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Inheritance Trilogy #3
Abendau's Legacy
Kare's a different man from when he last faced his mother. He knows what she is capable of if she regains her galactic Empire. Planets will be destroyed for their rebellion. She will hunt and destroy him and everyone he loves.
He learned from when she hurt him, hoping to break him. He returns to Abendau, the city he hates, to confront her for the final time, and decide Abendau's destiny.
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269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 23, 2016
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Jo Zebedee
25 books108 followersI write dark sci fi and fantasy with kick-ass pace. Edgy voices and sexy space pilots. And people, conflicted and sometimes half-mad, but always written so closely you could be them.
If you want to keep up to date with what I'm up to, get exclusive short stories and information about launches, sign up at: http://jozebedee.com/newsletter/ (I promise not to spam anyone!)
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If you want to keep up to date with what I'm up to, get exclusive short stories and information about launches, sign up at: http://jozebedee.com/newsletter/ (I promise not to spam anyone!)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 23, 2016
Holy carp! I'm not sure if my pulse-rate will ever really recover from this rip-snorter of a finale...
Jo Zebedee's third book in the Inheritance Trilogy is as fast-paced, exhilarating, and as full of twists and turns as the Monaco Grand Prix, and I devoured it. Because of it's pace, it felt like a quick read and I was quite surprised to reach the end, but like my favourite dessert pie it was gloriously satisfying and left me with a lingering desire for more. But like Breaking Bad, it ends where it should, and I'm content with that.
The book explores the concept of how acquiring power leaves you hungry for more, even though you may not be aware of it, and how that power may come close to overwhelming you and leaving a husk of your former self behind. It also contains themes describing the battle of good versus evil and that love conquers all, but not in a saccharine way. Very refreshing.
Sensitive readers are spared the hectic descriptions of abuse and torture of the first two books, but there are still two bits that stand out as ick-inducing if you're squeamish, so be prepared for a bit of skimming if you're so inclined.
Strong, well established characters, great writing, and ultimately a great addition to the genre. This series is movie material.
*slow cap* Jo Zebedee, *slow clap*.
I was pleased to receive a mobi review copy from the publishers, Tickety Boo Press, in exchange for an honest review.
Jo Zebedee's third book in the Inheritance Trilogy is as fast-paced, exhilarating, and as full of twists and turns as the Monaco Grand Prix, and I devoured it. Because of it's pace, it felt like a quick read and I was quite surprised to reach the end, but like my favourite dessert pie it was gloriously satisfying and left me with a lingering desire for more. But like Breaking Bad, it ends where it should, and I'm content with that.
The book explores the concept of how acquiring power leaves you hungry for more, even though you may not be aware of it, and how that power may come close to overwhelming you and leaving a husk of your former self behind. It also contains themes describing the battle of good versus evil and that love conquers all, but not in a saccharine way. Very refreshing.
Sensitive readers are spared the hectic descriptions of abuse and torture of the first two books, but there are still two bits that stand out as ick-inducing if you're squeamish, so be prepared for a bit of skimming if you're so inclined.
Strong, well established characters, great writing, and ultimately a great addition to the genre. This series is movie material.
*slow cap* Jo Zebedee, *slow clap*.
I was pleased to receive a mobi review copy from the publishers, Tickety Boo Press, in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2016
I got an ARC of this and devoured it. Knocked it out in the course of a busy day. This is a fast paced book where the stakes are obvious and growing with every chapter and I can see it doing the same for many people.
This is a book about putting right the mistakes of your past so you can move on. Its also about finishing the story presented in the first two books of course, but the way in which its done presents a very strong theme, intentionally or not. We see the main characters take on the Empress and put right the mistakes they made in their previous fights against her and we also see their children take up their powers, make mistakes and struggle to put them right again. It's a brave decision to have characters so young and so important - and it works.
But then making brave decisions work is Zebedee's raison d'etre as a writer. I've had some issues with just how baldly she's shown the trauma that is often the result of momentous events, but for the most part its enthralled me. I imagine most people reading this have been through that - let me tell you, the ending is compelling. And the writing is everything you're used to, only even faster and tighter.
Anyone reading this who has not read the trilogy however; if you like character-driven speculative fiction of a dark persuasion, go to the beginning.
This is a book about putting right the mistakes of your past so you can move on. Its also about finishing the story presented in the first two books of course, but the way in which its done presents a very strong theme, intentionally or not. We see the main characters take on the Empress and put right the mistakes they made in their previous fights against her and we also see their children take up their powers, make mistakes and struggle to put them right again. It's a brave decision to have characters so young and so important - and it works.
