Until the Last

The Last War #3

by Mike Shackle

THE TIME HAS COME.
SEKINOWARI - THE LAST WAR - HAS ARRIVED.


The breakneck conclusion to the trilogy that started with We Are the Dead. To beat the ultimate evil, sometimes the price is more than you can pay . . .

The war with the Egril has changed Tinnstra forever. A coward no more, she'll go to any length to defeat every last one of her enemies.

Zorique has grown into her powers. It's time for her to lead her army into Jia and spearhead the fight for her homeland.

But at what cost? The Egril emperor Raaku - the Son of Kage himself - is waiting for them. And he intends to destroy Zorique, Tinnstra and all their allies.

They will need to put everything on the line if Jia hopes to see the dawn.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy

772 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 21, 2022

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC was provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

The Last War is over. Another favorite ongoing series of mine concluded.

The Last War trilogy by Mike Shackle has been one of my favorite ongoing series since I read both We Are the Dead and A Fool’s Hope in 2020. Now that it’s finished, I can safely say this has become one of my favorite fantasy trilogies. And it is undoubtedly one of the most underrated fantasy series out there. Despite talking and shouting about this series so many times for the past two years, it seems like I still need to shout about it more because it seriously deserves so much more recognition. It is shocking how relatively few fantasy readers talk about this trilogy. I don't think you can go wrong with reading The Last War trilogy if you love reading a war story or military fantasy series. Especially if you love reading a fantasy series that revolves around ordinary people rising up to do everything they can to survive and fight back. At all costs.

‘Come on, my love. This is why… we trained. We fight… until the last.’

Until the Last is the third and final book in The Last War trilogy by Mike Shackle. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year. And considering the high excitement I had prior to reading it, I must say that Shackle successfully delivered a highly satisfying conclusion to the series. I will, however, first note that it has been two years since I first read the previous book: A Fool’s Hope. The story in Until the Last begins a few days after the end of A Fool’s Hope. It centers around the campaign leading to The Last War, or Sekanowari. I did not reread the previous books; I wish I did. And I wish there was a detailed summary of the previous books or character list and what happened to them to ease my reading experience. It has been two years and almost 200 books since I read A Fool’s Hope. Despite how much I enjoyed Until the Last, I cannot help but feel I would enjoy it much more if the book had a detailed summary/character list. Or if I did a reread of the previous books first, really. Other than Tinnstra, Zorique, Aasgod, Jax, Darus Monsuta, Dren, Matteo, Yas, and Raaku, I spent hundreds of pages trying to remember who was who. Initially, I did not even remember that Ralasis (one of the POV characters in this book) had appeared in the previous books! But anyway, you get my point. I think the existence of detailed summaries has to be a norm in fantasy sequels. Fortunately, despite this minor obstruction, I remain captivated by Until the Last. And I have no doubt I would love it more if I had reread the previous books first.

“Better to have a sword and not need it than need a sword and not have one.”

Because this is the third and final book in the series, please understand that I am insanely limited in what I can say in my review. But I can definitely say this. One of the main themes I loved most in Until the Last (and The Last War trilogy) is how individuals rise to the extraordinary in the direst of circumstances. This doesn't mean they always do the right thing; far from it. These characters have suffered a lot. They did many questionable actions throughout the trilogy. As I said, survival at all cost. This is something that has been established since We Are the Dead, and it is continuously expanded until the end of Until the Last. I, more often than not, tend to enjoy reading a fantasy series that is not afraid to kill off its characters. And I am not saying it cannot be done right when a series refrain from doing this. But it truly bothers me sometimes when a fantasy series that revolves heavily around war, oppression, and invasion is scared to kill off any of its characters. Unpredictability in which character will survive is, thankfully, one of the key strengths of each book in The Last War trilogy. Including Until the Last. And this is one of the many reasons why each volume in this trilogy was so compelling and unputdownable.

“Best to trust no one. Assume everyone was an enemy. Might be a shit way to live but forgetting those simple rules was a shit reason to die.”

Another super positive aspect of The Last War trilogy is its characters and characterizations. One of my favorite things about reading a series is (especially in sequels or the last book of a series) when I sit, think, look back, and remember. Remembering how far each character has developed since their first appearance is a great experience, and this is something that Shackle executed well. Constantly. Many key characters in the series have been developed magnificently in A Fool's Hope. And I was left impressed by the culmination of their development and journey in Until the Last. Again, this is a series where no character is safe. From here on out, I will not mention any character's name to avoid spoilers. I will, however, assure you of one thing. Despite the darkness, blood-soaked actions, and morally grey characters that filled the trilogy, the despair in The Last War never felt relentless. Even if The Last War can be categorized as a grimdark fantasy trilogy, this is a dark military fantasy series about war, survival, and the nature of humanity. And one of humanity's nature that is impossible to extinguish means hope and love at its core. I loved it so much. And it feels bittersweet to finally say goodbye to these characters I'm invested in.

‘Do you know what the soldiers call you?’ ‘Do I want to?’ Zorique doubted it was anything good. ‘Hope. They call you Hope.’ ‘That’s something, I suppose.’ ‘That’s everything.’

If you still haven’t read any books by Mike Shackle yet, I’m here to remind and assure you once again that Shackle is brilliant at writing action scenes. This has always been the case since We Are the Dead, and the trend never stops until the last page of this novel. Until the Last is, from my analysis, the most action-packed volume of the trilogy. Almost the entire book is battle after battle after battle. There was a close-to-zero room for a break for the characters and readers. This indeed caused a slight feeling of repetition in the first half of the novel, but the dramatic improvement in the stakes and pacing improved in the second half more than made up for it. I was utterly hooked and immersed by all the pulse-pounding actions.

‘It’s not you I’m angry at– it’s the world. Life shouldn’t be like this– our lives shouldn’t be like this.

Now that we're at the end of the series, do I consider Until the Last my favorite volume in the trilogy? Well, I will have to say no. To be fair, A Fool's Hope was REALLY hard to top. As a sequel, it was everything The Last War trilogy needed in the middle installment. But on top of that, I think the final villain, Raaku, proved forgettable and disappointing. Every previous villain in the trilogy, especially the one from the first book, was much more memorable and terrifying than Raaku. Not only does Raaku feels very one-dimensional as a villain, but the final confrontation against him itself was also way too short; only 2% of the novel. Shackle is superb at writing protagonists and antagonists, and I found Raaku to be far from being Shackle's best antagonist. I think sacrificing some of the campaigns in the first half and new POV characters in exchange for developing Raaku or the intricacies of world-building would've benefitted Until the Last further.

