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Millennium's Rule #4
Maker's Curse
International bestselling author Trudi Canavan returns with the final novel in the Millennium's Rule series - her most powerful and thrilling adventure yet.
Rielle is now the Maker, restorer of worlds. She has lost count of the number of worlds she has been sent to save.
Tyen has cast off his old identity. No longer a spy, he now attempts to teach new sorcerers and find ways to counteract the war-machines that are spreading throughout the worlds.
But when an old enemy brings news of something worse than magically dead worlds and dangerous sorcerers - a threat unlike anything the worlds have faced before - Rielle and Tyen must reunite if they are to have any chance of saving humanity.
Millennium's Rule series:Thief's MagicAngel of StormsSuccessor's PromiseMaker's Curse
More books by Trudi Canavan:The Magician's Apprentice
Traitor Spy trilogy:The Ambassador's MissionThe RogueThe Traitor Queen
Rielle is now the Maker, restorer of worlds. She has lost count of the number of worlds she has been sent to save.
Tyen has cast off his old identity. No longer a spy, he now attempts to teach new sorcerers and find ways to counteract the war-machines that are spreading throughout the worlds.
But when an old enemy brings news of something worse than magically dead worlds and dangerous sorcerers - a threat unlike anything the worlds have faced before - Rielle and Tyen must reunite if they are to have any chance of saving humanity.
Millennium's Rule series:Thief's MagicAngel of StormsSuccessor's PromiseMaker's Curse
More books by Trudi Canavan:The Magician's Apprentice
Traitor Spy trilogy:The Ambassador's MissionThe RogueThe Traitor Queen
545 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2020
278 people are currently reading
3056 people want to read
About the author
Trudi Canavan
92 books6,643 followersTrudi Canavan was born in Kew, Melbourne, and grew up in Ferntree Gully, a suburb at the foothills of the Dandenongs.
In 1999 she won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story with “Whispers of the Mist Children”. In the same year she was granted a writers residency at Varuna Writers’ Centre in Katoomba, New South Wales.
In November 2001, The Magicians’ Guild was first published in Australia. The second book of the trilogy, The Novice, was published in June 2002 and was nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. The third book The High Lord was released in January 2003 and was nominated for the Best Novel Ditmar category. All three books entered Australian top ten SF bestseller lists.
The Black Magician Trilogy reached the international market in 2004, published by HarperCollins’ EOS imprint in North America and Orbit Books in the UK. The trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years.
Trudi’s second trilogy, Age of the Five, has also enjoyed bestselling success. Priestess of the White reached No.3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction bestseller list, staying in the top ten for six weeks.
In early 2006 Trudi signed a seven-figure contract with Orbit to write the prequel and sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy. The prequel, The Magician’s Apprentice was released in 2009 and won the Best Fantasy Novel category of the Aurealis Awards.
In 1999 she won the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Short Story with “Whispers of the Mist Children”. In the same year she was granted a writers residency at Varuna Writers’ Centre in Katoomba, New South Wales.
In November 2001, The Magicians’ Guild was first published in Australia. The second book of the trilogy, The Novice, was published in June 2002 and was nominated for the Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel. The third book The High Lord was released in January 2003 and was nominated for the Best Novel Ditmar category. All three books entered Australian top ten SF bestseller lists.
The Black Magician Trilogy reached the international market in 2004, published by HarperCollins’ EOS imprint in North America and Orbit Books in the UK. The trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years.
Trudi’s second trilogy, Age of the Five, has also enjoyed bestselling success. Priestess of the White reached No.3 in the Sunday Times hardback fiction bestseller list, staying in the top ten for six weeks.
In early 2006 Trudi signed a seven-figure contract with Orbit to write the prequel and sequel to the Black Magician Trilogy. The prequel, The Magician’s Apprentice was released in 2009 and won the Best Fantasy Novel category of the Aurealis Awards.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
May 12, 2020
Overall a solid book but for the last book in a series the ending felt very underwhelming to me, especially when the stakes had been so high. I still think the concept of the worlds was awesome and as always I enjoyed Trudi Canavan's writing style.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the advance copy of Maker's Curse.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the advance copy of Maker's Curse.
May 27, 2020
I enjoyed reading it but honestly, the entire book was unnecessary. This could've been left as a trilogy and nothing would be lost.
The pacing of the book is also very odd. It drags things out for 80% of the book and I was shocked how suddenly it ended.
The pacing of the book is also very odd. It drags things out for 80% of the book and I was shocked how suddenly it ended.
September 13, 2024
La verdad que sí que me divertí y el añadido tiene sentido porque el tema de las máquinas quedó sin resolver en el aparente cierre anterior. Ahora sí que está cerrado.
Además no tiene sentido que estén hablándonos de las maquinitas mágicas durante tres libros y luego no nos digan qué pasó con ellas y con las persecuciones, que ya empezaron el libro anterior.
Puestos a hablar de convertirse en algo no humano, era mucho más inhumana la otra tipa, que lo que le pasaba es que le dolía el resentimiento, y estaba enpeñada en hacerse Cybor y convertir el mundo en el de Terminator😂😂😂
Me hizo ilusión que pudiera ser lo que consiguió de sí misma al aunar... lo que aunó y parece que Tyen lo acabará siendo.
Y Dahli... qué potitoooo😍
Este fue el final más inesperadamente romántico de todos sus libros, bastante sorprendente porque en la saga el tema apenas apareció ahí al fondo.
De todos modos, aunque este libro me gustó, el resto de la saga fue bastante floja. Tenía buenas ideas, pero no les sacó partido hasta este libro, así que aunque me gustara mucho, la saga en su conjunto me pareció la más floja de la autora. Una pena. GL (Autores. Trudi Canavan)
Además no tiene sentido que estén hablándonos de las maquinitas mágicas durante tres libros y luego no nos digan qué pasó con ellas y con las persecuciones, que ya empezaron el libro anterior.
Puestos a hablar de convertirse en algo no humano, era mucho más inhumana la otra tipa, que lo que le pasaba es que le dolía el resentimiento, y estaba enpeñada en hacerse Cybor y convertir el mundo en el de Terminator😂😂😂
Me hizo ilusión que pudiera ser lo que consiguió de sí misma al aunar... lo que aunó y parece que Tyen lo acabará siendo.