But then making brave decisions work is Zebedee's raison d'etre as a writer. I've had some issues with just how baldly she's shown the trauma that is often the result of momentous events, but for the most part its enthralled me. I imagine most people reading this have been through that - let me tell you, the ending is compelling. And the writing is everything you're used to, only even faster and tighter.
Anyone reading this who has not read the trilogy however; if you like character-driven speculative fiction of a dark persuasion, go to the beginning.
May 20, 2017
Really enjoyed this. Couldn't stop reading right up to the final page. Would love to see a sequel that explores how the two children's lives work out...
December 4, 2016
This is the final part of the Abendau trilogy, which started with Abendau's Heir, and there is always a risk with final instalments. So much work has gone into the earlier books; readers have become invested in the characters. It's essential the story concludes satisfactorily, and the characters stay true to themselves.
Abendau's Legacy manages that, and more. The main character, Kare Varnon, has grown from a hero responding to events in the first book, to a seasoned military leader and statesman in Legacy. Having entered the trilogy as a child himself, he now has children of his own - children whose power is coming to the fore. He also has a marriage that has seen more than its fair share of troubles, but is stabilising, at last. On the down side, though, his manipulative and psychopathic mother is once again free and has retaken her throne as empress; for fans of classic British sci-fi, think Servalan from Blake's 7, without the charm and sensuality.
The solution is straightforward: retake Abendau, depose his mother, dissolve the empire and set up a democracy. Okay, so possibly not so straightforward.
Basically, Abendau's Legacy turns the trilogy from a relatively uncomplicated military sci-fi space opera into a much more nuanced tale of political and military manoeuvring on a galactic scale. This began in the second book, Sunset Over Abendau but, in Abendau's Legacy, the strands are pulled together, the story is concluded (or this segment of it - there could easily be scope for a next generation tale, were it ever written), and the full picture is revealed. And what a picture!
One thing I've consistently admired in Jo Zebedee's writing is the quality of the characters. The stories are driven by them, and even the bad guys have motivations and multiple facets. My only complaints in this book would be a slightly too neat bit of comeuppance on one of the antagonists, and the fact that the series is now over! I've really enjoyed it.
Having started the first book a bit unsure about the premise, I've been happily corrected in my fears. The Abendau trilogy is a superb series, which I'd recommend for pretty much anyone who likes a good yarn, from fans of the politics of Asimov's Foundation series, through those who enjoyed the galactic adventures of Star Wars, Firefly, and the aforementioned Blake's 7, to the character-led, harder science fiction of Nancy Kress.
Abendau's Legacy manages that, and more. The main character, Kare Varnon, has grown from a hero responding to events in the first book, to a seasoned military leader and statesman in Legacy. Having entered the trilogy as a child himself, he now has children of his own - children whose power is coming to the fore. He also has a marriage that has seen more than its fair share of troubles, but is stabilising, at last. On the down side, though, his manipulative and psychopathic mother is once again free and has retaken her throne as empress; for fans of classic British sci-fi, think Servalan from Blake's 7, without the charm and sensuality.
The solution is straightforward: retake Abendau, depose his mother, dissolve the empire and set up a democracy. Okay, so possibly not so straightforward.
Basically, Abendau's Legacy turns the trilogy from a relatively uncomplicated military sci-fi space opera into a much more nuanced tale of political and military manoeuvring on a galactic scale. This began in the second book, Sunset Over Abendau but, in Abendau's Legacy, the strands are pulled together, the story is concluded (or this segment of it - there could easily be scope for a next generation tale, were it ever written), and the full picture is revealed. And what a picture!
One thing I've consistently admired in Jo Zebedee's writing is the quality of the characters. The stories are driven by them, and even the bad guys have motivations and multiple facets. My only complaints in this book would be a slightly too neat bit of comeuppance on one of the antagonists, and the fact that the series is now over! I've really enjoyed it.
Having started the first book a bit unsure about the premise, I've been happily corrected in my fears. The Abendau trilogy is a superb series, which I'd recommend for pretty much anyone who likes a good yarn, from fans of the politics of Asimov's Foundation series, through those who enjoyed the galactic adventures of Star Wars, Firefly, and the aforementioned Blake's 7, to the character-led, harder science fiction of Nancy Kress.
May 16, 2019
Abendau's Legacy (The inheritance Trilogy) By Jo Zebedee
I started to write my summary of this novel and decided I needed to read it through a second time. The first two books are done quite well and this, the third, seemed different. I wanted to be certain that it wasn't just me. I don't think it is; but the second time through I was able to pinpoint what was different this time: at least for me.
