What do you think?
Rate this book
The Quickening #3
Bridge of Souls
General Wyl Thirsk of Morgravia has died many times . . . But thanks to the miraculous gift bestowed upon him by the slain witch Myrren, Wyl lives on—though greatly altered and unrecognizable. Only by assuming Morgravia's throne will he be freed from the dark spell that has both cursed and sustained him. But Wyl's time is running out. His beloved Queen Valentyna will soon be wed to his most hated enemy, the savage despot King Celimus—and despite the impending nuptials, war between their nations looms ominously, while the dire threat from the Mountain Kingdom grows stronger by the day. Trapped in a body that is not his own, Wyl must walk his most dangerous path yet—straight into the brutal clutches of his sadistic foe‚ in a last, desperate attempt to save his land, his love, his life . . . and his soul.
512 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
55 people are currently reading
1265 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McIntosh
70 books1,992 followersFiona writes best selling historical adventure-romance alongside the heroic-romantic, often brutal, fantasy she built her career upon. She lives in Australia but frequently roams the world meticulously researching the locations and gathering material for her historical novels that have international settings. Her books are published worldwide and in various languages.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Her most recent historical fiction has gathered such a following that she is now hosting a tour in 2014 to Paris and Provence so eager readers can walk in the footsteps of her characters.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
July 16, 2012
Bridge of Souls will sadly forever be the book that 'turned me off fantasy'.
Or so I thought upon finishing it. I was so utterly and completely jaded from the series as a whole, so disappointed by such a lacklustre finish to what had already been a 'maybe it will pick up again soon' journey that I couldn't stomach another fantasy novel for a good three years. That's a pretty major impact for a single book.
The Quickening series itself is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. As the series entered its final arc however there were noticeably a lot more downs to the point where it became less of a rollercoaster ride and more of an underground subway commute.
The story picks up from where we last left our hero Wyl, still in the body of another and struggling to control the bittersweet curse of Myrren's gift. It continues with Wyl trying to stop the impending marriage of his series long love interest, Valentyna from his cruel to the point of silliness adversary, the evil King Cellimus. Along the way he must deal with the Mountain King Caelech and the young Fynch who becomes ever more proficient as a mage as his destiny to defeat an evil, if somewhat inconsequential, wizard is made clear. It's a cliché, disappointing and sadly shallow ending, particularly with its continuing cast of characters and the pacing of a three-legged cheetah at the world's longest, greediest toll bridge.
The major problem I have with Wyl is that he is a far less interesting character than the people whose identity he assumes upon being killed. The character seems completely lifeless and, aside from trying to pretend to be the person he's inhabiting, he never really shows enough of himself to be compelling. This comes to the point where the character's fate is completely inconsequential to us. Instead McIntosh seems more concerned with the myriad of minor characters that slip in and out of the story. The problem with that unfortunately is, of course, that they slip in and out of the story.
Most of these minor characters have their personalities practically shoe horned into them in the space of a single chapter too. This leaves them feeling incredibly rushed, insubstantial and, after inevitably leaving the plot or having been consumed by Wyl, like a complete waste of development. One particular example is King Cellimus' advisor, a character with a bit of grey ambiguity to him that made him something of a wild card in the plot. This was the one character I felt a vested interest in and wanted to see used in some kind of imaginative twist. Well... There's a 'twist' alright, but it's so badly executed and roll-your-eyes predictable that it barely constitutes as one. Think of every twist in the tale so far... Yes, that's right. You've got it. And, no, she hasn't stopped repeatedly using that same plot device even in the final pages of the final book. In fact, it's almost insulting that we are meant to be surprised by it.
The major characters, contrastingly, are as thin as they come. The Mary Sue-esque Princess Valentyna is still as goody-goody as always, somehow managing to rule her people with a much praised wisdom never displayed in any of her dialogue and King Caelech is hardly worth discussing for all the attention he gets. The evil King Joff-, I mean Cellimus still has no redeeming aspects of which to speak. And Fynch, a character whom I repeatedly wanted to leave the story suddenly becomes a living deus ex machina wizard-dragon-Jesus leaving the reader completely befuddled and scratching their head as the story pulls to the close.
