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Darwath #3
The Armies of Daylight
After a year of magical combat, the world is in ruins, and the few surviving wizards, including two stranded Californians, must take to the offensive
Since the Dark Ones returned, the world has been laid to waste. The land’s wizards have been slaughtered, its cities destroyed, and its people scattered in terror, and few have witnessed more of the destruction than Rudy and Gil—two ordinary Californians who found their way across the Void, and took up arms in defense of a strange and magical world. She learned the ways of war, while he found within himself the powers of a great wizard. Both of them will need all their strength to survive this final challenge.
Ingold, the master wizard, has devised a spell to hide the user from the deathly stare of the Dark, and he intends to use it to strike at their very heart. Finally, Rudy, Gil, and the rest of mankind’s survivors will take the offensive, bringing an end to this terrible war, for better or for worse.
This ebook features an illustrated biography of Barbara Hambly, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 1983
42 people are currently reading
957 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hambly
204 books1,580 followersaka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
November 20, 2018
Other than the ending being a bit rushed, this was a great conclusion to the trilogy. Most of the mysteries were revealed, a true conclusion was reached in all the major plot lines, and our main characters completed their personal journeys. Naturally, it all left me feeling sad and disappointed though -- that is until I could scurry over to the bookshelf and get the next Darwath book down to read!
September 30, 2012
This third book from the original Darwath Trilogy is so intense!
I think the biggest intensity is of course, the main plot line. It's unpredictable, changing, and complex. Barbara Hambly does not telegraph her punches with pointless foreshadowing and constant reminders. Yes, she's kept certain ideas or concepts or people alive in our memories but she has the delicate touch of a butterfly compared to most authors who hit you with such things with the force of a 20# sledge.
The thing is, for me at least, what really reels me in with The Armies of Daylight is that it's not only the plot and action which are intensified. For a last (at the time) novel in a series, this book is breathtaking. Yes, the storyline becomes more desperate, but what's even more fascinating to me: it gets more intelligent. We've been seeing the scholarship of the main character Gil-Shalos thread its way through the entire series, however in this novel, she really shines. Serious deep philosophies are sparked in this final novel. How much is natural need versus evil? How far is too far to determine religious belief versus political power? When is it time to draw a line and end the life of people who commit attrocities, or to lock the doors against those who cause you harm? What is love? How is love in relationship to our other aspects like greed, power, security, intellectual pursuits? How did men actually evolve? How can cosmology of a solar system rapidly affect and change our lives?
All of these concepts, and even more get started in this third novel. What's best though, is that Barbara Hambly only starts them. The ideas are there. The ice-breakers are provided to you... but if you just want a good story, they don't batter-ram your door at 3am if you don't want to let them in. However, if you need something really intense you want to talk over for three hours while you cook, eat and clean a great meal with someone you love and who shares your love of deep concepts.... this is the book to get things rolling!
I think the biggest intensity is of course, the main plot line. It's unpredictable, changing, and complex. Barbara Hambly does not telegraph her punches with pointless foreshadowing and constant reminders. Yes, she's kept certain ideas or concepts or people alive in our memories but she has the delicate touch of a butterfly compared to most authors who hit you with such things with the force of a 20# sledge.
The thing is, for me at least, what really reels me in with The Armies of Daylight is that it's not only the plot and action which are intensified. For a last (at the time) novel in a series, this book is breathtaking. Yes, the storyline becomes more desperate, but what's even more fascinating to me: it gets more intelligent. We've been seeing the scholarship of the main character Gil-Shalos thread its way through the entire series, however in this novel, she really shines. Serious deep philosophies are sparked in this final novel. How much is natural need versus evil? How far is too far to determine religious belief versus political power? When is it time to draw a line and end the life of people who commit attrocities, or to lock the doors against those who cause you harm? What is love? How is love in relationship to our other aspects like greed, power, security, intellectual pursuits? How did men actually evolve? How can cosmology of a solar system rapidly affect and change our lives?
All of these concepts, and even more get started in this third novel. What's best though, is that Barbara Hambly only starts them. The ideas are there. The ice-breakers are provided to you... but if you just want a good story, they don't batter-ram your door at 3am if you don't want to let them in. However, if you need something really intense you want to talk over for three hours while you cook, eat and clean a great meal with someone you love and who shares your love of deep concepts.... this is the book to get things rolling!
August 28, 2020
On this re-read, I will just add this to my overall summary under the first book: as the trilogy enters the closing laps, the characters are put through the ringer even more, with more political shenanigans, treachery, hopeless endeavours, and backs to the wall. If I was reading this fresh now, I might have taken off a star from vols 2 and 3, because there are some aspects, such as the over sentimental portrayal of Queen Minalde/Alde, and the occasional bit of head-hopping between characters within a scene, that I find slightly irritating, but staying true to my original perception and in view of this still being very enjoyable, I am sticking with the original 5 star rating for each volume.
December 4, 2017
Superb! And a grand resolution is had by all. The conclusion to the trilogy really drags the suspense and bleakness all the way to the end, and it never really lets up. I love that the women characters are so well-rounded, they are strong and yet flawed, even the female antagonist. The male characters, no really so, they are mostly paragons of virtuous badassness or else Obviously Evil™. Wish she'd applied the same even-handedness to the men, but it's easily overlooked.
Excellent monsters in this trilogy, and guess what,
Excellent monsters in this trilogy, and guess what,
January 2, 2020
I am very sad to say that I did not like this book.
Frankly, this is my own fault. I didn’t particularly care for The Time of the Dark, and that feeling of discontent verging on dislike only grew with The Walls of Air. Yet out of love and devotion to the one-and-only Barbara Hambly, I kept reading. Deep down I knew that The Armies of Daylight wouldn’t solve all the problems I had with the characters, characterization, world, plot structure, pacing […], but I hoped it would offer up something to make me look back on the series with warmth. Instead, when I finished reading The Time of the Dark, I threw it across the room because I was so dissatisfied with … everything.
