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The Clan Chronicles #9
To Guard Against the Dark
The final book in bestselling author Julie E. Czerneda's hard science fiction Reunification trilogy, the thrilling conclusion to the award-winning Clan Chronicles
Hardcover
First published October 10, 2017
10 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Julie E. Czerneda
101 books754 followersHaving written 25 novels (and counting) published by DAW Books, as well as numerous short stories, and editing several anthologies, in 2022, Julie E. Czerneda was inducted in the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. Her science fiction and fantasy combines her training and love of biology with a boundless curiosity and optimism, winning multiple awards. Julie's recent releases include the standalone novel To Each This World, her first collection Imaginings, and A Shift of Time, part of her Night's Edge fantasy series. For more visit czerneda.com Julie is represented by Sara Megibow of Megibow Literary Agency LLC.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 27, 2017
I laughed, I cried, I loved the journey.
The main things I look forward to in Czerneda’s novels are: awesome aliens, great relationships, and situational humor. To Guard Against the Dark had a perfect combination of all three and, in my opinion, was a fitting way to bring the saga to an end.
Series-enders have a tendency to take themselves too seriously, getting so caught up in building a good story arc that they sometimes forget all the little things that make them special. Czerneda couldn’t have delighted me more with her inclusion of all of my favorite elements (Drapsk, more Drapsk, and Huido) in this novel. It was so much fun! The balance of sentimentality and humor was phenomenal. She got it right. :-) Venturing in, I was worried the story would get too existential, focusing on my least favorite elements of the series, the Watchers and the M’hir (usually represented in the Interludes). Even though those elements played a significant role in the finale (and are the basis behind the entire saga), I found them much less ambiguous than in past novels. Finally we get some answers!
The publisher is advertising that you can jump right in this series without having read anything else, but in my opinion what makes it special and interesting is that it’s a true merge of stories from her Trade Pact Trilogy (to be read first) and her Stratification Trilogy (which I think needs to be read second even though it’s a prequel trilogy). The whole saga is a great journey with incredibly memorable characters; very well worth reading. I’d recommend it if you like sci-fi that focuses more on characterization and aliens than space exploration, military, and technology (for the record, I like both). My recommendation is especially strong if you like aliens because no one does creature creation better than Czerneda! Side note: I would like a stuffed animal Drapsk for my Birthday, please.
I want to thank Berkley Publishing Group, DAW, and Julie E. Czerneda for a chance to read and review an early copy of To Guard Against the Dark. What a fitting end!
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com.
Other books you might like (including more Czerneda):
The main things I look forward to in Czerneda’s novels are: awesome aliens, great relationships, and situational humor. To Guard Against the Dark had a perfect combination of all three and, in my opinion, was a fitting way to bring the saga to an end.
Series-enders have a tendency to take themselves too seriously, getting so caught up in building a good story arc that they sometimes forget all the little things that make them special. Czerneda couldn’t have delighted me more with her inclusion of all of my favorite elements (Drapsk, more Drapsk, and Huido) in this novel. It was so much fun! The balance of sentimentality and humor was phenomenal. She got it right. :-) Venturing in, I was worried the story would get too existential, focusing on my least favorite elements of the series, the Watchers and the M’hir (usually represented in the Interludes). Even though those elements played a significant role in the finale (and are the basis behind the entire saga), I found them much less ambiguous than in past novels. Finally we get some answers!
The publisher is advertising that you can jump right in this series without having read anything else, but in my opinion what makes it special and interesting is that it’s a true merge of stories from her Trade Pact Trilogy (to be read first) and her Stratification Trilogy (which I think needs to be read second even though it’s a prequel trilogy). The whole saga is a great journey with incredibly memorable characters; very well worth reading. I’d recommend it if you like sci-fi that focuses more on characterization and aliens than space exploration, military, and technology (for the record, I like both). My recommendation is especially strong if you like aliens because no one does creature creation better than Czerneda! Side note: I would like a stuffed animal Drapsk for my Birthday, please.
I want to thank Berkley Publishing Group, DAW, and Julie E. Czerneda for a chance to read and review an early copy of To Guard Against the Dark. What a fitting end!
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com.
Other books you might like (including more Czerneda):
January 26, 2018
Right off the bat, I just wanted to point out that this is one of the most atrocious covers ever, and by far the worse cover of all SFF works published in 2017 by major imprints.
Alhough weaker in basically every facet than its predecessor, the second installment, The Gate to Futures Past, ended in such a way that it made it impossible for anyone not to pick up the third volume. Still, it was quite disappointing that subpar execution and characterization ultimately sunk that book and prevented it from being as satisfying as This Gulf of Time and Stars. All the right ingredients were there, no doubt about it. But for some unfathomable reason, Julie E. Czerneda failed to elevate her game and bring that tale to another level.
The end of The Gate to Futures Past was as unexpected as it was startling. All the more so due to the fact that it seemed to bring the entire saga comprised of eight books part of three different trilogies to a sudden ending. By closing the show in such a dramatic fashion, the author made sure that readers had no choice but to pick up the final installment. However, it also raised expectations for the upcoming grand finale. As I mentioned in my last review, it would be interesting to see just how Czerneda would revive this trilogy in To Guard Against the Dark. We could already surmise that Sira and Jason's undying love would be at the heart of it, yet I was looking forward to discovering what the author had in store for her readers.
