went down heroically. Ilinia gave her all too, the elemental release was cool but also added more chaos in an already desolate city. After last minute gambles (I particularly liked the scent marble affecting one of the grafted dragons, after Godrick had failed earlier with his attempt at scent based distraction), Mackerel gobbling up the final resonator was almost anti-climatic. And finally, finally, Kanderon showed up to put an end to the Heliothrax menance. Mind boggling that she has an infant star in her demesne to call upon starfire at command!!
After the emotional reunion and multiversal revelations, it wasn't that big of a surprise that Alustin's execution was staged. I wonder if he'll succeed someday in establishing his version of the internet for knowledge sharing. I'm also eager to see how he'll react to Kemetrias' paper mages and take his paper/ink/farseeing magic to the next level. The library in the pocket universe was another cool revelation!
I wish Kanderon had much more presence in this book, but as the guiding hand behind the gang as well as establishing a new version of Librarian Errants, she's bound to feature more in future series. The gang are on their way to become Named powers, and already started on the path by spending time on Raigon. I also wish we'd get some more novels like the sixth book in this series — visiting worlds, gaining new type of powers, some low stakes adventure and so on.
Overall, an amazing end to this epic series. One of the rare occasions where I followed it right from the first book (usually I'm late to the bandwagon).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2023
Disappointing, unbelievable, and anticlimactic. Those are the only words that capture the essence of The Last Echoes of the Lord of Bells (Book 7) by John Bierce. The narrator – Ralph Lister -was great! But even his excellent narration couldn’t save the story. This book is like taking a trip with a GPS that is constantly recalculating you and taking you to places you didn’t need to or want to go.
The great war that is anticipated between “the madman” (name withheld to prevent spoilers for people new to the series) and Hugh and his friends lasts from Chapter 27 to Chapter 71. This 44-chapter war is told from multiple characters’ perspective – the main characters, other characters from previous books (who you may or may not remember), and possibly even new characters. In all honesty, there were so many characters and perspectives involved in this book, I couldn’t keep them all straight.
I was thoroughly disappointed as I really enjoyed the first 5 books in the series. Other readers claimed that book 6 did not really accomplish or add anything plot-wise, and I agreed with them. However, I had hoped that book 7 would be a return to the story quality I had known and loved from the beginning. That, unfortunately, was not the case. I couldn’t even finish the book. I got so tired of the battles that I only made it to chapter 54. Then I skipped to chapter sixty-something hoping the war would be over. I was wrong. So, I skipped to chapter 71 which, thankfully, was the last chapter of the fight.
A lot of my opinion has to do with events in the story itself. However, those events contain spoilers. If you don’t mind spoilers, keep reading. Otherwise, stop here, and you can read the story and come to your own conclusions.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
Hugh and his friends start off fighting Alustin and Valiah. (I listened to the audiobook, so I’m not sure how the characters’ names are spelled.) Then, they join sides with Valiah to take down Alustin. During their entire fight with Alustin, they talk to him and try to convince him that his plan is going to destroy the entire world. And you know what? They do! So Alustin has this “change of heart” in the middle of the battle where he realizes his plan to release the Tongue Eater would destroy the entire continent and he decides to work with Valiah and Hugh and his friends to stop the Tongue Eater from being released. How totally unbelievable! How does the main villain for the last two books all of a sudden have a change of heart and try to stop his plan while working with the very people he tried to kill?
*** Major Spoiler ***
At the end of the book, they Alustin is executed which made me sad, but ultimately, I knew it was justified and the end result. I mean, how could anyone allow someone who caused that much destruction to go unpunished; his actions caused the deaths of not only Havath’s city and people, but many of Skyhold’s allies as well. As the story-wrap up continues, it turns out that Kanderon did not in fact execute Alustin. She only pretend to. Instead, she intends to use him for one of her other plans, which I thought, was completely outrageous and unbelievable. Alustin expressed no remorse for his actions; he admittedly tried to kill Kanderon several books ago, and now she thinks she can use him to carry out her plans? How long will it be before Alustin tries to escape or betray her again?
Visit my blog to see what other books I've enjoyed: https://reading4fun.blog/
The great war that is anticipated between “the madman” (name withheld to prevent spoilers for people new to the series) and Hugh and his friends lasts from Chapter 27 to Chapter 71. This 44-chapter war is told from multiple characters’ perspective – the main characters, other characters from previous books (who you may or may not remember), and possibly even new characters. In all honesty, there were so many characters and perspectives involved in this book, I couldn’t keep them all straight.