First, a quick review suitable for those looking to avoid spoilers: if you liked The Time of the Dark and The Walls of Air, you’ll probably be fine with The Armies of Daylight. If, however, there were critical components of previous books that left you dissatisfied, that dissatisfaction will almost certainly intensify. Depending on how significant that feeling is to start with, it might grow unruly.
With that out of the way, my biggest disappointment runs directly from the opening scene to the closing one, so get ready for lots of spoilers.
Okay, so in book one, the wizard Ingold must protect the heir to the throne of whatever kingdom from the Dark—essentially invincible monsters that eat humans. To do so, he crosses the void into our world for a night. The Dark show up in California and in Ingold’s haste to return to his world, he accidentally brings two folks along for the ride: Gil, a PhD student, and Rudy, a biker. Over three books, we watch Gil and Rudy strive against the insurmountable odds of this new world. They try to discover the secrets of the Dark so that they might finally be able to fight back. They make friends, enemies, lovers. They get into trouble, they get lost, they fall apart.
Throughout this, the Dark are seeking Ingold relentlessly, though no one knows why. Eventually, they get him and, a stone’s throw from the back cover, Ingold reappears, opens a hole in the void, and ushers the Dark and their herds of human livestock into it. When confronted about wtf just happened, Ingold says that he was sought out by the Dark because—ever since he opened the void to California—they’ve been wanting him to open the void and (for reasons it’d be boring to explain) let them go somewhere else. For lack of a better idea on how to get rid of them, he simply does as they request.
So … nothing outside of the first three-ish chapters matters. Literally none of it affects the outcome whatsoever. Gil and Rudy could have taken up knitting and spent three books outfitting the warriors of the keep with sweaters, and the ending could have stayed roughly the same.
That’s the biggest sin in fiction. The protagonists have to matter. In an ideal world, Rudy’s apprenticeship in magic and Gil’s training as a swordswoman would be an integral part of the resolution of the novel. Ingold can still do the heavy lifting—I don’t need chosen ones who appear and save the day. I just need what they’ve experienced and learned throughout the three-book series to be beneficial. Instead, they stand aside and watch.
It was so deeply unsatisfying that I consider it one of the worst endings I've read for Forgotten Female Fantasy. Sure, Hambly’s technical skill in writing is still leagues ahead of the average author, but the ending left me just as disgruntled as The Missing Man or Sword-Dancer .
Okay, so the grand finale was terrible. But I’ve loved other books with terrible (or utterly baffling) endings. What gives?
Characterization.
Frankly, I don’t care about Rudy or Gil. They’re too perfect and they get what they want too easily. They feel like a first draft of a character before the author really knows them.
Examples:
Rudy is a cynical and aloof biker. He comes through the void and finds a young woman that he falls in love with almost immediately. He’s the perfect lover. Even when he has reason to be pissed off or sad or churlish about his relationship, he sternly tells himself that whatever is upsetting him is none of his business.
I don’t need a tragic love story of a couple who can never be, but I could use something. Like, Rudy isn’t from this world. He could have struggled with his feelings, trying to suppress or subdue them, because he knows that he’ll be leaving eventually and it’s not fair to his lover to get tangled up in her life. Then, when he eventually lets his guard down and embraces love, I’d be cheering from the stands. Yes! Love wins! Fuck that other world, who needs it! Love is all you need!
Instead, he meets woman, he immediately wins her favor by saving her son, and they’re in love from then on. Sure, things get a little more complicated as time goes on, but these complications are all external factors. No matter how the circumstances around them change, their feelings do not.
The exact same thing happens with magic. As soon as Rudy discovers that he’s a mage, he embraces his power and, at the steady pace of a new learner, acquires greater knowledge. Things get a little more complicated due to the hatred of the church, but that’s an external matter that Rudy hardly thinks twice about.
So, if I’m being frank, neither of these facets of Rudy’s life provide any intrigue, interest, or excitement. They’re givens, static entities in his life. They’re also the biggest parts of his life, and most of his POV is dedicated to one or the other. I found myself desperate for anything else—anything at all. I’d normally find the power-hungry chancellor shtick a touch boring, but bring it on. I’d love to see how Alwir is fucking shit up because I cannot deal with any more of Rudy and Alde huddling together talking about how much they love each other and how tragic everything is around them.
Staring opposite Rudy is Gil.
Gil arrives in this dying new world and immediately puts everything she has into helping. She’s selfless beyond selfless, strong beyond strong, driven beyond driven. But why is she willing to give so much of herself? How does she have the inner strength to survive the horrors of this world? What makes her so fucking strong?
I don’t know.
I don’t know if she struggles to be this perfect version of herself or if this comes naturally. I don’t know if she looks around and wonders if there’s something wrong with her that she doesn’t feel more overwhelmed. I don’t know if she ever buckles and thinks, fuck it, let these assholes take care of themselves. I’m a PhD student from California—this isn’t my problem.
If I knew any of these things, then it would make her steel-faced façade interesting. Without any sort of nuance, though, it reduced her moments. She’s the perfect soldier and friend because that’s all she’s capable of being. Gil as anything less doesn’t make any sense given what we know of her.
This puts a loooot of weight on the plot. It needs to supply the intrigue that we’d normally get from the characters themselves. It doesn’t. The Dark are so powerful that the plot is mostly “I hope that we get lucky.” At first that ‘lucky’ is getting to the safety of the keep, then it’s getting safely to Quo, then it’s uncovering any useful information in the keep. There are hardly any hints that leave your brain churning, trying to put together the pieces. There’s just “wait and see.”