Y Dahli... qué potitoooo😍
Este fue el final más inesperadamente romántico de todos sus libros, bastante sorprendente porque en la saga el tema apenas apareció ahí al fondo.
De todos modos, aunque este libro me gustó, el resto de la saga fue bastante floja. Tenía buenas ideas, pero no les sacó partido hasta este libro, así que aunque me gustara mucho, la saga en su conjunto me pareció la más floja de la autora. Una pena. GL (Autores. Trudi Canavan)
April 21, 2020
First of all, I would like to say thank you to the people at Orbit and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book in advance. It is always a privilege and I look forward to reading more upcoming fantasy in the future.
**This review contains very minor spoilers for the end of “Successor’s Promise”**
The Review
Alright, before I get into things I have to make a confession - I wasn’t sure I was going to read Maker’s Curse. Don’t get me wrong, Trudi Canavan is a terrific writer and I loved the worlds, the magic system, the characters etc. of The Millennium's Rule series but book three totally lost me. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was but I knew even as I finished it that I was already on the fence about book four.
And that is why I am exceptionally glad I decided to read Maker’s Curse because it is easily the best book since the first one.
The story starts five years after the end of Successor’s Promise with the Restorers now in charge of keeping peace between the worlds. Rielle has been working tirelessly to restore magic to the worlds drained of power, though she longs for a break and is starting to question the motives behind the worlds she is sent to save. Tyen has been in hiding with his students, teaching those brave enough to stay with him about mechanical magic whilst his old school, Liftre, uses increasingly lethal means to eliminate any competition. More and more worlds have fallen to the twisted war machines, which have been refined with brutal efficiency to destroy everything in their path. With everything Tyen and Rielle fought so hard to save at stake, the pair have to look at the sins of their own pasts to have a hope of saving the future.
**
Now there are many things I loved about this story but first and foremost, because we are talking about Trudi Canavan, I have to gush over the worldbuilding. We get to see many minor worlds as well as the main ones and they are just ridiculously well thought out, even when they are in the story for all of five minutes. The impact magic has had on the worlds is both great and subtle, from great conquests and wars to shared customs and matching plantlife.
The main worlds are rich with culture, religion, class, prejudices etc. and whilst we can see how these have had an impact on the main characters, we can also see the contrasts that have developed within said characters over the past three books. Both Tyen and Rielle are older, wiser, and more jaded given all they’ve been through. Neither have wholly healed from the events of Successor’s Promise but they’ve removed their fingers from the pie of multi-world politics, content to contend with the issues in their own way. Rielle has matured into a caring, nurturing figure and her interactions with Qall are some of my favourite in the book. Tyen remains polite and cautious, always aware the enemies he’s made are never far behind.
I pretty much spent the whole book wanting to smash their lips together and give them a happy ending (which I will do you the favour of not spoiling here).
If I had one gripe with Maker’s Curse (and I do only have one) it is a lack of tension. Everything felt a bit too easy, everyone a bit too understanding. Something bad would happen in one chapter and be resolved the next. I don’t expect a breakneck pace in a five hundred odd page fantasy novel but I can count on one hand the number of times I genuinely worried for any of the characters. Considering this was ostensibly a book about facing consequences of past actions, current actions seemed to have very little consequences on their own. Overall, though, it did not dampen my enjoyment of the story and I would certainly not let it put you off.
Maker’s Curse is a worthy ending to an excellent series and I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
**This review contains very minor spoilers for the end of “Successor’s Promise”**
The Review
Alright, before I get into things I have to make a confession - I wasn’t sure I was going to read Maker’s Curse. Don’t get me wrong, Trudi Canavan is a terrific writer and I loved the worlds, the magic system, the characters etc. of The Millennium's Rule series but book three totally lost me. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it was but I knew even as I finished it that I was already on the fence about book four.
And that is why I am exceptionally glad I decided to read Maker’s Curse because it is easily the best book since the first one.
The story starts five years after the end of Successor’s Promise with the Restorers now in charge of keeping peace between the worlds. Rielle has been working tirelessly to restore magic to the worlds drained of power, though she longs for a break and is starting to question the motives behind the worlds she is sent to save. Tyen has been in hiding with his students, teaching those brave enough to stay with him about mechanical magic whilst his old school, Liftre, uses increasingly lethal means to eliminate any competition. More and more worlds have fallen to the twisted war machines, which have been refined with brutal efficiency to destroy everything in their path. With everything Tyen and Rielle fought so hard to save at stake, the pair have to look at the sins of their own pasts to have a hope of saving the future.
**
Now there are many things I loved about this story but first and foremost, because we are talking about Trudi Canavan, I have to gush over the worldbuilding. We get to see many minor worlds as well as the main ones and they are just ridiculously well thought out, even when they are in the story for all of five minutes. The impact magic has had on the worlds is both great and subtle, from great conquests and wars to shared customs and matching plantlife.
The main worlds are rich with culture, religion, class, prejudices etc. and whilst we can see how these have had an impact on the main characters, we can also see the contrasts that have developed within said characters over the past three books. Both Tyen and Rielle are older, wiser, and more jaded given all they’ve been through. Neither have wholly healed from the events of Successor’s Promise but they’ve removed their fingers from the pie of multi-world politics, content to contend with the issues in their own way. Rielle has matured into a caring, nurturing figure and her interactions with Qall are some of my favourite in the book. Tyen remains polite and cautious, always aware the enemies he’s made are never far behind.
I pretty much spent the whole book wanting to smash their lips together and give them a happy ending (which I will do you the favour of not spoiling here).
If I had one gripe with Maker’s Curse (and I do only have one) it is a lack of tension. Everything felt a bit too easy, everyone a bit too understanding. Something bad would happen in one chapter and be resolved the next. I don’t expect a breakneck pace in a five hundred odd page fantasy novel but I can count on one hand the number of times I genuinely worried for any of the characters. Considering this was ostensibly a book about facing consequences of past actions, current actions seemed to have very little consequences on their own. Overall, though, it did not dampen my enjoyment of the story and I would certainly not let it put you off.