“But sometimes the world choses the heroes it needs when it needs them and all we can do is try and answer the call as best we can. And thank the Gods, you have risen to the challenge better than anyone could’ve hoped.’

Fortunately, this is a minor issue in the grander brilliant of Until the Last. From devastating magic, bloody betrayals, and incredibly intense war after war against every creature in Sekanowari, Until the Last is an action-packed and thrilling concluding volume. Although not as good as We Are the Dead and A Fool's Hope on my first read, it does not change my opinion that The Last War trilogy is one of the best fantasy trilogies I've read. And if you are a reader who loves reading an action-packed and satisfying final volume of a series, Until the Last is for you. Bravo, Mike Shackle. I look forward to your next series!

One last thing before I forget, I appeared in this book! Check it out:

“‘Who’s going to talk to them?’ said Petrik. He was a Shulka, from Clan Rizon, like Moiri. Older than both Jax and Moiri, he’d never risen in the ranks, he was just happy to follow, happy to fight. The battles had taken a toll on him, though, as there was hardly a part of him that wasn’t battered or scarred. ‘Not you,’ said Moiri. ‘Not unless we want to frighten them to death.’ Petrik rubbed at his cauliflower ear. ‘My mother always said I was the best-looking of her children.’
‘Not saying much,’ said Dev. ‘I’ve seen the rest of your family.’”

Series Review:

We Are the Dead: 4.5/5 stars
A Fool’s Hope: 5/5 stars
Until the Last: 4.5/5 stars

The Last War: 14/15 stars

You can order this book from: Blackwells (Free International shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Lana, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Shawna, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne

Until the Last is a riveting read of expert craft. Compelling characters, fast paced immersive action, utterly unpredictable plot and a huge crescendo of an ending. I could not have asked for more. In short, this finale, and the series as a whole, is masterful.

It acts as a fantastic, satisfying conclusion to this trilogy with all the twists, turns, betrayals, vengeance and general mayhem that I desired.

Despite being a tome of a book, it is so, so easy to read. As fast paced a book you will ever get, this hooked me from the very beginning, as Mike Shackle achieved with the first two instalments of this series as well.

“We fight… until the last”

Mike Shackle continues to expertly deploy his short, sharp chapters that create such a fast pace that made me say “just one more chapter” so many times that I lost count. Mike Shackle knows how to use a cliffhanger, and he does so many a time in Until the Last. The prose is slightly stripped back, with flourishes of beautiful description that really kept the plot going but also formed a vivid picture of the world that has been created.

There is a great array of action in this book, of far greater scale than that we are shown in the first two instalments, and it is dazzling, brutal and manic. Warfare is not glorified to say the least. But also, Mike Shackle really took the time to dwell on the quieter moments, as we need. He uses these lulls between battles to really craft new characters and strengthen those he already had. There are a number of scenes that emotionally moved me, and once again this was. Display that Mike Shackle’s strengths go across the board.

“Hope. They call you Hope.”
“That’s something, I suppose.”
“That’s everything.”

Until the Last is an expert example of how to wrap up a trilogy, delivering on all the hopes that I had. We have the greater stakes, the huge action sequences, the interactions between our favourite characters, and a whole dose of tension and mayhem between. It offers such a satisfying conclusion, and it is now a bitter-sweet feeling to be done with this series.

The Last War will be going down as one of my all-time favourite series. And for good reason.

5/5 STARS

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review of Until the Last is published at Grimdark Magazine.

The stakes couldn’t be higher in Until the Last, the final installment of Mike Shackle’s Last War trilogy, a grimdark military fantasy inspired by real-life stories of resistance in Nazi-occupied France during World War II.

In Mike Shackle’s debut novel, We Are the Dead, the country of Jia is swiftly overrun by their militant neighbors to the north, whose war machine is amplified with demonic magical powers. The occupying Egril forces impose rigid martial law on Jia, forcing the defeated Jians to worship their god of darkness, Kage.

The second book of the series, A Fool’s Hope, finds our protagonists gathering strength to resist the Egril invaders. The final war known as Sekanowari arrives in Until the Last, the concluding volume of the trilogy. Like its predecessor, Until the Last is primarily a character-driven novel that revolves around the relationship between two lead protagonists: Zorique, the orphaned queen of Jia, and her emotionally troubled surrogate mother, Tinnstra.

The Last War trilogy is full of great characters. Tinnstra and Zorique are my two absolute favorites, both overcoming indescribable tragedies to become the reluctant heroes needed by their people. Other returning favorites include Yas, the single mother who transforms into a powerful gangster boss, and the aged general Jax who suffers from a terrible inner demon. I especially enjoyed Jax’s character arc in Until the Last, which takes an unexpectedly dark turn.

As in A Fool’s Hope, Mike Shackle introduces several new point-of-view characters in this final volume of the trilogy. I have an immediate negative reaction whenever new point-of-view characters are introduced in later volumes of a series, since all I want is to spend more time with the characters I already know. Perhaps this is just lingering trauma from reading George R.R. Martin’s unnecessarily bloated A Feast for Crows, where every side character seems to get their own perspective and backstory. Although Until the Last also feels a bit bloated, Mike Shackle manages this balance a lot better than George R.R. Martin, never losing focus on the main narrative.

Mike Shackle’s writing feels crisp and tight throughout the entire trilogy, and I think he has elevated his craft to a new level in Until the Last. Although the story is undeniably brutal, I also appreciated Mike Shackle’s sense of humor evident in both the freewheeling Captain Ralasis and in the author’s rather extensive use of tuckerization. Mike Shackle is especially good at writing fight scenes, with plenty of action that kept me fully fixated until the last page.

Although We Are the Dead is rather light on magic, magical elements become dramatically more prevalent in A Fool’s Hope, to the point where two of the main characters felt, perhaps, too superpowered by the end of the book. However, in Until the Last, we learn that these magical powers come with a heavy cost.

Given the World War II inspiration for much of the Last War trilogy, I wonder if acquiring these overwhelming magical abilities could be analogous to the nuclear arms race that occurred on both sides of the war, ultimately leading to the development of weapons with unprecedented capacity for destruction. One point that becomes clear throughout Until the Last is that these magical powers do nothing to correct the faults in our human nature.

