My Rating: 9/10
Synopsis:
‘What the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.’
The End of Dreams is the nervewracking and glorious conclusion to The Gifted and The Cursed trilogy. As Daleth the Witch-King and his horde ready themselves for the final battle, a small alliance prepares for a desperate last stand. However, the alliance is weak and fractured, led by a king interested only in retaining his wealth and a lord commander consumed by his thirst for revenge. With a seemingly unbeatable army before them, invisible foes amongst them, and broken hearts between them, the alliance appears destined to fall. Yet in these dark times, her light almost extinguished, a peasant huntress is soon to be queen. But if she can find what was lost, she might prove to be more powerful than two kings combined. This war will bring about the end of dreams, but for whom, the gods have yet to decide.
Review:
First off, I would like to thank Storytellers on Tour for the opportunity to finish out the Gifted and the Cursed series with them. I’d also like to congratulate Marcus on putting out three books in less than a year! What a feat.
Marcus Lee has done it again with The End of Dreams. He writes with such an established voice, you’d think that he puts out trilogies on a regular basis. You can tell that he really hit his stride in this installment. The Gifted and the Cursed has been grim and brutal, but there’s so many opportunities for the light of these characters to shine through. Maya and Taran have really developed into themselves. We have watched them grow into assured, confident people and now they have the fate of the world in their hands. I found my attention constantly drawn to them and eager for their next appearance. Daleth and Tristan are as multi-faceted as ever. Rakan starts showing a streak of vulnerability that I love to see in him. By this novel, many of these characters feel like your buddies and you will be holding your breath to see how they fare. Lee does not lack in the suspense department.
This series has been accelerating towards this explosive finale and it did not disappoint. Grab a glass of whisky and be prepared to nurse a bruised heart. Lee does not care about your feelings; trust me when I say nobody is safe. The action quite literally never stops and The End of Dreams will leave you astonished. Refreshing and extremely fast-paced, it won’t take you long to devour. I love that throughout all of this commotion, Lee finds ways to show tenderness in his characters. The relationship between Maya and Taran goes through a lot in this series, but you’ll find that your heart bursts whenever you’re reading about them. All in all, this was an extremely satisfying end to The Gifted and the Cursed series. You might be a bit battered by the end of it, but that just speaks to Marcus and his abilities as an author. This won’t be the last we see of him and his amazing storytelling abilities.
Kings and Daemons (Book 1 of The Gifted and the Cursed) is available on Kindle Unlimited and is also a free download for the next 5 days. Check it out here.
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