The only steady source of intrigue in the series is political. Alwir the chancellor wants to keep his power by any means necessary. The church hates mages, including Rudy and Ingold. The nations to the south kinda-wanna conquer the north and the invasion of the Dark might make that easier. In a story where the main plot is political, this would be fine. But the plot is the survival of humankind against the Dark and, hopefully, the eventual ability of humans to drive the Dark back into hiding. That’s what I want to learn about. Everything else feels artificial, like it exists to fill the gaps. Which, it kinda does, because none of this politicking matters when Ingold sends the Dark to some other world that, hopefully, isn’t inhabited.
Even this complete lack of intrigue could have been okay. I’ve said more than once that my favorite books are those that I finish reading not because I have to know what happens, but because I love the characters and the world so much that they could do literally anything and I’d be happy to watch them.
Part of this could be solved by characters I’m deeply invested in (and I’ve already established why I’m not invested in Rudy and Gil), and the other part of this could be solved by characters so charismatic that they’re larger than life. Think pretty much the entire cast of most of David Edding’s series. You know the spy is going to be sly and witty, the warrior is going to be proud and loyal, the wizard is going to be lovingly cryptic. They’re not nuanced, they have no inner world that we really get a chance at seeing, but by gosh they’re fun and charismatic.
It makes sense that Rudy and Gil aren’t fun. They’re trapped in a dying world, removed from everything they’ve ever known. Making them fun would be ghoulish. Which is why they need to have some sort of legitimate inner world that we’re allowed to look at.
I have pages of other notes of things I dislike about the book/series. The Ingold-Gil thing comes out of almost nowhere and adds nothing to the series other than a convenient reason for Gil to refuse to go home. Ingold and Rudy knowing that Eldor is leading a suicide attack into the nests of the Dark but not saying a damn word to save their friends/followers feels 1000% out of character, and astonishingly foolish besides, but is awfully convenient for getting Ingold to the perfect place to finally be captured by the Dark. The POV is loose. There are too many characters, most of whom don’t matter at all and just clutter up the space. The quest to Quo was a complete throw-away. I’ll stop, though. In my opinion, the foundation of the book doesn’t work. There’s no point in obsessing about the cracks in the windows or poor interior decorating.
I know lots of people liked this series. I seem to be in the minority, especially as a Barbara Hambly fan. Did other reviews not hint at the issues I had, I’d think I were wrong. Instead, I think maybe I’m simply pickier than average. What to other people is a minor annoyance is, to me, a deal-breaker.
Still, I have to admit that seeing how much I don’t like this book/series has made me strangely happy. People really can improve.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
Frankly, this is my own fault. I didn’t particularly care for The Time of the Dark, and that feeling of discontent verging on dislike only grew with The Walls of Air. Yet out of love and devotion to the one-and-only Barbara Hambly, I kept reading. Deep down I knew that The Armies of Daylight wouldn’t solve all the problems I had with the characters, characterization, world, plot structure, pacing […], but I hoped it would offer up something to make me look back on the series with warmth. Instead, when I finished reading The Time of the Dark, I threw it across the room because I was so dissatisfied with … everything.
First, a quick review suitable for those looking to avoid spoilers: if you liked The Time of the Dark and The Walls of Air, you’ll probably be fine with The Armies of Daylight. If, however, there were critical components of previous books that left you dissatisfied, that dissatisfaction will almost certainly intensify. Depending on how significant that feeling is to start with, it might grow unruly.
With that out of the way, my biggest disappointment runs directly from the opening scene to the closing one, so get ready for lots of spoilers.
Okay, so in book one, the wizard Ingold must protect the heir to the throne of whatever kingdom from the Dark—essentially invincible monsters that eat humans. To do so, he crosses the void into our world for a night. The Dark show up in California and in Ingold’s haste to return to his world, he accidentally brings two folks along for the ride: Gil, a PhD student, and Rudy, a biker. Over three books, we watch Gil and Rudy strive against the insurmountable odds of this new world. They try to discover the secrets of the Dark so that they might finally be able to fight back. They make friends, enemies, lovers. They get into trouble, they get lost, they fall apart.
Throughout this, the Dark are seeking Ingold relentlessly, though no one knows why. Eventually, they get him and, a stone’s throw from the back cover, Ingold reappears, opens a hole in the void, and ushers the Dark and their herds of human livestock into it. When confronted about wtf just happened, Ingold says that he was sought out by the Dark because—ever since he opened the void to California—they’ve been wanting him to open the void and (for reasons it’d be boring to explain) let them go somewhere else. For lack of a better idea on how to get rid of them, he simply does as they request.
So … nothing outside of the first three-ish chapters matters. Literally none of it affects the outcome whatsoever. Gil and Rudy could have taken up knitting and spent three books outfitting the warriors of the keep with sweaters, and the ending could have stayed roughly the same.
That’s the biggest sin in fiction. The protagonists have to matter. In an ideal world, Rudy’s apprenticeship in magic and Gil’s training as a swordswoman would be an integral part of the resolution of the novel. Ingold can still do the heavy lifting—I don’t need chosen ones who appear and save the day. I just need what they’ve experienced and learned throughout the three-book series to be beneficial. Instead, they stand aside and watch.
It was so deeply unsatisfying that I consider it one of the worst endings I've read for Forgotten Female Fantasy. Sure, Hambly’s technical skill in writing is still leagues ahead of the average author, but the ending left me just as disgruntled as The Missing Man or Sword-Dancer .
Okay, so the grand finale was terrible. But I’ve loved other books with terrible (or utterly baffling) endings. What gives?
Characterization.
Frankly, I don’t care about Rudy or Gil. They’re too perfect and they get what they want too easily. They feel like a first draft of a character before the author really knows them.
Examples:
Rudy is a cynical and aloof biker. He comes through the void and finds a young woman that he falls in love with almost immediately. He’s the perfect lover. Even when he has reason to be pissed off or sad or churlish about his relationship, he sternly tells himself that whatever is upsetting him is none of his business.
