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Claidi Journals #4
Wolf Wing
Free at last, Claidi and Argul are married in a brilliant ceremony, and look forward to their life together. But, nagged by her past, Claidi decides they must return to her birthplace, the House, and rescue her fellow slaves. On arrival they discover that a revolution has taken place, sparked by Claidi's escape. A benign regime is now in charge, headed by the valiant Dengwi. However, during a grand dinner, Dengwi - to her own astonishment - is revealed to be the daughter of a former prince. She departs with Claidi and Argul, summoned by Ironel Novendot of the Wolf Tower. Once with Ironel, the trio are joined by Winter Raven, Venn and Ngarbo. Then Ironel breaks her Ustareth, mother of Argul and Venn is alive, and has invited the young people to her new land, Summer. The party, unable to refuse, knows that at the end of their journey waits a woman, the science-sorceress, who has perhaps manipulated each of them since the day they were born...Not only Claidi is asking - what is the answer to the riddle of Ustareth?
Paperback
First published December 1, 2002
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About the author
Tanith Lee
615 books1,964 followersTanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 5, 2015
So I was a little disappointed in the final book of this quartet. I feel that Tanith didn't really bring it all together. She launched so many tendrils around the mysterious Ustareth throughout the books and her explanation of how it all went down , who Ustareth was, and who Claidi was in relation to her just felt like a massive cop out. Like "LET ME TIE TOGETHER ALL THESE LOOSE STRINGS IN A REALLY VAGUE SUMMARY FASHION." It felt like a sloppy bow on the series.
The last book consisted primarily of superfluous imaginative detail. Don't get me wrong Tanith is spectacularly creative in this detail, but it was overkill when it came to the point that environmental details were far outweighing actual plot points. I think Tanith has a certain degree of self-awareness of this flaw in this book as well as she begins to have Claidi reference and acknowledge the extraneous level of descriptions of the scenery. This was once again a cop out to me in regards of writing and style. Like "I'll acknowledge that I am floundering in detail, but I won't actually NOT do it." I know in journals people can tend to expound at length on things that don't matter, but this is not a helpful device in moving along the plots in this book.
As I began to approach the final 30 pages I was growing increasingly agitated over how in the world Tanith was going to be able to wrap all this up. My answer in the end was: poorly. The reader is left wanting for some closure and answers. What's next? What about the Hulta? What do all of Claidi's powers mean? What will she possibly do with them? What about Venn and Argul, Claidi and Dengwi? What about the Towers? What about the future of this world? I understand it is the author's job to leave some things open for interpretation and for the reader to be left wondering about the characters' futures, but this felt different. It felt like there was supposed to be another book, another four books even. Like did she set this up to write a follow-up series and never did? Or did she just get lazy and not know how to properly wrap up things?
All in all out of sheer love for the Claidi character I cannot give this book less than a 3, but I do want to say that Tanith did a pretty poor job at fleshing out her other characters in the books and their relationships with one another. Argul was painted as a rugged prince charming of sorts, but there is no resolution in his character development. After four books I feel like I know him even less than I did on the first page I met him. And that's a pretty big problem. Without my beloved heroine this book would probably get a 2.
Note: I am significantly appreciative of Tanith's feminist lead and underlying themes as well as her relative racial and cultural diversity among characters.
The last book consisted primarily of superfluous imaginative detail. Don't get me wrong Tanith is spectacularly creative in this detail, but it was overkill when it came to the point that environmental details were far outweighing actual plot points. I think Tanith has a certain degree of self-awareness of this flaw in this book as well as she begins to have Claidi reference and acknowledge the extraneous level of descriptions of the scenery. This was once again a cop out to me in regards of writing and style. Like "I'll acknowledge that I am floundering in detail, but I won't actually NOT do it." I know in journals people can tend to expound at length on things that don't matter, but this is not a helpful device in moving along the plots in this book.