Which brings us to the story itself. I've already touched on the subject of disappointing ending but its the downward spiral of the series as a whole that really plants the tombstone at the head of the grave. Myrren's Gift started off exceptionally strong, wobbled a bit at the centre and left on a bizarre note. Blood and Memory stayed pretty mediocre throughout but Bridge of Souls feels rushed, poorly thought out and, frankly, downright lazy. The latter half in particular is so contrived and badly put together that in parts that were obviously meant to build tension, it merely felt that the author was continuously changing her mind on one of two obvious and dull outcomes for the story, neither one very different from the other.
If you labored through the first few books in hopes of a redeeming ending like I did, save yourself the trouble. There's nothing to be found here but a furrowed brow and a feeling of wasted time at the end for you. Oh, and an eternally burning hatred for Fynch, assuming you haven't developed one already.
Or so I thought upon finishing it. I was so utterly and completely jaded from the series as a whole, so disappointed by such a lacklustre finish to what had already been a 'maybe it will pick up again soon' journey that I couldn't stomach another fantasy novel for a good three years. That's a pretty major impact for a single book.
The Quickening series itself is a rollercoaster of ups and downs. As the series entered its final arc however there were noticeably a lot more downs to the point where it became less of a rollercoaster ride and more of an underground subway commute.
The story picks up from where we last left our hero Wyl, still in the body of another and struggling to control the bittersweet curse of Myrren's gift. It continues with Wyl trying to stop the impending marriage of his series long love interest, Valentyna from his cruel to the point of silliness adversary, the evil King Cellimus. Along the way he must deal with the Mountain King Caelech and the young Fynch who becomes ever more proficient as a mage as his destiny to defeat an evil, if somewhat inconsequential, wizard is made clear. It's a cliché, disappointing and sadly shallow ending, particularly with its continuing cast of characters and the pacing of a three-legged cheetah at the world's longest, greediest toll bridge.
The major problem I have with Wyl is that he is a far less interesting character than the people whose identity he assumes upon being killed. The character seems completely lifeless and, aside from trying to pretend to be the person he's inhabiting, he never really shows enough of himself to be compelling. This comes to the point where the character's fate is completely inconsequential to us. Instead McIntosh seems more concerned with the myriad of minor characters that slip in and out of the story. The problem with that unfortunately is, of course, that they slip in and out of the story.
Most of these minor characters have their personalities practically shoe horned into them in the space of a single chapter too. This leaves them feeling incredibly rushed, insubstantial and, after inevitably leaving the plot or having been consumed by Wyl, like a complete waste of development. One particular example is King Cellimus' advisor, a character with a bit of grey ambiguity to him that made him something of a wild card in the plot. This was the one character I felt a vested interest in and wanted to see used in some kind of imaginative twist. Well... There's a 'twist' alright, but it's so badly executed and roll-your-eyes predictable that it barely constitutes as one. Think of every twist in the tale so far... Yes, that's right. You've got it. And, no, she hasn't stopped repeatedly using that same plot device even in the final pages of the final book. In fact, it's almost insulting that we are meant to be surprised by it.
The major characters, contrastingly, are as thin as they come. The Mary Sue-esque Princess Valentyna is still as goody-goody as always, somehow managing to rule her people with a much praised wisdom never displayed in any of her dialogue and King Caelech is hardly worth discussing for all the attention he gets. The evil King Joff-, I mean Cellimus still has no redeeming aspects of which to speak. And Fynch, a character whom I repeatedly wanted to leave the story suddenly becomes a living deus ex machina wizard-dragon-Jesus leaving the reader completely befuddled and scratching their head as the story pulls to the close.
Which brings us to the story itself. I've already touched on the subject of disappointing ending but its the downward spiral of the series as a whole that really plants the tombstone at the head of the grave. Myrren's Gift started off exceptionally strong, wobbled a bit at the centre and left on a bizarre note. Blood and Memory stayed pretty mediocre throughout but Bridge of Souls feels rushed, poorly thought out and, frankly, downright lazy. The latter half in particular is so contrived and badly put together that in parts that were obviously meant to build tension, it merely felt that the author was continuously changing her mind on one of two obvious and dull outcomes for the story, neither one very different from the other.
If you labored through the first few books in hopes of a redeeming ending like I did, save yourself the trouble. There's nothing to be found here but a furrowed brow and a feeling of wasted time at the end for you. Oh, and an eternally burning hatred for Fynch, assuming you haven't developed one already.