Maker’s Curse is a worthy ending to an excellent series and I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
August 3, 2020
What an awful ending to a series that started so well. The first one of the series, Thief's Magic, was an excellent book. Unfortunately, with each subsequent book, the quality deteriorated, which culminated with that sory-excuse of a final book in an epic fantasy series called
Maker's Curse . The series was originally intended as a trilogy, and in my opinion, should've been left at that. For some reason, even though the main plot line was resolved within Successor's Promise, the author continued with another installment. Because of that, for the most part of the book there was no real conflict. Our main characters had defeated the Raen and together with Qall are left as being the most powerful sorcerers in all of the worlds. One of the most interesting characters of the series, Vella, is completely missing for most of the book, which was another let-down for me. About halfway through, an antagonist is introduced, which forces our characters to team-up to defend the worlds. The conflict, introduced that late in the book, felt cheap, and just a tool to force our characters to be together. The series ends with an atempt at tying up lose ends that was very predictable and qute frankly bad.
If you are interested in the series, just stop after book one, it's not worth it.
Maker's Curse . The series was originally intended as a trilogy, and in my opinion, should've been left at that. For some reason, even though the main plot line was resolved within Successor's Promise, the author continued with another installment. Because of that, for the most part of the book there was no real conflict. Our main characters had defeated the Raen and together with Qall are left as being the most powerful sorcerers in all of the worlds. One of the most interesting characters of the series, Vella, is completely missing for most of the book, which was another let-down for me. About halfway through, an antagonist is introduced, which forces our characters to team-up to defend the worlds. The conflict, introduced that late in the book, felt cheap, and just a tool to force our characters to be together. The series ends with an atempt at tying up lose ends that was very predictable and qute frankly bad.
If you are interested in the series, just stop after book one, it's not worth it.
August 5, 2020
Oh wow.... what a letdown! It feels that Trudi Canavan has either had enough of the story and wanted to finish it as soon as possible, or she was told to wrap it up as quickly as possible whilst tying up any loose ends. Disappointed. The antagonist disappears before we even get to know them or the reason for their actions. And not in a spectacular way. The characters have some development but again, some decisions just didn't make sense knowing what we do about the magic and their personalities. The ending? Total disaster... I actually had to re-read the paragraphs thinking I've missed something but no... that was it...
As the last book of the series, you expect it to be packed with interesting revelations, instead, you're left with regret that you've spend so much time reading all 4 books just to be cheated out of a big finish.
As the last book of the series, you expect it to be packed with interesting revelations, instead, you're left with regret that you've spend so much time reading all 4 books just to be cheated out of a big finish.
June 1, 2020
From Trudi Canavan's Homepage:
http://www.trudicanavan.com/2017/07/m...
Maker’s Curse: Book Four of Millennium’s Rule
by Trudi Canavan on Jul 17, 2017
Yes, you read that right!
I can officially announce that I am going to be writing a fourth book in the Millennium’s Rule series. Maker’s Curse will be the last book. Probably.
Right from when I first conceived the idea, many years ago, I had the feeling it might be more of a series of books than a stand alone or trilogy. Not just because of the huge potential in a universe full of thousands of worlds, but because Rielle’s stories were more like episodes that built on her past than a single story arc. However, when I returned to the story many years later, and Tyen’s story melded with hers, a main story arc had become more solid and I wasn’t sure if it would carry me past three books. I did warn my publisher that it might be a longer series.
However, when I was working on the edits for Successor’s Promise last year, I couldn’t help feeling that I hadn’t quite pushed that story arc as far as it ought to have gone. Some of the original intentions that I’d put aside were still strong in my mind, some of the newer ideas begged to be developed further and I could see a whole lot of interesting directions to send Rielle and Tyen.
Eventually I sat down and wrote an outline, and the way it all came together smoothly into a great book idea made it feel like it had been obvious all along. I had just been so distracted by all the troubles with my back that I hadn’t seen it.
Now, having taken a six month break from writing to let my back heal then work had at strengthening it, I’m ready to start writing. It has been hard holding off, because I am SO excited about this book and can’t wait to follow Rielle and Tyen into the adventures I have planned for them.
http://www.trudicanavan.com/2017/07/m...
Maker’s Curse: Book Four of Millennium’s Rule
by Trudi Canavan on Jul 17, 2017
Yes, you read that right!
I can officially announce that I am going to be writing a fourth book in the Millennium’s Rule series. Maker’s Curse will be the last book. Probably.
Right from when I first conceived the idea, many years ago, I had the feeling it might be more of a series of books than a stand alone or trilogy. Not just because of the huge potential in a universe full of thousands of worlds, but because Rielle’s stories were more like episodes that built on her past than a single story arc. However, when I returned to the story many years later, and Tyen’s story melded with hers, a main story arc had become more solid and I wasn’t sure if it would carry me past three books. I did warn my publisher that it might be a longer series.
However, when I was working on the edits for Successor’s Promise last year, I couldn’t help feeling that I hadn’t quite pushed that story arc as far as it ought to have gone. Some of the original intentions that I’d put aside were still strong in my mind, some of the newer ideas begged to be developed further and I could see a whole lot of interesting directions to send Rielle and Tyen.
Eventually I sat down and wrote an outline, and the way it all came together smoothly into a great book idea made it feel like it had been obvious all along. I had just been so distracted by all the troubles with my back that I hadn’t seen it.
Now, having taken a six month break from writing to let my back heal then work had at strengthening it, I’m ready to start writing. It has been hard holding off, because I am SO excited about this book and can’t wait to follow Rielle and Tyen into the adventures I have planned for them.
July 2, 2020
This ending felt very flat.
The epic tale this could and should have been drasticly changed directions after book 2. Where book 3 was somewhat interesting and believable the plot of the last installment went in a weird direction. Suddenly a mad character poses an unrealistic threat and kills millions of people. And the main characters just let her. Because they’re pacifists. Nvm that they’re significantly stronger, they just let the threat grow and grow. Just meh, in the end the antagonist just vanishes, nobody is sure what even happend to her. Just presumed dead.