I don’t need a tragic love story of a couple who can never be, but I could use something. Like, Rudy isn’t from this world. He could have struggled with his feelings, trying to suppress or subdue them, because he knows that he’ll be leaving eventually and it’s not fair to his lover to get tangled up in her life. Then, when he eventually lets his guard down and embraces love, I’d be cheering from the stands. Yes! Love wins! Fuck that other world, who needs it! Love is all you need!
Instead, he meets woman, he immediately wins her favor by saving her son, and they’re in love from then on. Sure, things get a little more complicated as time goes on, but these complications are all external factors. No matter how the circumstances around them change, their feelings do not.
The exact same thing happens with magic. As soon as Rudy discovers that he’s a mage, he embraces his power and, at the steady pace of a new learner, acquires greater knowledge. Things get a little more complicated due to the hatred of the church, but that’s an external matter that Rudy hardly thinks twice about.
So, if I’m being frank, neither of these facets of Rudy’s life provide any intrigue, interest, or excitement. They’re givens, static entities in his life. They’re also the biggest parts of his life, and most of his POV is dedicated to one or the other. I found myself desperate for anything else—anything at all. I’d normally find the power-hungry chancellor shtick a touch boring, but bring it on. I’d love to see how Alwir is fucking shit up because I cannot deal with any more of Rudy and Alde huddling together talking about how much they love each other and how tragic everything is around them.
Staring opposite Rudy is Gil.
Gil arrives in this dying new world and immediately puts everything she has into helping. She’s selfless beyond selfless, strong beyond strong, driven beyond driven. But why is she willing to give so much of herself? How does she have the inner strength to survive the horrors of this world? What makes her so fucking strong?
I don’t know.
I don’t know if she struggles to be this perfect version of herself or if this comes naturally. I don’t know if she looks around and wonders if there’s something wrong with her that she doesn’t feel more overwhelmed. I don’t know if she ever buckles and thinks, fuck it, let these assholes take care of themselves. I’m a PhD student from California—this isn’t my problem.
If I knew any of these things, then it would make her steel-faced façade interesting. Without any sort of nuance, though, it reduced her moments. She’s the perfect soldier and friend because that’s all she’s capable of being. Gil as anything less doesn’t make any sense given what we know of her.
This puts a loooot of weight on the plot. It needs to supply the intrigue that we’d normally get from the characters themselves. It doesn’t. The Dark are so powerful that the plot is mostly “I hope that we get lucky.” At first that ‘lucky’ is getting to the safety of the keep, then it’s getting safely to Quo, then it’s uncovering any useful information in the keep. There are hardly any hints that leave your brain churning, trying to put together the pieces. There’s just “wait and see.”
The only steady source of intrigue in the series is political. Alwir the chancellor wants to keep his power by any means necessary. The church hates mages, including Rudy and Ingold. The nations to the south kinda-wanna conquer the north and the invasion of the Dark might make that easier. In a story where the main plot is political, this would be fine. But the plot is the survival of humankind against the Dark and, hopefully, the eventual ability of humans to drive the Dark back into hiding. That’s what I want to learn about. Everything else feels artificial, like it exists to fill the gaps. Which, it kinda does, because none of this politicking matters when Ingold sends the Dark to some other world that, hopefully, isn’t inhabited.
Even this complete lack of intrigue could have been okay. I’ve said more than once that my favorite books are those that I finish reading not because I have to know what happens, but because I love the characters and the world so much that they could do literally anything and I’d be happy to watch them.
Part of this could be solved by characters I’m deeply invested in (and I’ve already established why I’m not invested in Rudy and Gil), and the other part of this could be solved by characters so charismatic that they’re larger than life. Think pretty much the entire cast of most of David Edding’s series. You know the spy is going to be sly and witty, the warrior is going to be proud and loyal, the wizard is going to be lovingly cryptic. They’re not nuanced, they have no inner world that we really get a chance at seeing, but by gosh they’re fun and charismatic.
It makes sense that Rudy and Gil aren’t fun. They’re trapped in a dying world, removed from everything they’ve ever known. Making them fun would be ghoulish. Which is why they need to have some sort of legitimate inner world that we’re allowed to look at.
I have pages of other notes of things I dislike about the book/series. The Ingold-Gil thing comes out of almost nowhere and adds nothing to the series other than a convenient reason for Gil to refuse to go home. Ingold and Rudy knowing that Eldor is leading a suicide attack into the nests of the Dark but not saying a damn word to save their friends/followers feels 1000% out of character, and astonishingly foolish besides, but is awfully convenient for getting Ingold to the perfect place to finally be captured by the Dark. The POV is loose. There are too many characters, most of whom don’t matter at all and just clutter up the space. The quest to Quo was a complete throw-away. I’ll stop, though. In my opinion, the foundation of the book doesn’t work. There’s no point in obsessing about the cracks in the windows or poor interior decorating.
I know lots of people liked this series. I seem to be in the minority, especially as a Barbara Hambly fan. Did other reviews not hint at the issues I had, I’d think I were wrong. Instead, I think maybe I’m simply pickier than average. What to other people is a minor annoyance is, to me, a deal-breaker.
Still, I have to admit that seeing how much I don’t like this book/series has made me strangely happy. People really can improve.
[I read old fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women authors in search of forgotten gems. See more at forfemfan.com]
August 7, 2025
“We’re lost. And I know it—in some sense I have always known. There is nothing left, only fear and darkness. Every person who follows me knows it, too.”
Excellent close to the Darwath series, except the series doesn’t end here. Published in 1983, this installment draws heavily on Tolkien and the medieval analog worlds then popular in high fantasy. Hambly’s introduction of two humans from earth works well enough to add depth to both plot development and characterization. Good, clean fun.
“The Dark Ones’ fear is that I will remember sooner, or that I already know.” He laughed again, a dry, weary sound. “The irony of it all is that I haven’t the slightest idea what it is that they believe I know.”
