In the wake of Old Baxteiyel, Eight and Fala pursue a fleeing spy, only to discover hints of a Maltran conspiracy threatening all they know and love, called Project Birthright.
One spy leads to another, and Eight and Fala must take on new identities as they follow the trail through the deep wilderness and into enemy territory. Their target is a heavily fortified stronghold, far beyond the reach of allies or rescue. Sabotage is the goal. Survival isn’t guaranteed.
Along the way, Eight, Fala, Yuki, and even the Deer God must reckon with what it means to be silvered. New powers awaken—deadly and strange—and every choice they make has the potential to reshape them in ways they can’t take back.
To protect what they love, each will have to decide what they're willing to become.
The Saint of Water is the final chapter in Eight’s story. It’s a tale of espionage and wilderness survival, of faith and transformation, and of a man who was never meant to be a hero but became one anyway.
This is a fantastic book and a great addition to the series. To me, this book clearly signals the end to the first major arc in Eight's story. He has fully integrated with his new world, established himself and who he is, as well as his relationships to those around him. Eight is no longer reactive; now he has much more agency. He has spent the time and effort to improve himself to the point where he can safely explore the world. This includes his sense of purpose, as his power and authority have coalesced into a purpose consistent with his identity and goals. It was great to finally see Eight come into his own and move through this world with agency. I am looking forward to the next arc and seeing where Eight's journey takes him now that he has the power to actively explore his world.
Fifth of Eight. I wonder if this is the last installment of this series. It came to a nice conclusion, though the main character clearly has more adventure left in him. It's nice that there isn't an obvious cliffhanger or world-ending threat that he needs to resolve. At this point, I suspect he is more of a threat to the world than anything else.
I've enjoyed this series with an adult from Earth being transported to a new world as an eight-year-old with all his memories and experiences intact. And through the series he's grown and learned and changed to his now-16-year-old self.
I finished this story with gratitude for a story well considered, written, and shared. Throughout this series I have marveled at the insight and depth the author manages to sneak into the characters and their struggles. I have learned helpful and important lessons from these books, which is the greatest value stories can carry, *a truth*. Thank you for these truths.
The entire series has been a pleasure to read, and I've consumed each book as it was released. It set a good pace, and kept me both engaged with the MC as well as the other characters presented. Highly recommend, and I'll likely keep it on me read again list.