Unfortunately, to my dismay the third volume was by far the weakest of the series. Indeed, To Guard Against the Dark failed to deliver on virtually every front. It was often a veritable chore to go through and in the end it can't be considered anything but a major disappointment.
Here's the blurb:
The final book in the hard science fiction Reunification trilogy, the thrilling conclusion to the award-winning Clan Chronicles.
Jason Morgan is a troubling mystery to friends and enemies alike: once a starship captain and trader, then Joined to the most powerful member of the Clan, Sira di Sarc, following her and her kind out of known space.
Only to return, alone and silent.
But he’s returned to a Trade Pact under siege and desperate. The Assemblers continue to be a threat. Other species have sensed opportunity and threaten what stability remains, including those who dwell in the M’hir. What Morgan knows could save them all, or doom them.
For not all of the Clan followed Sira. And peace isn’t what they seek.
Once again, claiming that Reunification is a hard sci-fi series is a serious misnomer. Actually, all three volumes turned out to be more of a character-driven "light" space opera with an occasional fantasy blend. If anything, these are some of the most accessible science fiction novels I've read in a very long time. So please forget about this "hard sci-fi" label, as nothing could be further from the truth. In terms of depth and originality, it is light years away from the works produced by genre powerhouses such as Hamilton, Reynolds, McDonald, Morgan, and Corey. Speaking of these last two, I was reading Richard Morgan's Broken Angels and James S. A. Corey's Persepolis Rising around the same time I was going through To Guard Against the Dark, and Czerneda's newest couldn't hold a candle to either of them. Not by a long shot.
Julie E. Czerneda has been renowned for her complex worldbuilding and for creating original alien species. It wasn't necessarily the case with the first two volumes, and the same can be said of To Guard Against the Dark. However, we have to keep in mind that the author lay the groundwork for this new trilogy in two past series and most of the worldbuilding has already been established. We do discover secrets about the Assemblers, the Watchers, the Singers, and the M’hir, which was nice. Sadly, the author spent too much time writing scenes showcasing odd and/or cute/funny alien behaviors that bring little or nothing in the greater scheme of things. Everything appeared more than a little contrived to bring storylines together, and the entire execution from start to finish often felt clumsy. Czerneda also relied rather heavily on light-hearted/slapstick humor throughout the novel, which often killed the emotional impact she was hoping to convey in many a scene. I understand that the author was attempting to create a balance between the more dramatic elements of the plot and amusing moments to lighten up the mood. Problem is, said balance is more skewed toward the comical and what was meant to be humorous seldom truly worked for me. As a matter of course, in that regard your mileage may vary and you just might enjoy this book more than I did. Personally, the lack of substance and the poor attempts at humor more or less killed it for me.
Naturally, the bulk of To Guard Against the Dark is told from the perspectives of two main protagonists: Sira di Sarc, with her spirit now transferred into her sister Rael's body to track down the remaining members of the Clan and bring them out of Trade Pact space, and Jason Morgan, the man who used to be her human Chosen. Both remain three-dimensional and likeable characters. As was the case in the first two volumes, the author lays it a bit thick when it comes to the romantic side and what they mean to each other, and that continues to be irritating. Like too many speculative fiction writers, Julie E. Czerneda seems to be unable to kill off major characters and that's a shame. Bringing back Sira and its repercussions on the plot totally killed the unanticipated ending of The Gate to Futures Past and what it meant to the Clan Chronicles. There are additional perspectives, but those POVs were often extraneous in nature, at times confusing, and ultimately they just bogged down the narrative.
There is no way to sugarcoat it. The pace throughout To Guard Against the Dark was terrible. Though not perfect as far as rhythm went, both This Gulf of Time and Stars and The Gate to Futures Past featured enough substance and mystery and depth to keep things interesting even when they suffered from pacing issues. Not so in this final installment. Too many scenes felt completely superfluous and redundant. So much so that To Guard Against the Dark never quite gained any momentum. It frequently felt as though Czerneda made it all up as she went along.
This lack of momentum brought us to an endgame that lacked any sort of emotional punch. Much like the rest of the novel, the finale is a little bland and uninspired. Given the author's unwillingness to kill off her protagonists, it was quite predictable that this ending would not be the end per se. And it wasn't.
When all is said and done, this final volume didn't live up to expectations generated by This Gulf of Time and Stars and The Gate to Futures Past. Which is too bad, for early on the series showed great promise. I'm not sure what went wrong along the way, but To Guard Against the Dark turned out to be extremely disappointing.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.
Alhough weaker in basically every facet than its predecessor, the second installment, The Gate to Futures Past, ended in such a way that it made it impossible for anyone not to pick up the third volume. Still, it was quite disappointing that subpar execution and characterization ultimately sunk that book and prevented it from being as satisfying as This Gulf of Time and Stars. All the right ingredients were there, no doubt about it. But for some unfathomable reason, Julie E. Czerneda failed to elevate her game and bring that tale to another level.
The end of The Gate to Futures Past was as unexpected as it was startling. All the more so due to the fact that it seemed to bring the entire saga comprised of eight books part of three different trilogies to a sudden ending. By closing the show in such a dramatic fashion, the author made sure that readers had no choice but to pick up the final installment. However, it also raised expectations for the upcoming grand finale. As I mentioned in my last review, it would be interesting to see just how Czerneda would revive this trilogy in To Guard Against the Dark. We could already surmise that Sira and Jason's undying love would be at the heart of it, yet I was looking forward to discovering what the author had in store for her readers.
