Fiona McIntosh: King’s Wrath

Hi

This review is about the third and final part in the Valisar Trilogy by Fiona McIntosh.
The novel has 448 long pages.

* SPOILERS! *

The trilogy contains a lot of violence. Though I wouldn’t say it’s just violence for its own sake, it does serve a purpose in the story. And I certainly don’t mind a good fight (but the cannibalism in the previous novel was a bit too much).

Everything gets turned upside down and not always in a good way.
I can believe Leo’s change; his hatred has been feeding on him for years and years and there’s no place left for any other feeling but hatred and desire for the crown.
But Piven! Piven is a wholly different person. He was a moron, became a genius with magic and ended up back a moron. That’s pretty unbelievable in my book. And a bit of an unethical decision to have this little idiot becoming a ‘normal’ person because I wish it were that easy in this world.
Now Loethar, him I liked a lot. A very sudden change but definitely not unexpected.

McIntosh is not afraid to hurt or kill characters. Even those we like or even love.

I greatly disliked the whole love/relationship stuff between EVERYONE. Everyone falls in love, falls out of love, falls in love with someone else in an instant or has always been in love with someone who doesn’t return these feelings.

The ending was too easy, too predictable and rushed to be satisfying.

All in all I had a mixed reading experience. I loved the world-building, the magic, the characterization  and her writing. But I disliked the romantic stuff, Piven’s change and the very easy ending.

Happy reading!
Helena