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Relic Master #4
The Margrave
The fourth installment in the Relic Master quartet!
Galen and Raffi's quest has brought them to the Pits of Maar. There, below the surface of the world, in the deepest darkness, a most evil thing is waiting for them to come.
Galen and Raffi's quest has brought them to the Pits of Maar. There, below the surface of the world, in the deepest darkness, a most evil thing is waiting for them to come.
445 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2001
20 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
65 books1,610 followersCatherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 1, 2012
The Relic Master/Book of the Crow series ends well, mainly because the arch-bad-guy gets quite a bit of on-stage time; a rarity in high fantasy. It's interesting to get a glimpse of his motivations and character. An alternative (eye-witness) version of events in the era of the Makers is presented - but how reliable is it? In fact it seems much more believable than the legends that have been handed down by the Order for many generations. This change of perspective on events reminds me of what happens multiple times in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books, where different view points and revelations about the past alter the reader's views on what has been going on, making everything much less black & white. Catherine Fisher does not reach the level of sophistication LeGuin achieves, but it adds a lot of depth to a world that is already realised in greater detail than many of her earlier efforts. Further revelations about the Sekoi also contribute to this.
The denouement is rather predictable in general terms and the aftermath is glossed over, which is a shame, because the aftermath is rarely examined in quest style stories even though it often presents challenges to the characters that are different and possibly more demanding than those of the quest itself. The state of the world at the end of many quests is dire and frequently a power-vacuum prevails. What happens then? The Scouring of the Shire in The Return of the King is the only example that springs to mind of trying to deal with this in a serious way. Since the entire primary plotline of the second book in this series is redundant, getting rid of it and having a book that follows on from the situation at the end of this book would have been much more interesting, with great opportunity for further character development in the two young protagonists.
Over all, this is one of Fisher's better series but none of the books individually is a match for her best books, such as The Oracle and Incarceron.
The denouement is rather predictable in general terms and the aftermath is glossed over, which is a shame, because the aftermath is rarely examined in quest style stories even though it often presents challenges to the characters that are different and possibly more demanding than those of the quest itself. The state of the world at the end of many quests is dire and frequently a power-vacuum prevails. What happens then? The Scouring of the Shire in The Return of the King is the only example that springs to mind of trying to deal with this in a serious way. Since the entire primary plotline of the second book in this series is redundant, getting rid of it and having a book that follows on from the situation at the end of this book would have been much more interesting, with great opportunity for further character development in the two young protagonists.
Over all, this is one of Fisher's better series but none of the books individually is a match for her best books, such as The Oracle and Incarceron.
November 10, 2013
This fourth and final book in the tetralogy The Book of the Crow, again splits view points between Raffi and Carys, in more or less parallel events that lead to a conclusion as unsurprising as a stomachache after Trick or Treat. This series continues to a conclusion without ever really building a complete world picture, or giving us a reason for the existence of the Makers, a group of people revered as gods by the humans of the world. The author at one point alluded to the fact that the people are lost colonists, but nothing more is really said, although there are points which could have been strongly built on
December 16, 2015
We now come to the last leg of Raffi and Galen's journey: the Pits of Maar where the Margrave, the leader of the deadly Watch, resides. In Maar lies a creature of the most evil and the bane of the Order. Will our two keepers be able to defeat the darkness, or will their light be snuffed out?
Plot
To be honest, the plot in the Relic Master series has been done before. Members of a resistance infiltrate some government or militia to destroy the leader, who is actually a monster or something. Still, I think Fisher handled a common plot very well. She spun it into her own tale and made it great. There are things about certain parts of the plot, like characters motives, that I question and don’t feel was written the best, but the book isn’t full of tropes and overdone clichés.
Writing
The writing, both in The Margrave and the other three books was very well done. Each book had a bit trouble getting to the good part, but once it hit it was smooth sailing from there. The descriptions that were given were easy to imagine, which is good because I often have trouble with this. The best part of the writing was with scenes that were high intensity. I could feel the tension on each page. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the writing in this series.
Characters
And thus, at the end of the series, I still can barely tolerate Raffi. He was a weak, clumsy, oaf of a character who didn’t have the same amount of characterization that could have been found in Carys’ pinkie. Raffi wasn’t well-written at all, and I cared about the other characters a lot more than him.