Unfortunately, to my dismay the third volume was by far the weakest of the series. Indeed, To Guard Against the Dark failed to deliver on virtually every front. It was often a veritable chore to go through and in the end it can't be considered anything but a major disappointment.
Here's the blurb:
The final book in the hard science fiction Reunification trilogy, the thrilling conclusion to the award-winning Clan Chronicles.
Jason Morgan is a troubling mystery to friends and enemies alike: once a starship captain and trader, then Joined to the most powerful member of the Clan, Sira di Sarc, following her and her kind out of known space.
Only to return, alone and silent.
But he’s returned to a Trade Pact under siege and desperate. The Assemblers continue to be a threat. Other species have sensed opportunity and threaten what stability remains, including those who dwell in the M’hir. What Morgan knows could save them all, or doom them.
For not all of the Clan followed Sira. And peace isn’t what they seek.
Once again, claiming that Reunification is a hard sci-fi series is a serious misnomer. Actually, all three volumes turned out to be more of a character-driven "light" space opera with an occasional fantasy blend. If anything, these are some of the most accessible science fiction novels I've read in a very long time. So please forget about this "hard sci-fi" label, as nothing could be further from the truth. In terms of depth and originality, it is light years away from the works produced by genre powerhouses such as Hamilton, Reynolds, McDonald, Morgan, and Corey. Speaking of these last two, I was reading Richard Morgan's Broken Angels and James S. A. Corey's Persepolis Rising around the same time I was going through To Guard Against the Dark, and Czerneda's newest couldn't hold a candle to either of them. Not by a long shot.
Julie E. Czerneda has been renowned for her complex worldbuilding and for creating original alien species. It wasn't necessarily the case with the first two volumes, and the same can be said of To Guard Against the Dark. However, we have to keep in mind that the author lay the groundwork for this new trilogy in two past series and most of the worldbuilding has already been established. We do discover secrets about the Assemblers, the Watchers, the Singers, and the M’hir, which was nice. Sadly, the author spent too much time writing scenes showcasing odd and/or cute/funny alien behaviors that bring little or nothing in the greater scheme of things. Everything appeared more than a little contrived to bring storylines together, and the entire execution from start to finish often felt clumsy. Czerneda also relied rather heavily on light-hearted/slapstick humor throughout the novel, which often killed the emotional impact she was hoping to convey in many a scene. I understand that the author was attempting to create a balance between the more dramatic elements of the plot and amusing moments to lighten up the mood. Problem is, said balance is more skewed toward the comical and what was meant to be humorous seldom truly worked for me. As a matter of course, in that regard your mileage may vary and you just might enjoy this book more than I did. Personally, the lack of substance and the poor attempts at humor more or less killed it for me.
Naturally, the bulk of To Guard Against the Dark is told from the perspectives of two main protagonists: Sira di Sarc, with her spirit now transferred into her sister Rael's body to track down the remaining members of the Clan and bring them out of Trade Pact space, and Jason Morgan, the man who used to be her human Chosen. Both remain three-dimensional and likeable characters. As was the case in the first two volumes, the author lays it a bit thick when it comes to the romantic side and what they mean to each other, and that continues to be irritating. Like too many speculative fiction writers, Julie E. Czerneda seems to be unable to kill off major characters and that's a shame. Bringing back Sira and its repercussions on the plot totally killed the unanticipated ending of The Gate to Futures Past and what it meant to the Clan Chronicles. There are additional perspectives, but those POVs were often extraneous in nature, at times confusing, and ultimately they just bogged down the narrative.
There is no way to sugarcoat it. The pace throughout To Guard Against the Dark was terrible. Though not perfect as far as rhythm went, both This Gulf of Time and Stars and The Gate to Futures Past featured enough substance and mystery and depth to keep things interesting even when they suffered from pacing issues. Not so in this final installment. Too many scenes felt completely superfluous and redundant. So much so that To Guard Against the Dark never quite gained any momentum. It frequently felt as though Czerneda made it all up as she went along.
This lack of momentum brought us to an endgame that lacked any sort of emotional punch. Much like the rest of the novel, the finale is a little bland and uninspired. Given the author's unwillingness to kill off her protagonists, it was quite predictable that this ending would not be the end per se. And it wasn't.
When all is said and done, this final volume didn't live up to expectations generated by This Gulf of Time and Stars and The Gate to Futures Past. Which is too bad, for early on the series showed great promise. I'm not sure what went wrong along the way, but To Guard Against the Dark turned out to be extremely disappointing.
For more reviews, check out www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.
May 29, 2019
I am a die hard Czerneda fan, but I was a little disappointed with this one. It lacked the patient storytelling of many of her other novels, including the earlier ones in this series. Read a bit like the last season of Game of Thrones- leaping across the universe and not spending much time with any of the major events. Also, why introduce all those new characters, and fresh new villains? And why do we need that horrific toddler child-abuse story-line that goes no where. Is it just because we have to hate a brand new villain quickly? And why do we need to kill of a whole ship of Drapsk? And where is the crushing sorrow of those deaths in the final conflict? This series which has witnessed carefully to many deaths and losses just gives up on any emotional depth as it comes to a final close. (aka "tone problems"). As if she thought allowing Sira and Morgan a romantic night together is all she believed her audience would demand.
The story of these last 2 novels in the series just kind of flits along the surface like a sketch, like she was writing these on deadline and just wanted to get something published. It needed, as Tim Gunn would say "an editing eye."