It’s a good book, the pacing is great, the characters are likeable. the prose is great, it just flows. but its the superman problem, what kind of a twisted fuck who is basically immortal would let a murder just roam free and not take serious action. I mean at one point there was an option to just capture the antagonist and she just lets her go? I am wtf. You can literally just dumb her somewhere devoid of magic. Problem fixed.
I am disappointed.
The epic tale this could and should have been drasticly changed directions after book 2. Where book 3 was somewhat interesting and believable the plot of the last installment went in a weird direction. Suddenly a mad character poses an unrealistic threat and kills millions of people. And the main characters just let her. Because they’re pacifists. Nvm that they’re significantly stronger, they just let the threat grow and grow. Just meh, in the end the antagonist just vanishes, nobody is sure what even happend to her. Just presumed dead.
It’s a good book, the pacing is great, the characters are likeable. the prose is great, it just flows. but its the superman problem, what kind of a twisted fuck who is basically immortal would let a murder just roam free and not take serious action. I mean at one point there was an option to just capture the antagonist and she just lets her go? I am wtf. You can literally just dumb her somewhere devoid of magic. Problem fixed.
I am disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2020
I am such a Trudi Canavan fan girl but this book just missed the mark for me. It felt rather anti-climactic and as though there should have been more at the end. For makers curse just to be a mistranslation seemed like an easy out of a plot point that was written and then just didn't work for where the book needed to go. Felt like a bit of a 'meh' moment when I finished it and this is definitely not what I'm used to when finishing anything Canavan has written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2023
The last book in the Millennium's Rule series circles back to the homeworlds of both our lead characters and sees them coming into full power. How and why? Well, you need to read the final book to find out. Unsurprisingly, the worlds are facing another crisis, deadlier than anything anyone has seen before. The author makes an interesting play on rapid technological development and abuse of technology-driven power. The solution might have been a bit too easy, but the readers will be decently entertained with some machines vs. sorcerers' battle scenes in the second part of the book. I was also happy that we weren't left guessing how Tyen's and Rielle's love story plays out (Tyen turns out to be quite a feminist). Admittedly, I've grown quite fond of the characters in this series, so this is not an entirely objective review (they never are!). But as a fantasy series, it was entertaining and interesting enough while not becoming too complex to enjoy.
March 4, 2021
A dragged out series, this final book of which feels like it both didn't conclude anything or really progress anything. Frustratingly there are glimmers of hope in parts of this book, but we keep getting side-tracked by a new "terrible threat to the multiverse oh nooooo" and it doesn't allow our characters or overarching narrative any time to breathe or even really develop.
The idea of an easily traversed multiverse is still kind of cool, but we don't get too much exploration of it that we hadn't already seen in the previous three novels. Mysteries and problems that have been set up throughout the series are resolved in hugely inconsequential ways; they feel like they should have impact but absolutely none of them do. The characters barely change throughout, and they have the distinct feel of characters rather than people; it feels depressingly obvious that Canavan is propping them up with a bit of cardboard, pushing them around the sets to enact the small amounts of plot.
The early third-to-half is dogged by the same extremely tedious repetition as earlier books in the series; where it feels like nothing is happening but the characters worrying about a thing that's going to happen, over and over again.
At perhaps most damningly, the phrase "my lover" is used completely earnestly and repeatedly.
Now that this series is complete I can unequivocally say: do not read it.
The idea of an easily traversed multiverse is still kind of cool, but we don't get too much exploration of it that we hadn't already seen in the previous three novels. Mysteries and problems that have been set up throughout the series are resolved in hugely inconsequential ways; they feel like they should have impact but absolutely none of them do. The characters barely change throughout, and they have the distinct feel of characters rather than people; it feels depressingly obvious that Canavan is propping them up with a bit of cardboard, pushing them around the sets to enact the small amounts of plot.
The early third-to-half is dogged by the same extremely tedious repetition as earlier books in the series; where it feels like nothing is happening but the characters worrying about a thing that's going to happen, over and over again.
At perhaps most damningly, the phrase "my lover" is used completely earnestly and repeatedly.
Now that this series is complete I can unequivocally say: do not read it.
June 1, 2020
The Millennium’s Rule series is complete and I am sad but also content. This really was a journey and since I finished the book I’ve been reading all about why it took so long to complete, the obstacles Trudi Canavan has faced and it makes me appreciate it so much more.
I’ll try and keep this spoiler free :)
I really enjoyed this series. For me, Maker’s Curse was the weakest of the novels but only because it had so much to live up to. Four novels over 500 pages long each is A LOT. That is a huge amount of story to tell and I’m not quite sure how Canavan keeps everything straight in her brain … she may be taking lessons from George R R Martin … although at least Canavan pays out haha, sorry!
Highlights of this series are most notably it’s character driven narrative but also it’s massive multi-world building and the magic system. I always love how Canavan writes her magic systems! Tyen and Rielle stay as main protagonists throughout the entire series and while they tackle huge problems for humanity they also overcome issues caused by their own personalities - just like real people! Unlike real people though, they get out of situations far too easily. Maker’s Curse had the potential to put Rielle and Tyen into some really difficult scenarios and just when you thought it might happen, it didn’t.
In respect of the enemy of the novels - this is where I became disappointed. The Raen was a great villain in that we saw every side of him including his background, his good traits and his bad traits but we don't have that in Maker’s Curse. Instead a new enemy is introduced and I have to say, dealt with far too easily. To go from such a high in the first novel, to such a low in this one was very underwhelming. Building up prophecies to have them just be taken care of so easily just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.
Despite this, I did very much enjoy the tale of Tyen and Rielle and I’m sure I will revisit them in the future. To be able to easily follow such intricate and rich plotlines is one of the magics of Trudi Canavan’s writings, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
I’ll try and keep this spoiler free :)
I really enjoyed this series. For me, Maker’s Curse was the weakest of the novels but only because it had so much to live up to. Four novels over 500 pages long each is A LOT. That is a huge amount of story to tell and I’m not quite sure how Canavan keeps everything straight in her brain … she may be taking lessons from George R R Martin … although at least Canavan pays out haha, sorry!