March 11, 2010
I loved the first book, was still fascinated by the second book, but by the start of the third book I thought I know what to expect. After all, Wyl Stark had the curse of Myrren's Gift, which caused him to switch bodies with whomever kills him. Crazy twists had already happened because of this. I assumed more would. But the ending had to be predictable, right? I mean, all he had to do was get killed by the evil King Celimus who was to marry Wyl's true love, Valentyna, and all would be right, yes? NOOOO! It turns out that the curse/Gift may not work if Wyl intentionally gets himself killed by someone (although what about that time...??? Well, I don't want to spoil the book, but it's not a huge plot-hole since they really didn't know everything about the Gift, so that may be wrong). The problem is that Wyl is certain that he could not stand to be Celimus, no matter if he does get his dream girl and a chance to live happily ever after. He knows he absorbs a bit of the personaility/life of the bodies he inhabits and the idea of being THAT close with Celimus just is too much for him. One wants to yell and scream at him, of course. But it does make the ending a bit more interesting!!! If he refuses to continue living if he becomes Celimus, then what? Well, you'll have to read and see! --I found my interest almost petering a bit by the third book, but I still thought it very much worth the read.
I enjoyed the characters and didn't think they were that two-dimensional. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the body-swapping.I have read hundreds of books and most are enjoyable but difficult to remember after a while, but despite a few flaws, this trilogy was still striking and an adventure to read.
I enjoyed the characters and didn't think they were that two-dimensional. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the body-swapping.I have read hundreds of books and most are enjoyable but difficult to remember after a while, but despite a few flaws, this trilogy was still striking and an adventure to read.
May 31, 2017
2.5 stars. I enjoyed the first book, but should have stopped there. Everything became repetitive and annoying.
October 18, 2023
Dernier tome de la trilogie le Dernier Souffle. J'ai apprécié cette trilogie pleine de rebondissements avec une fin surprenante. Le point fort de cette série reste le premier tome, dans la suite on retrouve quelques longueurs.
August 1, 2022
4,5 sterren- Nederlandse paperback
Recensie volgt later.
Recensie volgt later.
December 28, 2024
J'ai adoré suivre les aventures de Will et les conflits politiques des 3 royaumes, mais honnêtement c'est tellement parti en vrille que ça cassait le rythme et rendait le tout assez lent. La partie avec Fynch et Filou était super lentes par rapport aux autres, et au bout de plusieurs tomes un peu redondants il était temps que ça se termine
January 30, 2011
Having read all three books with dogged determination, several issues became apparent to me by book three.
Firstly character viewpoint. Sloppy and badly executed, we are pitched from head to head as the author seeks to enlighten us on the feelings of every bit player from start to finish. Enough already. I had hoped that it would be cured by the final book, but alas it appears her editors are either very poor, or that she has some kind of hold over them.
High and low swings: the violence can be quite graphic. The contrast between this and the simpering love thoughts of the main characters jarrs for me, it doesn't quite know what it wishes to be. Either be violent and strong or write a sword & sandal Mills and Boons for lovestruck pre-teen spooky kids. Either way, stop it with the confusion.
Character Duplication: our two glorious Kings are far too similar. They look alike, they are manipulated by clever men, they both seek world domination and even their bloody names are similar (Celimus and Cailech). Smacks of a lack of imagination.
Book 3 specific: having ploughed through 1,800 pages I was incandescent to find that she screwed up the whole magical concept of her world and the magical laws within it in the last 100 pages (assuming that some kind of laws had been applied - to see a master do it read David Eddings' Belgariad books). This is after all fantasy, with magic providing the essence of the story.
Now I can just about stomach what happens to Finch (once you get past the overwrought handringing preceding his 'transformation'). But what happens to Wyl at the end with the so-called Bridge of Souls is completely incomprehensible. It doesn't appear to adhere to any law other than 'make it so'. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh here, but I felt so let down after wading through all that graceless prose because of the promise of a good story.
Were it not for the fairly original story idea which I liked (Wil skipping from body to body, trapped because of a random act of kindness), I would have given up much sooner. Instead I wasted 1,800 pages of my life. This could have been so much better
Firstly character viewpoint. Sloppy and badly executed, we are pitched from head to head as the author seeks to enlighten us on the feelings of every bit player from start to finish. Enough already. I had hoped that it would be cured by the final book, but alas it appears her editors are either very poor, or that she has some kind of hold over them.