I'm not saying there weren't things I enjoyed (hence 3 stars). FOr exanple, I loved her attention to intercultural understanding, communication and miscommunication. The more attached we get to a world, the harder it is to see an author treat it carelessly.
The story of these last 2 novels in the series just kind of flits along the surface like a sketch, like she was writing these on deadline and just wanted to get something published. It needed, as Tim Gunn would say "an editing eye."
I'm not saying there weren't things I enjoyed (hence 3 stars). FOr exanple, I loved her attention to intercultural understanding, communication and miscommunication. The more attached we get to a world, the harder it is to see an author treat it carelessly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2021
This was the end of what was for the most part, a fun adventure into light sci fi with well developed, likeable characters and a lot of time spent building believable non humanoid, aliens. Unfortunately, I think this was my least favorite of all 9 books. There were just too many moving parts. The "good" guys who are gonna accidentally fry the universe. Bad alien guys, bad guy fragments, and super bad melty brain guys intent on destroying humanity. Some more bad guys that aren't working with the other bad guys but still have nefarious plans. Then top it all off with some WAAAAAY out there alien bad guys with mysterious motives and completely unfathomable plans that will result in universe rending apocalypse . There were so many bad guys going that the book felt fragmented. The good guys were no better. In addition to the main good guys, there were the jump in at the end and save the day mysterious good guys and the good guys from before that just pop in, and crazy new good guys that were hiding in plain site the whole time but no one noticed... And, you know, a noncorporeal celestial being good guy.
The book just had too many spinning gears that didn't quite mesh and a rather confusing ending that fell a little flat for me. It was still an good read, but I've really come to expect GREAT reads from this series.
The book just had too many spinning gears that didn't quite mesh and a rather confusing ending that fell a little flat for me. It was still an good read, but I've really come to expect GREAT reads from this series.
February 14, 2019
I’m sorry to say that this did not live up to the high expectations I had at the end of the previous book. That left me hungry for more but when I got here, I didn’t find much of what I was looking for. In fact, I actually lost the plot a few times while reading this volume. It had a lot of the elements I loved in previous books but, for me, it was an unsatisfying end to the series.
March 6, 2018
"To Guard Against the Dark" by Julie E. Czerneda
The third book in the "Reunification" trilogy, a novel of "The Clan Chronicles".
This is what a great trilogy should be. For the third time, Julie takes us into a different direction than whatever we expected. And in a way that it makes perfect sense with the first two books. What's more, it ends in a full circle not only with the first two books but also with the entire series of "The Clan Chronicles". Now, how's that for craft?
"To Guard…" is another tour de force that Julie is performing, returning us to the starting point of the adventure, reuniting us with some old characters and alien species, while still unveiling strange new life forms and ecosystems. All in a tight and tense story.
This is galactic adventure the way it ought to be written.
The third book in the "Reunification" trilogy, a novel of "The Clan Chronicles".
This is what a great trilogy should be. For the third time, Julie takes us into a different direction than whatever we expected. And in a way that it makes perfect sense with the first two books. What's more, it ends in a full circle not only with the first two books but also with the entire series of "The Clan Chronicles". Now, how's that for craft?
"To Guard…" is another tour de force that Julie is performing, returning us to the starting point of the adventure, reuniting us with some old characters and alien species, while still unveiling strange new life forms and ecosystems. All in a tight and tense story.
This is galactic adventure the way it ought to be written.
March 12, 2022
So....I've been reading this series for a long time and I absolutely loved the characters of Sira and Jason Morgan, so I had to finish the series. It came to a very dramatic ending and I was initially satisfied, but now that I've got a few days of distance I'm remembering how bewildered I was by the plot of this final trilogy, especially the second to last book. I thought that the decision to reveal that the Clan were in fact non corporeal beings from another universe was a weird choice since the author could have just stopped at making them genetically engineered Hoveny. Why make it more complicated? And then to make it so that their corporeal lives were essentially meaningless and the solution to their plight was to shuffle off their mortal coils in exchange for a life of floating around and singing? And then have Sira die in the attempt to send Jason back to his own solar system?. Frankly, it was infuriating. I'm not even really mad at the author killing Sira. I thought it would be interesting to watch the two of them try to come to terms with their mutual loss and move on with their lives. It was actually kind of beautiful to see Jason struggle to accept that Sira was gone but that he would always have the memories they shared and that he resolved not to shut himself off from other relationships in his life just because he'd been hurt. Even after Sira inhabited Rae's body I was rooting for Jason to move on with that other captain (if not as lovers, as business partners and friends) and for him to indirectly convince Sira to join her people in the afterlife and stop clinging to the past. But once he realized who she really was, all that went out the window, culminating in him
*TRIGGER WARNING*
attempting suicide?! Ultimately convincing Sira that she couldn't leave him to go back to her people. Like....WHAT?! And then to just pivot from that scene to a sex scene without any discussion about what had just happened?! This is not who Jason is! This is not the series and the couple I fell in love with! I couldn't believe that's how the author decided to wrap up this epic story. I didn't need Jason to attempt suicide in order to believe that he was in pain after losing Sira for the second time. It was gross and it kind of sullied the joy I felt at finding out they would be able to stay together. Not to mention it was a little weird that they didn't seem to have ANY qualms about permanently borrowing her sister's body! I don't know how I expected series to end, but it wasn't like this. That said, there was a lot I enjoyed about the series. Ms. Czerneda is still an excellent writer and the characters are well fleshed out. I liked the direction she took the Tayno character and it was great to see Huido and the Enforcers again. I thought the interludes with the random aliens was pointless. Didn't need this to tell me the universe was in danger, but whatever. If the author ever writes another trilogy I'd probably read it but for now I'll content myself with the image of Sira and Jason sailing off into space to have more adventures and grow old together.