Highlights of this series are most notably it’s character driven narrative but also it’s massive multi-world building and the magic system. I always love how Canavan writes her magic systems! Tyen and Rielle stay as main protagonists throughout the entire series and while they tackle huge problems for humanity they also overcome issues caused by their own personalities - just like real people! Unlike real people though, they get out of situations far too easily. Maker’s Curse had the potential to put Rielle and Tyen into some really difficult scenarios and just when you thought it might happen, it didn’t.
In respect of the enemy of the novels - this is where I became disappointed. The Raen was a great villain in that we saw every side of him including his background, his good traits and his bad traits but we don't have that in Maker’s Curse. Instead a new enemy is introduced and I have to say, dealt with far too easily. To go from such a high in the first novel, to such a low in this one was very underwhelming. Building up prophecies to have them just be taken care of so easily just fell a bit flat for me unfortunately.
Despite this, I did very much enjoy the tale of Tyen and Rielle and I’m sure I will revisit them in the future. To be able to easily follow such intricate and rich plotlines is one of the magics of Trudi Canavan’s writings, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
July 24, 2022
It's difficult to talk about this book without talking about the entire series really. I thought it started out very strong, with interesting ideas, compelling characters, creative worldbuilding and so on, but with each book it got noticeably worse. This book is a huge disappointment, which is crushing because I usually love Trudi Canavan's writing so much. The series really should have been a trilogy, with the few good elements of this book being sprinkled into (what would ideally be much tighter versions of) the previous two. This book just feels largely pointless...
The first half drags, a lot, and while it picks up a bit in the middle, the last 100 pages or so are absolutely ridiculously rushed. The villain, which doesn't show up or even earn a mention until halfway through, could have been interesting if fleshed out at all, but she ends up being bland and one-note and forgettable. Throughout the entire book I felt like things that may have been interesting were glossed over and a lot of obvious or pointless things were examined to death and repeated over and over and over again. Vella's absence and abandonment especially was incredibly disappointing, since she was such a driving force behind pretty much everything Tyen did for the majority of the entire series. That there's no real closure or conclusion to her story is so, so frustrating to me...
I could go on but frankly this isn't worth any more of my time and energy. This series is done as far as I know, and I'm very much hoping that whatever Trudi does next is something else so I can feel excited about her writing again. This was a big miss.
The first half drags, a lot, and while it picks up a bit in the middle, the last 100 pages or so are absolutely ridiculously rushed. The villain, which doesn't show up or even earn a mention until halfway through, could have been interesting if fleshed out at all, but she ends up being bland and one-note and forgettable. Throughout the entire book I felt like things that may have been interesting were glossed over and a lot of obvious or pointless things were examined to death and repeated over and over and over again. Vella's absence and abandonment especially was incredibly disappointing, since she was such a driving force behind pretty much everything Tyen did for the majority of the entire series. That there's no real closure or conclusion to her story is so, so frustrating to me...
I could go on but frankly this isn't worth any more of my time and energy. This series is done as far as I know, and I'm very much hoping that whatever Trudi does next is something else so I can feel excited about her writing again. This was a big miss.
May 17, 2020
The Queen is back, long live the Queen. I love Trudi so much, just every single word I devour with enthusiasm and delight. This is book four in the millennium’s rule series and I don’t feel you can just jump in without reading the previous three (but if you haven’t go read them, they are modern classics and amazing) Trudi’s world building is simply magical (no pun intended honest) and you fall into her works and you may as well be on a different planet while reading these, you get so drawn in. The characterisation is just exemplary, you travel the characters journey with them as she develops and expands their complex nature. I was so sad to see this end, but I’m hoping there are future books or side stories from these worlds and characters. Top class fantasy writing of the best kind.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
December 13, 2022
Excellent end to the series, I enjoyed every minute of it! Trudi does it again.
May 1, 2021
3.5/5
I do truly love Canavans books. I have read all of them and will continue to read them all. While they are sometimes slow, I still enjoy them so much. I was very very happy to hear that a fourth book was coming out in this rich, complex series. And I enjoyed myself for the most part - the ending however felt kinda... disappointing. While most threads were picked up on and brought to an end, it was still unsatisfying in the way it was written (which is weird because, as I said, I love her books). I expected more from this "grande finale". A feeling of wholesome conclusion that I simply did not get.
Another little critique is that the worlds are all so unique and beautiful and interesting and yet I would have liked to see a bit more diversity in the people. Our main cast of characters is already diverse in skin color, culture and sexuality and problems like racism and sexism are discussed, but since they travel to so many different worlds I would have appreciated even more diversity especially in terms of gender and topics like disability. It is a lot to ask from an author to include ALL kinds of people, but I mean, there are literally thousands of different worlds and they are 4 chunky books, so a small note and appreciation would have done no harm.
Besides that I really enjoyed to dive back into this series. I hope there will be many more books from Canavan, maybe in some of the worlds mentioned in this series.
I do truly love Canavans books. I have read all of them and will continue to read them all. While they are sometimes slow, I still enjoy them so much. I was very very happy to hear that a fourth book was coming out in this rich, complex series. And I enjoyed myself for the most part - the ending however felt kinda... disappointing. While most threads were picked up on and brought to an end, it was still unsatisfying in the way it was written (which is weird because, as I said, I love her books). I expected more from this "grande finale". A feeling of wholesome conclusion that I simply did not get.
Another little critique is that the worlds are all so unique and beautiful and interesting and yet I would have liked to see a bit more diversity in the people. Our main cast of characters is already diverse in skin color, culture and sexuality and problems like racism and sexism are discussed, but since they travel to so many different worlds I would have appreciated even more diversity especially in terms of gender and topics like disability. It is a lot to ask from an author to include ALL kinds of people, but I mean, there are literally thousands of different worlds and they are 4 chunky books, so a small note and appreciation would have done no harm.
Besides that I really enjoyed to dive back into this series. I hope there will be many more books from Canavan, maybe in some of the worlds mentioned in this series.
November 20, 2020
A disappointing final instalment in Trudi Canavan's Millennium's Rule series. I usually enjoy Canavan's writing but this one was a chore to get through. So much unnecessary repetition of information, characters having the same conversation over & over, and really not much action considering the concept. There wasn't even that much resolution to any particular plot thread to make it all worthwhile.. Perhaps the series should have finished as a trilogy.