High and low swings: the violence can be quite graphic. The contrast between this and the simpering love thoughts of the main characters jarrs for me, it doesn't quite know what it wishes to be. Either be violent and strong or write a sword & sandal Mills and Boons for lovestruck pre-teen spooky kids. Either way, stop it with the confusion.
Character Duplication: our two glorious Kings are far too similar. They look alike, they are manipulated by clever men, they both seek world domination and even their bloody names are similar (Celimus and Cailech). Smacks of a lack of imagination.
Book 3 specific: having ploughed through 1,800 pages I was incandescent to find that she screwed up the whole magical concept of her world and the magical laws within it in the last 100 pages (assuming that some kind of laws had been applied - to see a master do it read David Eddings' Belgariad books). This is after all fantasy, with magic providing the essence of the story.
Now I can just about stomach what happens to Finch (once you get past the overwrought handringing preceding his 'transformation'). But what happens to Wyl at the end with the so-called Bridge of Souls is completely incomprehensible. It doesn't appear to adhere to any law other than 'make it so'. Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh here, but I felt so let down after wading through all that graceless prose because of the promise of a good story.
Were it not for the fairly original story idea which I liked (Wil skipping from body to body, trapped because of a random act of kindness), I would have given up much sooner. Instead I wasted 1,800 pages of my life. This could have been so much better
December 20, 2021
J’ai eu un petit peu de mal à me remettre dans ce troisième tome, pour deux raisons. La première, le récit débute avec Cailech, qui est loin d’être mon personnage préféré. La seconde : on suit beaucoup de points de vue différents, et donc on voit beaucoup moins Wyl, mon grand favori, et beaucoup plus Fynch, Cailech et Valentyna, dont les points de vue sont certes intéressants, mais pour autant ça manquait de Wyl.
De plus, l’absence de marquage dans le texte, lors des changements de points de vue, devient très désagréable dans ce tome, car on change très souvent de point de vue dans un même chapitre, en particulier pendant les moments clés : on voit les points de vue alterner, tout le monde se demandant ce qu’il va se passer, ce qui est censé donner un certain rythme d’accéléré, qui serait réussi si justement il y avait des marquages pour indiquer qu’on change de personnage. Là, je lisais un paragraphe sur Wyl, puis paf!, je lisais un autre paragraphe avec des sentiments tout autres, et oui car deux lignes plus tard on réalise qu’on suit désormais Aremys, et paf! revoilà Wyl, et paf! cette fois c’est Celimus… Donc ça n’a rien à avoir avec le texte tel qu’écrit par l’auteur, mais avec le marquage cruellement inexistant et pourtant si utile qui indique que tu ne suis pas le même personnage et que non, tu n’est plus dans les Razors mais en Morgravia ou en Briavel…
Je n’ai pas très bien compris pourquoi la magie faisait tant souffrir Fynch et Elysius : ce dernier appartenait à une lignée de magiciens et ses prédécesseurs ne semblaient pas souffrir de cette façon, mais bon. Tout cela mis à part, j’ai pris plaisir à découvrir la conclusion de cette intrigue unique, à laquelle je ne m’attendais pas du tout. Celimus méritait une mort bien plus atroce, mais bon il est mort, franchement c’est déjà une bénédiction et un service rendu tant aux personnages qu’au lecteur tellement ce fou était détestable. Pire méchant que j’ai vu à ce jour, et de loin.
Je me demande tout de même comment ont finis certains personnages, blessés, que j’appréciais beaucoup, et dont le sort reste incertain.
Ultime regret : la si belle épée bleue de Romen Koreldy n’aura finalement servi à rien…
De plus, l’absence de marquage dans le texte, lors des changements de points de vue, devient très désagréable dans ce tome, car on change très souvent de point de vue dans un même chapitre, en particulier pendant les moments clés : on voit les points de vue alterner, tout le monde se demandant ce qu’il va se passer, ce qui est censé donner un certain rythme d’accéléré, qui serait réussi si justement il y avait des marquages pour indiquer qu’on change de personnage. Là, je lisais un paragraphe sur Wyl, puis paf!, je lisais un autre paragraphe avec des sentiments tout autres, et oui car deux lignes plus tard on réalise qu’on suit désormais Aremys, et paf! revoilà Wyl, et paf! cette fois c’est Celimus… Donc ça n’a rien à avoir avec le texte tel qu’écrit par l’auteur, mais avec le marquage cruellement inexistant et pourtant si utile qui indique que tu ne suis pas le même personnage et que non, tu n’est plus dans les Razors mais en Morgravia ou en Briavel…
Je n’ai pas très bien compris pourquoi la magie faisait tant souffrir Fynch et Elysius : ce dernier appartenait à une lignée de magiciens et ses prédécesseurs ne semblaient pas souffrir de cette façon, mais bon. Tout cela mis à part, j’ai pris plaisir à découvrir la conclusion de cette intrigue unique, à laquelle je ne m’attendais pas du tout. Celimus méritait une mort bien plus atroce, mais bon il est mort, franchement c’est déjà une bénédiction et un service rendu tant aux personnages qu’au lecteur tellement ce fou était détestable. Pire méchant que j’ai vu à ce jour, et de loin.