Altogether, the Last War trilogy sets a new standard for grimdark military fantasy. Mike Shackle’s worldbuilding, writing, and character development are all top-notch. Most of all, I am touched by Shackle’s focus on the humanity behind the unspeakable violence and tragedy of war.

4.5/5

[Mike's Book Reviews]

Overall a pretty satisfying conclusion to The Last War. Mike has been building up to this cataclysmic event for 2 books and once the event happens it is worth it, even if it ends a little too quickly.

Problem is that I thought it took a touch too long to get there. Coming in just under 800 pages there is a slight case of bloat here. Also, the decision to give a mainstay character the first two books like Yas such a reduced role and focus more on Ange and others wasn’t a choice I liked. It felt like he wrote the whole book, realized he forgot about Yas, then filled in the gaps where he could.

However the character arcs for Tinnstra, Zorique, and Aasgod are excellent and couldn’t have been better. My theory for “who is the 4th?” turned out to be correct and that didn’t make it any less awesome.

In the end, an incredibly satisfying and underrated fantasy trilogy that any grimdark fan will love. I very much look forward to what Mr. Shackle writes next.

[Library of a Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an underrated grimdark series! If this was published 10 years ago then Mike Shackle might have been a household name in the genre.

Feels like a mix of John Gwynne and Joe Abercrombie! Great conclusion!

[Nick Borrelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:

https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...


This is kind of a bittersweet moment for me as I have lived and died with this series for the past three years and I am really sad to see it all come to an end. At the same time I can't deny the fact that this journey has been such a fantastic one that to finally have a resolution is something that is really satisfying in so many ways. Trying to put this into words will be challenging because The Last War trilogy is most certainly one of my favorite fantasy series ever. Nonetheless I will do my best to relay my overall feelings after swiftly devouring this magnificent finale in short order.

As I began the opening chapters of UNTIL THE LAST it became evident pretty quickly that I was going to be binge-reading this one pretty hard. There would be no taking a break from it for any significant length of time and I would be sucked in completely. And getting reunited with all of the characters that I've come to know so well after a year-long hiatus was a much welcome treat.

The tension was there right from the outset as the rebel factions within Jia plan their strategy for the upcoming Sekanowari - the final battle against the despised and cruel Egril. As the decisive battle draws near lots of maneuvering and dealing must be done if Jia has any chance of overcoming the overwhelming odds and reclaiming their homeland. The desperation of those in Jia is increasingly palpable at this point of the story as Shackle depicts what prolonged life under Egril rule has done to them during the time of occupation. It's not a happy existence and the images are that of deserted town squares policed by martial law where rights and individual expression are outlawed and enforcement comes in the most violent of ways. Surely the Jia cannot withstand much more of this hopeless existence.

But the Egril have proven that they are not only a near-unbeatable adversary, they are also extremely wise in the ways of war and as such have their own tools at their disposal to ensure that they are prepared for what is to come.

I absolutely loved the ending of this book/series. I had a feeling that Mike Shackle would not disappoint after building up so much anticipation, but I was nowhere near prepared for the brilliance that he ended up delivering. There are books that you enjoy reading and then there are books that make you feel as if you are actually in the story and part of the action. I lived every single second of this book and was even overcome with emotion a few times as Shackle skillfully puts forth each heart wrenching scene and moving exchange of dialogue.

I think the thing that I loved best about this book wasn't the battles (which are incredible), or the magic (mind blowing CRAZY magic!), but the dedication, persistence, and determination of so many of the characters I was blessed to have gotten to know. It's ironic that in the midst of some of the most inhuman atrocities and depictions of war in UNTIL THE LAST, it is the humanity and the force of will in the face of all of that which really stood out for me.

If you've missed The Last War trilogy you are missing quite a triumph in the fantasy genre. This is one of the best series that I've had the privilege of reading and my hope is that every fantasy reader adds it to their reading list. I can guarantee that it will be unlike most books that you have read. If you love fantasy that is powerful, emotional, gritty, deep in characterization, with a story that is engaging on every level imaginable, then start with We Are the Dead and continue right on through UNTIL THE LAST. This is a series and an ending that I won't soon forget.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb ending to a superb trilogy. This is how you write big epic fantasy in a satisfying, crunching way. So impactful, so evocative and memorable. Shackle is no doubt one of the best fantasy writers today.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last War is finally here.

Ten days had passed since the utter defeat of the Egril, and now Tinnstra and Zorique must plan to free Jia with the help of their new allies.
We also get a perspective from Raaku, son of the mighty Kage, which provides some backstory and insight into the Egril side of the war.

’Three champions have shown themselves,’ said Raaku. 'The first is Zorique, the younger woman who can fly, who has been aged by magic and brought into her powers. The second is the mage, Aasgod. We believed that the Monsutas had killed the Jians' Lord Mage, but he has returned. The third is a Shulka woman with tremendous strength. There will be a fourth.'

With well-executed time jumps, Shackle keeps the tension high, the story fast-paced, and the stakes deadly.

Tinnstra is so driven in her goal, her duty, to defeat the Skulls that others start noticing a new side of ugliness to her. Distaste, harshness, a rushed march. Not to mention, her increasing dependency on the Chikara water sees her struggle with control and her sense of worth.

Jax is a character whose character progression has frustrated me. He intrigued me in book one, annoyed me in book 2, and is now one of most boring perspectives to read from.

Sadly, this book is probably my least favourite of the trilogy. It seemed to be more of a pattern of travel, big battle, scout, travel, big battle.
not to mention, character motivations seemed to be one-minded which makes sense but made for dreary character development and interactions.
Also, the story felt slightly more predictable as twists seemed obvious.

The ending felt lacklustre (I’m sorry!) and also, Yas’s storyline seemed to end on a huge cliffhanger, unless I read this wrong. Someone please tell me if they have read this book and I have missed something! It felt like the ending of the book was rushed, so certain things were sped up or made too easy.

I did really enjoy the first two books, so it is slightly disappointing that book three did not live up to my expectations.

’There's nothing wrong with doubt or fear. We should question what we do. We should worry that things may go wrong. That's how we prepare.That's how we push ourselves to be better than we are.'

Bookstagram

[BookishBenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we're finally here... Sekanowari, The Last War, is upon us but how did our heroes fare? This review will be spoiler free.

Firstly I have to say thank you to Mike for writing what is now a wrapped up fantasy trilogy. It can't have been easy to do, especially this last book during Covid so a pat on the back for you my friend. I'd also like to shout out Will at Gollancz for sending me an arc of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review. Will is always super cool to interact with and a nice guy to boot.