*TRIGGER WARNING*
attempting suicide?! Ultimately convincing Sira that she couldn't leave him to go back to her people. Like....WHAT?! And then to just pivot from that scene to a sex scene without any discussion about what had just happened?! This is not who Jason is! This is not the series and the couple I fell in love with! I couldn't believe that's how the author decided to wrap up this epic story. I didn't need Jason to attempt suicide in order to believe that he was in pain after losing Sira for the second time. It was gross and it kind of sullied the joy I felt at finding out they would be able to stay together. Not to mention it was a little weird that they didn't seem to have ANY qualms about permanently borrowing her sister's body! I don't know how I expected series to end, but it wasn't like this. That said, there was a lot I enjoyed about the series. Ms. Czerneda is still an excellent writer and the characters are well fleshed out. I liked the direction she took the Tayno character and it was great to see Huido and the Enforcers again. I thought the interludes with the random aliens was pointless. Didn't need this to tell me the universe was in danger, but whatever. If the author ever writes another trilogy I'd probably read it but for now I'll content myself with the image of Sira and Jason sailing off into space to have more adventures and grow old together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2017
A roller-coaster of emotion and action. I can't believe this is the end of this epic sci-fi saga. I really wished I liked the story more. I felt really bogged down with the story. It was a little slow for me, but overall, a great read. I'm not really a big sci-fi fan, but I picked this one up because it sounded interesting. I'm glad I read it.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
February 9, 2019
It's over! Nine books and now I have to say good-bye - no more wondering what's going to happen or how it will end or where in the universe The Clan actually was from. This was one of my favorite telepathy "magic systems" I've ever seen and has given me so much happiness just thinking about it. It honestly reminds me a lot of our marriages, and how instead of using the word "marriage" we used the word "sealing" - because our souls are "joined" together. :)
Plus it also makes a cute backdrop for Sira and Morgan. Though I will say that my favorite cute scenes aren't with the two of them, but with Barrac and Ruti when they think Ruti's going to kill him but of course they can't stop themselves so he kisses her because he fell in love with her and then he DOESN'T die and later when they find them and Barrac is all acting crazy because he's so freaking happy. Or with Aryl and her guy WHO I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF and how she sends out her power of choice and then runs away because she doesn't want the guy she loves to join with her just because he has too but then he follows her and she is all twitchy and then you can just HEAR him in the most perfect voice call her "chooser of my heart" and she kisses him and their hands meet and then they FALL (bwahahahahahahhaha!!!).
Ok, enough fangirling. :P
There were a few things that I didn't really get. Like it made sense that The Clan were actually non-corporal beings from another universe (they had always been disturbingly non-emotional about the bodies of their loved ones) and it made sense that they were breaking all of existence by being where they weren't supposed to be, and you could even SEE how she had brought everything from the whole series together in the final "save the day" moment - but I still have no idea how they actually saved existence. This actually happened a couple of times, where you get the feeling that something awesome just happened and you know everyone is ok now, but you're not entirely sure how it got there...
The other part that bothered me was it's great that they figured out where they came from, but it kept saying over and over that they would leave their lives behind them and let their mistaken time in this universe fade, which is why Sira refused to go on because she didn't want to forget about Morgan. This made me feel sick - because they keep talking about how they would get to be with their families and Chosens again, but then those connections and memories they made in this life would disappear as they go back to being weird little singing thingys? Also... they didn't solve the problem that Sira is immortal and Morgan isn't - and that someday they would be separated. I had been wracking my brain during this whole book trying to figure out how they were going to solve it - and it was kind of a huge let down when they didn't.
That being said, I did think she ended the series perfectly. The overarching mystery was "where was The Clan's actual home?" and each time you think that they found it, you actually see that they were actually from somewhere else, so they had to keep going. Then they finally find out where they are truly from, that they have finally found home, but for Sira, her home is with the one she loves. (aaaawwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!)
I'm sad it is done. I really am. I think I'll go back a reread them, at least the first one and remember when I was home for Christmas and told my dad I needed a "good book with a happy ending and a hot guy" and he grabbed this one from the library upstairs. <3
Plus it also makes a cute backdrop for Sira and Morgan. Though I will say that my favorite cute scenes aren't with the two of them, but with Barrac and Ruti when they think Ruti's going to kill him but of course they can't stop themselves so he kisses her because he fell in love with her and then he DOESN'T die and later when they find them and Barrac is all acting crazy because he's so freaking happy. Or with Aryl and her guy WHO I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF and how she sends out her power of choice and then runs away because she doesn't want the guy she loves to join with her just because he has too but then he follows her and she is all twitchy and then you can just HEAR him in the most perfect voice call her "chooser of my heart" and she kisses him and their hands meet and then they FALL (bwahahahahahahhaha!!!).