Extended series are admittedly money machines, but authors owe their readers more than short stories extended to book-length by repetition and angst. A lot of running in place. Readers with many books on their “to read” list might consider reading the series opener (The Time of the DarkThe Time of the Dark), skipping The Walls of Air, reading this volume, and forgetting the remaining two. Fans of Hambly, of course, will want to read all five in order.
“It was you who taught me not to forsake those I love, even though their cause might be lost.” “You never needed me to teach you that kind of loyalty.” “I needed you in order to understand it.”
Excellent close to the Darwath series, except the series doesn’t end here. Published in 1983, this installment draws heavily on Tolkien and the medieval analog worlds then popular in high fantasy. Hambly’s introduction of two humans from earth works well enough to add depth to both plot development and characterization. Good, clean fun.
“The Dark Ones’ fear is that I will remember sooner, or that I already know.” He laughed again, a dry, weary sound. “The irony of it all is that I haven’t the slightest idea what it is that they believe I know.”
Extended series are admittedly money machines, but authors owe their readers more than short stories extended to book-length by repetition and angst. A lot of running in place. Readers with many books on their “to read” list might consider reading the series opener (The Time of the DarkThe Time of the Dark), skipping The Walls of Air, reading this volume, and forgetting the remaining two. Fans of Hambly, of course, will want to read all five in order.
“It was you who taught me not to forsake those I love, even though their cause might be lost.” “You never needed me to teach you that kind of loyalty.” “I needed you in order to understand it.”
December 19, 2007
Rudy, now a sorcerer in training, and Gil, who searches for the truth using very modern methods of scholarship, try to beat back the rising tides of the Dark. I'm still annoyed by Rudy and his giiiiiirlfriend Queen Minalde, and I've read the romance between Gil and Ingold before, in Hambly's Windrose Chronicles (different names, same damn characters). I could barely get through the first two novels in this trilogy, but the third book is far better. I adored reading the medieval response to Gil's scientific method, and her feminist ways of thought (that what people wore ages ago could be a clue to their culture, for instance) clashed repeatedly with the fantasy world's resistance.
As readable as it was, however, I am very disappointed by the end of the trilogy. After all sorts of battles and hardship and political and physical fighting, Ingold simply performs a spell and sends the Dark away. Why he didn't do that in the first place, I'll never know. Perhaps he was too busy turning white with strain and smiling grimly at Gil.
As readable as it was, however, I am very disappointed by the end of the trilogy. After all sorts of battles and hardship and political and physical fighting, Ingold simply performs a spell and sends the Dark away. Why he didn't do that in the first place, I'll never know. Perhaps he was too busy turning white with strain and smiling grimly at Gil.
March 23, 2019
The people of the Keep of Renweth struggle to survive the onslaught of the Dark, machinations of the Church, and 'saviors' with the army of Alketch that may end up taking over.
This is a re-read of a book I first read more than twenty years ago. And it's still awesome! This trilogy really impressed me with the slow build of bits of information, relationships strengthening over time, and believable heroes and villains. I truly cared about the characters and the world. The ending was satisfying and strong.
If this series slipped by you, give it a try. I'm definitely keeping this one on my shelf to re-read again in the future. Thanks, Barbara Hambly!
This is a re-read of a book I first read more than twenty years ago. And it's still awesome! This trilogy really impressed me with the slow build of bits of information, relationships strengthening over time, and believable heroes and villains. I truly cared about the characters and the world. The ending was satisfying and strong.
If this series slipped by you, give it a try. I'm definitely keeping this one on my shelf to re-read again in the future. Thanks, Barbara Hambly!
June 9, 2012
Interesting. I appear to have #1 and #3 of the Darwath series by Barbara Hambly but not #2. How does it reflect on a series when you distinctly remember the first and third book without even knowing or needing the second book? Oh well. Still a good fantasy series.
April 12, 2010
This whole series is very good, but I thought this third volume was the weakest of the three.
March 19, 2012
as a continuation of the series this book was fantastic, but i found the ending to be to quick and an easy resolution in comparison to the struggles in the story.
August 9, 2022
The original conclusion of a trilogy (two additional books were added decades later), this returns to what made this fantasy story unique - I rate this higher than the first book.
The first three books were written 40 years ago, and strong female characters help them feel more recent. Gil, who gets into a well written sword fight in this novel, may be a representation of the author, both graduate students of history.
In the first book, there is a fair amount of "new here, how does it compare to California". The second book had very little of that. Discovery of some of the mechanisms behind the keep, along with a prototype "flame thrower" are the closest we get to technology. At one point in this book, Gil dives in and finds solutions with research!
Other characters have some interesting growth as well, and the overall story comes to a conclusion. This was a hard book to put down. Was the resolution perfect? No, it was pretty fast and some reviewers have wondered at the ease of it. Were there other flaws? While mentioned multiple times, Gil's connection with Inglorion the Wizard isn't shown any other way. Do any of these flaws bring down the rating? No. This is one of the best stories I have read this year, and I would rate the series 4 stars, despite my feelings about the middle book.
Two additional books were published 13 years later, and four further novelettes another 20 years after that through Amazon and Smashwords. I'll probably read some or all of these, but after a pause to let the original trilogy sink in.
The first three books were written 40 years ago, and strong female characters help them feel more recent. Gil, who gets into a well written sword fight in this novel, may be a representation of the author, both graduate students of history.
In the first book, there is a fair amount of "new here, how does it compare to California". The second book had very little of that. Discovery of some of the mechanisms behind the keep, along with a prototype "flame thrower" are the closest we get to technology. At one point in this book, Gil dives in and finds solutions with research!