The cover art for this book was released just yesterday and so far I've seen some feedback that it is giving some people the chills due to how creepy it looks. I get that completely. I think that if you haven't read the first book in this series you will potentially look at that and think it might be a horror story. Having said that, if you have read the others you will understand that it's awesome because it really captures the person it is meant to portray. Imagine a grimdark version of Voldemort and that is what you have here. The big bad, the darkness himself, Raaku.

The story in Until The Last continues ten days after the events in A Fool's Hope (The Last War, #2). This is great for me, I read the books back to back so nothing was lost but I think what is becoming more common place now is a recap area at the start of some SFF books and maybe this could have done with that for those who have read A Fool's Hope on it's initial release and might not remember everything.

It's tricky to know where to start with this story as there is a lot to unpack but I will start with the plot. The collective story arcs together form what is essentially a good vs evil story with the Jians and Megorians against Raaku and his Egril forces. From the first chapter in We Are the Dead you are immediately pulled into this story about an enemy force who are relentless and will stop at nothing to win. They're scary, unstoppable, merciless, evil and very dangerous. It's not a normal story whereby the heroes win at everything and squash the enemies easily, this is much the opposite and I think this is where this story comes into its own.

Make no mistake about it. This is not a fairytale. This is a grimdark fantasy story that is as much about the realistic effects of a war as it is about a fantasy setting. This is mature and visceral about how war is brutal, how people die, even heroes, and how the good guys can be pushed to near extinction because of years of complacency. Mike has been upfront with how war actually is in this world and how people are effected. It helps to drive the story and makes for exciting action scenes.

With the war being the canvas, the characters are the paints. His characters are brilliantly written and there are new POVs added to this story, just like with the previous installment. It's always exciting finding out about new characters, especially when we get a deeper look into the thoughts and world of the Egril which has so far been quite mysterious. The characters themselves are full of life and have their own personalities which make them easily distinguishable in a fast setting like war and allow you to have favourites. My favourite arc is a character who started off very timid and didn't want any trouble to being someone by the end who has one of the highest kill tallies in the story! I love when it when I get characters in a multi-pov story that when their chapter pops up I can't stop and have to read their chapter and this honestly happened for most of the book since most chapters end in a cliffhanger of some kind.

I really liked the magic across this series. It feels very... appropriate for the story. It's devastating when used right and helps to drive the characters along in their stories but it's also rare enough that when it is used it you are drawn in by what might happen next. Clever uses of the magic and how it is countered got me thinking and I really liked this.

The world got bigger in this story as for the last 1,082 pages we've heard stories about the enemy and now we get to actually see their world and how they operate within it. I found this to be really interesting, fun and a bit of an eye opener as they are not how I had expected. A hero is only as good as their enemy so seeing the parts of Egril I didn't know about helped fill in what was a missing piece of the puzzle.

Finally, I want to tell you that this book has some comparisons to the Mistborn (era 1) series by Brandon Sanderson. For example, Raaku who is the evil overlord in this trilogy gives off a lot of Lord Ruler vibes from Mistborn. There is also the team of under-equipped characters trying to fight back and then the fact that evil has taken over from the start. I think that if you are a fan of Mistborn then you should really give this series a try. It's darker, has a similar level of romance (so really very little), is more grimdark than epic fantasy and has some really cool twists that readers will enjoy.

Mike has written a gritty and exciting story about what normal people do when evil beats them down. His words flow smoothly like a freshly made death bed and his characters leap off the page wielding an axe in both hands. It's in my opinion that his writing quality is top level and he should be regarded with the likes of Gwynne and Abercrombie for writing compelling characters in a gritty world.

To roundup, I really enjoyed this book and I love this trilogy. Fantastic characters, a gritty plot and lightning fast pace make this a series you really need to absorb. Brilliant fantasy.

[Hamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Are the Dead ★★★★
A Fool's Hope ★★★★ 1/4
Until the Last ★★★★

At the time of writing this review, this book has more pages than it has ratings, and this is a crime!! This series is so underrated, and many more fantasy fans should be reading it. Sometimes, I scratch my head wondering how the book world operates! On another note, the conclusion truly deserves a better cover; the current one doesn't do justice to the brilliance of the story and feels somewhat daunting.

Shackle proved himself to be an excellent writer with this series. I am definitely going to read his next books. I was lucky to read the books back-to-back as the series doesn't have a recap -and there isn't one too since it is not the most well-known series- and it can get overwhelming with all the characters and plotlines. The writing is excellent. There are a lot of quotes that I felt contrasted the darkness of the series. The chapters are also kind of short, there are almost 120 chapters in 784 pages, so it is still a THICC finale.

The character development from the first book to the series' conclusion is remarkable. Shackle isn't afraid to be ruthless, dispatching characters left and right, lending an air of unpredictability. Most characters receive satisfying closure, although I found the treatment of the main villain lacking, as I'll delve into in the plot section. Jax's arc was particularly intriguing, and introducing new characters in the finale was a bold move that paid off.

Set after the events of the second book, the narrative is brimming with action. It's been ages since I encountered a fantasy series with this level of intensity. However, due to its length, the action can feel repetitive, and I believe the middle section could've been trimmed. The final confrontation with the villain left me underwhelmed; it felt rushed, as if the author simply wanted to wrap things up quickly. The series had been one rollercoaster ride after another, with the characters teetering on the edge of hopelessness, so the resolution felt somewhat unsatisfactory. With a bit more finesse, it could've been an extraordinary conclusion instead of merely a good one.

Overall, the finale enriches the story, with everything heading in the right direction - the writing, the characters, and the plot. Despite the letdown of the final showdown, I still appreciated how the series concluded. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for Shackle's future works, and if you haven't delved into this series yet, do yourself a favor and add it to your reading list.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until the Last concludes one of the more harrowing, anxiety-ridden, emotional whiplashes of a story I’ve read this year. It squeezes the tiniest shred of hope from the grimmest of situations and proceeds to hammer it down to a barely visible spark. But somehow, it’s enough for our protagonists to cling to as they solider on to try and liberate their beloved Jia from the colonization of the evil Egril empire. And that’s one of the biggest draws of the trilogy: how these characters can still hold on and press forward while things fall apart around them at such a grand scale. This is a violent, unforgiving tale that tests the boundaries of human willpower, and it’s fascinating to see the results.

