A Desert Torn Asunder

"Everything rests on a knife's edge."

I realized when making my to-read list for this year that, for whatever reason, I had gotten up to book five of this amazing series years ago and never bothered to finish it up. I went into it a bit hesitant after being gone from the desert for so long, but this book delivered and then some. An amazing end to an epic fantasy series I wish more people knew about.

I'm not going to summarize the plot here because it's the culmination of five books of setup. Not only would it not make sense to someone jumping in fresh, it'd also be rife with spoilers from the previous books. You'll just have to trust me that this book's story is a worthy conclusion to this desert fantasy series.

All of our favorite cast members are here, with nothing and nobody extraneous. I felt some of the previous books dragged on a bit (Beneath the Twisted Trees, I'm looking at you), but this book has the advantage of being set up to be wall-to-wall plot with nothing really new in the mix. Watching everything come together was delightful. I also appreciated that the author included a 'Story so Far' section up front to catch readers up to speed, because a lot happens in the previous books.

Just a great book, a great end, to a great series. Well done.

Soooo...I feel a little guilty giving this only three stars. I would give it 3.425 stars if I could.

This is the conclusion to my favorite fantasy series of the last few years, and it has almost everything that makes the other books, especially the first two of the series, absolutely brilliant. Sharakhai and the Shangazi (I'll say it before and I'll say it again!) is a setting that belongs in the fantasy pantheon right alongside Middle Earth, Hogwart's, and whatever you call where the Wheel of Time takes place. And the characters...Çeda is a character that I think about all the time. She is a brilliantly-rendered, not just believable, but REAL character who is brave, smart, and frustrating in her decisions. But she's consistent, and always well-written.

That's where I think this book just falls a little bit short for me. As often happens in series, the number of characters goes up by necessity, and the faves just don't get as many pages. I read these books for Çeda, and there is just too much of the other characters that, although they are just as well-done, just aren't Çeda.

The other problem was just that this book felt too short. It was suspenseful, it was exciting, but it was very fast-paced and it just seemed like it was over too fast. I have to admit I had a particular ending in mind, and it just didn't happen. It's pretty rare that I care that much, but I guess I went into it with too many expectations.

NEVERTHELESS, this is a good ending to an excellent series. I will definitely be re-reading at least two of the books. They are that good.