These characters are growing and developing; which they should do, but that has a larger impact on the third story because of something that I perceived in the first book.
There is a real feeling of dark in the first novel that seems to permeate through from front until end. I'm not sure that everyone who reads it will see that: but I did. It turns out that many of the characters have the darkness embedded within their character; for some through mistreatment in their life that leads to self doubt and their lives become a combination of conflicts that arise within and more often than not this is what drives them. In a small way the protagonists are a group of dysfunctional people with a common purpose and together they muster the ability to complete that purpose.
But their dark lives; the self doubt; the mistreatment; the oppression has led all of them to this moment in their lives, damaged; ineffectual; alone, where their strength comes from working together. But that strength is not enough to keep them from making wrong choices that lead to catastrophe and death for those around them.
In the second novel they still are experiencing the result of bad decisions. Despite that: the characters are showing a slight and slow shift toward growth; but a subtext of the story is that they haven't quite let go of the darker parts of their lives that inevitably drive them toward conflict.
Now in the third novel; the shift that was becoming evident in the second novel has blossomed as though they needed the setbacks in the second novel to help them mature. The characters do remain flawed; but the darker aspects of those flaws have in most case been put aside. They still have some consequences that they must face from past decisions; but those are a given and they seem to have learned from the experience. For Kare there are some new things that have given him even more reasons for self doubt. But all of the main players finally understand the one thing that must happen for all of them to be able to retrieve past victory and make life right for all the worlds in the Empire.
Still unsure of the future, yet more confident of what he's doing Kare sets out to use the forces within the Roamer mesh to defeat his mother; the Empress. [Although most of this is easy to follow in and of itself, I recommend reading the first two books.] Sonly is moving toward becoming president while they seek to dissolve the present Empire. Lichio is beginning to realize that it is now time to begin to acknowledge that he might have a life outside of service to Kare.
When the Empress sends Phelps to retrieving Baelan; so she can punish him, she sets in motion events that will lead everyone to one place where the final conflict must occur.
Jo's trilogy contains elements of world building that comes close to those of Dune though not nearly as dense in narrative yet just as compelling and complex. The characters are a wide array of believable and sometimes relatable people whose lives you care for as you hang onto each struggle; heartbreak; betrayal and each victory; accomplishment; kinship.
Great elements of a blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy with interesting believable characters make this set one of my favorites. And though the darkness that sometimes annoyed me in the first novel seems to have almost vanished, it all make perfect sense toward the growth and development of the characters and this final book rounds out the trilogy with an exclamation point.
J.L Dobias
I started to write my summary of this novel and decided I needed to read it through a second time. The first two books are done quite well and this, the third, seemed different. I wanted to be certain that it wasn't just me. I don't think it is; but the second time through I was able to pinpoint what was different this time: at least for me.
These characters are growing and developing; which they should do, but that has a larger impact on the third story because of something that I perceived in the first book.
There is a real feeling of dark in the first novel that seems to permeate through from front until end. I'm not sure that everyone who reads it will see that: but I did. It turns out that many of the characters have the darkness embedded within their character; for some through mistreatment in their life that leads to self doubt and their lives become a combination of conflicts that arise within and more often than not this is what drives them. In a small way the protagonists are a group of dysfunctional people with a common purpose and together they muster the ability to complete that purpose.
But their dark lives; the self doubt; the mistreatment; the oppression has led all of them to this moment in their lives, damaged; ineffectual; alone, where their strength comes from working together. But that strength is not enough to keep them from making wrong choices that lead to catastrophe and death for those around them.
In the second novel they still are experiencing the result of bad decisions. Despite that: the characters are showing a slight and slow shift toward growth; but a subtext of the story is that they haven't quite let go of the darker parts of their lives that inevitably drive them toward conflict.
Now in the third novel; the shift that was becoming evident in the second novel has blossomed as though they needed the setbacks in the second novel to help them mature. The characters do remain flawed; but the darker aspects of those flaws have in most case been put aside. They still have some consequences that they must face from past decisions; but those are a given and they seem to have learned from the experience. For Kare there are some new things that have given him even more reasons for self doubt. But all of the main players finally understand the one thing that must happen for all of them to be able to retrieve past victory and make life right for all the worlds in the Empire.
Still unsure of the future, yet more confident of what he's doing Kare sets out to use the forces within the Roamer mesh to defeat his mother; the Empress. [Although most of this is easy to follow in and of itself, I recommend reading the first two books.] Sonly is moving toward becoming president while they seek to dissolve the present Empire. Lichio is beginning to realize that it is now time to begin to acknowledge that he might have a life outside of service to Kare.