The rebel Jian army, led by Zorique, Tinnstra, Aasgod and Ralasis, are marching their way north to Aisair for the final battle against Raaku, the self-proclaimed son of a God, and his Egirl army of Skulls, Chosen, and other winged demons and giant monsters. They face impossible odds, and the suffering is immense. There are fascinating POV characters carried over from previous books that give you perspective from different areas of the world: an in-the-trenches view from Ange, a rebuilding effort from the unlikely leader Yaz, a spy mission from Wenna… and then there’s Jax. Poor, wretched Jax. If you think Jax had it tough in the first two books, Shackle saved some of the best (worst?) for last for everyone’s favorite one-armed general. He’s the trilogy’s resident punching bag, the doomed soul, and Shackle’s brutality knows no bounds. I had to pause for some deep breaths after some of Jax’s chapters.

One of the strongest parts of Shackle’s writing is his pacing. Every chapter was key in moving the story forward, and they usually only took ten minutes or less to read through. It led to a ‘just one more chapter’ scenario each night and kept me up far too late. There wasn’t a single POV that I didn’t want to know what was going to happen next. There were several moments of “did that really just happen?” and a couple of good mysteries that weren’t revealed until the final pages, so there was always an excuse to keep pressing forward. The action was nonstop, but it was the tough moral choices and the characters’ grit that held my interest the most.

The Last War is a brutal, unforgiving series with hard choices and harder truths. If you like your stories grim with characters of questionable moral fiber, in a world where hope is the very thing that could kill you, then you’ve found the perfect series to keep you riveted.

[LambchoP · Rating 5 out of 5]

UNTIL THE LAST is a near perfect final installment in what has become one of my favorite fantasy trilogies of all time...

I very much enjoyed the first book in The Last War Trilogy. Everything about it was right up my alley, being a hardcore grimdark fan. Book two however improved upon everything in ways I couldn't even imagine. Not only was there no middle book syndrome, but as I stated in my review, it was quite possibly the best middle book installment I've ever read. With book three, everything came together as it should have and I found it hard to find anything negative whatsoever.

Again, the pacing in this was absolutely phenomenal. Mike Shackle picks up right where we left off from book two and keeps his pedal to the medal all the way through until the end. Seriously, if you are like me and love a lot of action and combat in your fantasy, then this is for sure one of the best series out there. Books one and two had a lot of skirmishes and even some small scale battles. In UNTIL THE LAST there is an entire huge step up however. We finally get the full scale battles between the allies and the skulls. Chosen, Shulka, Hanran, and all sorts of new Egril monsters are introduced and thrown into the fight. Magic also plays a much larger part in these huge battles as well, which really added to the experience. Sheer perfection!

Even with the break neck pacing of the plot, character development was somehow not sacrificed in the least. All of the main characters continue to grow and develop their own character arcs. Each and every one of them came to a realistic and enjoyable conclusion. We are right there on the ground with every one of these characters and you really feel for each of them. What I also liked were the POV's of the Egril, or the "bad guys". This just gives us another point of view on the war that we didn't get to see as much of in the previous books.

I think the ending came together perfectly. Nothing was rushed and it all comes together in an explosive and creative way which felt both earned and satisfying. Anyone who enjoyed the previous books and was at all worried that Mike Shackle would not stick the landing, I'm here to tell you you've got absolutely nothing to worry about.

As I said before this series is grimdark at it's best. UNTIL THE LAST is a 4.5/5 star read. I cannot wait to both re-read this series and also read anything else that Mike Shackle puts out in the future:)

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first two books in this series, We Are The Dead and A Fool’s Hope, were titles I had a good time with, although there was one key element in that second book that didn't necessarily work for me. I could see why it was done and I quickly got over it but I just didn't like the direction it took at the time—it made things a little bit too easy, if I'm being honest, and I didn't appreciate that so much. It gave us almost a superhero character, like an Avenger, and I think it was just a little bit too much, it made them a bit too overpowered.

In this third book in the series, I liked the way that was not necessarily toned down, but that the book focused more on the human elements. There were things that were put into place to combat this ‘superhero’ but it was more to do with the other people as well because you spent an equal amount of time with several different characters. I like the way that was done. It didn't make it that this ‘superhero’ coming along basically saved the day or made it so that her side were unbeatable, so I definitely appreciated that. It was a good way of dealing with what I think could have been a problem, making it all a little bit too easy, taking away the intensity of certain moments, taking away the fear for your characters and so forth.

I thought the writing was really good and I liked the overall story. Once more, there were some nice betrayals, but not the usual type of betrayal, I would say. I really appreciated how that was done and I liked how it meant that you didn't have characters who were always going to be safe and you don't know for any of the characters for certain that they're going to make it out the end of the book alive.

I highly recommend this series. I had a great time with all three books and I think this one pulled the series together quite nicely into a good satisfying finish.

[Maisha Farzana]

We finally have a *gorgeous* and *scary* cover, a synopsis and a possible release date for the final book. I'm super excited. Need to get my hands on it as soon as it comes out.

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn that was good.

Not sure if I’ve read anything quite like it. Filled with excitement, terror, action and heartbreak. Amazing relationships between characters facing overwhelming odds.

Absolutely engrossing and one series I will gleefully revisit in the future.

INCREDIBLE :)

[TheReadingStray · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was disappointing:( I LOVED Book 1&2. Still will be a favourite series of mine and can highly recommend it.

RTC.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
“Grief is its own thing. Some days it feels so big inside you, you can’t move. Other days, it fools you into thinking it’s gone and then some little thing comes along, reminds you of who you lost, and you’re being crushed again.”
Although we assume the good will win over evil, it will not happen without losses along the way. So many good people die. But we see our main characters rise to the occasion and become the best they can be. There’s a devious person who appears gradually in the story, and his dialog is darkly comedic at times. The other light hearted dialog comes from Ralasis, and he is my favorite character after Dren.
I have a few small quibbles. I feel Zorique’s magic and especially her ability to fly is too convenient. I wish she could have claimed her powers in a different way than forcing her to grow up quickly. Also I don’t care for what Darus becomes. That just seems very weird. I feel he should’ve just been a powerful mage. And the last little item is Tinnstra’s constant bad temper! It was driving me crazy! I’m glad that, at the end, she made good decisions and so her character was redeemed for me.
So overall the world building, plot, and characters all came together vividly and splendidly. I enjoyed chapters from the characters’ points of view that I loved or hated. As usual this book was hard to put down, but I wanted to relish it and only read an allotted number of pages a day, so that the story didn’t end too soon for me.
Highly recommend this dark fantasy trilogy!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an epic conclusion to The Last War trilogy. I absolutely loved this book and am so pleased with the amount of depth Mike provided within this book. I will definitely be re-reading this in the future. I whizzed through the book and think this is one of the best fantasy books of the year (if not the best).