Ok, enough fangirling. :P
There were a few things that I didn't really get. Like it made sense that The Clan were actually non-corporal beings from another universe (they had always been disturbingly non-emotional about the bodies of their loved ones) and it made sense that they were breaking all of existence by being where they weren't supposed to be, and you could even SEE how she had brought everything from the whole series together in the final "save the day" moment - but I still have no idea how they actually saved existence. This actually happened a couple of times, where you get the feeling that something awesome just happened and you know everyone is ok now, but you're not entirely sure how it got there...
The other part that bothered me was it's great that they figured out where they came from, but it kept saying over and over that they would leave their lives behind them and let their mistaken time in this universe fade, which is why Sira refused to go on because she didn't want to forget about Morgan. This made me feel sick - because they keep talking about how they would get to be with their families and Chosens again, but then those connections and memories they made in this life would disappear as they go back to being weird little singing thingys? Also... they didn't solve the problem that Sira is immortal and Morgan isn't - and that someday they would be separated. I had been wracking my brain during this whole book trying to figure out how they were going to solve it - and it was kind of a huge let down when they didn't.
That being said, I did think she ended the series perfectly. The overarching mystery was "where was The Clan's actual home?" and each time you think that they found it, you actually see that they were actually from somewhere else, so they had to keep going. Then they finally find out where they are truly from, that they have finally found home, but for Sira, her home is with the one she loves. (aaaawwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!)
I'm sad it is done. I really am. I think I'll go back a reread them, at least the first one and remember when I was home for Christmas and told my dad I needed a "good book with a happy ending and a hot guy" and he grabbed this one from the library upstairs. <3
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2017
Julie Czerneda welcomes new readers, as well as those who have traveled with her before, to her galaxy. What she constructs in this book is an epic journey that spans across two other books, but a brief recap at the beginning of the volume (and I do call it a volume) will introduce the reader to this lavish world quickly without intruding on the book’s narrative. So, not to worry to the newcomer or the well-seasoned traveler, all readers are welcome here.
Czerneda writes in a mixture of science fiction language and engaging, active prose that keeps us moving through the story. There is enough action here to interest the reader looking for it, but there is also an element of romance and a beauty to Czerneda’s language that lets you know you in the hands of a well-established writer.
Czerneda’s blend of active prose and, for lack of a better term, science fiction vernacular lets us know we are in a different universe, on unfamiliar grounds, but that we have a guide who will help us through. And, of course, Czerneda writes with an acumen that only a scientist could possess. Her background in biology lends reliability to her discussions of life forms and how they interact with each other. There is even a small compendium in the back of the lifeforms you will encounter on this journey.
I will not share spoilers, but I will say that the central life form in this series is a likeable figure who is enough to like (and not like us) to keep the reader interested. His name is Jason Morgan and he is a space traveler who might rival Han Solo, given his gift mix.
The story is told in a dramatic and yet detailed way and a side story runs in parallel fashion to the main story, told in interludes between chapters. The interludes combine with the major narrative beautifully by the end.
Fans of other epic science fiction and fantasy adventures, such as the worlds of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan, will likely enjoy another carefully-conceived vision of a universe to get lost in. I recommend, of course, backing up and starting from the beginning of this series, as well as reading Czerneda’s other works – but I also recommend the book as one that stands on its own.
My review was based on an advance copy of the book.
Czerneda writes in a mixture of science fiction language and engaging, active prose that keeps us moving through the story. There is enough action here to interest the reader looking for it, but there is also an element of romance and a beauty to Czerneda’s language that lets you know you in the hands of a well-established writer.
Czerneda’s blend of active prose and, for lack of a better term, science fiction vernacular lets us know we are in a different universe, on unfamiliar grounds, but that we have a guide who will help us through. And, of course, Czerneda writes with an acumen that only a scientist could possess. Her background in biology lends reliability to her discussions of life forms and how they interact with each other. There is even a small compendium in the back of the lifeforms you will encounter on this journey.
I will not share spoilers, but I will say that the central life form in this series is a likeable figure who is enough to like (and not like us) to keep the reader interested. His name is Jason Morgan and he is a space traveler who might rival Han Solo, given his gift mix.
The story is told in a dramatic and yet detailed way and a side story runs in parallel fashion to the main story, told in interludes between chapters. The interludes combine with the major narrative beautifully by the end.
Fans of other epic science fiction and fantasy adventures, such as the worlds of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan, will likely enjoy another carefully-conceived vision of a universe to get lost in. I recommend, of course, backing up and starting from the beginning of this series, as well as reading Czerneda’s other works – but I also recommend the book as one that stands on its own.
My review was based on an advance copy of the book.
December 7, 2017
What a worthy finale to this 20-year space opera series!!
Only fitting that the first Clan Chronicles book introduces readers to Sira and the final book also has Sira and her mate the Human Jason Morgan. Sira is Clan, a telepathic race that teleports at will. Jason is Human but a strong telepath in his own right.
I also have really enjoyed all of the different alien races we have met in this series in the last 20 years. Jason's best friend Huido, for example is Carasian, a huge many-eyed many-tentacled alien. Each race has its own culture & quirks - no cookie cutter [i.e. generic] aliens for Ms. Czerneda!
I was so upset when the next to last book ended with Sira and Jason sundered - him back to Trade Pact space and her to the Clan's new home, far away.
The final book To Guard Against the Dark is the story of how Sira returns in spirit one last time to her sister Rael's broken body to track down the last Clan stragglers and bring them out of Trade Pact space before it is too late. Jason, of course, is already on a parallel course with a Trade Pact Enforcer team trying to find the last Clan holdouts, as well.
