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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
I guess a simple 'I really liked it' isn't going to do it this time, huh? Too bad, because it is so much easier to explain why I don't like books.
This book felt like a decent culmination of the first two books. Much more of it takes place internally, in the dreamworld (and in the MCs heads), but seeing that Wil is a dream himself, that was kind of a given. Also, Gods don't manifest themselves on the physical plane, so if they are taking an active part, we'll have to move inward. I happen to like introspective books. I happen to like characters that are flailing. Wil and Dallin flail most deliciously.
Dallin has run into the one thing he isn't able to take in stride: the blind faith and adoration of his countrymen, for whom he is pretty much the messiah. With his past experiences, he can't stand for people to look at others that way, especially not himself. He feels woefully unprepared for the task ahead, he keeps being told he is woefully unprepared by the Elders who have their own issues with blind faith, but slightly different, and he is convinced it is going to cost him his life, Wil's life or both, never mind the fate of the rest of the world. He struggles with how to prepare Wil, who has been unconscious for days and is barely back among the living when everything starts to come to a head. He is torn between everyone's expectations, his love for Wil and his need to protect him, his need to guide him, his need to guide Lind, his sense of duty, and the sacrifice of life, love and/or happiness.
Wil, on the other hand, has barely been conscious for a total of two days after he and Dallin first had sex. One day in Chester, one day in Lind. He struggles with the concept of feeling love, and being loved for who he is, not what he is. He wants to believe it's happening, but can't quite believe it all the same. With his background love, shame, abuse and hurt are tightly interwoven and he can't bring himself to dig into that mess to face the shame, to sort it out. It is understandable, if frustrating, to see how doubt keeps creeping back in. When Dallin doesn't share everything with him, what does that mean about how he views Wil? It takes time and effort for Wil to move beyond his knee-jerk reaction.
Beyond the MCs inner struggles, the book is about the difference between belief an knowledge. At what point does a long-held belief becomes something that we think we know for a fact? When that belief is challenged, are our minds closed or open to the possibility that our belief is wrong? What is the value of blind faith? All these questions get asked, if not necessarily answered.
Four stars instead of five for a few reasons: this was the only book in the series that felt YA in the sense that the underlying message was hammered on a bit too much and the final battle was a bit too much standard fantasy fare. All in all a great series, but one that really needs to be read back to back. Even in the week between the reread of book 1 and 2 till 3 came out, much momentum had been lost.
ETA: Don't miss the epilogue on Carole's website: http://www.carolecummings.com/Everything.htm
This book felt like a decent culmination of the first two books. Much more of it takes place internally, in the dreamworld (and in the MCs heads), but seeing that Wil is a dream himself, that was kind of a given. Also, Gods don't manifest themselves on the physical plane, so if they are taking an active part, we'll have to move inward. I happen to like introspective books. I happen to like characters that are flailing. Wil and Dallin flail most deliciously.
Dallin has run into the one thing he isn't able to take in stride: the blind faith and adoration of his countrymen, for whom he is pretty much the messiah. With his past experiences, he can't stand for people to look at others that way, especially not himself. He feels woefully unprepared for the task ahead, he keeps being told he is woefully unprepared by the Elders who have their own issues with blind faith, but slightly different, and he is convinced it is going to cost him his life, Wil's life or both, never mind the fate of the rest of the world. He struggles with how to prepare Wil, who has been unconscious for days and is barely back among the living when everything starts to come to a head. He is torn between everyone's expectations, his love for Wil and his need to protect him, his need to guide him, his need to guide Lind, his sense of duty, and the sacrifice of life, love and/or happiness.
Wil, on the other hand, has barely been conscious for a total of two days after he and Dallin first had sex. One day in Chester, one day in Lind. He struggles with the concept of feeling love, and being loved for who he is, not what he is. He wants to believe it's happening, but can't quite believe it all the same. With his background love, shame, abuse and hurt are tightly interwoven and he can't bring himself to dig into that mess to face the shame, to sort it out.
