Daughter of Ancients

Carol Berg is one of my favourite authors; like Lois McMaster Bujold, you are in safe hands when you pick up one of her works. She never disappoints. The writing is always strong, the characters always compelling, the plot always full of seemingly insoluble problems that the characters are smart enough to figure out.

That being said, I liked Daughter of Ancients least of The Bridge of D'Arnath series. I didn't like the eponymous daughter, I didn't like how long it took to figure out how evil she is, I didn't even like the romance. And this in spite of the great romance Berg whipped earlier between Seri and Karon.

Even so, I think Carol Berg is just so darn good that even my least favourite of her works deserves 5 stars.

A very strong ending to a wonderful series. Berg has created a marvelous trio of worlds, populated them with a variety of nuanced characters, and woven them into a complex tale of magic, power, politics, love, betrayal, loyalty, change, and trust. While it appeared there was perhaps little more to say at the end of the third book in the series, Berg capped it off with this fourth book that truly brings the story to a fitting conclusion.

Great ending to this series! I cried at the end, it was so sad and beautiful, even just thinking about that certain part makes me tear up!

Summer13:

Characters: Didn't really add many new ones except the chick, and she didn't add much.

Plot: Eventually gets going, but it's pretty dang rough at first.

Style: A little weaker than the previous.