When the Empress sends Phelps to retrieving Baelan; so she can punish him, she sets in motion events that will lead everyone to one place where the final conflict must occur.
Jo's trilogy contains elements of world building that comes close to those of Dune though not nearly as dense in narrative yet just as compelling and complex. The characters are a wide array of believable and sometimes relatable people whose lives you care for as you hang onto each struggle; heartbreak; betrayal and each victory; accomplishment; kinship.
Great elements of a blend of Science Fiction and Fantasy with interesting believable characters make this set one of my favorites. And though the darkness that sometimes annoyed me in the first novel seems to have almost vanished, it all make perfect sense toward the growth and development of the characters and this final book rounds out the trilogy with an exclamation point.
J.L Dobias
May 5, 2018
And so the first trilogy by writer Jo Zebedee comes to an end.
Everything is drawn back to the planet Abendau, where the Empress is re-establishing her powerbase, the future is thrown into doubt. Will the political reforms instigated by Kare stick as a newly found freedom and democracy start to become a reality, or will the tyrannical rule of a psychically gifted and manipulative woman once more become reality?
There is more to the novel than that, there is a genuine feel of family, albeit a discordant one as the main family unit, Kare, his wife Sonly and the two children all find themselves at odd for different reasons. An affair here, an imbedded desire to kill Kare there, the desire to be more than we are too soon another.
It all feeds into the plot giving a twisting, turning read that is a lot of fun and actually delivers a satisfying conclusion – something that escapes some series.
The characters are well developed and come off the page. They all feel different and like real people and you can love and loathe them as much as you need to. They make mistakes, try to write wrongs, hurt and bleed making you sympathise with, get angry with them. The use of the media, being intrusive into high profile public people is excellently done.
Some of the ideas work even better, there is a fascinating world, that comes across as a bit like Endor during the day. However, at night there are no friendly (or annoying) Ewoks, rather sprites than are quite happy to devour a human over the dark hours. The best run of chapters sees Lichio (best character in the series) trapped over-night facing the impossibility of survival. Gripping stuff.
If anything, the novel is not quite as visceral as its predecessors, especially the first book, but it certainly has its moments.
For me, the one thing that worked against it (slightly) was the world of Abendau itself. A desert world, where water is a commodity… there are similarities throughout that are slightly reminiscent of Dune, from the environment, the peoples who struggle to live there, perhaps even to the overthrow of an Empire, with the backdrop of bickering noble houses.
This is a small quibble, and there is more than enough to separate the two books, and it should not detract too much from this being a rollicking good adventure and well worth a read.
Everything is drawn back to the planet Abendau, where the Empress is re-establishing her powerbase, the future is thrown into doubt. Will the political reforms instigated by Kare stick as a newly found freedom and democracy start to become a reality, or will the tyrannical rule of a psychically gifted and manipulative woman once more become reality?
There is more to the novel than that, there is a genuine feel of family, albeit a discordant one as the main family unit, Kare, his wife Sonly and the two children all find themselves at odd for different reasons. An affair here, an imbedded desire to kill Kare there, the desire to be more than we are too soon another.
It all feeds into the plot giving a twisting, turning read that is a lot of fun and actually delivers a satisfying conclusion – something that escapes some series.
The characters are well developed and come off the page. They all feel different and like real people and you can love and loathe them as much as you need to. They make mistakes, try to write wrongs, hurt and bleed making you sympathise with, get angry with them. The use of the media, being intrusive into high profile public people is excellently done.
Some of the ideas work even better, there is a fascinating world, that comes across as a bit like Endor during the day. However, at night there are no friendly (or annoying) Ewoks, rather sprites than are quite happy to devour a human over the dark hours. The best run of chapters sees Lichio (best character in the series) trapped over-night facing the impossibility of survival. Gripping stuff.
If anything, the novel is not quite as visceral as its predecessors, especially the first book, but it certainly has its moments.
For me, the one thing that worked against it (slightly) was the world of Abendau itself. A desert world, where water is a commodity… there are similarities throughout that are slightly reminiscent of Dune, from the environment, the peoples who struggle to live there, perhaps even to the overthrow of an Empire, with the backdrop of bickering noble houses.
This is a small quibble, and there is more than enough to separate the two books, and it should not detract too much from this being a rollicking good adventure and well worth a read.
November 19, 2020
The final entry in the Abendau trilogy ties up the lose ends and features the best action in the series. A lot of character arcs are completed and fulfilling. Great send off for the trilogy!
January 3, 2017
A really great ending to a series that grew on me more and more as it progressed. This is a fast paced finale that never lets up. Looking forward to reading more from this universe *nudge wink Jo* =)
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