Spoiler
Not that he has a lot of time to do so, the first 80% of the book takes place in about 24 hours, in which he consults with the Elders, travels to the Boundary, gets drugged and abducted, travels to Faedme, and has to make up with the Mother and battle the Trickster.Beyond the MCs inner struggles, the book is about the difference between belief an knowledge. At what point does a long-held belief becomes something that we think we know for a fact? When that belief is challenged, are our minds closed or open to the possibility that our belief is wrong? What is the value of blind faith? All these questions get asked, if not necessarily answered.
Four stars instead of five for a few reasons: this was the only book in the series that felt YA in the sense that the underlying message was hammered on a bit too much and the final battle was a bit too much standard fantasy fare. All in all a great series, but one that really needs to be read back to back. Even in the week between the reread of book 1 and 2 till 3 came out, much momentum had been lost.
ETA: Don't miss the epilogue on Carole's website: http://www.carolecummings.com/Everything.htm
A good ending to the trilogy, but a bit disappointing after how much I loved the second book. It felt more plot-heavy than the previous two installments, and less focused on Wil and Dallin as Wil and Dallin vs. as Aisling and Guardian. I mean, the Aisling/Guardian stuff is all very much tied up into who they are as characters and their relationship, so it's hard to say it WASN'T focused on them, but idk, I just found their development in the first two books of not trusting or understanding one another to working together to developing trust to falling in love much more interesting than the focus on the Aisling/Guardian stuff. I do not think I could accurately summarize everything to do with the main plot of this series and the Mother and the Father and all of that. BUT I did still love Dallin and Wil a lot. I loved how completely in love with each other they were, and how they're willing to sacrifice themselves for the other but don't understand that the reverse is also true. I loved them just like… being together and everyone knowing about it and having concerns because of their roles, but them just being like, "Sorry, I don't care, I love him." I liked their conflict/tension after the big climax, with Wil feeling like he had to offer Dallin the choice to not be his Guardian and not wanting him to stay out of duty, and Dallin being offended that Wil would think there was a choice to be made because all he wanted was to be with him. I just really adored how their relationship developed and deepened over the course of the trilogy. Also, as a side note, I enjoyed Hunter a lot, and Andette as well. And Corliss! There were some really great secondary characters in this even though the trilogy is very, very intensely focused on Dallin and Wil over anything or anyone else. So yeah, this was very enjoyable, even if I wasn't dying over every single paragraph like I was with the second book.
Definitely an exciting and tense end to the series. There were times I was confused as to what was going on because the action or someone's intension were based in myth and some of it hadn't been revealed to the reader yet. There were so many times that the action was so intense I had to cheat and look ahead to see if Dallin and/or Wil would make it through before I could go back and read at a normal pace. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
This book is much more internal than the previous two. Although there is plenty of physical danger, it takes second place to the magical dangers and conflicts, which occur in the landscapes of Wil's mind. The relationship between Dallin and Wil is strained by the things each must do, and how they believe the other will view their actions. And Wil needs to find his true name and true self. But these guys are still Dallin and Wil, whatever titles and names they end up with, so the fact that they belong together is incontrovertible.
There is a hint at the end that the work is not done. I hope that means there will be another book. I've become very invested in these men and I would love to see how they are together after this, when the doubts are more laid to rest and they are secure in their relationship. Should be awesome.
There is a hint at the end that the work is not done. I hope that means there will be another book. I've become very invested in these men and I would love to see how they are together after this, when the doubts are more laid to rest and they are secure in their relationship. Should be awesome.
only thing better than king and lionheart otps: king and lionheart otps where BOTH THINK THEY'RE THE LIONHEART yes this is the shit i am about
When is it going to be Dec. 15?????? Have to add how giddy I am to read this and SO happy to see so many others get on the Aisling train.