Speaking of the other characters, they seem to play second banana to our dull protagonist. The previous books focused quite a lot on Carys, Galen, and the Sekoi, in that order. In The Margrave they are in the shadow of Raffi. Seeing as how I’ve made it known that I enjoy them more than Raffi, one can imagine my disappointment. They were wonderful characters and I loved them to pieces.
Things I Liked
I can’t really think of anything I liked in The Margrave. The ending ruined everything that I could have potentially enjoyed about the book. I suppose I’m happy my favorite characters didn’t die.
Things I Didn't Like
The ending. It was terrible. The ending just encapsulated on of the most aggravating things about this series as a whole: the lack of explanations. All through the books the reader has had to figure out, on their own, what the characters were talking about with regards to information there was no way we could possibly know. And then, when I finally think things are going to be explained, the book ends! I literally looked at the ending and asked “That was it?” out loud. The last quarter of The Margrave was but a fizzle when it honestly could have been a bang.
Just the way things are left open in the end was enough to knock and entire star from the book. You can’t give the reader multiple threads of information and then leave them untied. This just leads to frustrated readers and an author who took the easy way out because they probably didn’t have an explanation.
Diversity
For diversity, both in the series as a whole and this book, we have Carys, an amazing girl who would have made a much better protagonist than the one we get. There are multiple women in strong roles, like the new leader of Anara being a girl. There is a character with dwarfism, and I don’t think he’s too terrible of a character. He’s rather funny, and I liked him.
There wasn’t any racial diversity that I could see. I’m pretty sure everybody was supposed to be white. However, I saw each character as races other than white. Raffi is a dark-skinned black boy with dreads. Carys is an East Asian girl. Galen is Native American. Tallis is black as well. It’s sad that the book is nowhere near diverse as my imagination, though.
Absolutely no diversity in sexualities or genders. What a shame.
Overall
The Margrave was, in all honesty, a letdown. I was so anxious to see how Fisher would wrap up her series. Not very well, is the answer to that question. I literally went online to see if there was a fifth book in the Relic Master series because surely this couldn’t be it? Alas, it is. If my disappointment in this series shows in this review: good.
Although I’m sad I didn’t like the last book, I thank Ms. Catherine Fisher for allowing me to explore the wonderful world of Anara.
Here is a link to my notes.
Plot
To be honest, the plot in the Relic Master series has been done before. Members of a resistance infiltrate some government or militia to destroy the leader, who is actually a monster or something. Still, I think Fisher handled a common plot very well. She spun it into her own tale and made it great. There are things about certain parts of the plot, like characters motives, that I question and don’t feel was written the best, but the book isn’t full of tropes and overdone clichés.
Writing
The writing, both in The Margrave and the other three books was very well done. Each book had a bit trouble getting to the good part, but once it hit it was smooth sailing from there. The descriptions that were given were easy to imagine, which is good because I often have trouble with this. The best part of the writing was with scenes that were high intensity. I could feel the tension on each page. I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the writing in this series.
Characters
And thus, at the end of the series, I still can barely tolerate Raffi. He was a weak, clumsy, oaf of a character who didn’t have the same amount of characterization that could have been found in Carys’ pinkie. Raffi wasn’t well-written at all, and I cared about the other characters a lot more than him.
Speaking of the other characters, they seem to play second banana to our dull protagonist. The previous books focused quite a lot on Carys, Galen, and the Sekoi, in that order. In The Margrave they are in the shadow of Raffi. Seeing as how I’ve made it known that I enjoy them more than Raffi, one can imagine my disappointment. They were wonderful characters and I loved them to pieces.
Things I Liked
I can’t really think of anything I liked in The Margrave. The ending ruined everything that I could have potentially enjoyed about the book. I suppose I’m happy my favorite characters didn’t die.
Things I Didn't Like
The ending. It was terrible. The ending just encapsulated on of the most aggravating things about this series as a whole: the lack of explanations. All through the books the reader has had to figure out, on their own, what the characters were talking about with regards to information there was no way we could possibly know. And then, when I finally think things are going to be explained, the book ends! I literally looked at the ending and asked “That was it?” out loud. The last quarter of The Margrave was but a fizzle when it honestly could have been a bang.
Just the way things are left open in the end was enough to knock and entire star from the book. You can’t give the reader multiple threads of information and then leave them untied. This just leads to frustrated readers and an author who took the easy way out because they probably didn’t have an explanation.