A highly satisfying read and one I heartily recommend to all who have been reading the nine-book Clan Chronicles series all these years!
Only fitting that the first Clan Chronicles book introduces readers to Sira and the final book also has Sira and her mate the Human Jason Morgan. Sira is Clan, a telepathic race that teleports at will. Jason is Human but a strong telepath in his own right.
I also have really enjoyed all of the different alien races we have met in this series in the last 20 years. Jason's best friend Huido, for example is Carasian, a huge many-eyed many-tentacled alien. Each race has its own culture & quirks - no cookie cutter [i.e. generic] aliens for Ms. Czerneda!
I was so upset when the next to last book ended with Sira and Jason sundered - him back to Trade Pact space and her to the Clan's new home, far away.
The final book To Guard Against the Dark is the story of how Sira returns in spirit one last time to her sister Rael's broken body to track down the last Clan stragglers and bring them out of Trade Pact space before it is too late. Jason, of course, is already on a parallel course with a Trade Pact Enforcer team trying to find the last Clan holdouts, as well.
A highly satisfying read and one I heartily recommend to all who have been reading the nine-book Clan Chronicles series all these years!
November 20, 2017
Jason Morgan is alone, left behind when Sira led the Clan back to their real existence as energy beings in another universe. But the Trade Pact is still in danger: not quite all of the Clan are gone, threatening to shatter reality. And they are not the only threat. Now a disparate group of humans, aliens, and reanimated Clan must find a way to save the Trade Pact--and all of existence.
Czerneda has created some very alien aliens in this seris. They are also very real, and even comprehensible, people. The series has seemed to come to an end several times, but this does appear to be the actual final chapter. It's a satisfying one.
Czerneda has created some very alien aliens in this seris. They are also very real, and even comprehensible, people. The series has seemed to come to an end several times, but this does appear to be the actual final chapter. It's a satisfying one.
October 17, 2022
I love the clan chronicles. The first volumes were just magical and the rest were captivating. Czerneda's skills in crafting a story are amazing and I am totally engrossed in her ability to imagine creatures with unique and innovative adaptations and tell the story of how their culture would evolve.
This book was my least favorite of the chronicles. I have a hard timedealing with the all-too-common problem in fantasy and science fiction, especially long form, where engaging young people earnestly starting their lives discover their skills/powers/etc and explore what they can accomplish. Leading, eventually, to a battle royale where the scope spreads to encompass the whole world/galaxy/universe with an incredible variety of obscure supporting characters with mind-boggling powers/guns/weapons all become either phenomenally good or phenomenally bad and struggle until it turns out that the good people have the biggest guns/wands/brains and the two best people get married and set up housekeeping. *Guard* is far from the worst example of this kind of grand finale, and I quite enjoyed part of it, but it was the first of many Czerneda books that I had to force myself to finish.
This book was my least favorite of the chronicles. I have a hard timedealing with the all-too-common problem in fantasy and science fiction, especially long form, where engaging young people earnestly starting their lives discover their skills/powers/etc and explore what they can accomplish. Leading, eventually, to a battle royale where the scope spreads to encompass the whole world/galaxy/universe with an incredible variety of obscure supporting characters with mind-boggling powers/guns/weapons all become either phenomenally good or phenomenally bad and struggle until it turns out that the good people have the biggest guns/wands/brains and the two best people get married and set up housekeeping. *Guard* is far from the worst example of this kind of grand finale, and I quite enjoyed part of it, but it was the first of many Czerneda books that I had to force myself to finish.
December 19, 2018
While I have generally really enjoyed the Clan Chronicles, I think this was the weakest of the works, mostly due to power creep upping the evil of the baddies, power of the players, and the stakes involved, along with the characters feeling significantly flatter.
Not a bad book, but not a great end to an otherwise fantastic series. It did, however, wrap things up nicely and resolved a number of long running threads rather nicely, as well as fleshed out things that might not have been very clear in previous books.
Not a bad book, but not a great end to an otherwise fantastic series. It did, however, wrap things up nicely and resolved a number of long running threads rather nicely, as well as fleshed out things that might not have been very clear in previous books.
October 28, 2022
It was good, I liked it. I did like the first 2 in this trilogy more (books 7+8 in series). This one had a lot of fun new info on species like the assemblers and Hudio's species (I didn't trust myself to spell it right without looking at the book). This one felt like a feel good wrap it up for loose ends and gave everyone happy endings and good feels.
It's a good series. Books 7+8 though were mind blowing. Just non-stop crazy stuff. There is a lot of good stuff in this series, great scifi candy.
Czerneda is one of my favorite authors, so far nothing I have read by her has let me down.
It's a good series. Books 7+8 though were mind blowing. Just non-stop crazy stuff. There is a lot of good stuff in this series, great scifi candy.
Czerneda is one of my favorite authors, so far nothing I have read by her has let me down.
October 23, 2017
OK, so plots that require the saving of a universe aren't my favorite, nor are setups where the protagonists, lacking the love of their lives, lose all will to live. Not a bad book, and if those aren't problems for you, probably a good one.
November 20, 2017
Great conclusion to this series. I devoured this book in one day--just couldn't put it down. Czerneda has such a way of drawing you into the worlds she has created. I've read all 9 of the books that comprise this story, and loved all of them.