As I began to approach the final 30 pages I was growing increasingly agitated over how in the world Tanith was going to be able to wrap all this up. My answer in the end was: poorly. The reader is left wanting for some closure and answers. What's next? What about the Hulta? What do all of Claidi's powers mean? What will she possibly do with them? What about Venn and Argul, Claidi and Dengwi? What about the Towers? What about the future of this world? I understand it is the author's job to leave some things open for interpretation and for the reader to be left wondering about the characters' futures, but this felt different. It felt like there was supposed to be another book, another four books even. Like did she set this up to write a follow-up series and never did? Or did she just get lazy and not know how to properly wrap up things?
All in all out of sheer love for the Claidi character I cannot give this book less than a 3, but I do want to say that Tanith did a pretty poor job at fleshing out her other characters in the books and their relationships with one another. Argul was painted as a rugged prince charming of sorts, but there is no resolution in his character development. After four books I feel like I know him even less than I did on the first page I met him. And that's a pretty big problem. Without my beloved heroine this book would probably get a 2.
Note: I am significantly appreciative of Tanith's feminist lead and underlying themes as well as her relative racial and cultural diversity among characters.
March 14, 2018
As a stand alone book this might have been alright, but as an end to a series it fails to meet expectations.
IN ALL: this series started out wonderful by transporting the reader to a strange new place, unfortunately three books later one is still lost in the scenery, desperately grasping for Claidi as a woman to appear.
IN ALL: this series started out wonderful by transporting the reader to a strange new place, unfortunately three books later one is still lost in the scenery, desperately grasping for Claidi as a woman to appear.
September 8, 2015
Sadly, I found this to be the weakest of the books. It was packaged up nicely at the end as I expect from YA.
But since the second book, I felt that Claidi and Argul really lost chemistry. I didn't believe them as a couple anymore, which was really disappointing. Here I was rooting for them and at the end they didn't have the spark they once had. And everyone else being paired off was pretty cheap but forgivable. They just worked up the mother to be this amazing, magical being and then it's like "No, Claidi, you're the most powerful one". Meh. STILL! Overall a disappointing ending to a good series.
But since the second book, I felt that Claidi and Argul really lost chemistry. I didn't believe them as a couple anymore, which was really disappointing. Here I was rooting for them and at the end they didn't have the spark they once had. And everyone else being paired off was pretty cheap but forgivable. They just worked up the mother to be this amazing, magical being and then it's like "No, Claidi, you're the most powerful one". Meh. STILL! Overall a disappointing ending to a good series.
January 3, 2018
I had to push myself to finish book 1, and then the following books, simply to find out what happens. Worse, I think the ending of the first book was better than the ending of the series. So unless you absolutely adore it, don't go beyond the first book.
This series is a very odd, confusing read. While the storyline is very good, and also very creative, the different cultures and towns she comes to are so bizarre that you are left wondering where in the world the author came up with it all. I suppose it can be likened to Alice in Wonderland in that sense.
Further, the books seemed to drag on and on with a lot of repetition. She is kidnapped, escapes, finds her way, is kidnapped again, etc.
However, I do like Claudi's character, as well as many others. And the author gets bonus points for creativity and thinking outside of the box, but that's basically all it has going for it.
This series is a very odd, confusing read. While the storyline is very good, and also very creative, the different cultures and towns she comes to are so bizarre that you are left wondering where in the world the author came up with it all. I suppose it can be likened to Alice in Wonderland in that sense.
Further, the books seemed to drag on and on with a lot of repetition. She is kidnapped, escapes, finds her way, is kidnapped again, etc.
However, I do like Claudi's character, as well as many others. And the author gets bonus points for creativity and thinking outside of the box, but that's basically all it has going for it.
August 15, 2014
I don't know what to do about this series. These books are so insane that I can't even pick them apart. In this one, Claidi can FLY. And there is a tree that grows HAM. And she's kidnapped by walking, talking SHARKS. When I described it to a friend, she said, "It's like somebody wrote up a DeviantArt account" and she was so, so right. I was embarrassed by the cover art when I read on the train, but I didn't let that stop me. Anyway, I love them. I will carry them always in my heart.