Je me demande tout de même comment ont finis certains personnages, blessés, que j’appréciais beaucoup, et dont le sort reste incertain.
Ultime regret : la si belle épée bleue de Romen Koreldy n’aura finalement servi à rien…
April 3, 2025
Loved this trilogy
July 31, 2020
Mooi en onverwacht einde!
March 29, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the 3 books. The ending was not predictable
October 2, 2025
fantastisch boek en reeks! zelden zo graag iets willen uitlezen
September 23, 2011
Grappling
Interesting
Unique
Different
With conflicts I thought were settled toO easily.
The ending was rather predictable especially with the way Fynch behaved- risking everything even his own body to aid Wyl Thirsk.
These are amongst the few issues I had with the outcome with this series:
1) Rashlyn's death & The mystery surrounding the Thicket
=_=" We all knew how he was one superb super-ass evil villain who intended to dominate through Cailech's reign but gosh, wasn't the way he died a bit too simple/easy?
We all knew from the first book of Fynch's implied yet somehow astounding abilities that had been blessed upon him by the Thicket. However, the magic felt too vague. It felt almost as though Fiona Mcintosh had no idea on how to kill off Rashlyn and decided to dump Fynch into the mix. From gong boy to hero- that's how his story would carry out.
Even if Fynch was the son and one of the King of Creatures, if even the creatures of the Thicket feared Rashlyn so much, wouldn't Fynch have been threatened by Rashlyn in the same way?
What made his magic so much more potent and stronger?
Ugh. The complications with this series.
2) Lothryn the Horse
Neigh I go. Neigh.
His transformation problem was settled too easily. I admit that I was getting quite excited when they mentioned he couldn't transform back on his own since the magic had been too corrupted but alas, the King cured him with as ease as it was said. Sigh. Poor Rashlyn, nothing goes well for evil dudes. Evil people just were all born evil. This includes Celimus.
3) Bridge of Souls -- BLEHK
In my opinion, I thought it would have been best if Fynch's story was indeed kept separate from Wyl's. Unfortunately, they just had to lump in the transformation as well as the 'Bridge of Souls' that had no basis. The concept of the 'Bridge of Souls' came out of no where!
=.=" So Fynch was dead but his spirit lingered so he somehow managed to save Wyl by switching Jessom?
The cruelty in this series is magnificent. Jessom who was about to turn his life around instead got beheaded while Celimus got the lovely more intact death of poisoning.
GAH. I've just concluded from all this rambling, the lack of basis of the MAGIC is entirely the problem.
Myrren's gift was fine but all the other involvement of magics made no sense & I don't even make much sense anymore either!
PEACE OUT. SORRY FOLKS.
Interesting
Unique
Different
With conflicts I thought were settled toO easily.
The ending was rather predictable especially with the way Fynch behaved- risking everything even his own body to aid Wyl Thirsk.
These are amongst the few issues I had with the outcome with this series:
1) Rashlyn's death & The mystery surrounding the Thicket
=_=" We all knew how he was one superb super-ass evil villain who intended to dominate through Cailech's reign but gosh, wasn't the way he died a bit too simple/easy?
We all knew from the first book of Fynch's implied yet somehow astounding abilities that had been blessed upon him by the Thicket. However, the magic felt too vague. It felt almost as though Fiona Mcintosh had no idea on how to kill off Rashlyn and decided to dump Fynch into the mix. From gong boy to hero- that's how his story would carry out.
Even if Fynch was the son and one of the King of Creatures, if even the creatures of the Thicket feared Rashlyn so much, wouldn't Fynch have been threatened by Rashlyn in the same way?
