A pleasant and occasionally thrilling and delightful finale to the series, but one that often feels slow and padded compared to the first three. There’s a lot more time spent with Dana’s family compared to previous books, the quest is longer and wider ranging, there are multiple points of view, and as a result, the sense of mounting danger suffers. It felt a bit like Melling bit off more than she could chew and/or was reluctant to kill a few darlings, even though I understand that the family stuff and definitely the breadth of the quest was necessary. It was also nice to see Gwen and Laurel as adults, though I’m not sure their character development follows their books as much as it was convenient for Melling to slot them into roles here, and I feel like their POV sections weren’t always needed.

However, Melling’s treatment of Canadian folklore and history is on par with the previous books in this series—beautifully described in a middle grade way, pulled from all manner of traditions without seeming incoherent, often slightly off the beaten path and touching on things I wouldn’t have expected to turn up, capable of moving between whimsy and serious descriptions of things like war, disease, and genocide without being jarring. I think that ability to keep a light touch and bring disparate elements together is probably what impressed me most as an adult reader, actually. Well, that and the sense of wonder she’s still able to evoke in the bigger set pieces. (However, some of the folklore and history that turns up get a bit tell-y and didactic.)

And the story is good, don’t get me wrong, and I did enjoy it. There’s a lot of adventure and character development from Dana, a plot that keeps moving even with the occasional dip in pacing, an enemy that for once I was prepared to believe could win despite narrative rules, and a quest that encompasses all of Canada and acknowledges that Irish faerie lore isn’t the only non-Christian systems of belief out there. (There’s also genuine ethnic and cultural diversity done pretty respectfully, including an indigenous shaman and his grandson, who have a pretty large role, and Dana’s Indian stepmother.) It’s certainly a more complex and epic story than Melling’s done before and the supporting characters are more fleshed out, which was great to see, but it definitely seems to have stretched her limits.

One more point of disappointment: Like I mentioned yesterday and in the warnings below, there’s another case of insta-love here, which I’m less able to look past than the previous ones. Dana’s thirteen and totally uninterested in boys until she meets a fifteen-year-old French-Canadian transfer student, and suddenly she’s confessing deep secrets and trusting him implicitly while longing to be kissed. Two years older each, I’d maybe buy it more, but not quite so young. (Gwen’s and Laurel’s boyfriends are also still with them, apparently.)

(Oh, and she totally plays into what a preteen’s idea of “cool aunt” would be rather than what an actual adult that age would act like, and yes, there is some presumably accidental queer coding going on as well.)

So yeah. I liked it but didn’t love it, enjoyed the ride but kept wishing it to feel faster, am glad I read it but wish it had been better, admire some of Melling’s technique while being disappointed in some of her choices. My mind’s kind of the embodiment of that “I guess” image right now. I’m not sure, though, how much of my opinion would change if I was, say, eleven. Maybe the flaws wouldn’t feel so flawed and the leisureliness would be a blessing because it gives more time to explore the world.

Warnings: A French-Canadian who fits into the broken English and flirty heart-throb stereotypes. Bilingualism that does not match up with real bilingualism. Insta-love. Villain who indulges in mind control and kidnapping. Frank but brief mentions of Canadian forms of racism and inequality, including anti-Irish, anti-indigenous, and anti-French. Two twenty-somethings who don’t act like any I’ve met, one of which is queer-coded but is apparently straight. One use of “Newfie” as a slur.

6.5/10 ( )

The final chapter of Melling's chronicles was incredibly long, one of the longest I've read in quite a while. But astoundingly, it was also incredibly good, which is quite a feat for a large and rambling novel.

The Light-Bearer's daughter, Dana Faolan, returns to the helm of this novel to continue her story, not in Ireland but in her new country of Canada. Dana isn't pleased about the move, and she can't imagine how she'll be able to live happily in a country so different from her magical, Faerie-infused homeland.

But a great burden is about to be placed on Dana's shoulders, as the bridge between Earth and Faerie is shattered and she becomes the single key to restoring it. The destinies of each novel's previous characters intertwine as they join Dana on her quest, though they are more in the periphery this time. And of course, there is a veritable army of new characters prepared to either harm or aid Dana, hailing from every myth and culture imaginable.

At first I thought the sheer amount of mythology introduced in this novel would be overwhelming and bog the story down, but it actually helped enhance the book's touching and relevant theme that all myths, magic, ancestors, and spirit are essentially born from the same roots. I found myself fascinated learning about everything from Native gods to French demons to Indian deities to Chinese spirits to Irish history, all of them tied into Dana's new country of Canada.

In the end I felt the length really was required to tell this story well; Melling's pacing was wonderful this time and the character development equally so. I got to know Dana much better, and I really enjoyed her family, especially her Indian stepmother Radhi and her two eccentric aunts. Seeing a few returning characters was nice too, and I actually found myself wishing I could have seen more of them, especially Laurel and Ian from "The Summer King" which I enjoyed so much. In some parts the writing was noticibly beautiful and very touching emotionally, especially toward the end. The ending was interesting but appropriate. All in all, I'm glad the author ended this series with a such a solid story. ( )

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read. OR Melling's work is a masterclass in terms of her ability to blend history and folklore into a compelling tale that will keep you guessing from page one. ( )

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read. OR Melling's work is a masterclass in terms of her ability to blend history and folklore into a compelling tale that will keep you guessing from page one. ( )

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read. OR Melling's work is a masterclass in terms of her ability to blend history and folklore into a compelling tale that will keep you guessing from page one. ( )