June 6, 2016
Not a great ending to not a great series. The family bloodlines are so damned complicated and I don't know why it was necessary. I didn't just stop caring about who was related to who, I NEVER cared. And...that's basically what the entire book is about. Bloodlines and weird settings that get described endlessly. I normally love the way Tanith Lee describes stuff but it wore on me big time in this series, maybe because of the narrator's voice.
Don't really recommend it.
Don't really recommend it.
April 22, 2022
Much like the last book in this series, I didn’t remember hardly anything about this one (except the shark people, I remembered them), and it was so fun to read it anew! The ending was perfect in how it tied up all the loose ends and explained everything (while still having some good surprises that I really didn’t recall). I have had so much fun rereading these books, and I’m certain I’ll read them again.
June 27, 2014
Claidi is off to rescue her old friend, Dengwi, from the House. Except it turns out Dengwi doesn’t need rescuing. And then it turns out that she does.
The question, of course, is whether life with Claidi and her new husband, Argul, can possibly be safer than anywhere else.
Wolf Wing is the fourth and most recent novel in Tanith Lee’s series about Claidi. Once again there is a grand new world to explore--one with trees that serve tea, sandwiches, and honey. Definitely channeled my Alice in Wonderland memories.
My favorite part of the novel was the big reveal at the end. (Sorry. Can’t tell you about it.)
I was also glad to see Venn again, though I would have enjoyed listening in on a great deal more of his & Dengwi’s snappy repartee. Sigh. Why doesn’t Claidi have more of a penchant for spying?!
The question, of course, is whether life with Claidi and her new husband, Argul, can possibly be safer than anywhere else.
Wolf Wing is the fourth and most recent novel in Tanith Lee’s series about Claidi. Once again there is a grand new world to explore--one with trees that serve tea, sandwiches, and honey. Definitely channeled my Alice in Wonderland memories.
My favorite part of the novel was the big reveal at the end. (Sorry. Can’t tell you about it.)
I was also glad to see Venn again, though I would have enjoyed listening in on a great deal more of his & Dengwi’s snappy repartee. Sigh. Why doesn’t Claidi have more of a penchant for spying?!
October 11, 2024
it’s 2:30 in the morning and im kind of regretting staying up to read this bc this is so SILLY and im mad about it. weirdest series in existence. really really dubious about it all and especially most of this book. did not go over well with me lmao .. i don’t like the answers we were given. i suppose that comes of how utterly insane this world is, but im still unhappy and also bc no one has chemistry rn man what happened. TOO many revelations all at once and most of them were stupid to me and way too much description in this book claidi no way you’re writing all this
also i was SCARED of the robots absolutely terrifying the way they were described and used. uncanny valley WHO
im so truly cooked for my calc exam lol why did i stay up… gg. im such a caps for emphasis girl this is what’s truly silly.
also i was SCARED of the robots absolutely terrifying the way they were described and used. uncanny valley WHO
im so truly cooked for my calc exam lol why did i stay up… gg. im such a caps for emphasis girl this is what’s truly silly.
June 2, 2022
I couldn't finish this, it was so boring.
January 2, 2023
First read of the year! When I revisited the first three Claidi Journals books three years ago, I put off reading the final book because it… kind of sucks?
In “Wolf Wing,” Claidi and Argul are finally reunited and married. Claidi decides to return to the House, her hellish birthplace, to rescue some of her friends only to find the servants and slaves of the House revolted against their cruel masters. Soon after, key characters of each of the preceding books are gathered together and invited to a mysterious island where Argul’s (and Venn’s) mother, once believed dead, is now living.
As a finale to the series, “Wolf Wing” exists to pair up the spare characters and give Tanith Lee another excuse to describe yet another part of her insane sci-fi world.