[Solseit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is criminally underrated. It has been a while since I finished the book (and the series) but many aspects are still with me!
Review of the book here: https://www.solseit.com/blog-2-2/8v2y...

Really strong end. I just worked for me quite well and I enjoyed every single line I read.

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The anxiety this book gave me.
Im glad it's over.

[L.R. Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: 💀 Until the Last by Mike Shackle 💀

*may contain spoilers*

Wow what an end! I’m so thankful I chose this series as my holiday read! It’s perhaps one of if not the darkest series I’ve ever read, in the best kind of way.

This whole entire book is basically just one great battle… actually scratch that this whole entire series is just one great battle… 😅 so if you like fast paced fantasy with plenty of action, then this is it for you!

Now, I will have to say though, this was my least favourite of the series. I still loved it, and the end was satisfying, but I did have a few gripes with it. I’ll try to quickly touch on them so as not to distract from the greatness of the series in general. Firstly, at the end of book 2, a favourite character dies, and I mean fair enough, they die… heroes die in books… I’ll get over it… (😢😢) but what happened in the 3rd book was that this character then got replaced by TWO more characters (Wenna and Ange) whom I had 0 connection with and I just felt they seriously bogged down the story with their POV slots (my personal opinion). Second, and this gripe is with Yas. She was…. Completely useless as a POV. What I thought would happen in the second book (but was actually done really well) happened here. Literally take her out of the book and NOTHING changes here… the book could have been 1/3 shorter without those 3 pov chapters.

Okay that’s all I will say because even after that rant I still genuinely really loved the book and Tinnstra, Jax, Ralasis and Zorique carry it to just a magnificent conclusion which gives a reader everything they want and more. There’s superman like powers, there’s badass women fighting hordes of monsters, there’s lightning magic, PLOT TWISTS (if you know you know 😳) GO READ IT!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Series overall: 13.5/15

Definitely recommend!

[FantasyBookNerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Until the Last, Mike Shackle lets loose the dogs of the last war in his climactic conclusion to the series.


The Last War, Sekinowari has begun and as the champions of the gods move into position, let battle commence!


With Until the Last, there is one goal in mind, and that is to get to Sekinowari, the last war. The apocalyptic final battle between Kage' s representative on Earth, and the four champions of the young gods. However, whilst we know which are three of the supposed chosen, the identity of the last one remains a mystery until the last.


As usual, Mike Shackle serves up a brutal war story that does not shy away from the horrors and brutality of war, and yet he maintains an air of hope throughout the book in that the Jians will rise up and overthrow their oppressors. Not only that, but the characters also all show a determination to unite their people and be steadfast in the face of cruelty.


It has to be said that this book is a bit of a chonker, weighing in at nearly eight hundred pages. However, never once did the flow of the book deviate and Mike Shackle maintains a relentless pace throughout the book, throwing scene after scene at you, sparing nothing as the book carves towards its climax. It really is amazing how fast the book moves. At no point did I feel that the story lagged, it just keeps running towards the conclusion. I must say at times, I did have to put the book down and have a little breather (usually accompanied by a quiet utterance of Jeez at various points!), because Until the Last is intense. There are no two ways about it. If you thought the other two were intense, Until the Last ramps it up tenfold.


So, one of the things that stood out for me is the chapter Invasion. The chapter individualises itself in the book due to it being stylistically very different from the rest of the book with its short, stocattoed cut scenes, flitting from character to character. It is extremely cinematic in its execution and perfectly captures the tumult and chaos of the battle as it plays out.


In terms of characters, some are more centre stage than others. Zorique, as you would guess is front and centre. As is Tinnstra, and I think that we stay with Tinnstra and the others involved in the main part of the war for a large percentage of the book, even though we do flit around to see what Yas is up to. In addition to this, we get a couple of new points of view in the form of Vallia (one of the Chosen), Ange (who was introduced back in A Fool's Hope) and the evil overlord himself – Raaku, who is everything that you expect and hope for.


Each point of view plays excellently on Mike Shackle's stage of conflict. Tinnstra can be blinded (and quite scary) in her sheer bloody mindedness to be an avenging angel, whilst Zorique brings the light and the hope. Aasgod is a little in the background of the story, as is Yas, who is in a completely separate part of the country attempting to rebuild society. It is however, Jax's story that has that touch of intrigue. Whilst his part is initially quite small, there are some unforeseen surprises in his storyline that I did not see coming.


As I mentioned before, the book is often a brutal portrayal of war, yet as with all Mike Shackle’s book there are some brilliant pieces of fantasy. All the way through the series, the books are littered with fantasy monsters, and with Until the Last, Mike Shackle throws virtually everything at us. If you thought there was an arsenal of monsters in A Fool’s Hope, this third book just pits a whole Ergil Empire worth of monsters at you. Well, it would rude not to! It is Sekinowari for goodness sake.


When you read the reviews of these books (and I will include my reviews in this as well!), the content tends to focus on the main element of the story, the war! However, there is so much depth to Mike Shackle’s books. His sense of world building and his portrayal of a world at war is astounding. The Asian culture that it is set in is vivid and as we move from background to background, I knew exactly where I was as it is portrayed in so much detail and whilst it is a country ravaged by the brutality of the events that are played out, you can also get a sense of the world prior to these climactic events. Everything around is so rich in its description. Not only that, but you can also see elements of historical significance in the pages and how it is being used to highlight the horrors of the situation. When I originally read We Are The Dead, I proclaimed it as one of my top ten fantasy series of all time and with the release of Until The Last, it has definitely gone into my top five of all-time favourites, it is just utterly brilliant. And in terms of the book itself, it is already my favourite book of the year and don’t be surprised that it will take the number one slot.


I have to say that with Until the Last, Mike Shackle defies expectations with this final book in the Last War, and all the adjectives that are going to be used such pulse pounding, heart thumping finale are all well deserved. This is fantasy at its best!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until the last is the final book of the last war trilogy by Mike Shackle.
First it was a great journey since the beginning. Sometimes it takes me a while to immerse myself in a new world but the moment I opened the first book I was enthralled.
The quality of this trilogy is foremost the characters. Full of passion and flaws too , the author didn’t pull any punches when it comes to make them suffer even sometimes die.
The scenes of battles , individual or larger scale, are numerous and well described.
The plot is fast and like a big wave takes us with it.
Tinnstra , Zorique, Aasgod and so many more will be missed. They went through a lot in three books , they evolved they learned and keep hope.

