Lord of the Shadows (2003)

SECOND SONS TRILOGY

This is the last exhilarating book in the exciting Second Sons Trilogy.
Dirk’s Machiavellian plan is now well in play. The skill with which this nineteen year old manipulates pretty much everyone around him is amazing. He totally deceives king Antonov, a man more than twice his age; even those closest to him find it hard to believe he has not deserted them and gone over to the dark side. But Dirk is a man with a plan - he is ruthless because he can't see any other way of freeing the kingdom of Dhevyn or doing away with the evil cult of the Shadowdancers who use their religion to commit heinous acts.
All the clues laid down in the earlier books come together here. The characters also continue to grow. I was delighted with Neris’s role in this book; and despaired at his final gesture. Misha developed from a cipher to an engaging young man who will no doubt be a responsible and caring ruler. I was pleased to see the shrill edges smoothed a little from Tia and Maquel. Both had the potential to be the two least engaging females I’ve come across in fantasy worlds in a long time.
There’s something a bit out of the ordinary in this trilogy, which only occurred to me some time after I put down Lord of the Shadows. After reading over 1500 pages of this series, there had only been two scenes of battle, and both of those had been very small. The only "magic" was a trick played on everybody in the kingdom. The entire Second Sons trilogy was a story of political intrigue on a grand scale and I enjoyed every line of it.
It's hard to find someone who can get the finish to a trilogy just right, but Fallon has it down pat. She delivers an electrifying tale that will has me thirsting for her next novel. ( )

The culmination to the saga. We still have a story that is basically told through the characters and how they change. Even the places where I look at the plot poking through nakedly - "We've got a big ending planned, and we have to get all the principals there" for example - have little twists that make them work as character-driven moments as well as plot moments.

I could say everyone ends up living happily every after, but that's a lie. However, the good guys win through and do get to be happy, or at least starting to set up their happiness for marriages and the like. Even Tia forgives Dirk, eventually.

There's a step towards enlightenment, whether or not it will endure and generally things are going well. ( )

A very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Nearly everyone got what they deserved. A very enjoyable read which I found through the FantasyFans group - so thank you to them. ( )