There are also a few plot twists thrown in for good measure, and without spoiling the story, are completely unnecessary (and frankly, problematic). No resolution is given to the main conflict of the narrative either, namely how Claidi and her husband don’t seem to like each other anymore. Claidi spends most of the story alone and paranoid, and her charisma rapidly wears thin. She may have been naive in earlier books, but here Claidi’s an outright moron most of the time.
There’s so much lost potential once the cast is all separated, and the few scenes where Claidi spies on her friends through (spoiler) doesn’t count for much.
Even so, there are a few positives. Ustareth (Argul/Venn’s mother) is an interesting character and Lee pulled off the multi-book buildup to the meeting between her and Claidi. Her vision of Ustareth’s Summer utopia is creative. Plus, any scene with Winter Raven in it is golden.
While the actual ending is stronger than everything else in the book (thus three stars instead of two), it’s a shame the series had to end on such a lackluster note.
In “Wolf Wing,” Claidi and Argul are finally reunited and married. Claidi decides to return to the House, her hellish birthplace, to rescue some of her friends only to find the servants and slaves of the House revolted against their cruel masters. Soon after, key characters of each of the preceding books are gathered together and invited to a mysterious island where Argul’s (and Venn’s) mother, once believed dead, is now living.
As a finale to the series, “Wolf Wing” exists to pair up the spare characters and give Tanith Lee another excuse to describe yet another part of her insane sci-fi world.
There are also a few plot twists thrown in for good measure, and without spoiling the story, are completely unnecessary (and frankly, problematic). No resolution is given to the main conflict of the narrative either, namely how Claidi and her husband don’t seem to like each other anymore. Claidi spends most of the story alone and paranoid, and her charisma rapidly wears thin. She may have been naive in earlier books, but here Claidi’s an outright moron most of the time.
There’s so much lost potential once the cast is all separated, and the few scenes where Claidi spies on her friends through (spoiler) doesn’t count for much.
Even so, there are a few positives. Ustareth (Argul/Venn’s mother) is an interesting character and Lee pulled off the multi-book buildup to the meeting between her and Claidi. Her vision of Ustareth’s Summer utopia is creative. Plus, any scene with Winter Raven in it is golden.
While the actual ending is stronger than everything else in the book (thus three stars instead of two), it’s a shame the series had to end on such a lackluster note.
July 8, 2016
All of the mysteries are finally revealed in this final sequence of the "Claidi Journals!"
Argul and Claidi are finally together. They have magic, they have freedom, and they have each other. With her new-found power, Claidi tries to free the servants of the House only to find they have already revolted after her escape. With a summons from the dreadful Wolf Tower, she and Argul discover they are not as free of the Wolf Clan as they had thought. The enigmatic Ustareth has all the answers, and she has summoned all of the players together the find her and solve the puzzle. They must travel across the ocean, face more of Ustareth's strange, science-magic creatures, and find the center of her island fortress in order to put their pasts to rest once and for all.
Claidi's stubbornness and curiosity are of course central fixtures in the final leg of her journey. Ustareth is represented as a benevolent ruler, pulling her extensive strings to put people together for their happiness - both out of love and guilt. By doing this, Claidi's type of power is juxtaposed against the choices that Ustareth made for her freedom, creating a comparison in which Claidi's nature and skills both make her seem the wiser (and perhaps more compassionate) of the two women. The past is finally resolved.
Even though Wolf Queen was originally meant to end Claidi's adventures, I'm glad that Wolf Wing cleared up the final puzzles, and I enjoyed Claidi reaching her adulthood after the struggles of her self-discovery in the previous books. An excellent end to an excellent series.
Argul and Claidi are finally together. They have magic, they have freedom, and they have each other. With her new-found power, Claidi tries to free the servants of the House only to find they have already revolted after her escape. With a summons from the dreadful Wolf Tower, she and Argul discover they are not as free of the Wolf Clan as they had thought. The enigmatic Ustareth has all the answers, and she has summoned all of the players together the find her and solve the puzzle. They must travel across the ocean, face more of Ustareth's strange, science-magic creatures, and find the center of her island fortress in order to put their pasts to rest once and for all.
