The Frostmarch has come! Shanis Malan must unite her broken country and unlock the secret of the Silver Serpent. With Galdora at war, Larris must unravel a conspiracy that threatens his nation from the inside. Oskar enters the order of saikurs, but does the secret to victory over the Ice King lie hidden behind the Gates of Iron? Powerful forces collide and secrets are revealed in the thrilling conclusion to The Absent Gods!
It was good to visit with this ensemble of characters again and to get to see the end of the story that had been developing over the first two books. There was nothing I didn't see coming in the denouement, but then that's not what I'm necessarily looking for in this type of book.
I was particularly pleased with this book because my favourite character was point-of-view character a lot of the time and ended up getting hooked up with a new character that I also liked.
The final book in the series gets an additional star. I've enjoyed the improved writing since the first book and much fewer errors. The finale of the series is exciting and builds well upon the plots of the previous books.
One piece that I very much enjoyed was the redemption of Lerryn, Larris' estranged brother. It is a great look at personal shortcomings and strengths, and how grievous errors can be righted. Shanis' character develops even further, and I love how she overcomes her own shortcomings by relying on her friends' strengths. Fun series with a climactic ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Fantastic ending! I absolutely loved this series. From start to finish I was captivated and invested in all these characters as well as this storyline. Brilliantly written with love, loss and plenty of magic. I loved how they came together and no matter how bad things seem to be. The narration was absolutely brilliant. Jonathan Waters really has a wide range of voices and characters and he’s especially good at female voices. Well done everyone! This is book 3 the final book. I highly recommend this series!
An awesome and action-packed ending to the trilogy. Shanis and her friends are spread wide over the lands and must go through countless dangers to meet their final destiny. Highly recommended. The audiobook version is also highly recommendable.
The Gates of Iron is the third in the three part fantasy series The Absent Gods by David DeBord (aka David Wood). It is written for young adults, however everyone would enjoy the series.
The group of 6 have gone separate directions. Khalyndryn gave her life for Shanis. Oskar has gone with a seeker to learn the ways of a saikur. Larris, Allyn, Hierm, and two others have gone to Archstone, Larris’ home. Shanis has stay with the clans to lead them. While Shanis is uniting the clans and leading them in fighting against invaders, Oskar is learning to use magic, fight, and other things as well as getting a girlfriend, Lizzie. Hierm is sent to search for the new king of Galdora. The friends finally meet up and unit to fight the Frostmarch, the invasion by the newly risen evil god Tichris, the Ice King, raised by dark magic and human sacrifice. The prophesy has lead all to believe that Shanis is the one to fight the Ice King using the Silver Serpent.
This is a must read to conclude the tale of The Absent Gods. There are many great characters giving us great role models as well as those who show us how not to be.
Debord has written a great story full of interesting characters and better still, strong, interesting women. It's a long time since I was so enthralled with a trilogy. Of course, like all good quest epics, the leads are teenagers, so sometimes one has to suspend disbelief that a fifteen year old, no matter how skilled at the sword, could defeat men with years of experience on her, but this is a small quibble. Characters face their flaws, grow, fail and some are redeemed. Although, again like most quest epics, the characters have some stock characteristics. The archer, the warrior, the scholar, the wise guide and so forth. But in the main, their personalities are individual and appealing. I'll be looking for more of Debord's work.
I do not see how it was possible, but David actually finished th trilogy in spectacular fashion. How do you kill a God? You have to be a newly crowned of a nation that has been at war with itself for centuries. And that is as much as a spoiler as you will get from me. Get the book and get the series the first book should be free on Amazon.
I m not a young reader but, enjoyed the three books very much. Good editing and the characters became friends. Sorry to see the saga end but, it had to. Time now for a new story with different characters.