Other characters have some interesting growth as well, and the overall story comes to a conclusion. This was a hard book to put down. Was the resolution perfect? No, it was pretty fast and some reviewers have wondered at the ease of it. Were there other flaws? While mentioned multiple times, Gil's connection with Inglorion the Wizard isn't shown any other way. Do any of these flaws bring down the rating? No. This is one of the best stories I have read this year, and I would rate the series 4 stars, despite my feelings about the middle book.
Two additional books were published 13 years later, and four further novelettes another 20 years after that through Amazon and Smashwords. I'll probably read some or all of these, but after a pause to let the original trilogy sink in.
February 20, 2019
I ended up liking this trilogy a lot more than I thought I would. Sometimes authors use the device of contemporary people in a strange land as an exposition device - getting across a whole bunch of world building information is easier when you have to explain it to someone who doesn't know any of it. But I thought Hambly used her transplanted characters to better effect here. Their foreignness allows them to see the world in ways that others don't, and their dual experiences force them to consider problems and ethical dilemmas differently.
I also appreciated Hambly's villains. They were certainly scary, and I thought their eventually revealed motivations were satisfying and interesting.
I found the ending satisfying, though a bit abrupt, and I found the overall tone of the series slightly darker than I would have liked. I didn't want it less dark, just a little lightness added here and there to balance things out. I also might have liked to get to know the characters a little better. On the other hand, Hambly told a tightly plotted story without a lot of waste, and I can't fault her for that.
I also appreciated Hambly's villains. They were certainly scary, and I thought their eventually revealed motivations were satisfying and interesting.
I found the ending satisfying, though a bit abrupt, and I found the overall tone of the series slightly darker than I would have liked. I didn't want it less dark, just a little lightness added here and there to balance things out. I also might have liked to get to know the characters a little better. On the other hand, Hambly told a tightly plotted story without a lot of waste, and I can't fault her for that.
November 3, 2023
I went with the audiobook version for this last one and wish I would have stayed with reading it. Great end to this fantasy trilogy regardless.
January 26, 2021
The whole trilogy, beginning to end, is a journey! I was glued to this adventure and I strongly recommend these books
September 27, 2009
I first read this series in (cough) 1986 at the age of 14 or so and it gripped me and scared me witless in equal measures. Rereading it as an adult, it doesn't scare me quite as much, but it's still a wonderful series with well drawn characters including one of the best gandalf-type wizards in contemporary fantasy, all the better because he is NOT infallible.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard communi...more I first read this series in (cough) 1986 at the age of 14 or so and it gripped me and scared me witless in equal measures. Rereading it as an adult, it doesn't scare me quite as much, but it's still a wonderful series with well drawn characters including one of the best gandalf-type wizards in contemporary fantasy, all the better because he is NOT infallible.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard community and the way that the state falls between the two. None of your Harry Potter-type back-room government shenanigans here as the wizards are considered to be the agents of the devil by the church, yet they are not condemned by the state.
The Dark of the title are a protoplasmic being that have "risen" from their lairs. The whole of this series asks the question why? Why did the Dark rise and what can be done. The way that Hambly deals with this is fascinating as it's not just a "humans good, unpleasant people-killing protoplasmic beast bad" situation.
Despite the "real-world" sections of this book being very obviously set in the 1980s, the series does not suffer from feeling too dated by this. I highly recommend the series.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard communi...more I first read this series in (cough) 1986 at the age of 14 or so and it gripped me and scared me witless in equal measures. Rereading it as an adult, it doesn't scare me quite as much, but it's still a wonderful series with well drawn characters including one of the best gandalf-type wizards in contemporary fantasy, all the better because he is NOT infallible.
I think one of the best dynamics in this particular world is the uneasy relationship between the church and the wizard community and the way that the state falls between the two. None of your Harry Potter-type back-room government shenanigans here as the wizards are considered to be the agents of the devil by the church, yet they are not condemned by the state.
The Dark of the title are a protoplasmic being that have "risen" from their lairs. The whole of this series asks the question why? Why did the Dark rise and what can be done. The way that Hambly deals with this is fascinating as it's not just a "humans good, unpleasant people-killing protoplasmic beast bad" situation.
Despite the "real-world" sections of this book being very obviously set in the 1980s, the series does not suffer from feeling too dated by this. I highly recommend the series.
July 27, 2025
I'm so glad I decided to re-read (relisten?) this trilogy from my childhood, it has absolutely held up to my memories and it's just amazing that in 2020 they decided to make a great audiobook for some 80s fantasy trilogy which isn't even that well-known.
I remember the finale of this pretty well, but had forgotten a lot of key points before that, so there was even some suspense involved. I think my only true complaint is that I wanted more of Gil's POV in the later half, it's almost entirely Rudy at that point and it felt a little unfair. But the overall conclusion is satisfying and it's just such a cool story and world. I would recommend this to any fantasy reader, it will be worth your while!
I remember the finale of this pretty well, but had forgotten a lot of key points before that, so there was even some suspense involved. I think my only true complaint is that I wanted more of Gil's POV in the later half, it's almost entirely Rudy at that point and it felt a little unfair. But the overall conclusion is satisfying and it's just such a cool story and world. I would recommend this to any fantasy reader, it will be worth your while!
September 5, 2023
Well, of course, one doesn't read (or reread) the first two of a trilogy without finishing it off! And what a finish. As with the other two, I'd recalled the big picture but forgotten the little details that made this such a satisfying, and often surprising, ending to the story. If you've gotten this far you know what I mean. If you haven't, then get thee to a book provider and begin at the beginning. You won't be sorry.
June 7, 2011
The Darwath trilogy wraps up in this book in a very satisfying way. There is a wonderful twist to the resolution of the over all plot thread as well as the main characters. this last third of the trilogy keeps you guessing the ending almost up to the final page but does it in a way that does not pull you out of your immersion in the world. I feel that this is one of the classic fantasy series of all times and I really enjoyed this reread of a great series by a writer I enjoy a lot.