Claidi's stubbornness and curiosity are of course central fixtures in the final leg of her journey. Ustareth is represented as a benevolent ruler, pulling her extensive strings to put people together for their happiness - both out of love and guilt. By doing this, Claidi's type of power is juxtaposed against the choices that Ustareth made for her freedom, creating a comparison in which Claidi's nature and skills both make her seem the wiser (and perhaps more compassionate) of the two women. The past is finally resolved.
Even though Wolf Queen was originally meant to end Claidi's adventures, I'm glad that Wolf Wing cleared up the final puzzles, and I enjoyed Claidi reaching her adulthood after the struggles of her self-discovery in the previous books. An excellent end to an excellent series.
Want to read
August 21, 2008What?! I thought the series was over! Again. She (Lee) keeps wrapping up these Claidi books fairly nicely and I keep thinking that she's done, and then right about when it's been enough time for me to kinda forget about what happened in the last few books I find out that there's another one, I guess I'll add this to my to-read shelf o-o. It's not like these books are all that great, but something about them makes them hard to ignore. Haha, this is why I don't write reviews.
October 24, 2011
First off, I enjoyed this series. Do not get me wrong. I would recommend it. However, by the end of this book, I was just ready for the series TO END. It seems to have way too many plot twists, and everything just "falls" into place at the end... but there seemed to be so much that "didn't belong" from the origination of the series. Perhaps it was just me, and it won't stop me from recommending the book, but I could have been happy ending with Book 3.
August 10, 2011
I loved this series...but my overall reaction to this installment, if I recall correctly, was something like: "?!?! #$%#$@!!1 *@#$@$^!!! WHAT THE *EXPlETIVE REMOVED*!!!!"
At least Claidi got a somewhat happy ending...
At least Claidi got a somewhat happy ending...
January 30, 2023
This series has flaws but it's so interesting and so creative that I don't mind.
I will say that the romance in the first book fizzled out over the next few books and in this one in particular there was no chemistry and the romance fell very flat.
I will say that the romance in the first book fizzled out over the next few books and in this one in particular there was no chemistry and the romance fell very flat.
July 24, 2013
A better ending for the series than the disappointing third. This one was lighter on plot but full of wonders, more like the second, and therefore more to my taste.
May 26, 2016
I didn't get to finish this series as a kid, so I re-read it as an adult. This one is a little less action packed than the rest, but a good, long ending. Reminds me of the final Chronicles of Narnia.
August 5, 2025
This one was a bit slower than the first three, but it was a very satisfying ending to the quartet. I wish there were more; a follow-up sequel. Oh well.
March 31, 2019
The story is ....
*spoiler alert*
The only suspence is finding the family tree of people who you couldn't care less.
The leading character marries the same person like five times... and every other characters get together with someone and everyone lead a happily-ever-after life.
*spoiler alert*
The only suspence is finding the family tree of people who you couldn't care less.
The leading character marries the same person like five times... and every other characters get together with someone and everyone lead a happily-ever-after life.
September 25, 2019
Wolf Wing is the last book in the Claidi Journals series, but it feels like it didn’t need to be. In fact, the only thing it contributes, beyond love angst and Girl Power, is resolution about what’s been going on in the House for the past three books.
It’s not that I didn’t dislike the book. I liked it fine. Claidi has as unique and funny a voice as always, and the addition of Thu made for some great fun. We also learn a lot of things about Claidi that are kinda neat, in a “that wasn’t really necessary, but all right, that’s cool” kind of way. And she and Argul finally get married (and then only exchange about ten words to each other, it seems like) and have their happy ending, so there’s that.
However, the whole book just…isn’t that necessary. There are a lot of characters brought back, and a lot of resolution for them, but that all happens very quickly. The majority of the book is Claidi wandering through Ustareth’s created continent by herself, feeling lonely and jealous—or at least that’s what it felt like. Even before that, Claidi was alone, despite marrying Argul. And Lee throws so much stuff at the reader in the end that the whole pace of the book is thrown off. Nothing that was revealed in this book really changes anything from the first three, and it mostly just seems that Lee really wanted Claidi to be someone special, so she wrote a whole book about it. I can’t say that Wolf Wing is bad, as I did enjoy it. But I found it, ultimately, underwhelming and unnecessary.