Diversity
For diversity, both in the series as a whole and this book, we have Carys, an amazing girl who would have made a much better protagonist than the one we get. There are multiple women in strong roles, like the new leader of Anara being a girl. There is a character with dwarfism, and I don’t think he’s too terrible of a character. He’s rather funny, and I liked him.
There wasn’t any racial diversity that I could see. I’m pretty sure everybody was supposed to be white. However, I saw each character as races other than white. Raffi is a dark-skinned black boy with dreads. Carys is an East Asian girl. Galen is Native American. Tallis is black as well. It’s sad that the book is nowhere near diverse as my imagination, though.
Absolutely no diversity in sexualities or genders. What a shame.
Overall
The Margrave was, in all honesty, a letdown. I was so anxious to see how Fisher would wrap up her series. Not very well, is the answer to that question. I literally went online to see if there was a fifth book in the Relic Master series because surely this couldn’t be it? Alas, it is. If my disappointment in this series shows in this review: good.
Although I’m sad I didn’t like the last book, I thank Ms. Catherine Fisher for allowing me to explore the wonderful world of Anara.
Here is a link to my notes.
July 11, 2013
The Margrave is the fourth and final book of Catherine Fisher’s RELIC MASTER. The series as a whole is a bit thin on worldbuilding, emotional depth, and secondary characterization, but save for a minor drop-off in book two, it is a smoothly exciting read and The Margrave brings it to a satisfyingly strong conclusion.
As in the previous books, the story is split between Raffi’s experiences and Carys’. It begins with a bang as Carys is captured by the Watch at the very beginning. She is quickly brought to the attention of two higher-ups, the castellan Maris Scala and her lover Quist. The two of them decide to escort Carys to the Pits of Maar, the darkest center of the Watch where the Margrave is rumored to live and command the brutal group. Galen, Raffi, and the Sekoi... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
As in the previous books, the story is split between Raffi’s experiences and Carys’. It begins with a bang as Carys is captured by the Watch at the very beginning. She is quickly brought to the attention of two higher-ups, the castellan Maris Scala and her lover Quist. The two of them decide to escort Carys to the Pits of Maar, the darkest center of the Watch where the Margrave is rumored to live and command the brutal group. Galen, Raffi, and the Sekoi... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
December 5, 2022
This really needed to be the second book in the series, rather than the fourth. It's taken so long to feel any character growth, and this, as a finale, is pretty underwhelming for a 4 book series. This was basically a story of a once-technologically advanced society that decayed into medieval times + magic + kajits (from Elder Scrolls). Seems interesting, right? But nothing was explored in depth, not the world and certainly not the characters. So much potential washed down the drain.
July 18, 2015
I just miss reading this, It was a fantastic adventure story when I first read this years ago.
June 13, 2020
Galen, Raffi, Carys, and the Seqoi are going after the Margrave. He is the evil in the world that is causing the unfinished land to grow. He is the creator of the Watch and the death of the Order. The Margrave must die. Although it is Galen’s quest, will he be able to accomplish it? It is against his beliefs to kill.
This was a beautiful and wondrous end to this series but also unfulfilling at the same time.
Raffi, Galen, and even Carys are forced to take a hard look at their belief and decide if they actually still believe them. Raffi looks evil right in the face and discovers that even evil things are not all bad. Even evil things have qualities that will redeem them and make them worth saving. Carys gets to take a good long look at the Watch. While the Watch has perpetrated some very bad things, they have made her the strong person she is today. Also just because the Watch itself is evil, the people in the Watch, given the chance to change, often choose to. Finally Galen learns he has never had as much faith as he believed that he did.
We meet a couple new characters that help to bring about some change. We get to learn about the Owls and how they work together with the Seqoi. Raffi also discovers much about the Makers that was never known before.
The thing that makes this book so cool is the very large amount of the story time that is spent on the POV of the Margrave. We get to hear his story from his mouth. It was very eye opening and provides an alternative perspective on the Makers. I really enjoyed the depth that this added to the story.
Unfortunately it is kind of unsatisfying because a key element of the story, the Makers returning, never happens. I think Fisher leaves the story like this on purpose. For one thing this story isn’t about the Makers. It is about the civilization that grew out of what the makers left behind. If the makers were to have returned it would have changed the entire focus and themes of the books. The other thing I was unsatisfied about was the relics. Fisher was never able to explain well enough to me how these people were able to manipulate electronics with their minds.
