The Shamer's War

Great characters in a superbly imagined world!

I fell in love with Dina and her world when I first met her in the Shamer’s daughter. She is a strong, yet flawed character, and for all her ‘magic’ powers immensely human. In the same way, her world, so richly imagined by Ms. Kaaberbol, manages to be, at the same time, fantastic and real.

In the Shamer’s War, the last book in the series, Dina, now thirteen, has come into full possession of both her mother’s gift, the ability to shame people by showing them their most reprehensible memories, and his father’s, the gift of illusion, which allows her to conceal her presence at will.

But having powers is dangerous. Drakan, the usurper lord of Dunark, is conquering all the lands beyond show more Dina’s remote village and killing the shamers.

As Drakan’s forces advance, a resistance is rallying under Nico’s name. Nico, the rightful heir to Dunark, is living with Dina’s family, and the last thing he wants is to be Dunark lord, or the leader of the resistance. Nico is no coward, but he knows power has a price, one he’s reluctant to pay. Yet feeling it’s his duty to stop the war, he comes up with a plan, a plan that doesn't include Dina, or her family.

But when he secretly leaves the village to deal with Drakan on his own terms, a lovesick Dina follows him, dragging the reader behind in a fast paced adventure across oceans and though marshes to the final, breathtaking confrontation between the lawful heir and the usurper lord.

Like another famous Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen, Ms. Kaaberbol doesn’t settle for an easy happily-ever-after ending, but for a quieter and more realistic one, that is still quite satisfying.

The Shamer’s War, with its thought provoking look at the nature of power and the real meaning of courage, is a strong book on its own, and a worthy conclusion to the series. show less

The Shamer's War was an outstanding finale to the series. Fans will be satisfied with the conclusions brought to loose ends in the story and entertained by the sudden turns in the plot.

I enjoyed seeing the characters I had come to love grow in new ways as they learned more about themselves in this last adventure. As The Serpent Gift explained Dina's parentage, so this book reveals the truth about Davin and Mellie. Dina undertakes the enormous task of reconciling herself to being the daughter of both a Blackmaster and a Shamer. Meanwhile, Nico can no longer hide from Drakan and shoulders a heavy task.

Dina's story is my favorite aspect of the entire series, but the other characters are a rich and essential addition to the storyline. show more Occasionally I found myself thinking that if the characters would just take a moment to talk about what was happening, they would have been able to help each other and avoid some of their troubles. However, these instances were not pronounced and allowed the plot to move along a well-developed line. Those who have enjoyed the first three books in the Shamer's Chronicles will not be disappointed in this last installment. show less

Sista delen i serien om skämmerskans dotter. Situationen med Drakan blir bara värre och värre då han har en makthunger som aldrig stillas. Nico har en plan för hur han skulle kunna stoppas, som Dina tycker är mer modig än klok. Dina är dessutom inte alls förtjust i det faktum att Nico väljer att lita på Carmian, med det stora sjöjungfruhåret och tveksamma moralen istället för henne.

Upplösningen av den här serien är så spännande och tillfredställande som man hoppas på. Det bidrar verkligen till berättelsen att den berättas ur olika personers perspektiv.

Good conclusion, although a lot of fantasy wish fulfillment everything-suddenly made right. Enjoyed it.