It’s not that I didn’t dislike the book. I liked it fine. Claidi has as unique and funny a voice as always, and the addition of Thu made for some great fun. We also learn a lot of things about Claidi that are kinda neat, in a “that wasn’t really necessary, but all right, that’s cool” kind of way. And she and Argul finally get married (and then only exchange about ten words to each other, it seems like) and have their happy ending, so there’s that.
However, the whole book just…isn’t that necessary. There are a lot of characters brought back, and a lot of resolution for them, but that all happens very quickly. The majority of the book is Claidi wandering through Ustareth’s created continent by herself, feeling lonely and jealous—or at least that’s what it felt like. Even before that, Claidi was alone, despite marrying Argul. And Lee throws so much stuff at the reader in the end that the whole pace of the book is thrown off. Nothing that was revealed in this book really changes anything from the first three, and it mostly just seems that Lee really wanted Claidi to be someone special, so she wrote a whole book about it. I can’t say that Wolf Wing is bad, as I did enjoy it. But I found it, ultimately, underwhelming and unnecessary.
April 8, 2025
Wolf Wing is the fourth and final book in The Claidi Journals, a quartet written as the fictional journals of Claidi as she goes out into the world, leaving the only home she'd ever known and encountering more than her fair share of bumps along the way. Lee has captured Claidi's voice wonderfully, making her an interesting and sympathetic narrator, and it is easy to fall into the amusingly quirky world being described.
This book brings Claidi back together with her love, Argul, and for awhile it seems like they may be able to start a new life together without anymore interference. OF course, things can never be that simple, and soon they're both dragged into another adventure because of the Towers and Zeera-Ustareth. Through the stilted and lonely journey, Claidi begins to put the pieces together and figure out why her whole life has been rife with interference from all corners. Especially once she and the others learn that Zeera-Ustareth isn't as dead as they'd all thought her to be.
I really enjoyed this book because it got many of the characters from previous books together in one place. It was nice to see them again and see how relationships formed and changed. Even more interesting was the introduction of Zeera-Ustareth as a character rather than just a story, and the expanded ways she'd changed the world around her. Wolf Wing brought all the little threads together and tied them up in a fascinating, satisfying ending.
This book brings Claidi back together with her love, Argul, and for awhile it seems like they may be able to start a new life together without anymore interference. OF course, things can never be that simple, and soon they're both dragged into another adventure because of the Towers and Zeera-Ustareth. Through the stilted and lonely journey, Claidi begins to put the pieces together and figure out why her whole life has been rife with interference from all corners. Especially once she and the others learn that Zeera-Ustareth isn't as dead as they'd all thought her to be.
I really enjoyed this book because it got many of the characters from previous books together in one place. It was nice to see them again and see how relationships formed and changed. Even more interesting was the introduction of Zeera-Ustareth as a character rather than just a story, and the expanded ways she'd changed the world around her. Wolf Wing brought all the little threads together and tied them up in a fascinating, satisfying ending.
August 22, 2025
DNF.
Honestly I should have stopped at the first book. I read the first book as an adolescent and really enjoyed it! Due to not having access to the rest of the books, I never ventured further into the series. Than I remembered the series the other day and borrowed them from the library. The first three I got in one big book. The first book was as I remembered; excellent, whimsical, endearing even. I was very excited to read the rest of the series.
I really wish I hadn't.....
The story progression got worse and worse. More confusing by the chapter and it felt like the author just kept adding more strange "science" that didn't make sense at all.
By the fourth book I was so tired of Claidi and her wishy washy feelings about literally EVERYTHING that I finally could not finish the rest of this book. I have no idea where the conclusion of the book is going, does she ever actually get married, does she even like Argul?! At this point I'm not convinced she likes him, and honestly I'm not sure if he really likes her.