I was thoroughly disappointed as I really enjoyed the first 5 books in the series. Other readers claimed that book 6 did not really accomplish or add anything plot-wise, and I agreed with them. However, I had hoped that book 7 would be a return to the story quality I had known and loved from the beginning. That, unfortunately, was not the case. I couldn’t even finish the book. I got so tired of the battles that I only made it to chapter 54. Then I skipped to chapter sixty-something hoping the war would be over. I was wrong. So, I skipped to chapter 71 which, thankfully, was the last chapter of the fight.
A lot of my opinion has to do with events in the story itself. However, those events contain spoilers. If you don’t mind spoilers, keep reading. Otherwise, stop here, and you can read the story and come to your own conclusions.
*** Spoiler Alert ***
Hugh and his friends start off fighting Alustin and Valiah. (I listened to the audiobook, so I’m not sure how the characters’ names are spelled.) Then, they join sides with Valiah to take down Alustin. During their entire fight with Alustin, they talk to him and try to convince him that his plan is going to destroy the entire world. And you know what? They do! So Alustin has this “change of heart” in the middle of the battle where he realizes his plan to release the Tongue Eater would destroy the entire continent and he decides to work with Valiah and Hugh and his friends to stop the Tongue Eater from being released. How totally unbelievable! How does the main villain for the last two books all of a sudden have a change of heart and try to stop his plan while working with the very people he tried to kill?
*** Major Spoiler ***
At the end of the book, they Alustin is executed which made me sad, but ultimately, I knew it was justified and the end result. I mean, how could anyone allow someone who caused that much destruction to go unpunished; his actions caused the deaths of not only Havath’s city and people, but many of Skyhold’s allies as well. As the story-wrap up continues, it turns out that Kanderon did not in fact execute Alustin. She only pretend to. Instead, she intends to use him for one of her other plans, which I thought, was completely outrageous and unbelievable. Alustin expressed no remorse for his actions; he admittedly tried to kill Kanderon several books ago, and now she thinks she can use him to carry out her plans? How long will it be before Alustin tries to escape or betray her again?
Visit my blog to see what other books I've enjoyed: https://reading4fun.blog/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2024
"Mage Errant" is one of my favorite series, and I absolutely love it. The bit about the Hidden Clan was especially hilarious in this volume.
However, books 6 and 7 suffered from a few ailments: prolixity and didacticism, mainly. Page after page, sentence after sentence of tedious verbosity made these books feel more like filler than true story progression—and this, right when the series is supposed to be reaching its denouement.
Now, just read the following passage to see how ponderous the writing gets in this installment:
I think you get the idea now. This passage occurs in the middle of a HUGE battle with a HUGE creature! It vexed me so much that, for a while, I seriously considered putting the book down entirely. In fact, at one point, the perspective shifts to a random character who doesn’t advance the plot, doesn’t interact with any of the main or side characters, and is only vaguely connected to them as a supposed "last-resort" warrior for the enemy. And then, she just... dies, accomplishing absolutely nothing.
And then there’s the didactic tone. The characters' thoughts on right and wrong didn’t feel like genuine reflections; instead, they came across as the author trying to instruct the readers directly, in a way that felt in-your-face. It was mainly because EVERYONE thought revenge was foolish. No one offered a counterpoint to challenge the main characters' stance. It was all just a chorus about how bad revenge is, and it became repetitive. In fact, by the end of the book, even Alustin wondered if his students were right and he was wrong. God!
There needs to be a range of perspectives about different topics and themes explored in a book to be engaging. Basically, this installment didn't have the spark that the first few installments had.
However, books 6 and 7 suffered from a few ailments: prolixity and didacticism, mainly. Page after page, sentence after sentence of tedious verbosity made these books feel more like filler than true story progression—and this, right when the series is supposed to be reaching its denouement.
Now, just read the following passage to see how ponderous the writing gets in this installment:
"As Hugh laughed in the toxic rain, he saw the nostril of the imprisoned dragon wrinkle as the contents of the glass sphere drifted up into it. Felt the particulate and gases inside drift inwards with his scent affinity.
The stink of the burning insect swarms here in Havath City, and the reek of the leaking alchemicals from the corpses of the Intertwined.
The bismuth aura of Pitas the Younger’s demesne.
The brimstone and iodine vapors of Limnus.
The busy alien spice markets and ripe crowds of Kemetrias.
The acrid, bizarre scents of Apoptis.
The diverse smells of multiple labyrinths.
The stink of dozens of chamberpots over the years.
The smoke of the battle for Skyhold.
The overwhelming odors of flowers and rot from the jungle around Imperial Ithos.
The scent of magical mold from the Grand Library of Skyhold, and the even worse-smelling alchemical powder used to kill it.
The nonsense synaesthetic odors produced by dreamfire, ranging from the smell of green exhaustion to the smell of gravity’s song.
The overwhelming fragrance of a Theras Tel spice market.