My minor issue with this trilogy is the story seems a little too Manichaean . The mean and cruel people sow death on the good guys. But I remember also that the characters on the « good side » aren’t perfect and no blameless so maybe not so simplistic.
I think Mike Shackle have in him to become a great author , he reminds me of John Gwynne at the beginning, maybe give more importance to the the big boss lol.
Finally I will wait for read again from Mike Shackle.

[Blaise · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://undertheradarsffbooks.com/202...

Tha Last War also know as Sekanowari has finally arrived and the main event is about to begin. Every nail biting, heart stopping, crushing twists, and unforgettable grimdark moments have led to this. The line in the sand has been drawn and both sides are ready for battle. As the saying goes we will fight with every last bite of strength we have, until the last! What a way to end a fantastic trilogy with a bang! This will be a spoiler free review but I will be touching upon events from the previous novels.

Tinnstra has returned from the past with her daughter Zorique and both are as powerful as ever. They will need to be the driving force for the people of Jia to survive the genocide to come. Zorique has now become the beacon of light she was always destined to be but something else begins to wane of Tinnstra’s heart. So many live have been lost for the people of Jia and if she had her way, she would end the war herself with one swift blow. Going mad from the effects of the Jacara water, there is no telling what Tinnstra might do for the war to end. Jax is now the leader of a group of mercenaries with Mauri. Jax is still haunted by the torture he has endured from book 1 and his mind still returns to that dark place every night. His mission is to rendevous with Zorique and here allies but someone else has other things in story for Jax. Raaku has been planning for this day for centuries and nothing will stand in his way. This task has been fortold to him since he was a child and the final moments need to be planned for carefully. If you enjoy grim battle scenes and a lot of blood, buckle your seatbelt and prepare for takeoff!

Due to the number of characters and the scope of the series, I had a difficult time remembering several of the side characters for the first couple of chapters. Things eventually started to click after a while but be warned this may happen to you as well. Mike Shackle has no problems taking you to the dark places of a battlefield while sticking a knife if your back over and over again. The writting was done to perfection but it was the more quiet moments that really got me. No spoilers here but there is a character we follow that has visions of the future. He is in service to Raaku against his will and breaks down each time his visions are completed. The way this character’s story was resolved and the links being made are some of the best story telling I have read in a novel. I wish I could say more but you will see it just like I have. Blood will be spilt and lives will be lost. Vengence will be had but the pain will forever remain on the red plain of battle.

One of the best conclusions anyone could have asked for with a grimdark series. It won’t always go the way you may want, but trust the author to show you the full scope of the novel. Without a doubt, The Last War is a series I plan on rereading at some point dow the road. Until then, I only have one question for the author. What are you going to write next?

Cheers!

[Emma Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly don’t really know where to begin with reviewing this book, and my thoughts around the trilogy in general. It is honestly some of the most phenomenal writing I’ve ever had luxury reading, and I’m unsure if I’ll read a trilogy quite like it again.

It is the definition of high end, fast paced grimdark fantasy reads. It is nonstop action from page one of ‘we are the dead’, until the final book ‘until the last’. There is not one lull, not one word out of place, not one character that doesn’t have its place in this series. The world building, the storyline and character development create such an engaging and enthralling samurai fantasy read.

The third book follows on from A fools hope throwing you into the realistic effects of war, and what lengths a community is willing to go to defeat the Son of Kage, Raaku , and end Sekinowari (the last war). I won’t go into too much detail around the storyline and the characters, as there is so much detail and development across both I just don’t think I would do it justice.

Though the strength and growth of Zorique and her powers had me in awe. Tinnistra, of which all the books have been heavily based around, the battles both mentally and physically that you are taken on a journey with her had you questioning where the book was going to end. And the lighthearted humour of Ralasis really cut through that dark and intense atmosphere exactly when you needed it.

These are true grimdark fantasy reads, but somehow Mike shackle manages to end this trilogy on a high. What a bloody masterpiece.

[Teone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third and last book in the Last War series continued to stir a lot of emotions in me, and like the previous books most of them were still very unpleasant and disturbing.
Despite my emotions though, the series is extremely well written and definitely one of the best I've read.
The author depicted excellent characters, even the flawed and the bad ones, but I think his best feature was the ability to create the perfect despairing atmosphere of a world and his inhabitants during a war for survival.
The end then, at least for my personal taste, was perfect.
I will surely read any new book of Mike Shackle, hoping he will choose a more light-hearted story next time :)

[Scott | Scottsforayintofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until the last- Mike Shackle

It has been a long tough, bloody journey but we’re here…The Last War.

As soon as I finishing the phenomenal A Fool’s Hope, I just knew I couldn’t wait to jump straight into the final book in The Last War Trilogy, Until the Last.

Luckily for my I was approved a review copy from NetGalley. Therefore I must first start this review by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for approving my request. You do not know how happy this made me.

When you first start a new series it’s always interesting to surmise where the story will go, but from the off we have known this story will climax with The Last War….. Sekanowari!!

Until the last starts a little after the dramatic conclusion to A Fool’s Hope, with our hero’s preparing for the last war.

What I loved so much about this book is the multiple new POV’s, This was great as it meant 1) the chapters were short and shape, 2) we got to see the war from so many perspectives.

The biggest plus point for me was finally getting introduced to the big bad Raaku. Through Raaku we got to see more of Egril and start to understand his motives and magical abilities.

The pacing of this book felt full throttle for the whole book. Mike put his foot on the gas from the prologue and didn’t release it until the last page. I just loved this, it made the book so easy to pick up and so hard to put down.

As you now come to expect from Mike the action is were his books really excel. This book is no exception, the action in this book is intense, nail biting and very very bloody.

Mikes storytelling is up there with the best in the business, his ability to subtly thread in twist and turns that you just don’t see coming but have you jumping from your seat was utterly brilliant!

The final 30% of this book was just such a sensational thrill ride, I had such a hard time putting this book down.

Mike have managed to build such a bloody, grim but marvellous story in this series, which I think will appeal to a wide range of audience.

Mike has definitely become an auto buy author for me.