And Ustareth..... Talk about a strange individual who did not have a single maternal bone in her body..... She was so mysterious that she was no longer a real character in the book, but more like some odd higher entity.
Overall I did not like the series and should have stopped at the first book like I had before.
Honestly I should have stopped at the first book. I read the first book as an adolescent and really enjoyed it! Due to not having access to the rest of the books, I never ventured further into the series. Than I remembered the series the other day and borrowed them from the library. The first three I got in one big book. The first book was as I remembered; excellent, whimsical, endearing even. I was very excited to read the rest of the series.
I really wish I hadn't.....
The story progression got worse and worse. More confusing by the chapter and it felt like the author just kept adding more strange "science" that didn't make sense at all.
By the fourth book I was so tired of Claidi and her wishy washy feelings about literally EVERYTHING that I finally could not finish the rest of this book. I have no idea where the conclusion of the book is going, does she ever actually get married, does she even like Argul?! At this point I'm not convinced she likes him, and honestly I'm not sure if he really likes her.
And Ustareth..... Talk about a strange individual who did not have a single maternal bone in her body..... She was so mysterious that she was no longer a real character in the book, but more like some odd higher entity.
Overall I did not like the series and should have stopped at the first book like I had before.
April 21, 2019
Ooh, boy. My first thought after finishing was, "Wow. That went a wee bit off the rails", but then... when has this series ever even been within sight of rails?
I do still have a super soft spot for this series. It was an absolute favorite as a kid and I just adored Claidi and Argul and was super jealous of their powers and towers and their dog. But wow, re-reading this last book - there isn't much to it, huh?
It ended up being largely wandering around this magic continent and Claidi feeling conflicted about admiring the magic because of her complicated feelings about the creator. There's a great reunion at the end, but everyone getting paired off and neatly sorted felt a little cheap.
As did the whole, "The magic was in YOU the whole time!" bit right at the end.
So... not a strong book. And super weird (I can't believe I forgot about the Sharkians wtf), but omg was it a nostalgic re-read. This was one of my favorite books as a kid and I really enjoyed revisiting the characters and the world, even if it was way screwy-er than I remembered.
I do still have a super soft spot for this series. It was an absolute favorite as a kid and I just adored Claidi and Argul and was super jealous of their powers and towers and their dog. But wow, re-reading this last book - there isn't much to it, huh?
It ended up being largely wandering around this magic continent and Claidi feeling conflicted about admiring the magic because of her complicated feelings about the creator. There's a great reunion at the end, but everyone getting paired off and neatly sorted felt a little cheap.
As did the whole, "The magic was in YOU the whole time!" bit right at the end.
So... not a strong book. And super weird (I can't believe I forgot about the Sharkians wtf), but omg was it a nostalgic re-read. This was one of my favorite books as a kid and I really enjoyed revisiting the characters and the world, even if it was way screwy-er than I remembered.
September 16, 2020
2.5-3
This one was a little bit of a dud for me, unfortunately. The beginning was fine, but the middle of it really started to decline for me. I thought the fantasy elements in this one got a little out of hand and unbelievable (like, I know it's a fantasy, but Sharkians [aka shark people] were just a little too much for me). Then when it gains some momentum and you think you're gonna get information, the action/adventure portion of the book is Claidi just wandering around for about 50 pages, and is then followed by an info dump.
It definitely wrapped everything up and answered all the questions posed in the first three, which I appreciate, but it definitely was not as fun, entertaining, or engaging as the other three.
Luckily they're not very long, being YA, so I'd give the overall series probably 3.5 stars based on the strength of the first three.
It was very fun to have a little walk down memory lane (what I remembered, anyway!) and I'm super glad I got to read these again.