December 4, 2022
Maker's Curse is a lovely finale to the Millennium's Rule series. It seemed a little rushed here and there, but was still nice to read overall. Trudi Canavan's world building and magic system is fascinating in every book and a joy to explore.
October 18, 2020
On the one hand, I really liked the book, but on the other, it dragged on and on and I, like quite a few others, feel like this book was a bit unnecessary or a bit too long for the story in it.
May 29, 2020
Good end to the series, although still think this couldve ended in book 3 overall. The story here was mostly tying up the few loose ends and introducing a new bad guy. This whole plot whilst related tot he main story in parts felt a little tacked on but otherwise the book was enjoyable.
July 22, 2020
Review to come, maybe.
I've already written a review actually, but I accidentally deleted it so I'm a bit (very) annoyed at the moment.
I've already written a review actually, but I accidentally deleted it so I'm a bit (very) annoyed at the moment.
January 24, 2021
An amazing finish to an amazing series!
March 11, 2022
I liked all the books of Millennium's Rule, but I think this one is the best of them all :)
It was a really big pleasure to be in this world and I would love if it could continue.
It was a really big pleasure to be in this world and I would love if it could continue.
April 6, 2022
It was finally time for me to end this series and I’m content with the way it did end. While I didn’t enjoy the dragged out plot in past books I liked it in this one.
June 13, 2020
Pros:
- Natürlich das Worldbuilding. Jede der vielen Welten scheint einzigartig und selbst Welten, die nur ein Kapitel lang eine Rolle spielen, sind ausgestaltet genug, dass sie lebendig wirken. Das gilt nicht nur für die Kulturen der Menschen, die dort leben, sondern vor allem auch für die Landschaften. Und hier gibt es wirklich ungewöhnliche und fantasievolle Erscheinungsbilder von Welten. Mir ist z.B. eine Welt in Erinnerung geblieben, deren Vegetation aus riesigen Gräsern besteht (und wenn ich sage 'riesig' dann meine ich wirklich riesig).
- Das Magiesystem. Mir gefällt es sehr, wie Magie durch Kreativität geschaffen wird. In diesem vierten Band kommt das auch immer wieder zum Einsatz durch Rielles Fähigkeiten als Maker. Später erschafft sie sogar neue Magie, indem sie mit vorhandener Magie kreativ wird und bunte Lichtspiele schafft. Interessante Idee. Übermächtig wird sie dabei aber nicht, seit sie im dritten Band ihr pattern-shifting für ihre Maker-Fähigkeit aufgegeben hat, und das wird auch immer wieder thematisiert. Auch ist es passend, wie sich die Stärke eines einzelnen Magiers auswirkt. Gedankenlesen geht nur bei schwächeren Magiern.
- Es gibt ein Wiedersehen mit Rielles und Tyens Heimatwelten. Es war schön, zu den Handlungsorten des ersten Bandes zurückzukehren und Tyens Welt spielt dabei sogar eine größere Rolle. Große Teile des Buches spielen sich dort ab.
- Es wurde Linguistik erwähnt *__* Zwar nur eine Randbemerkung, aber mich hat's gefreut und das gibt gleich Extrapunkte. Passiert schließlich selten genug.
- Obwohl ich mich nicht damit anfreunden kann, wie selbstverständlich hier Gedanken gelesen werden, muss ich auch zugeben, wie gut die Fähigkeit eingebunden wird. Durch das Gedankenlesen ergeben sich Einblicke in viele Nebencharaktere und selbst absolute Statisten erhalten manchmal dadurch eine ganze Lebensgeschichte. Das lässt die Welt(en) lebendiger wirken. Außerdem sind die Charas vorsichtig bei dem, was sie von ihren geheimen Plänen anderen erzählen, da immer die Gefahr besteht, dass die Gedanken von diesen anderen gelesen werden könnten. Als Tyen ohne Magie auf einmal keine Gedanken mehr lesen kann, fällt es ihm deutlich schwerer, Mimik anderer zu lesen, weil er sich eben zu sehr aufs Gedankenlesen verlassen hat. Außerdem zeigen Rielle oder Tyen ihren Respekt für gewisse Charas, indem sie ihre Gedanken eben NICHT lesen. Das zeigt dann auch viel über die Charakterbeziehungen. Trotzdem muss ich aber auch bemängeln, dass Rielle selbst sehr viel gedankenliest, um Informationen über eine Welt oder bestimmte Person herauszufinden, gleichzeitig es aber nicht mag, dass Qall ständig ihre Gedanken liest. Ist nicht ganz konsequent, aber Rielle ist vermutlich eben auch nicht perfekt.
Contras
- Die Story mit der Invasion der Maschinen ist nicht so meins, muss ich ehrlich sagen. Kettins Plan hat mich nicht überzeugt und ihre Methoden waren überzogen. Mir tat es Leid um all die schönen Welten. Entsprechend hat mir die erste Hälfte besser gefallen, als sich die Bedrohung durch die Maschinen gerademal abzeichnete.
- Manche Probleme wurden recht schnell und einfach gelöst und ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass man sich für manches mehr Zeit genommen hätte. Stattdessen wurde oft gesagt, was Rielle oder Tyen nun vorhat und im nächsten Kapitel war das bereits erledigt. Aber vermutlich wäre das Buch sonst viel zu lang geworden^^
Ich würde gern mehr aus dieser Welt der Tausend Welten lesen, vllt auch mit neuen Charakteren. Rielles und Tyens Geschichte ist nun ja erzählt und 'Millenium's Rule' damit abgeschlossen.
- Natürlich das Worldbuilding. Jede der vielen Welten scheint einzigartig und selbst Welten, die nur ein Kapitel lang eine Rolle spielen, sind ausgestaltet genug, dass sie lebendig wirken. Das gilt nicht nur für die Kulturen der Menschen, die dort leben, sondern vor allem auch für die Landschaften. Und hier gibt es wirklich ungewöhnliche und fantasievolle Erscheinungsbilder von Welten. Mir ist z.B. eine Welt in Erinnerung geblieben, deren Vegetation aus riesigen Gräsern besteht (und wenn ich sage 'riesig' dann meine ich wirklich riesig).
