Such a good series. I find myself simultaneously wishing I had read it when I was younger, and glad that I am encountering it as a well-seasoned adult. There are some nuances and lessons here which I think I would have missed when younger. ( )

Box a

I can't believe how long it took me to read this one. I really enjoyed the other parts of the series, however, this one was just so long-winded and a let down in comparison. The final battle that has been building for 5 books was just meh. ( )

As always, tears in my eyes at the end.

Things never change. Sigh.

Stephen Stanton: Do you know Calcutta Mr. Moore? Have you ever had beggars grabbing at your feet, calling out to you, children half the size of Will here with an arm missing, or an eye, and ribs like xylophones and their legs stinking of sores? If I lived in a place with that kind of despair round me, I think I just might decide to bring up my kids in a country where they'd have a better chance. Specially a country that had exploited my own for about two hundred years. Wouldn't you? Or Jamaica, now. Do you know how many children get to a secondary school there? D'you know the unemployment rate? D'you know what the slums are like in Kingston? Do you know- ...

Mr. Moore: So what about it? All that stuff? Let them solve their own problems, not come whining over here! What's all that have to do with us? They don't belong here, none of 'em; they should all be thrown out. ... 1977

( )

For me, each book in the series isn’t as good as the previous one. “Silver on the Tree” continues this trend.

The three Drew siblings from Books 1 and 3 add their usual brightness, though sadly they’re kept in the background too much. These three characters are endearing and likable. They’re “real”, whereas most of the other characters are somewhat dull or one-dimensional.

My attention was put to the test when Will Stanton and Bran go to some sort of magic kingdom. Maybe I would’ve enjoyed this part more if I’d read in during my boyhood, it’s hard to say. I like action, drama, conflict, intrigue, suspense, yet this magic kingdom has next to none of these things.

Regarding conflict, what bit there is of it is rarely exciting. The Dark Rider had the potential to be a great antagonist in this novel, and in the second of this series, but this potential was never realised. He’s an interesting character in his own right, but the problem is you never feel he can cause the protagonists any physical harm.

This has been an issue from Book 2 onwards. Never does it feel like the protagonist are in real danger, especially Will, whose magic is a guarantee against harm. So, apart from certain instances with the appealing Drew trio, especially in Book 1, no real sense of “threat” is apparent. This lack of threat leads to a lack of suspense and evokes little concern for the non-magic characters and no concern for the likes of the "untouchable" Will.

I’m not a big fan of time-travelling scenarios, at least not to the extent featured in this novel. It’s over-complicated and often it's hard to suspend belief.

I feel the number of times that a memory-loss spell is employed is overused, especially when applied to main characters. It feels like being cheated in some way.

Style-wise, the author is good at bringing the landscape to life but is too fond of adverbs. Adverbs "tell", not "show".

Overall, then, a disappointing end to a series that opened with an enjoyable story in “Over Sea, Under Stone”, which is the only one of the five that I’d read again. ( )