March 9, 2018
This was a tough one to rank. Pros: great characters, good plot and some of the best aliens ever created. Cons: a little draggy in the descriptive pieces, point-of-view characters a little choppy and a predictable, if endearing, ending. A must read for those that have read the preceding novels.
May 9, 2024
Felt more like an appendix to the main series, quite different from previous 2 books in nature and plot, but also rounded off everything quite nicely (albeit a little confusingly!).
Can't believe I've finished the series, I shall miss the world, the people, the drapsk,.... :(
Can't believe I've finished the series, I shall miss the world, the people, the drapsk,.... :(
October 22, 2017
Nine books, 20 years. Long elaborate story, but I liked the characters.
September 24, 2018
Czerneda is an incredibly skilled wordsmith. The plot of this one didn’t really grab me, but her writing ability still shone throughout.
taking-a-break
September 13, 2019If I don't finish the book just yet, the series won't finish... :P
March 9, 2020
A thrilling conclusion to the Reunification series.
November 6, 2021
I stopped trying to keep track of the subplots and minor characters. Not my favorite.
April 21, 2024
This was a fabulous series! It was the kind of book so engrossing that you want to read faster, but being the last book, you want to slow down to make it last just a little bit longer.
December 14, 2017
Overall, I'm happy with the conclusion to this story because of the strength of the characters and their interactions, both the familiar characters and the new ones who made their debut in this story.
My major issue with this book is I am not quite sure what happened at the end: climax! tension! (huh, what's going on? why? how does that work? I'm confused). I don't know if that's just because I can't clearly remember all that came before in the series or if it just didn't click or work for me.
Very glad I happened upon that trade paperback of A Thousand Words for Stranger in a local Chicago library branch all those years back. I've enjoyed the ride.
My major issue with this book is I am not quite sure what happened at the end: climax! tension! (huh, what's going on? why? how does that work? I'm confused). I don't know if that's just because I can't clearly remember all that came before in the series or if it just didn't click or work for me.
Very glad I happened upon that trade paperback of A Thousand Words for Stranger in a local Chicago library branch all those years back. I've enjoyed the ride.
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November 27, 20233.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Sira Morgan is dead and unhappy in her 'afterlife'. Her Chosen, Jason Morgan is living (and slowly dying) in squalor without her. But the M'hir, the mysterious between region that allowed Sira her astounding powers, is falling apart. The only solution is for her to somehow come back.
Review
I’m sorry to say it, but despite Czerneda’s best efforts, the Clan/Trade Pact series doesn’t really go out with a bang. In fact, part of the problem is that she tries to fit so much loose-end tying into the story, and it ends up in a pretty substantial muddle. Some of these things were clearly not intended from the beginning, and while she’s tried to shoehorn them in, it doesn’t really work.
The story very intentionally takes us back to the beginning – the planet Auord, Jason Morgan, and Sira di Sarc (despite her being technically dead) – and that’s an instinct I’m entirely for. What works against it all is that Czerneda solved so many mysteries in the previous two books, leaving the feeling in this one that we’ve seen it all before – it’s an epilogue we didn’t really need.
Czerneda takes pains to give all the key characters a good sendoff – from Lydis Bowman to the Drapsk to Huido to Plexis itself – and that part I generally liked. It’s the tension and plot points that frankly don’t really fit together well – from a key role for Rugherans to Assemblers to the dregs of the Clan. Much of it felt quite forced, and there was so much going on mid-book, without much overarching structure, that it was hard to follow. There’s also a significant red herring that I had hopes for, but that Czerneda sacrifices in the name of romance.
All in all, it’s a disappointing but very well-intended effort, and in some ways it does bring the series back to its romantic, character-based beginning and key characters. But I found it less interesting than its predecessors, and probably unnecessary. Even if it did let Huido participate, which I suspect was part of the point.
Summary
Sira Morgan is dead and unhappy in her 'afterlife'. Her Chosen, Jason Morgan is living (and slowly dying) in squalor without her. But the M'hir, the mysterious between region that allowed Sira her astounding powers, is falling apart. The only solution is for her to somehow come back.
Review
I’m sorry to say it, but despite Czerneda’s best efforts, the Clan/Trade Pact series doesn’t really go out with a bang. In fact, part of the problem is that she tries to fit so much loose-end tying into the story, and it ends up in a pretty substantial muddle. Some of these things were clearly not intended from the beginning, and while she’s tried to shoehorn them in, it doesn’t really work.
The story very intentionally takes us back to the beginning – the planet Auord, Jason Morgan, and Sira di Sarc (despite her being technically dead) – and that’s an instinct I’m entirely for. What works against it all is that Czerneda solved so many mysteries in the previous two books, leaving the feeling in this one that we’ve seen it all before – it’s an epilogue we didn’t really need.
Czerneda takes pains to give all the key characters a good sendoff – from Lydis Bowman to the Drapsk to Huido to Plexis itself – and that part I generally liked. It’s the tension and plot points that frankly don’t really fit together well – from a key role for Rugherans to Assemblers to the dregs of the Clan. Much of it felt quite forced, and there was so much going on mid-book, without much overarching structure, that it was hard to follow. There’s also a significant red herring that I had hopes for, but that Czerneda sacrifices in the name of romance.
All in all, it’s a disappointing but very well-intended effort, and in some ways it does bring the series back to its romantic, character-based beginning and key characters. But I found it less interesting than its predecessors, and probably unnecessary. Even if it did let Huido participate, which I suspect was part of the point.
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