- Das Magiesystem. Mir gefällt es sehr, wie Magie durch Kreativität geschaffen wird. In diesem vierten Band kommt das auch immer wieder zum Einsatz durch Rielles Fähigkeiten als Maker. Später erschafft sie sogar neue Magie, indem sie mit vorhandener Magie kreativ wird und bunte Lichtspiele schafft. Interessante Idee. Übermächtig wird sie dabei aber nicht, seit sie im dritten Band ihr pattern-shifting für ihre Maker-Fähigkeit aufgegeben hat, und das wird auch immer wieder thematisiert. Auch ist es passend, wie sich die Stärke eines einzelnen Magiers auswirkt. Gedankenlesen geht nur bei schwächeren Magiern.
- Es gibt ein Wiedersehen mit Rielles und Tyens Heimatwelten. Es war schön, zu den Handlungsorten des ersten Bandes zurückzukehren und Tyens Welt spielt dabei sogar eine größere Rolle. Große Teile des Buches spielen sich dort ab.
- Es wurde Linguistik erwähnt *__* Zwar nur eine Randbemerkung, aber mich hat's gefreut und das gibt gleich Extrapunkte. Passiert schließlich selten genug.
- Obwohl ich mich nicht damit anfreunden kann, wie selbstverständlich hier Gedanken gelesen werden, muss ich auch zugeben, wie gut die Fähigkeit eingebunden wird. Durch das Gedankenlesen ergeben sich Einblicke in viele Nebencharaktere und selbst absolute Statisten erhalten manchmal dadurch eine ganze Lebensgeschichte. Das lässt die Welt(en) lebendiger wirken. Außerdem sind die Charas vorsichtig bei dem, was sie von ihren geheimen Plänen anderen erzählen, da immer die Gefahr besteht, dass die Gedanken von diesen anderen gelesen werden könnten. Als Tyen ohne Magie auf einmal keine Gedanken mehr lesen kann, fällt es ihm deutlich schwerer, Mimik anderer zu lesen, weil er sich eben zu sehr aufs Gedankenlesen verlassen hat. Außerdem zeigen Rielle oder Tyen ihren Respekt für gewisse Charas, indem sie ihre Gedanken eben NICHT lesen. Das zeigt dann auch viel über die Charakterbeziehungen. Trotzdem muss ich aber auch bemängeln, dass Rielle selbst sehr viel gedankenliest, um Informationen über eine Welt oder bestimmte Person herauszufinden, gleichzeitig es aber nicht mag, dass Qall ständig ihre Gedanken liest. Ist nicht ganz konsequent, aber Rielle ist vermutlich eben auch nicht perfekt.
Contras
- Die Story mit der Invasion der Maschinen ist nicht so meins, muss ich ehrlich sagen. Kettins Plan hat mich nicht überzeugt und ihre Methoden waren überzogen. Mir tat es Leid um all die schönen Welten. Entsprechend hat mir die erste Hälfte besser gefallen, als sich die Bedrohung durch die Maschinen gerademal abzeichnete.
- Manche Probleme wurden recht schnell und einfach gelöst und ich hätte mir gewünscht, dass man sich für manches mehr Zeit genommen hätte. Stattdessen wurde oft gesagt, was Rielle oder Tyen nun vorhat und im nächsten Kapitel war das bereits erledigt. Aber vermutlich wäre das Buch sonst viel zu lang geworden^^
Ich würde gern mehr aus dieser Welt der Tausend Welten lesen, vllt auch mit neuen Charakteren. Rielles und Tyens Geschichte ist nun ja erzählt und 'Millenium's Rule' damit abgeschlossen.
May 27, 2020
I adore everything Trudi Canavan writes so I was excited when my preorder arrived and I was not disappointed.
As with all Trudi's books, the world-building is exceptional and the characters are relatable and all too easy to fall in love with. I still think Millenium's Rule is my least favourite of all her series, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a excellent fantasy series by any standards and this is a wonderfully enjoyable conclusion.
Compared to some of her other series, the pace in Millenium's Rule has always been slower, in order to allow for deeper and more creative world building in a universe with so many worlds to explore, and Maker's Curse doesn't alter this pace much. That said, I still raced through it, especially the second half.
My only criticism would be that the villain felt underdeveloped, however that is mainly because she was a new addition to the series compared against characters who I've been falling for over the course of three previous books.
All in all I loved the worlds and the characters, as with all of Trudi's books, I would read her characters just living out their normal day to day lives because I adore them. But this final adventure felt like a fitting tie up to some of the loose ends from Successor's Promise and was a fascinating exploration of how quickly new technology can be exploited for evil.
As with all Trudi's books, the world-building is exceptional and the characters are relatable and all too easy to fall in love with. I still think Millenium's Rule is my least favourite of all her series, but that doesn't mean it isn't still a excellent fantasy series by any standards and this is a wonderfully enjoyable conclusion.
Compared to some of her other series, the pace in Millenium's Rule has always been slower, in order to allow for deeper and more creative world building in a universe with so many worlds to explore, and Maker's Curse doesn't alter this pace much. That said, I still raced through it, especially the second half.
My only criticism would be that the villain felt underdeveloped, however that is mainly because she was a new addition to the series compared against characters who I've been falling for over the course of three previous books.
All in all I loved the worlds and the characters, as with all of Trudi's books, I would read her characters just living out their normal day to day lives because I adore them. But this final adventure felt like a fitting tie up to some of the loose ends from Successor's Promise and was a fascinating exploration of how quickly new technology can be exploited for evil.
July 1, 2020
1 star: didn't like it at all
2 star: kinda liked it, but problematic.
3 star: liked it
4 star: liked it a lot, but not perfect.
5 star: perfect in every way my tiny brain can comprehend.
Well...
This was surely not my favorite from Trudi Canavan. I have been a big fan of her work and read all of her other novels, so I was really excited to read this one.
I have to say, that I finished it (and continued it, even when I was really bored of it) because of:
1. I know that Canavan novels get really (really) interesting at the second half.
2. I have read the previous Millennium's Rule books and I didn't want to let the story unfinished.
3. I respect her as a writer, and I thought that if she wrote this one, it was because she HAD something to tell.
I read in another review the word underwhelming, and I have to say that word fits best. Around 70% of the book I thought "well, this could be a 4-star", but at the end, it didn't happen. I mean, I would have loved more steampunk fanfare in this book, even though it isn't the main setting, but as we were exploring those limits, I'd rather spent more than the last half of the book, perhaps the whole book, to exploit that deeply.