What made his magic so much more potent and stronger?
Ugh. The complications with this series.
2) Lothryn the Horse
Neigh I go. Neigh.
His transformation problem was settled too easily. I admit that I was getting quite excited when they mentioned he couldn't transform back on his own since the magic had been too corrupted but alas, the King cured him with as ease as it was said. Sigh. Poor Rashlyn, nothing goes well for evil dudes. Evil people just were all born evil. This includes Celimus.
3) Bridge of Souls -- BLEHK
In my opinion, I thought it would have been best if Fynch's story was indeed kept separate from Wyl's. Unfortunately, they just had to lump in the transformation as well as the 'Bridge of Souls' that had no basis. The concept of the 'Bridge of Souls' came out of no where!
=.=" So Fynch was dead but his spirit lingered so he somehow managed to save Wyl by switching Jessom?
The cruelty in this series is magnificent. Jessom who was about to turn his life around instead got beheaded while Celimus got the lovely more intact death of poisoning.
GAH. I've just concluded from all this rambling, the lack of basis of the MAGIC is entirely the problem.
Myrren's gift was fine but all the other involvement of magics made no sense & I don't even make much sense anymore either!
PEACE OUT. SORRY FOLKS.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2009
After reading Myrren's Gift, I immediately hit the library to grab the two final installments of The Quickening. I love fantasy/scifi. This series was so much fun to read. It wasn't one that was easily put down (lost some sleep with poor Wyl's story.) If you don't read reviews and don't read ahead (including the next book covers) there are some nice surprising moments. All in all, a very enjoyable series that I would recommend.
February 12, 2025
4 Stars
Bridge of Souls is the third book in The Quickening series by Fiona McIntosh. This is high fantasy with magic, romance, drama, danger, intrigue, mystery, action, and adventure - a well-woven story that made for a fantastic read.
One of my go-to authors as I am always guaranteed of a great read.
As expected, she didn't disappoint!
Well worth the read!
Buddy Read - 2025
Happy Reading...
Thank you, Fiona McIntosh!
Bridge of Souls is the third book in The Quickening series by Fiona McIntosh. This is high fantasy with magic, romance, drama, danger, intrigue, mystery, action, and adventure - a well-woven story that made for a fantastic read.
One of my go-to authors as I am always guaranteed of a great read.
As expected, she didn't disappoint!
Well worth the read!
Buddy Read - 2025
Happy Reading...
Thank you, Fiona McIntosh!
April 11, 2011
A wonderful ending to a delightful series. The author employs many conventional fantasy conventions, but skillfully weaves in some unexpected and unique elements which heighten the suspense and really kept me reading well into the night. So often I'm disappointed at the ending with a series like this, but not this time. I'll definitely be looking for other books by this author!
August 4, 2011
I'm Done! I'm Done!! Not only that it's action-packed. It's also peppered with deceit, betrayal, and hmmm.. forbidden love.
And what was that famous line from Kung Fu Panda again? That damn line just kept on popping up in my head halfway through the book.
oh yeah! SHEER AWESOMENESS!!!!
And what was that famous line from Kung Fu Panda again? That damn line just kept on popping up in my head halfway through the book.
oh yeah! SHEER AWESOMENESS!!!!
November 23, 2008
Sad it's all over. Loved the ending, not what I expected which was good as I would have been disappointed if it had ended the way it seemed like it would. That may not make sense but I'm sure it will if you read it.
November 17, 2009
Well it didn't end it quite the predictable way I thought it would and that was a good thing. Be warned though, the author likes killing off characters even more than George RR Martin though if you've made it this far (book 3) then you probably know this already.
December 14, 2010
The secondary plot introduced in the second book diverges almost entirely from the main storyline here, confirming impressions that it should really have been a separate series.
Worth borrowing, not buying.
Worth borrowing, not buying.
August 1, 2010
De péripéties en péripéties, toujours autant de plaisir à suivre Wyl pour ce dernier tome à la hauteur du reste!
July 23, 2012
The trilogy is finally over - a painful experience in cliche harlequinesque fantasy. Nevermore.
October 12, 2019
ca se lit bien et se finit correctement, mais c'est un peu "gros" par moments, notamment le côté fairy tales qui oppose de façon brutale le côté "sauvage" de nombreuses scènes.
April 16, 2020
Un vrai coup de coeur pour la trilogie <3 je recommande!