On a side note Dan Bittner, the narrator, is truly amazing to listen to. His character voices seriously sounds like a full cast of actors reading it. Amazing!!
PG - Violence. Death.
This was a beautiful and wondrous end to this series but also unfulfilling at the same time.
Raffi, Galen, and even Carys are forced to take a hard look at their belief and decide if they actually still believe them. Raffi looks evil right in the face and discovers that even evil things are not all bad. Even evil things have qualities that will redeem them and make them worth saving. Carys gets to take a good long look at the Watch. While the Watch has perpetrated some very bad things, they have made her the strong person she is today. Also just because the Watch itself is evil, the people in the Watch, given the chance to change, often choose to. Finally Galen learns he has never had as much faith as he believed that he did.
We meet a couple new characters that help to bring about some change. We get to learn about the Owls and how they work together with the Seqoi. Raffi also discovers much about the Makers that was never known before.
The thing that makes this book so cool is the very large amount of the story time that is spent on the POV of the Margrave. We get to hear his story from his mouth. It was very eye opening and provides an alternative perspective on the Makers. I really enjoyed the depth that this added to the story.
Unfortunately it is kind of unsatisfying because a key element of the story, the Makers returning, never happens. I think Fisher leaves the story like this on purpose. For one thing this story isn’t about the Makers. It is about the civilization that grew out of what the makers left behind. If the makers were to have returned it would have changed the entire focus and themes of the books. The other thing I was unsatisfied about was the relics. Fisher was never able to explain well enough to me how these people were able to manipulate electronics with their minds.
On a side note Dan Bittner, the narrator, is truly amazing to listen to. His character voices seriously sounds like a full cast of actors reading it. Amazing!!
PG - Violence. Death.
August 17, 2022
Fisher does an excellent job creating a unique world, but I felt the characters lacked the same depth (particularly Raffi). They continue to fall to the same exact patterns and their character growth felt limited or lacked emotional connection. The ending sequence finally gave me a taste of what I was hoping for, but it was too rushed to give the characters and the world at large the needed resolution of detail. World complexity is left unexplored, which is left as a dramatic end. I would have found it more compelling to see the characters grapple with the truth of their world, which the reader has gained tantalizing hints of.
July 5, 2018
This quartet ended as expected but left me wondering if there is more to the story. I'd like to think so because otherwise, the ending seems a little quick considering there are unanswered questions regarding the overall plot-line. Sure the immediate concerns have been addressed but not the long-term ones. I'd like to see those explored and resolved.
May 15, 2017
I was a little disappointed with the ending. I thought that the Makers would be more involved instead of just referenced like they were. It was still a good series though, and I don't regret reading it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2017
Spoilers, beware
Interesting ending for the four book series also a couple plot twists considering that the Margrave ( the evil being made by evil maker, [god] Kest) is actually a tree creature that was stolen from their people and experimented on. and turned ugly and evil.
Interesting ending for the four book series also a couple plot twists considering that the Margrave ( the evil being made by evil maker, [god] Kest) is actually a tree creature that was stolen from their people and experimented on. and turned ugly and evil.
March 31, 2018
Throughout the series, you can tell the author is in love with the word "glare" and all its conjugations. Its the only way characters look at each other. I thought it was really funny.
November 25, 2018
This book was action packed. It was a great finish to the Relic Master series
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November 18, 2019It was ok
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2021
This is my favorite book out of them all!
February 25, 2021
I kind of wamt a Novella for Carys! I also adore the last book! Thr journey that they've took! Though its a shame that it ended that way. It feels lacking to me but it is great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2022
A good conclusion
October 23, 2024
Excellent ending to this unique storyline. Surprises to the last pages and yes, I cried several times.
September 25, 2012
Overall, I really enjoyed this series. I had a lot of questions coming into this last book and hoped that they would be answered.
Some were answered, but there were still quite a few left. Probably because that's not the purpose of these books, sadly! I would love for the author to maybe have really created a sort of series that started at the beginning. Or maybe, at least, give us a prequel book with some more info. The only thing I can't really understand is the "ability" that some of the people on this world seem to have, that others believe is a type of magic. (Maybe, maybe not?) I guess we're left to decide for ourselves.