Rating 10/10 ⭐️

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until the Last // by Mike Shackle

A Fool's Hope was so awesome that I immediately had to figure out how to get an ARC for Until the Last as well! I dove in as soon as I got it because there was no way I could wait another minute. While there were definitely both positives as well as negatives to this book, overall I found it to be a pretty satisfying end to the series and I really enjoyed reading it.

One of my favorite things about this book were the additional POVs that we got. Shackle did a great job selecting characters to follow this time around (well he also did that in the other books hah) that gave us an excellent view of current events as well as showing us past events that lead to the present. They also allowed us to understand some of the relationships between different characters better. One of my biggest complaints in the first book was that the villains felt really one-dimensional. This was greatly improved upon in book 2 as well as this book. Honestly, one of the villain POVs was actually my favorite one to follow. While there were still a couple of instances where I felt some characters were too focused on one thing, some of those could be explained a bit by events in the story, which made them feel a little less stiff at least.

One of the best things about this series are the strong women. There is a pretty good variety of female characters that have their own strengths and weaknesses with unique origin stories that made them into who they are. They weren't perfect right from the start, which was so satisfying and made them so much more believable. It was great to see how differently tragedy affected them all and how they decided to handle the challenges thrown their way. While I did have a little bit of trouble with the believability of the ending, it still was a great build up to it and overall finished the storyline well.

Thank you for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anthony Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible trilogy. This final book was non-stop action and suspense. I couldn’t put it down. The Last War gets the highest of recommendations from me.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jennifer (bunnyreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Between self-pub and the traditional publishing market, there is no shortage of incredible stories coming down the pipe. These days I start more series than I will ever finish and for that reason, if you’re seeing a review for a final book from me- you know that I must have found that something special.

Mike Shackle’s The Last War trilogy has been a magic-potion of great storytelling, edge-of-your-seat action, and memorable characters. I have anxiously awaited each books release, and I am genuinely sad to have to say my final goodbyes to these characters.

*
As this is a review for the final book, please be aware of possible spoilers for previous books.

I’ll try to keep this shorter than I did for A Fool’s Hope, which in some ways will be easier to do because it’s nearly impossible to talk about anything at all without spoiling something. And also, harder because I have no clue where to focus my attention. I’m already regretting my shoddy notetaking this time around as I grasp for a place to start.

* *

This is a seriously chonky tale. Until the Last is broken into six parts, and you know that tip of the iceberg feeling I mentioned back in my review for We Are the Dead? Well, here is the rest of that iceberg.

Each section adds to the history, the characters, and the world itself- completing the picture that was started back in the first book. We have always known the world was large, but with the focus primarily set on our characters in their different locations- it was easy to get caught up in them, and kind of forget the magnitude of the world they live in.

This book really brought home the vastness of the Egril’s army, and the consequences of what losing to them means, while also keeping that personal aspect, firmly in the forefront.


A quick rundown-

Until the Last picks up with Tinnstra after finding success in Meigore, returning with her army to take back her city.
Yas and the refugees have left the caves out of necessity, hoping for a fresh start.
Hansan and the remaining Shulka are gathering their forces to join Tinnstra’s army for that one last shot at driving the Egril army out of their country.

And a few things that really resonated with me-

Tinnstra-
One of my favourite scenes that takes place outside of a bakery in We are the Dead gets a callback in this book. It was a truly great scene because it brought home more than anything else could have- the growth of her character from then, to now. And what a journey she has had! The Tinnstra of today, would never be caught cowering, as people around her are being drug from their homes and killed.

Tinnstra, was a spitting-ball of anger throughout this book, and sometimes, I wanted to smack her when she pushed away loved ones in her prickliness. It was obvious though, underneath all that rage, just how much she cared about all the people around her- whether she knew them or not, and how much of her fury was wrapped-up in feeling helpless in the face of the task before her.

Ange and Garo-
These two not only were a lot of fun but occasionally offered a lightening of the atmosphere with their bickering. Ange, in particular, kept one of my other favourite characters (Dren, for those of you just joining the party) around in spirit. Assuring his sacrifice was not forgotten, and I loved her all the more for giving me that connection to him.

Jax-
He was barely holding on in the last book. And as much as it seemed like he was improving, and as much as we hoped he was- I was left waiting and wondering when that train wreck we knew was coming was going to happen. And I loved every stressful second of it!

Yas-
My fierce little mama bear- stays fierce. In some ways, Yas had some of the harder choices to be made in the series while being a Weeping Man and one of the leaders of the refugees. I could see the toll that her position began to take on her. There was a hardness and lack of compassion, that at times made some of her decisions hard to swallow. The differences between her and Tinnstra in leadership roles were very noticeable in this book.

Also, my biggest “How could you” moment of the series had to with Yas. If you have read the story, I have no doubts you will know exactly which moment I am speaking of… any other time, or any other character, in any other series I would have bravo’d this move, because in all honestly, it was likely deserved, but in a time of survival like this- this choice gutted me.


Others that I loved spending time with- Zorique, Ralasis, Wenna, Asagod. I did miss Mateon more than I expected. My “love to hate her” character was Captain Vallia! She was so deliciously bad! And so smart- I questioned constantly how, and if, Tinnstra, and co. would ever gain the upper-hand against her combination of brilliance, and resources.

*

I was a little worried I would have trouble remembering people, and events, it has been a while and the cast has grown quite a lot over the series. But I needn’t have, because anything important, is nicely tucked in to the story- quickly and efficiently giving us reminders without weighty info-dumps. I’ve said it before but Shackle has a gift for feeding information, in bits and pieces on the fly.




*

It may surprise people when I tell them that this is one of my favourite series. It’s dark, and doesn’t pull any punches when showing the nasty-side of humanity. We see it all - the winners, the losers, and the people caught in between. Some deaths- may even blindside you. Not everyone gets to be the big-damned-hero and occasionally, a favourite character’s death, just feels senseless, and awful.

But it’s not all darkness and death. What makes this series so special, are the moments that balance those out. The ones that showcase our humanity- the friendships, love, forgiveness and even the occasional laughs (because it can’t be all doom and gloom). More importantly, though, hiding underneath all those complicated emotions that make us who we are, and fueling that will to survive… there is hope. What a stunningly amazing series this was.


Other notes-


I appreciate when an author knows when to go dark for optimum effect. There are several times where that was used brilliantly, leaving me haunted by certain fates of characters. Sometimes what’s left off the page, is just as much a gut-punch as what’s on the page.


The fights have that fun, wuxia flare. I enjoyed them so much.

Honestly I worried they wouldn’t win. Things looked pretty bad for awhile.