This is the last in the series. I probably should have learnt after the first two that the things that annoyed me weren't going to get better. But I was seeking closure, something I only partially received. On the positive side, the world that Forsyth has thought out is very detailed, and the Scottish accent at least consistent. There is something intriguing that makes you want to read and discover more. On the negative side, though, a lot of it isn't very consistent. We never really work out what does and doesn't exist in the world (eg. at one point a dragon is suddenly summoned, does one small task, then is sent off again, despite the fact it would have been really useful in any of the big battles.) On the writing side, there are parts that go into way too much detail, such as the pages dedicated to listing out the political complaints the new queen has to deal with when she would much rather be out saving her husband, something we wish she would do too. My final issue with it is the uneven ending. All the bad guys get killed (really quite easily) except for the two worst bad guys, who are taken back to the city, hopefully to be tried and executed but we never get to see this, and since they have already escaped from prison once before, we are not left confident this will actually happen. It is not clear why we didn't just kill them, or have them robbed of their powers so we knew for sure they wouldn't escape again. It's lots of little things like that which make it overall not as good as it could have been. Having said that, as fantasy goes, it's still worth a read.
This is the third, and final, book in the trilogy Rhiannon's Ride. This book was a good balance of adventure and intrigue. I didn't think it was quite as good as the first two books; there were parts of the book where things got a little tedious and I had to drag myself through them. Those parts were far between and short though; so overall I really enjoyed this book.Rhiannon takes off to rescue the twins from the Lord of Fettercain while the Keeper of the Keys must travel back through time to prevent the Lord of the Ravens from being raised. This book was, for the most part, fast paced and engaging. Forsyth's greatest strength is in characterization; even the characters with small roles seem to come alive.As I said, this book switched between the two parties chasing down the bad guys and scenes at the court of Lusescere. Bronwen plays a huge role in this book as she steps up to rule Lusescere in her husband's absence. Lewen plays a much smaller role in the beginning of this book, with Rhiannon really coming into her own on her rescue mission.This was a great book and a wonderful conclusion to the series. The plot of intricate and finely woven, the switches between viewpoint were well done, overall this was a wonderfully crafted story. A very solid fantasy. I can't wait to read more of Forsyth's work!
What do You think about The Heart Of Stars (2007)?
Another fantastic book by Kate Forsyth, and a very satisfying end to the series. The Heart of Stars follows three overarching plot threads: the rescue of Doncann and Thunderlily (mostly told from Isabeau's perspective), the rescue of Olwynne and Owein (mostly told from Rhiannon's and Olwynne's perspectives), and the political machinations at court (mostly told from Bronwen's perspective). It does jump around a little, especially at the start - I was a little worried that it was going to switch every chapter, but fortunately after the setup Forsyth dedicates decent chunks to each of the plots so I didn't feel like I was being pulled all over the place. And all of the plots were wrapped up neatly, so that was nice too. I did raise an eyebrow at the way Rhiannon and Lewen got to save the day at the end (given there was a naval flotilla behind them, complete with a cadre of witches), but hey - the series is named after Rhiannon; it's only fair that she get to steal the show. (Credit goes more to Lewen in that scene actually, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers.)Forsyth is definitely one of my favourite authors. Love it.
—Cassandra Page
Finally got around to reading this book after buying it right when it came out in the US. Not because I hate the story or the author (because I LOVE them both) but because I find the main character annoying. It was so nice to see all my favorite characters again: Isabeau, Dide, Finn the Cat, that I could get over not liking Rhiannon. The middle section of the book with Dide and Isabeau was so heart-wrenching but I'm glad it worked out in the end. I was distressed over the whole Margrit deal because of all the hard work Isabeau went through in the first series to get rid of her, good thing for great aim huh?I wish that Kate Forsyth would write more in this universe because it is exquisitely created, easy to get lost in, and makes me wish I could live there and study at the Theurgia too!
—Elizabeth
