An absolutely beautiful book -- a beautiful and mostly satisfying ending to this beloved series that I started reading as a teenager (I'm now closing in on 50). My only complaint is that, possibly, the end seemed somewhat abrupt. I thought there'd be a bit more of a fight between Foul and Covenant, Linden and Jeremiah. Still, the last pages reveal what could be the only true ending for our little family and the Land they have fought so hard for all of these years. So, good-bye to Thomas and Co.; good-bye to the Giants, the Haruchai, Ramen and Ranyhyn; good-bye to the Cavewights ur-Viles, Waynhim and Demondim; good-bye to the Elohim, Insequent and Forestals; and good-bye to the Sandgorgons, Ravers and Lord Foul. But, most of all, good-bye to the Land and all its wonder -- "the world will not see its like again." A great climax and ending to this series. The strongest of the four books in the final Chronicles and well worth getting through the slower feeling book 3 to see how things turn out. The book had the feel of more modern plots where it is all action driven, but it did a really good job of balancing this with greater depth and deeper explanations for the background of characters and groups that we have all come to know and love in Donaldson's world. I would have liked to know more about the Insequent, as they felt a little too much like a convenient writer's solution to a lot of problems that must have arisen trying to bring all of the back stories together within the last Chronicles. They always felt a bit disconnected from the first 6 to me. I was also surprised that the Creator wasn't tied in at the end since so much of the talk between characters throughout these Chronicles focused on what would happen outside of the Land's world itself (and because the creator was in such bad shape last we saw him). It's certainly a minor detail--the books were long enough already.
What do You think about The Last Dark (2013)?
Fantastic, if not LOOOOOONG, conclusion to this much loved series.
—cheeba