This one was a little bit of a dud for me, unfortunately. The beginning was fine, but the middle of it really started to decline for me. I thought the fantasy elements in this one got a little out of hand and unbelievable (like, I know it's a fantasy, but Sharkians [aka shark people] were just a little too much for me). Then when it gains some momentum and you think you're gonna get information, the action/adventure portion of the book is Claidi just wandering around for about 50 pages, and is then followed by an info dump.
It definitely wrapped everything up and answered all the questions posed in the first three, which I appreciate, but it definitely was not as fun, entertaining, or engaging as the other three.
Luckily they're not very long, being YA, so I'd give the overall series probably 3.5 stars based on the strength of the first three.
It was very fun to have a little walk down memory lane (what I remembered, anyway!) and I'm super glad I got to read these again.
January 13, 2014
The pacing was very odd, but my love from the previous books have carried over, so I give this 5 stars. Bias acknowledged.
For the final book of a series, it was rather rocky and at times pretty puzzling. In many ways, I feel like the third book would have been a sufficient ending. But I'm certainly not going to object if Lee wants to write more. I love these books so much!
I have to really credit Tanith Lee for her imagination and her command of character perspective. In my opinion, it's Claidi's voice that makes this series. Whether she's inveighing against weird talking sharks or in an icy standoff with Ustareth, she's an amusing narrator that I always root for.
For the final book of a series, it was rather rocky and at times pretty puzzling. In many ways, I feel like the third book would have been a sufficient ending. But I'm certainly not going to object if Lee wants to write more. I love these books so much!
I have to really credit Tanith Lee for her imagination and her command of character perspective. In my opinion, it's Claidi's voice that makes this series. Whether she's inveighing against weird talking sharks or in an icy standoff with Ustareth, she's an amusing narrator that I always root for.
November 6, 2014
I tore through this book, staying up late to find out what happens to Claidi and her beloved, who is his mysterious mother and how the final book ties up everything, of course. I loved it and am glad I bought a copy. Yes, all the burning questions are answered and there are shocking revelations which I won't spoil. But rest assured, all the characters have their questions answered and all the messy love triangles are sorted out. I always love a series that ends with the hero (in this case, girl) learning she is great and she is able to do great things. After all Claidi's bumbles and mishaps, it is a satisfying conclusion.
August 14, 2017
I don't mind that she rewrote the Birthgrave trilogy 20 years later for a younger audience -- that's sound marketing. But in that 20 years, she has come up with nothing to advance the story any further than she left the first one. Also in that time, shouldn't she have learned something about either science or magic? Some of the of psuedo-scientific processes were so bad I nearly howled with laughter. But most damning of all, shouldn't her character writing have improved even a little bit? There's nothing here to show that her work has in any way benefited from the passage of a generation.
January 14, 2020
As a love sick preteen my first read of this book was heart breaking. I saw Argul and Claidi's relationship move to something so boring when they were finally able to be together. Now it has gotten better each time I have read it, but some days I will admit that I wish there could be a rewrite with an less autonomic story line and more fun from the first book. Argul and Claidi leading the wagon train? Doesn't that sound like a hoot with Claidi's track record.
I am always grateful though for the series that Tanith Lee gave us here though. Claidi is my 2nd favorite character in books (#1 is Harry Potter of course) and so she wrote an amazing story for an amazing character.
I am always grateful though for the series that Tanith Lee gave us here though. Claidi is my 2nd favorite character in books (#1 is Harry Potter of course) and so she wrote an amazing story for an amazing character.
June 9, 2010
This review will go for all the books in this series, and not just this book. Claidi, I like. Argul, I like. Other characters were okay. I did enjoy these books, though at times they are depresseing, because Claidi is trying to live a happy, free life with her true love, Argul, yet book after book there are countless detours and enemies in the way of that dream.
Generally, I don't like journal books. But these I like, because I enjoy reading what Claidi has to say. I like how she writes it so that there is hardly a point in the book where you can put it down.
Generally, I don't like journal books. But these I like, because I enjoy reading what Claidi has to say. I like how she writes it so that there is hardly a point in the book where you can put it down.
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