Then there is Nifrel, a place with plenty of challenges, but aside from a small victory here or there, it, too, is the same from one day to the next. I see it much like Sisyphus pushing his rock up the hill only to have it roll back down. But unlike in Rel, existence in Nifrel isn’t free of pain. In the movies, when someone is tortured, they eventually die or pass out. But in Ferrol’s realm, neither option is available, so the torment could literally go on forever. From a purely intellectual perspective, I know the concept of unending pain is engrained in Christian beliefs. Still, I’ve never personally feared such a fate. Yeah, I’m far from a saint, but I have tried to be a good person and help others, and I think I have some brownie points in my column. But now Michael plants the concept that it’s not about “good” or “evil.” His notion that ambitious people might prefer the struggle, even if nothing changes, gives me food for thought. For me, that’s an even more frightening future than the blandness of Rel.
And now I have the Abyss to worry about! Because so many people have talked about that place with such foreboding, and because I know how Michael’s mind works, I’m more than just a little concerned about what we might find down there.
The one bright spot is that Suri is no longer captive, and she has access to the Art once more. But even that bit of hope isn’t without trepidation. I’m not sure what Imaly has in store for Suri, Makareta, and Mawyndulë, but I’m not hopeful that it will turn out well. The curator has her own agenda, and I don’t think she cares about the casualties in her wake.
And of course, we know that Lothian finally figured out how to make gilarabrywns. So far, we’ve only seen one, but are more coming? That fact brings up all kinds of questions. Will Suri try to prevent additional ones from being made? Can she do anything about the one that was created? The only thing I’m confident about is she won’t be making another to counteract it . . . unless her newfound friendship with Makareta deepens. Hmmm . . . I don’t want to go there. Let’s just be happy that Suri is in a significantly better place than she has been in recent books and call it a day.
Oh, and while I’m discussing gilarabrywns, I’ll let you in on a little secret. They weren’t supposed to show up in this book. Michael moved up their appearance from Age of Empyre, and I’m glad he did. It makes for higher drama now that all the pieces on the chessboard are at risk. Seriously, there isn’t a character I care for, well except maybe Malcolm, who isn’t in peril.
Speaking of Malcolm, I’m so glad he’s back, even if I can’t figure out if he’s “good” or “evil.” I must say I’ve waffled about him and his motives on many occasions throughout this series, something I’ve enjoyed quite a bit. My current suspicion is that Michael is trying to make a point rather than just being coy. But either way, I always enjoy his scenes. For those who have read Riyria, did you get the same sense of déjà vu that I did regarding the timing of his reappearance? If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, drop me a line, and I’ll say more.
In any case, Nyphron’s and Malcolm’s scene was one of my favorites. Upon re-reading it, I noticed how deftly Michael inserted Malcolm’s comment about Uberlin and his followers in a scene just before Drome’s tirade about the same person. That’s a nice bit of seed-planting by Michael.
Speaking of seeds, I’m glad to see that one which was sowed in Age of Swords has sprouted. I’m referring to Rain’s “mystery woman,” who has been haunting his dreams for years. He became a digger and took two trips into the heart of Neith looking for her. And now he has finally found what he was looking for. I’m encouraged by Beatrice’s foresight that Rain will live through whatever awaits him in the last book. Also, I wonder if the reestablishment of the dwarfs comes into play in Michael’s Rise and Fall series, which takes place between Legends and Riyria.
I’m a soft touch for an emotional scene, and this book had plenty of them, but two stood out for me. The first was the drink shared by Nyphron and Persephone. Yes, we all know that their marriage is primarily strategic. Still, it was nice seeing them share a time of loss and vulnerability. I appreciated that even someone as stoic as Nyphron was able to provide a bit of comfort to Persephone. Michael hasn’t given us insight into their union, and I think that was purposeful. But with this scene, we see that it is not all bad. Also, I think this chapter had a great Book of Brin entry that nicely encapsulated their relationship.
Speaking of touching, another favorite of mine was Tressa’s reunion with Gelston. The fact that she kept coming back despite all his ill treatment really told me a great deal about a character that I had previously despised. I think that’s one of Michael’s strengths, taking a seemingly insignificant and reprehensible character and giving me new insight. For those who have read Riyria, you know that redemption is at the heart of those books, and I’m glad to see that the Legend of the First Empire follows in that tradition.
There are many other scenes I loved, but if I concentrated only on them, I’d run out of time and space to discuss what was the biggest aspect of enjoyment for me. Which is the revelations! All the pieces of the puzzle are coming together, and I can see the picture emerging. We are finally at the point where Michael can reveal some of the cards he’s held in his hand for so long, and that is, by far, my favorite part of this book.
So, let’s recap what we’ve learned. Everyone lived happily in Erebus until Turin (a.k.a. Malcolm, a.k.a. Uberlin) killed his brother Trilos and became a tyrant that warred against his sister Ferrol and brother Drome. I think that qualifies as “breaking the world.” Now comes the real question . . . is Malcolm trying to fix things, or is he manipulating everyone to do his bidding for a goal that we aren’t yet aware of?
Another new piece of the puzzle is that Trilos and Muriel were in love. And Turin tried to keep them apart. I guess that justifies Muriel’s hatred for her father. But we know something that Muriel (and maybe Malcolm) does not. Trilos is currently hanging around the garden and stirring up trouble. So, I guess that whole death thing didn’t stick, which makes me wonder . . . why hasn’t Trilos and Muriel reunited? I think there is still more we need to find out, and I’m fairly certain Michael will tell us before everything is said and done.
As for things yet to be discovered, what’s up with the message Malcolm passed to Brin via Padera? And why didn’t he just tell Tressa when he gave her the assignment in the first place? I’m guessing Malcolm discovered something while he was out and about. Since the mysterious line regarding trees walking and stones talking didn’t come up again in Age of Death, I’ll be looking for it in the last book. In a way, I’m glad there is a little break between this and the final book. I like having a bit of a breather and time to ponder. Sometimes the anticipation of a great meal is as good as eating it.
Well, those are some of my thoughts and ramblings. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I did. Since we are getting near the end of the series, we’ve received a lot of emails asking, “What’s next.” So before I go, I should touch on a few things.
First and foremost, we need to release the last book of this series, and yes, there will be a Kickstarter for it just like there was for Age of Legend and Age of Death. If you want to be notified when it launches you can sign up here. The release date for Age of Empyre is May 5th, but early backers will receive the ebook near the end of February and the hardcovers just as soon as they come off the press. If you miss the Kickstarter, don’t worry, we can always do a manual add for you after the fact. We had more than 400 people who did exactly that for Age of Death.