Synopsis:
They followed a prophecy written in the stars, but they were too late before they even began.
With the great sacrifice of one of their own, Li’or, Hashkan, Emond, and Gemni escaped a dying realm and freed its people. But the damage to the Fabric is already too great, and terrors from beyond the void swarm over Anagovia like flies on a corpse.
Bearing a fragment of the crystal that connected their world to the dying realm, Li’or and Emond must journey to the elven city of Eimear in search of a way to mend the damage wrought by decades of careless Altering. But the Threads are fraying more with each passing day. Haunted by both Li’or’s past and a new, silver-eyed specter, they must search for answers without truly understanding what they seek.
Meanwhile, Hashkan and Gemni journey to the capital to seek aid from the king and the Grand Weaver. All Altering must stop, lest they weaken the Fabric to the point of total collapse. Instead, they find a web of power-hungry corruption that threatens the very foundation of their beliefs and tests every tentative alliance they’ve built.
The stars guided them this far, but now they all must bring the torn edges of the Fabric together before the void consumes them all. But the void is very much alive. She watches their movements, following them in the darkness. Can they outmaneuver a hungry, ancient evil, or will the realm be swallowed by shadow?
Review:
It’s here! I couldn’t be more happy for Sam as she releases this final book of her trilogy. I’ve been blessed to have Sam as a writing friend for over seven years now and she has become a great friend, too. So to see her dreams out in the world, I cannot stress enough how happy I am. You need to check out these books. Why, well let me tell you!
When the Void Splits the Realm is not only the culmination of the previous two books (links to both reviews: When the World Starts to Fray and When the Threads Unravel), but also a fitting send-off for our cast. This story is all out war. The battles have grown exponentially, the casualty list longer, and the tension built to an all-time high. But will our team make it out alive?
Taking place almost immediately after the conclusion of WtTU, WtVStR actually does the one thing that hasn’t happened since early in book 1, the team splits up long swathes of the story. Li’or and Emond head out to find a way to use the one item they took from the dying realm, which happens to be the only source able to close the portals the beasties are coming through (it uses Li’or’s blood magic). Meanwhile, Hashkan and Gemni head to Anagovia’s capital to begin the defenses for the final incursion, which are up-ended as some betrayals are afoot. Essentially, not everything goes according to plan, nor is it an easy road for any of our heroes. Some battles take off, and it all comes down to a final showdown with a goddess.
So, what’s great about this book, aside from everything, the cast steals the show. Li’or in particular finally comes full circle with her past of being half-elf. Because of her magic, she’s basically shunned by the elves, but that’s not going to stop her. As ever, she’s determined to do the right thing and while it was a bit heartbreaking to see her disappointed in her ancestral people, her arc is one that really stood out for me. She finally gets to a level of self security by the book’s end, a place of welcome. I have loved Li’or since the beginning but here she really shines brightest. Hashkan also gets a proper growth arc, too. He’s come a long way from bratty Mr. Hot Weaver, as he’s almost beaten down by what he’s seen. And yet, he still won’t give in, defiant in the face of the teachings he so fervently believed in. Gemni has become a beacon of strength despite the hatred shown her way by the Anagovians. She’s gone from a disciple of star reading to a true leader, one who must put aside differences and show the Anagovians how to literally save themselves and the world. And Emond, well, he hasn’t changed one bit, and that’s damn near perfect!
As evidenced by WtTU, this book ratchets up the action and magic to max capacity. I mean it when I say this book is nearly all battles. Yes, Li’or’s arc takes her to another land and Hashkan has to deal with some politicking, but almost from start to end, this book has battle after battle, horde of beasties after horde of beasties. Ms. Parrish does a great job selling the toll of war not only on the cast but also the land itself. War sucks and there is no quarter to be had here. As ever, the magic is intense and the consequences dire. Then, just to mess everything up, the actual goddess/Seamstress/ultimate beastie shows up. This thing is gnarly and gross, almost bug-like in its depiction. And it’s hellbent on eating all the Threads of this world. This final showdown was epic and very reminiscent of The Last Battle in Wheel of Time, as it goes on and on and on, chapter after chapter, magic thrown hither and tither, death and gore everywhere. It was amazing, it was bloody, it was fantastic.
Because this story is all warfare, the pace is pretty steady to hectic. There isn’t a lot of down time for our characters to breathe and I think that was a great decision. The pages fly by, never giving quarter to the reader, even when we desperately need it if only to allow us to take a sip of water and cool down. As with book two, Ms. Parrish definitely upped her prose game here as the world gets more vivid and the tension more dramatic. It’s tight, it’s sweeping, it’s simple and complex. It’s just great stuff. Seriously, I can honestly say my only criticism is that there is almost a tad too much battle, if you can believe such a thing coming out of my mouth (or fingers in this review). I know, I can’t believe I just typed that out…
One thing else to add that I found very enjoyable were all the throwbacks to book one. Tiny easter eggs almost (I may have bugged Sam to add these before I started reading and she assured me I wouldn’t be disappointed, I wasn’t). It is always a joy when the final book mirrors/mimics/connects to those that come before it. I just love that kind of thing.
I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a million times, the Anagovia series is special for a number of reasons. Most of them too numerous to name. They are just great fun reads and I hope more people pick them up because Sam deserves all the hype and love!
When the Void Splits the Realm is out now!!!
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