August 27, 2012
I really enjoyed this series, right up to the very, very end, but said ending was a let down. (It dimly reminds me of a Star Trek episode. I'm also reminded of a story told in, I think, one of the Valdemar books of a wizard who "saved" a village from a marauding dragon by pointing out the said dragon that he was harming sentient beings.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2020
The Darwath Trilogy (1982-83), by Barbara Hambly, is really one giant book broken into three pieces. It's a portal fantasy of two people who go to a fairly bland fantasy world and wind up helping to fight "the dark."
I got bored quick. This just wasn't for me. The writing was perfectly fine, just not left-field enough for me. Note that it's not a bad novel, just dull.
The writer tried for more realism, which was great, except that she picked all the most boring realisms.
Our protagonists are unamazing and just there. Our wizard is another Gandalf clone. The remaining characters are even less engaging.
Our main antagonists are the dark, which I'm never quite sure if they're supposed to be real or be supernatural. They seems to alternate depending on whatever's convenient.
Like all overwhelming and unstoppable opponents, the dark are boring. They exist more as a force of nature than anything that can be talked about or out-maneuvered.
The main job of religion in the novel seems to be yelling "heresy" on a near constant basis and otherwise being jerks. Considering that religion was supposed to be very important to the people of Darwath, it provided little or nothing to the practical story. If the entire religious storyline had been cut, nobody would have noticed.
Only in the last third of the book, the last novel, do things start getting interesting, but by then, they don't matter. I was already bored and skimming heavily.
I got bored quick. This just wasn't for me. The writing was perfectly fine, just not left-field enough for me. Note that it's not a bad novel, just dull.
The writer tried for more realism, which was great, except that she picked all the most boring realisms.
Our protagonists are unamazing and just there. Our wizard is another Gandalf clone. The remaining characters are even less engaging.
Our main antagonists are the dark, which I'm never quite sure if they're supposed to be real or be supernatural. They seems to alternate depending on whatever's convenient.
Like all overwhelming and unstoppable opponents, the dark are boring. They exist more as a force of nature than anything that can be talked about or out-maneuvered.
The main job of religion in the novel seems to be yelling "heresy" on a near constant basis and otherwise being jerks. Considering that religion was supposed to be very important to the people of Darwath, it provided little or nothing to the practical story. If the entire religious storyline had been cut, nobody would have noticed.
Only in the last third of the book, the last novel, do things start getting interesting, but by then, they don't matter. I was already bored and skimming heavily.
September 24, 2020
Third in the series. The book is actually divided into two parts. The first, larger section is an exciting tale with intrigue going on at the Keep, as the armies from the South arrive to work with their adversaries in a shaky alliance against the Dark Ones forged by the calculating Chancellor's personal ambitions. He sends the new Wizard Guard to lead a coalition to destroy their nest beneath the destroyed city of Gae, a foolhardy mission, that tests the mettle, certainly, of all involved, including the two transplanted Californians who have adapted into this world, finding meaning and even, yes, love here.
Meanwhile, subplots involve blackmail, imprisonment, banishment, and murder, as various characters struggle to achieve personal goals, or to fight for the integrity of their subgroup as they see it. Part One ends with a joyous dance which made me get that happy feeling, oh the book is over. Then -- bam! -- a character we had thought long dead shows up to disrupt the party, kill the mood, and set a context to trigger Part Two's ultimate confrontation in the struggle against the Dark Ones and the future of main characters. Interesting ending, too.
Meanwhile, subplots involve blackmail, imprisonment, banishment, and murder, as various characters struggle to achieve personal goals, or to fight for the integrity of their subgroup as they see it. Part One ends with a joyous dance which made me get that happy feeling, oh the book is over. Then -- bam! -- a character we had thought long dead shows up to disrupt the party, kill the mood, and set a context to trigger Part Two's ultimate confrontation in the struggle against the Dark Ones and the future of main characters. Interesting ending, too.
November 20, 2018
It's not that this book was bad. It just proved to me that this series should have been a duology. The question about defeating the Dark/what could be done were explored in this book, but the solution to the latter sort of came out of nowhere. The GilxInglorion wasn't set up as much as it could have been, and there didn't seem to be much of a conclusion to the Alde subplot that has been slowly boiling for all three books.
In short, the author took the easy way out on nearly every slow-burn plotline.
I know it sounds like I hated it, but I didn't. There were good things about this book. The further exploration of the keep was a long time coming, and was well done. The relationship between Rudy and Alde was fleshed out well, and Alwir's story was tied up nicely.
It just spent too much time on storylines that took the easy way out. Should have been a duology to cut down on excessively long storylines and force the author to pick up the pace. That said, I'd be down for reading some of these author's standalones. They look pretty good.
In short, the author took the easy way out on nearly every slow-burn plotline.
I know it sounds like I hated it, but I didn't. There were good things about this book. The further exploration of the keep was a long time coming, and was well done. The relationship between Rudy and Alde was fleshed out well, and Alwir's story was tied up nicely.
It just spent too much time on storylines that took the easy way out. Should have been a duology to cut down on excessively long storylines and force the author to pick up the pace. That said, I'd be down for reading some of these author's standalones. They look pretty good.
November 7, 2024
This was a really well done finale to the trilogy. All of the plot points are wrapped up and the personal journeys of the characters are completed. There is some great action, and some emotional moments sprinkled throughout.
While one could argue that the finish was maybe a bit rushed, it really is in line with the previous two books. The 80s were not the days of 700+ page fantasy novels. I actually found it quite refreshing to revisit this trilogy and have it breeze by at a nice pace. It's similar to going back and watching movies from the 80s that clock in at 80-90 minutes instead of the three hour films we get nowadays. But I digress.
This trilogy definitely held up for me 40 years after reading it. I would argue that the prose alone is worth the journey if you haven't read it before.
I'm actually interested in reading the few other books she wrote in this world years later, and maybe I'll even check out some of her other novels.