September 10, 2025
Unfortunately, I don’t feel like The Quickening ultimately stuck the landing.
I’ll start with praise though. As always, I absolutely adored McIntosh’s writing. She keeps the pace fast and snappy, and has the story jumping around in unexpected ways. The characters are lovable and interesting, and I was excited to finish my journey with them.
However, I didn’t feel that this book served the served as a worthy conclusion to what was otherwise a fantastic trilogy. In the last book, I had a lingering feeling that the story was not growing as crazy as it could. This book solidified that, with Wyl ultimately spending much of it in the same body he had inhabited at the middle of the last book. Additionally, the final confrontation did not really deliver on any of the promises from the earlier books. The day was saved with a deus-ex-machina, some magic that had not been properly established earlier and so did not feel satisfying as the ultimate means of saving the day. Even the final lines of the book did not feel like they wrapped up the adventure, but rather felt like a way to pat the reader on the head and assure them that everything was alright in the end.
Towards the end, some of the writing felt overly sappy. One extremely important character died offscreen, which felt unsatisfying. New elements popped up all the time without being properly established.
While I’ll look back on this series fondly, I’m ultimately left with deep regret that this finale did not serve as a worthy payoff.
3.5/5
I’ll start with praise though. As always, I absolutely adored McIntosh’s writing. She keeps the pace fast and snappy, and has the story jumping around in unexpected ways. The characters are lovable and interesting, and I was excited to finish my journey with them.
However, I didn’t feel that this book served the served as a worthy conclusion to what was otherwise a fantastic trilogy. In the last book, I had a lingering feeling that the story was not growing as crazy as it could. This book solidified that, with Wyl ultimately spending much of it in the same body he had inhabited at the middle of the last book. Additionally, the final confrontation did not really deliver on any of the promises from the earlier books. The day was saved with a deus-ex-machina, some magic that had not been properly established earlier and so did not feel satisfying as the ultimate means of saving the day. Even the final lines of the book did not feel like they wrapped up the adventure, but rather felt like a way to pat the reader on the head and assure them that everything was alright in the end.
Towards the end, some of the writing felt overly sappy. One extremely important character died offscreen, which felt unsatisfying. New elements popped up all the time without being properly established.
While I’ll look back on this series fondly, I’m ultimately left with deep regret that this finale did not serve as a worthy payoff.
3.5/5
May 13, 2025
I loved all the characters. Wyl Thirsk had to become the King to break Myrrens' curse. Yet the sadistic King of Morgravia 'Celimus', had won, not only would his new wife 'Valentyna,' be submissive to him, his intention, was to break her. Her Kingdom Briavel would be his and upon taking his wedding vows he would begin their marriage by executing the King of the Razors in the north and having her witness it.
Reading this series I gasped at all the horrors Wyl Thirsk, all his friends and family suffered at the hands of this brutal King Celimus.
Fynch, the castle gong boy and lavatory cleaner, was the lynchpin in the chain of magic. The child took on magical powers that enabled him to kill the evil wizard and send his friends magically, through the kingdoms from one realm to another, then he forced a chain of events to keep Wyl alive when death appeared to be imminent.
This book continued to have me baffled until very near the end. The best type of Fantasy story is one you can't predict the ending. And what a wonderful ending it was. Knowing the characters and the multiple facets of death they faced, to have a hugely significant and happy outcome was wonderful. Fiona McIntosh has outdone herself in this three-book series.
Reading this series I gasped at all the horrors Wyl Thirsk, all his friends and family suffered at the hands of this brutal King Celimus.
Fynch, the castle gong boy and lavatory cleaner, was the lynchpin in the chain of magic. The child took on magical powers that enabled him to kill the evil wizard and send his friends magically, through the kingdoms from one realm to another, then he forced a chain of events to keep Wyl alive when death appeared to be imminent.
This book continued to have me baffled until very near the end. The best type of Fantasy story is one you can't predict the ending. And what a wonderful ending it was. Knowing the characters and the multiple facets of death they faced, to have a hugely significant and happy outcome was wonderful. Fiona McIntosh has outdone herself in this three-book series.
December 30, 2020
This was a pretty fun series.
My biggest issue with this story was that reader has a pretty good idea of what is going to happen at the end of the story right off the bat. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some surprises along the way, but the end of the third book was by no means a unprecedented.
