Well, the author defaulted back to constantly repeating the same information in this. There are so many words I hate now because they are used way to much in these books.

It appears the “main” concern has been dealt with but it’s clear it was left open for another in the series (plus I own 1-5 so I guess that helps knowing too)

I have zero connection to any of these characters, the action is mediocre, the story telling is repetitive and stretched on for so long. I’m just mostly bored with this. I mean I was interested in the stars falling but apparently that’s fixed? Maybe I don’t know.

Tbh I’m only continuing this read through because I own books 1-5. ( )

You know, in general, I really enjoyed reading this. All the endowments, the whole sum of all men thing, still has its creepy-ass aspect to it but we get to see a lot more of the people who give up their best traits for the high-and-mighty elite. It may not resolve anything, but at least we know that the GOOD devotionals are doing it out of love.

Would YOU go blind so your elite leader could have super-freaking-excellent sight? Or become weak so he becomes strong? Or sleep for twenty years so he can heal super quick?

No? Well, this is a fantasy and I just have to assume that there is some cultural s*** going on.

Putting that aside, I got all giddy when so many of the main characters went all out and dived into the earth to put an end to the gigantic crab leader and stick it to the million-plus reavers pouring out of the ground to put an end to all mankind. I have no problems with that. It was awesome. :) Supermen, nature magic, massive stakes. It's all here.

It's even awesome despite the nagging questions I have after reading it. Like all those seemingly useless plot threads that seemed to be so important in the text -- only to go absolutely nowhere at the culmination of the final battle.

Ah, but at least a certain cinder-boy got a satisfyingly ignoble end. :)

You know, for four books that take place over a single week, I'm pretty impressed at the way it gets pulled off. It's epic and the magic system allows for a ton of movement and events to occur very quickly. That's fine by me. But there's just one thing... the end of this book sped the hell up in a rather spectacularly annoying way. As in, everyone lived happily ever after even though our MCs basically have to split up because they're living at different rates and OH, btw, all these young-ass characters are suddenly old men and women. Yeah, yeah, the magic system has consequences, but still, these were FOUR BOOKS taking place in a week! Until the end when everyone dies of old age. lol

I know this sounds like I have a major issue with these books but it's just not true. I have a need to complain very loudly about a series I think does a great job pulling a very interesting rabbit out of its hat and I want to bitch and moan because I actually love it and wish I could see it fixed. Or explored further.

Fortunately, there are 4 more books. Guess what I'm reading? :) ( )

This book was by far the best of the series. I found myself racing through the pages with Borenson and Myrrim; Gaborn, Iome, Binnesman, and Averan; Erin; and Chemoise. Each of these characters reached his or her element in this novel; each person finally became the person he or she was supposed to be.

I am quite glad that none of these characters died, but each one of them made huge sacrifices that leaves me grieving still. Gaborn and Iome gave up their lives for the good of mankind. I kept hoping throughout that the system of magic would change, that the Dedicates would awaken and Runelords would no longer need endowments to be strong. But that was not the case. Gaborn still had to die, and Iome will not be able to watch her sons grow to adulthood. Averan experienced similar issues because of her endowments of metabolism, but she had to give up even more—her home among the humans. Her life is destined to be full of darkness and solitude, but she takes it all on because that is what she knows she must do. Binnesman will continue to protect his people, as will Myrrima and Borenson. Erin must live with her mistake of falling for Celinor. And Chemoise will soon get another chance at life, after having spent over a year clenched in pain.

So many sacrifices, so much love. Gaborn truly did find his element in peace, however powerful he may have been in war. He saved not only mankind, but the monsters, the reavers. And the world is a better place for it.

Farland once again addresses what he had started to address in the first book of the series: every living thing is worth saving. No one is better than his brother. We all rely on each others' strengths to get through life. And as we see with Borenson at the end of the novel, giving up our best attributes to help others doesn't make us weaker—it makes us stronger. God put us here to help each other. Like Gaborn, God can be a bit pushy at first, but after awhile, our desire to help others becomes our own and we no longer need to be nagged or prompted. We live to serve those we love, even those we do not love. This is a lesson that I hope all who read the Runelords can gain, that we empower one another by serving each other. ( )

The end of a saga and peace begins:
Gaborn's journey as the Earth King has finished and peace is now upon the Earth. The Reavers and Raj have been defeated. So how long will peace last? This audible edition is good listen and as story becomes alive you will be pulled into the story and thus will enjoy the ride. I recommend this book and series to any fan of Epic Fantasy. ( )

For a new writer, this has been a good start in the epic fantasy genre. In the first three volumes, Farland introduced some interesting new spins on magic and set up an amazing array of possible story threads that could be followed to bring depth to his creation. By the third book, the author was gearing up for what seemed to be an amazing conclusion. I was a bit concerned at how all of the plot lines could be wrapped up neatly in one final volume. And in the end, that’s what happened. The final chapter of book 4 had such a fast pace that I felt I needed an endowment of metabolism just to keep up.

Epic plot lines were destroyed in a few pages, with events transpiring in such a way as to make everything work out just perfectly, which never happens. There was no depth to any of the characters, and any danger that it seemed people were getting into was easily discarded or avoided.

The interesting sub-plot with Erin, Celinor and Asgaroth just fizzles into nothing. The book that was so important in the first three volumes is not mentioned here. What happened to Baron Waggit? Why did Sarka Kaul break the generations-old ban on Days sharing information? He said he would take endowments and show Gaborn how to win the battle – then we never hear of him again. How did Binnesman end up back in Carris? What happened to the wylde? The first three books take place over just a week; yet the last few chapters in this book are spread over several months.

There really is no resolution, but at least the author did not take the easy way out and give a happy ending to our other metabolically-burdened heroes. It ends so quickly with so many things unanswered or forgotten that it has to be a set up for another book or series. But without the main characters that drew us into the story in the first place, who is going to read on? I’m not sure I will. ( )