You get the sense that, even though this is a YA novel and written simply but interestingly, the author has a richer, more detailed story to tell. (Or there COULD be one.) But, I guess this is all we get.
A quick, entertaining series that I enjoyed. And, enough that I might like to read some of Fisher's other works. (They're great for the in-between heavy Fantasy I read. ^_^)
Some were answered, but there were still quite a few left. Probably because that's not the purpose of these books, sadly! I would love for the author to maybe have really created a sort of series that started at the beginning. Or maybe, at least, give us a prequel book with some more info. The only thing I can't really understand is the "ability" that some of the people on this world seem to have, that others believe is a type of magic. (Maybe, maybe not?) I guess we're left to decide for ourselves.
You get the sense that, even though this is a YA novel and written simply but interestingly, the author has a richer, more detailed story to tell. (Or there COULD be one.) But, I guess this is all we get.
A quick, entertaining series that I enjoyed. And, enough that I might like to read some of Fisher's other works. (They're great for the in-between heavy Fantasy I read. ^_^)
January 11, 2014
I gave this final book in the Relic Master series a solid 4. It's difficult to even review it without giving away the plot. It nicely concludes all of the loose ends and I now have more of a sense of the events that led up to this futuristic story set in another world- the planet Anara that has 7 moons. Galen, the Relic Master wants Raffi, his apprentice, to take the final Journey and become a Relic Master. However, there is something evil waiting in the depths of the Pits of Maar that wants Raffi. Galen refuses to believe this and urges that they travel there with various companions to free Anara from the evil overtaking it. I never grew to like Galen, a hard and bitter man, through the series. I like Raffi, who is very human (they are the descendants of earthlings) and I like Carys, a girl who started out in the series as a member of the dreaded Watch but was quite a rebel.
This is one series that did end when it should have, despite the fact that I liked it. There was nothing more to say.
This is one series that did end when it should have, despite the fact that I liked it. There was nothing more to say.
December 20, 2011
My thoughts: This was a rather exciting and action-packed, complicated ending to the series. In a few parts, I honestly didn't follow what was going on. There were so many things revealed and so many strange mysteries unfurled that I was almost overwhelmed by them! It strengthened my love for Raffi, but I still don't like anyone else much, except perhaps the Sekoi. While the style was not to my liking in places and I thought it dragged in a few sections, this series is so interesting partly because the world is something you are left to wonder about - how it came about, how it's linked to ours, and with so many interesting side stories about it. Rather like Incarceron, this series drew me in because of the setting. Oh, and the ending took me by surprise too. Definitely not your typical kind of series end, I think.
Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
October 1, 2015
The Margrave is the fourth and final book in the Relic Master series. It focuses on Raffi, a scholar of the Order of Keepers, since destroyed by the watch. Now with his master Galen inheriting the powers of the Crow, Galen says it's time for Raffi to become a keeper. Things don't work as planed and Raffi travels a darker path, leaving Galen, Carys, and all the others that he has now been with for months. Written by Catherine Fisher, this is the greatest fantasy book I have ever read. Everything leads up to the secret to the existence of Anara, the world on which this all takes place. I did rate this book 4 out of 5 stars for a good reason. It was a good book, as I said before. The story could have had a bit more back story. Things mentioned in previous books such as the Second Action and the Third Eye are not explained at all. Over all, great book and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new series.
September 9, 2011
At this point, I can't keep asking myself why I'm reading this series. I thought it started out okay -not amazing, but it was still fun and exciting. I slogged through the two middle books, at times thinking that it should just dump series altogether, but persevering because I always end up finding some little scene or chapter that reminded me of why I kept going with this series.
In The Margrave, Galen and Raffi find themselves at the perilous Pits of Marr, where something evil awaits them. Not just evil, but frightening and sinister.
And in The Margrave, I think the entire series finally came together. To me, this was an excellent and exciting ending to a fun series that finally grew into its potential. While it is, of course, not as good as Incarceron or Sapphique, The Margrave was a satisfying ending to a fun adventure.
Great for younger teens and middle grade readers.
In The Margrave, Galen and Raffi find themselves at the perilous Pits of Marr, where something evil awaits them. Not just evil, but frightening and sinister.