In fact, I think McIntosh had to be a little creative with loose ends in second and third book. Some of the characters start acting outside of their norm to keep the plot moving along, which can be jarring to the reader.
While this is not a new concept, McIntosh does an excellent job revamping it. I can definitely say that at the end of the first book, I was ready to jump right in to the second novel. Overall, this is a fast and easy read. McIntosh is gruesome at times, but ultimately this reads like a vacation page burner. I'm glad I took the time to get through it.
My biggest issue with this story was that reader has a pretty good idea of what is going to happen at the end of the story right off the bat. Don't get me wrong, there are definitely some surprises along the way, but the end of the third book was by no means a unprecedented.
In fact, I think McIntosh had to be a little creative with loose ends in second and third book. Some of the characters start acting outside of their norm to keep the plot moving along, which can be jarring to the reader.
While this is not a new concept, McIntosh does an excellent job revamping it. I can definitely say that at the end of the first book, I was ready to jump right in to the second novel. Overall, this is a fast and easy read. McIntosh is gruesome at times, but ultimately this reads like a vacation page burner. I'm glad I took the time to get through it.
November 22, 2022
Absolutely the BEST Fantasy Trilogy
I read the three books of The Quickening years ago and was struck by how original the plot premise was. I knew that I loved the series then, but rereading them now I am even more impressed at the depth of emotion McIntosh instilled in her huge cavalcade of characters, human and otherwise. There is so much courage, honour, and love in those on the side of the good and yet so much nauseating cruelty and evil in their adversaries. Of course, there is the violence, bloodshed, torture, and even warfare that fantasy at this level is never without. But there is also the magic… so much magic! Highest possible recommendation.
I read the three books of The Quickening years ago and was struck by how original the plot premise was. I knew that I loved the series then, but rereading them now I am even more impressed at the depth of emotion McIntosh instilled in her huge cavalcade of characters, human and otherwise. There is so much courage, honour, and love in those on the side of the good and yet so much nauseating cruelty and evil in their adversaries. Of course, there is the violence, bloodshed, torture, and even warfare that fantasy at this level is never without. But there is also the magic… so much magic! Highest possible recommendation.
January 11, 2023
J'avoue être un peu triste d'avoir terminé de lire...
Une trilogie incroyable, pleine de rebondissements et d'émotions.
Les changements de points de vues (nombreux dans ce tome) étaient au départ un peu confus, mais une fois qu'on en prend l'habitude, ça glisse tout seul.
Les personnages étaient tous plus attachants les uns que les autres (sauf Celimus, Jessom et Rashlyn qui peuvent aller pourrir en enfer), tous avaient un parcours intéressant et touchant. J'ai rarement lu d'œuvres littéraires où tous protagonistes étaient aussi développés.
Je recommande à 100% la trilogie à toutes les personnes souhaitant s'évader vers un univers fantastique passionnant et original
Une trilogie incroyable, pleine de rebondissements et d'émotions.
Les changements de points de vues (nombreux dans ce tome) étaient au départ un peu confus, mais une fois qu'on en prend l'habitude, ça glisse tout seul.
Les personnages étaient tous plus attachants les uns que les autres (sauf Celimus, Jessom et Rashlyn qui peuvent aller pourrir en enfer), tous avaient un parcours intéressant et touchant. J'ai rarement lu d'œuvres littéraires où tous protagonistes étaient aussi développés.
Je recommande à 100% la trilogie à toutes les personnes souhaitant s'évader vers un univers fantastique passionnant et original
December 12, 2018
OMG!!!! Talk about a roller coaster ride!!!
First of all...Thank you Fiona McIntosh. I haven't been on such an emotional ride since I don't know when. This trilogy was a thrill to read. A complete page turner, can't put it down, unexpected twists and unforeseeable events. Like I said a roller coaster. After reading the first book, I hesitated to start the second in order to catch my breath. The remaining two books DID NOT disappoint. And thank you for the happy ending. Phew, now I'll have withdrawals.😊
First of all...Thank you Fiona McIntosh. I haven't been on such an emotional ride since I don't know when. This trilogy was a thrill to read. A complete page turner, can't put it down, unexpected twists and unforeseeable events. Like I said a roller coaster. After reading the first book, I hesitated to start the second in order to catch my breath. The remaining two books DID NOT disappoint. And thank you for the happy ending. Phew, now I'll have withdrawals.😊
Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews