De plot is net ietsje minder dan het vorige boek maar nog steeds heel goed. Ik vroeg me af hoe het verhaal verder zou gaan en ik had al wel gedacht dat Mara keizerin zou worden
want ik meende me dat nog net te herinneren maar de rest was toch echt anders. Het enige wat me een beetje teleurstelde was dat Mara op het laatst Kevin weer ziet en alles weer koek en ei is. Hoewel ik het hen van harte gun geloof ik dit gewoon niet.
Het is te zoet. Maar de rest van het boek ben ik zeer over te spreken. ( )

A fairly satisfying conclusion to the Empire trilogy. The middle part did feel a bit padded, like a video game where the character seems to do a series of quests just to waste time. But the authors execute fantasy tropes fairly well and the main and supporting characters are well-drawn. It is well plotted and thwarts the reader's expectations as to where the story goes. They probably could have spent less time on Mara and a bit more on the characters who turn out to be the main antagonists. ( )

The first part of it was a bit too slow for me, but it paid off in the second half with a very satisfying end. ( )

The final book in the Feist/Wurts collaboration, and it ended in grand style.

I will admit that I was a little begrudged on how "wordy" things became mid-book-but after that finale, I get it now. There was just so much to cover so many lives to tie together.

From about chapter 22 on, I did not want to put it down. Once again Feist comes through with battle scenes that take you right there-omg, the action on the road to the Holy City-guilty of a few tears at the section.

..and the final chapters with Mara/Hokanu/Kevin-again, not ashamed to admit I cried. When a fantasy writer can put me in the action and pull such feelings of sadness from me, well, they have done their job. A 5 star read for me. ( )

The third in the trilogy started out so strong that I wanted to rage, weep, and throw the book against the wall.

I really hate it when books tear me to shreds. The tragedy in the opening was a real nightmare for me and the characters in here, but more importantly, it drove a lot of the massive change to come.

We are, after all, sitting on a trilogy that completely upends the entire society. Civil War, massive change for the Cho-Ji, and even the Council who are above the law, the High Magicians, and the Emperor will have to bow before it.

Moreover, I should mention that this particular trilogy places fine emphasis on showing every single step, every important building block from a young girl just trying to save her house, to become indispensable to the Emperor, to become The Power of the whole land. It's impressive, and no doubt. This isn't some simple tale. It's all about politics, power bases, economics, spy networks, mortal enemies, revenge, deception, and total social upheaval. So yeah, it's impressive as hell.

My only complaint was for a few of the slow bits. And I wasn't all that interested in the spymaster's love life. It might have been something cool but it just didn't turn out all that great for me. *shrug* But everything else was fantastic! :) ( )