I loved the characters in the previous books. Rielle and Tyen are really solid, but their "we're really good people, even though we grew up in very trash societies" manner got kind of annoying to me, not because they did, but because I found that repetitive in this book. Qall, on the other hand, superb, I loved him and how he grew up to be.
--
Spoilers ahead!
--
I still miss Valhan :(. Dahli, is Dahli, likeable and loyal to whoever he loves, I'm not sure about his redemption arc.
About the enemy in this book. I actually thought that it was Zeke's sister, Dalle, whom I don't even remember what happened to her, but she seemed very likely to become Kettin. But at the end, I felt her too distant to the main story, and her defeat was, although interesting for world-building, too easy and the consequences of her acts not explored enough
--
End of Spoilers
--
But at the end. Amazing world-building and magic system (I mean worlds-building), I think Canavan explored this trait intensively and exhaustingly in this series, wich is something I love about it.
I'm certainly expecting to keep reading Canavan's works!
2 star: kinda liked it, but problematic.
3 star: liked it
4 star: liked it a lot, but not perfect.
5 star: perfect in every way my tiny brain can comprehend.
Well...
This was surely not my favorite from Trudi Canavan. I have been a big fan of her work and read all of her other novels, so I was really excited to read this one.
I have to say, that I finished it (and continued it, even when I was really bored of it) because of:
1. I know that Canavan novels get really (really) interesting at the second half.
2. I have read the previous Millennium's Rule books and I didn't want to let the story unfinished.
3. I respect her as a writer, and I thought that if she wrote this one, it was because she HAD something to tell.
I read in another review the word underwhelming, and I have to say that word fits best. Around 70% of the book I thought "well, this could be a 4-star", but at the end, it didn't happen. I mean, I would have loved more steampunk fanfare in this book, even though it isn't the main setting, but as we were exploring those limits, I'd rather spent more than the last half of the book, perhaps the whole book, to exploit that deeply.
I loved the characters in the previous books. Rielle and Tyen are really solid, but their "we're really good people, even though we grew up in very trash societies" manner got kind of annoying to me, not because they did, but because I found that repetitive in this book. Qall, on the other hand, superb, I loved him and how he grew up to be.
--
Spoilers ahead!
--
I still miss Valhan :(. Dahli, is Dahli, likeable and loyal to whoever he loves, I'm not sure about his redemption arc.
About the enemy in this book. I actually thought that it was Zeke's sister, Dalle, whom I don't even remember what happened to her, but she seemed very likely to become Kettin. But at the end, I felt her too distant to the main story, and her defeat was, although interesting for world-building, too easy and the consequences of her acts not explored enough
--
End of Spoilers
--
But at the end. Amazing world-building and magic system (I mean worlds-building), I think Canavan explored this trait intensively and exhaustingly in this series, wich is something I love about it.
I'm certainly expecting to keep reading Canavan's works!
April 15, 2022
3.5/5 ⭐
Przyjemna część, ale niestety wydaje mi się, że ta seria miała o wiele większy potencjał po pierwszej części. Przede wszystkim ten tom w moim odczuciu nie musiał istnieć. Czytało mi się go lepiej niż poprzedni, głównie za sprawą powrotów do znanych nam światów i bohaterów. Ale właściwie to, co się tu działo było tylko i wyłącznie takim spojrzeniem, jak się rzeczy mają po wydarzeniach z poprzednich części.
W temacie całej serii, bardzo doceniam kreację światów, system magiczny i różne możliwości, które autorka stwarza swoim bohaterom. Wszystko jest bardzo logiczne i oryginalne. Ale brakowało mi jakiegoś przejęcia się losami bohaterów i ta historia jest momentami mocno rozdmuchana i niepotrzebnie przedłużana.
Jeśli to jest zakończenie to wypadło bardzo dobrze, jeśli Trudi Canavan zamierza to ciągnąć to chyba nie będę sięgać po kolejne części.
Przyjemna część, ale niestety wydaje mi się, że ta seria miała o wiele większy potencjał po pierwszej części. Przede wszystkim ten tom w moim odczuciu nie musiał istnieć. Czytało mi się go lepiej niż poprzedni, głównie za sprawą powrotów do znanych nam światów i bohaterów. Ale właściwie to, co się tu działo było tylko i wyłącznie takim spojrzeniem, jak się rzeczy mają po wydarzeniach z poprzednich części.
W temacie całej serii, bardzo doceniam kreację światów, system magiczny i różne możliwości, które autorka stwarza swoim bohaterom. Wszystko jest bardzo logiczne i oryginalne. Ale brakowało mi jakiegoś przejęcia się losami bohaterów i ta historia jest momentami mocno rozdmuchana i niepotrzebnie przedłużana.
Jeśli to jest zakończenie to wypadło bardzo dobrze, jeśli Trudi Canavan zamierza to ciągnąć to chyba nie będę sięgać po kolejne części.
March 24, 2023
This was a definite step up to the last book on the series. It didn’t sacrifice plot for character positioning and had intriguing moments.
I think I’ve figured out that there is a pattern to the way the stories are told that is so strongly adhered to it takes me out of the world it’s describing. Much like an episodical tv series I don’t think I’m supposed to care about the smaller people who don’t survive a single episode - you’re in it for the overarching storylines. Unfortunately for me that’s not how I read books, I love the nuance and detail and it’s why I’m such a fan of this particular author, but to keep the analogy I need to see how the season ends as I’m invested in these characters now. so I’ll keep watching.
I think I’ve figured out that there is a pattern to the way the stories are told that is so strongly adhered to it takes me out of the world it’s describing. Much like an episodical tv series I don’t think I’m supposed to care about the smaller people who don’t survive a single episode - you’re in it for the overarching storylines. Unfortunately for me that’s not how I read books, I love the nuance and detail and it’s why I’m such a fan of this particular author, but to keep the analogy I need to see how the season ends as I’m invested in these characters now. so I’ll keep watching.
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