The residue of multiple sea voyages’ worth of Talia’s vomit.
The foul guts of a crab monster in the depths of Skyhold’s labyrinth.
And most of all, nearly overwhelming all the other stinks, drifted the stench of years and years of Hugh’s own armpits, which would brook few rivals among even other teenage boys.
The imprisoned dragon head, even though it didn’t need to breathe, still had a perfectly intact nose.
And it smelled everything Hugh had just released from the glass scent-absorbing sphere.
Then passed those sensations right along to Heliothrax."
I think you get the idea now. This passage occurs in the middle of a HUGE battle with a HUGE creature! It vexed me so much that, for a while, I seriously considered putting the book down entirely. In fact, at one point, the perspective shifts to a random character who doesn’t advance the plot, doesn’t interact with any of the main or side characters, and is only vaguely connected to them as a supposed "last-resort" warrior for the enemy. And then, she just... dies, accomplishing absolutely nothing.
And then there’s the didactic tone. The characters' thoughts on right and wrong didn’t feel like genuine reflections; instead, they came across as the author trying to instruct the readers directly, in a way that felt in-your-face. It was mainly because EVERYONE thought revenge was foolish. No one offered a counterpoint to challenge the main characters' stance. It was all just a chorus about how bad revenge is, and it became repetitive. In fact, by the end of the book, even Alustin wondered if his students were right and he was wrong. God!
There needs to be a range of perspectives about different topics and themes explored in a book to be engaging. Basically, this installment didn't have the spark that the first few installments had.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2025
First off, I loved the series. I loved the main characters and the adventures they go on together. There's also a ton of great world building and some awesome magical concepts.
Despite this I have a few gripes, particularly regarding this last book, which although it has some great moments is the worst of the series in my opinion.
My main general issue, which is the only one that spans the books and isn't any sorta story killer, is the "hardness" of the magic system. I was led to this series on recommendations of a great hard magic system. The key to a hard magic system isn't that its defined in detail like its some sort of physics or chemistry lesson, but that it's well defined, consistent and predictable. This also implies it needs to be somewhat "finite". If there were only 10 affinities and no one could have more than one and the strengths of each were well defined it would a hard system, because you can predict what's possible and how it can be used to handle any given situation. When there are 100s of affinities, any combination of mixes are possible, multiple styles and ways to use them and countless special cases and combinations, its no longer possible to fully understand them and the author can do anything any time and its acceptable because, you know "magic". So the hard system just becomes a complex explanation of what is really a soft system. I feel this detracts from the story a bit for me because far too many situations occur that really aren't predictable and seem to be invented on the fly just to fit the narrative. Having said that, I do find the main characters, having a smaller subset of abilities, tend to solve problems and win fights sticking to inventive but understandable combinations of those abilities, and that's the part I enjoy the most.
One of my biggest gripes, which is mostly related to this final book, is the length of the big battles. There are 3 such battles throughout the series and they all suffer from the same issue, but the last is the worst by far. The last book is the longest and the battle itself is almost longer that any of the previous books in their entirety. On top of this, way too much time is spent focusing on tertiary characters and their back stories for absolutely no payoff. The final book could easily have had 200 pages cut from it and lost nothing.
Last gripe:
Although some of this really hurt my opinion of the last book, I still overall loved the series.
Despite this I have a few gripes, particularly regarding this last book, which although it has some great moments is the worst of the series in my opinion.
My main general issue, which is the only one that spans the books and isn't any sorta story killer, is the "hardness" of the magic system. I was led to this series on recommendations of a great hard magic system. The key to a hard magic system isn't that its defined in detail like its some sort of physics or chemistry lesson, but that it's well defined, consistent and predictable. This also implies it needs to be somewhat "finite". If there were only 10 affinities and no one could have more than one and the strengths of each were well defined it would a hard system, because you can predict what's possible and how it can be used to handle any given situation. When there are 100s of affinities, any combination of mixes are possible, multiple styles and ways to use them and countless special cases and combinations, its no longer possible to fully understand them and the author can do anything any time and its acceptable because, you know "magic". So the hard system just becomes a complex explanation of what is really a soft system. I feel this detracts from the story a bit for me because far too many situations occur that really aren't predictable and seem to be invented on the fly just to fit the narrative. Having said that, I do find the main characters, having a smaller subset of abilities, tend to solve problems and win fights sticking to inventive but understandable combinations of those abilities, and that's the part I enjoy the most.
One of my biggest gripes, which is mostly related to this final book, is the length of the big battles. There are 3 such battles throughout the series and they all suffer from the same issue, but the last is the worst by far. The last book is the longest and the battle itself is almost longer that any of the previous books in their entirety. On top of this, way too much time is spent focusing on tertiary characters and their back stories for absolutely no payoff. The final book could easily have had 200 pages cut from it and lost nothing.