While one could argue that the finish was maybe a bit rushed, it really is in line with the previous two books. The 80s were not the days of 700+ page fantasy novels. I actually found it quite refreshing to revisit this trilogy and have it breeze by at a nice pace. It's similar to going back and watching movies from the 80s that clock in at 80-90 minutes instead of the three hour films we get nowadays. But I digress.
This trilogy definitely held up for me 40 years after reading it. I would argue that the prose alone is worth the journey if you haven't read it before.
I'm actually interested in reading the few other books she wrote in this world years later, and maybe I'll even check out some of her other novels.
February 2, 2025
After a year of magical combat, the world is in ruins, and the few surviving wizards, including two stranded Californians, must take to the offensive Since the Dark Ones returned, the world has been laid to waste. The land’s wizards have been slaughtered, its cities destroyed, and its people scattered in terror, and few have witnessed more of the destruction than Rudy and Gil—two ordinary Californians who found their way across the Void, and took up arms in defense of a strange and magical world. She learned the ways of war, while he found within himself the powers of a great wizard. Both of them will need all their strength to survive this final challenge. Ingold, the master wizard, has devised a spell to hide the user from the deathly stare of the Dark, and he intends to use it to strike at their very heart. Finally, Rudy, Gil, and the rest of mankind’s survivors will take the offensive, bringing an end to this terrible war, for better or for worse.
January 2, 2021
Soooo, are the Dark evil? Because if they are, why didn't Ingold send them to a world where they will die off?
Why send them with their "herds" (a lovely euphemism for victims)?
If the Dark can simply call people who will come to them, why don't they do that all the time instead of causing people to fear and fight them?
If Ingold was leading Gil and Rudy away from where he was opening the rift to avoid them being called through the rift, why? They were standing right there and were not called through. This whole plot point, of him being ambiguously evil was dumb as hell.
Lohiro was possessed by the Dark and still retained at least some of his memories. Why wouldn't Ingold retain his memories?
If they really wanted Ingold dead at the end, why didn't Rudy and Gil take Icefalcon with them?
Why send them with their "herds" (a lovely euphemism for victims)?
If the Dark can simply call people who will come to them, why don't they do that all the time instead of causing people to fear and fight them?
If Ingold was leading Gil and Rudy away from where he was opening the rift to avoid them being called through the rift, why? They were standing right there and were not called through. This whole plot point, of him being ambiguously evil was dumb as hell.
Lohiro was possessed by the Dark and still retained at least some of his memories. Why wouldn't Ingold retain his memories?
If they really wanted Ingold dead at the end, why didn't Rudy and Gil take Icefalcon with them?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 23, 2025Outside the great stone Keep of Renweth, the night was the province of the Dark Ones -- monstrous creatures that had swarmed out of their eldritch underground caverns to destroy humanity.Inside, where the pitiful remnant of the once-great Realm of Darwath huddled, Chancellor Alwir and Bishop Govannin continued their bitter struggle for dominance. Against all advice, Alwir went ahead with plans to use Ingold, Rudy, and the other wizards in a hopeless, desperate invasion of the Nests of the Dark. The Bishop, obsessed with fanatical fury, sought to root out all magic by murdering the wizards. Both conspired together to seek the aid of Alketch, ancient enemy of the Realm.In that hotbed of ambition, hatred, and fear, no one except Ingold would heed Gil's discovery of the truth that lay behind the rising of the Dark!
October 14, 2022
The Darwath Trilogy is an entertaining read, but suffers from a couple of fatal flaws.
First, the main characters don't matter to the story. Nothing they do has any significant impact on the plot and the main story problem (The Dark) is resolved without them.
The other problem is that the main characters don't really change. They 'level up' in skill, but don't experience any significant character growth. In one sense this doesn't matter, because they don't really have anything to do with the story, but in another sense if your main characters don't have any impact on the story, well, that's a problem.
Hambly would, fortunately, go on to write much better books.
First, the main characters don't matter to the story. Nothing they do has any significant impact on the plot and the main story problem (The Dark) is resolved without them.
The other problem is that the main characters don't really change. They 'level up' in skill, but don't experience any significant character growth. In one sense this doesn't matter, because they don't really have anything to do with the story, but in another sense if your main characters don't have any impact on the story, well, that's a problem.
Hambly would, fortunately, go on to write much better books.
February 2, 2023
There was a lot of drama in this one and I felt like it detracted from the main story about the Dark and their origins.
I was intrigued about the alien dark and the alternate medieval earth they inhabit. I did not much care for the political bitchfest between the chancellor, the king and the bishop and their allies. Alde, the Queen, got on my nerves. One minutes she was really tough and strong and the next cowering in a corner somewhere. Hambly was all over the place with her relationship with Rudy. Rudy and Gil are just sort of…there. They don’t really have much of a large role to play at this point except at the very end.
I was intrigued about the alien dark and the alternate medieval earth they inhabit. I did not much care for the political bitchfest between the chancellor, the king and the bishop and their allies. Alde, the Queen, got on my nerves. One minutes she was really tough and strong and the next cowering in a corner somewhere. Hambly was all over the place with her relationship with Rudy. Rudy and Gil are just sort of…there. They don’t really have much of a large role to play at this point except at the very end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2024
Finally finished the trilogy reread I started in 2015. I had these when they first came out forty years ago (lost my copies to a fire in 2013) and they were both familiar and new fantasy at the time. Now? The story is simple, and I don’t know if it would hold well with today’s readers. As with the second book, there were a lot of “oh, yeah” moments as I came across passages I remembered (I’d forgotten nearly everything from them.) And there were two racist sentences that I don’t know if I noticed the first time, but fortunately they were the only ones I caught. The ending was a bit rushed, if mostly satisfactory. No plot spoilers from me - read it to know what I’m talking about. Or not.
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