And in The Margrave, I think the entire series finally came together. To me, this was an excellent and exciting ending to a fun series that finally grew into its potential. While it is, of course, not as good as Incarceron or Sapphique, The Margrave was a satisfying ending to a fun adventure.
Great for younger teens and middle grade readers.
August 11, 2011
This is the fourth and last in the tetralogy The Book of the Crow, an unusally dark young-adult fantasy. Obviously it's difficult to say anything much about the plot for fear of spoilers, which those who have read the other 3 seriously won't want - and since the book is about to come out in the US for the first time, I don't want to spoil it for my US friends (though I can't help mentioning my personal favourite minor character Scala, an oddly likeable villainess, but then Fisher's characters are seldom drawn in black and white). I'll say only that those who have already become enmeshed in the adventures of Galen, Raffi, Carys et al, will not be disappointed by the climax, or by the sombre reveal which makes many things about the story's history and situation clear. A powerful end to an ambitious journey.
October 14, 2011
The entire series was enjoyable, though it was a little predictable. Made me think a little of By the Waters of Babylon. If you've read The Ranger's Apprentice Series, then you will probably like this one as well, though this series is by far written for a lower level. The characters were easy to like; however, it seems that too much was given away about the characters, which left little suspense. In addition, it was pretty easy for me to figure out what was going on after just the first book. For the younger audience, that probably won't be an issue, but if you're older and read it, know that it'll be easy to figure out. Still...an enjoyable series that, if nothing else, gives me some light reading to do while I'm in the midst of teaching Beowulf, The Scarlet Letter, and the like!
November 30, 2011
Raffi knows that he's being hunted, because the margrave told him after leaving solon. He's terrified, but carys is gone, and Galen won't believe him. Then he finds out that Galen told Carys to get captured in order to lead them to the margrave. Raffi is terrified, and when Galen tells him he's ready to take hte deep journey that terror only deepens because he knows that he margrave will find him. the margrave ambushes him, and he fails the journey. Galen tells him he's worthless, and he wanders off, only to be captured and tortured. Carys finds out that he's being hunted, and tries to tell galen, but it's too late. Raffi's gone. Eventually raffi ends up with the margrave, and while galen is sworn to kill it, raffi starts accepting it. but everyone has to work together to save the finished lands and start over. wIll they do it? or will they resist and destroy it all.
a couple hours??
a couple hours??
March 8, 2012
Raffi undergoes his final test to be a Relic Master, as the conflict between the Crow and the Margrave reaches its final end. Secrets about the characters' pasts, the gods and the foundation of Anara are revealed. Will Raffi break in his final test, or can he save his friends?
After the dramatic ramp-up of the third volume, I found this book a little anti-climactic, probably because the author was tying up the many loose ends of the plot line. If I had read it immediately after "The Hidden Coronet," I think I would have liked it more. Still, my overall impression of the series is that it is a very unique fantasy world, well-realized, and beautifully depicted. And the characters are all very real -- flawed yet determined. Well worth reading.
After the dramatic ramp-up of the third volume, I found this book a little anti-climactic, probably because the author was tying up the many loose ends of the plot line. If I had read it immediately after "The Hidden Coronet," I think I would have liked it more. Still, my overall impression of the series is that it is a very unique fantasy world, well-realized, and beautifully depicted. And the characters are all very real -- flawed yet determined. Well worth reading.
November 30, 2015
I decided to wait till the end of the series to review these. So here I am at the end of the 4th book, where I had desperately hoped that my questions would be answered. They were not.
Overall, like everyone else has said, the character building was lacking a bit, though they do improve throughout the 4 books. Raffi was so inconstant though in almost everything he did, except in the fact that he was always afraid.
I want to know more about the world and the makers. Everything they mentioned about them were filled with such ambiguity that even when I felt I figured something out, nothing was ever there to support my ideas. The same with her Incarceron series.
I guess if I was in the age group these books were meant for, it would be a much better series. I still enjoyed them a lot.
Overall, like everyone else has said, the character building was lacking a bit, though they do improve throughout the 4 books. Raffi was so inconstant though in almost everything he did, except in the fact that he was always afraid.
I want to know more about the world and the makers. Everything they mentioned about them were filled with such ambiguity that even when I felt I figured something out, nothing was ever there to support my ideas. The same with her Incarceron series.
I guess if I was in the age group these books were meant for, it would be a much better series. I still enjoyed them a lot.
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