Last gripe:
Although some of this really hurt my opinion of the last book, I still overall loved the series.
January 9, 2024
Rating: 5 Stars
I LOVED THIS SERIES.
AND I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK.
Was It perfect? No, It wasn't.
I saw other reviews that said that It was too long and, while I still enjoyed Reading it, they aren't wrong.
I'm all for longer books, but admittedly this book could have been slimmed down.
I didn't mind as much, but if I was trying to be more...objective, well...my rating wouldn't (and shouldn't) be 5 Stars.
In fact, there were times were It felt too dragged out to me as well. Where I thought that the Battle scene shouldnhave been cut in some places or another.
And it's true. Se scenes should have been cut.
But quite frankly I don't care about objectivity.
This is me being utterly satisfied by the ending.
This Is me loving and cherishing the characters in a book/series I have read more than I have done in a LOOONG time.
Hugh, Talia, Sabae, Godrick, (their bonds with One another Is fantastic) and yeah, Alustin as well.
This Is me loving the way this book concluded this part of their story.
This is me loving how realistic it was the way the four of them all dealt emotionally with Alustin differently, in a way that was so very appropriate to their personalities. How their "farewells" with him made sense for each member of the Quartet.
This is me LOVING Mackerel. (You can't NOT love him)
Loving the relationship between Hugh and Kalderon and how it developped from the first time they met.
This Is me just LOVING this journey and this series. This world. This UNIVERSE.
So yeah, this is not me being objective.
If you want objective (or at least a semblance and attempt to objectivity), you should just read another review.
So yeah. Rating 5/5.
I really look forward to more books written by John Bierce.
---------
On a completely unrelated note:
From the First book I couldn"t stop myself from imaging this story in an "Animated Adaptation". I think this wouldn't be so shocking. As I suspect the majority of readers can't help but imagine sometimes how character/scenes/places of books they love would look like. But usually, my imagination tenda to veer on the realistic.
But this time, I ALWAYS ended up thinking as of It was animated.
And this universe and characters would make such a great cartoon.
Mind you, It would also be difficult because there are scenes where we are readers know what's going through the characters mind due to It being written.
And some scenes in general would probably not work as well in animation...
...And I know myself well enough to know that I would find any Little cut detail as a flaw
...
So yeah, this Is me Just rambling but I needed to share this Little detail because I couldn't stop thinking of it and how I kept imaging some scenes animated.
I LOVED THIS SERIES.
AND I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK.
Was It perfect? No, It wasn't.
I saw other reviews that said that It was too long and, while I still enjoyed Reading it, they aren't wrong.
I'm all for longer books, but admittedly this book could have been slimmed down.
I didn't mind as much, but if I was trying to be more...objective, well...my rating wouldn't (and shouldn't) be 5 Stars.
In fact, there were times were It felt too dragged out to me as well. Where I thought that the Battle scene shouldnhave been cut in some places or another.
And it's true. Se scenes should have been cut.
But quite frankly I don't care about objectivity.
This is me being utterly satisfied by the ending.
This Is me loving and cherishing the characters in a book/series I have read more than I have done in a LOOONG time.
Hugh, Talia, Sabae, Godrick, (their bonds with One another Is fantastic) and yeah, Alustin as well.
This Is me loving the way this book concluded this part of their story.
This is me loving how realistic it was the way the four of them all dealt emotionally with Alustin differently, in a way that was so very appropriate to their personalities. How their "farewells" with him made sense for each member of the Quartet.
This is me LOVING Mackerel. (You can't NOT love him)
Loving the relationship between Hugh and Kalderon and how it developped from the first time they met.
This Is me just LOVING this journey and this series. This world. This UNIVERSE.
So yeah, this is not me being objective.
If you want objective (or at least a semblance and attempt to objectivity), you should just read another review.
So yeah. Rating 5/5.
I really look forward to more books written by John Bierce.
---------
On a completely unrelated note:
From the First book I couldn"t stop myself from imaging this story in an "Animated Adaptation". I think this wouldn't be so shocking. As I suspect the majority of readers can't help but imagine sometimes how character/scenes/places of books they love would look like. But usually, my imagination tenda to veer on the realistic.
But this time, I ALWAYS ended up thinking as of It was animated.
And this universe and characters would make such a great cartoon.
Mind you, It would also be difficult because there are scenes where we are readers know what's going through the characters mind due to It being written.
And some scenes in general would probably not work as well in animation...
...And I know myself well enough to know that I would find any Little cut detail as a flaw
...
So yeah, this Is me Just rambling but I needed to share this Little detail because I couldn't stop thinking of it and how I kept imaging some scenes animated.
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