Devlin's Justice

The most satisfying conclusion to a trilogy or series I have read in a long time. The book as a whole is well written, and the series is one of the very rare sword-and-sorcery type books that I truly enjoy. There is enough depth and connection to the characters to truly engage me, but the story is fast moving and never quite does the expected.

In the first book, Devlin became Chosen One of Jorsk because the position paid enough gold he could be sure his brother's wife and children would be able to live well after the death of their father. Once he sends the money off, he just hoped the job would kill him quickly (like it had all of his predecessors. Instead he survived, and found a new reason to live. As Devlin's Justice begins, he is show more returning to Jorsk with a long-lost artifact and walks into a betrayal beyond his imagination.

The first half to the book follows to storylines, Devlin's friends and allies, as they try to find out what happened to him, and Devlin's as he tries to escape the trap he finds himself in. Eventually the two story lines come together, and of course (sword-and-sorcery style) good triumphs over evil

It is rare that I put down that a book completely satisfied. Neither clamoring for more nor disappointed in some aspect. Patricia Bray manages a realistic ending that avoids being saccharine and is totally in keeping with the characters she introduced us to throughout the series. The story is clearly over, but the world will go on.

Very much looking forward to picking up more of Patricia Bray's work. show less

While I didn't enjoy it as much as the first of the series, a book that did catch my imagination and drag me in. This is a story more of politics and more of fixing the messes that were created by the war. Devlin has found the sword of Light but now he's betrayed and imprisoned and survival will be hard. He is rumoured to be dead and he has to try to build an army to fight the forces of evil.

It's not a bad read but it somehow didn't make as good an impact as the first of the series.

Plot: Continuing the trend of the series, the plot doesn't know whether it is adventure, conspiracy, or something else altogether. It tries too much, and the end result is a muddled confusion where nothing can be fleshed out properly.

Characters: The shift away from the central character's point of view allows the side characters to get more depth. They then proceed to steal the story because the main character simply is not strong enough to stay interesting.

Style: Too many stereotypes. Far too many stereotypes. There is plenty of exposition, but the worldbuilding never works out.

Plus: The plot got interesting as long as Devlin was out of the picture.

Minus: When you marry off the main character at the end, even if it is a political show more marriage, at least a hint of him liking or even actually knowing more than the name of his intended wife would be nice.

Summary: Average ending to an average series. show less

As an end to a series one senses that somewhere mid way through the book the author decided she had enough already and stopped. Things to get us to the conclusion were rushed and glossed over where we did not have that earlier on.

Disappointing