The former Peradaini Empire is a burned ruin of empty cities, abandoned farmlands, bodies and monsters running rampant, attacking any survivors they can find. Refugees huddle in the uncertain safety of walled cities. Crops remain unharvested. Provisions are scarce. Things look dire. But there’s still hope -- if Cazia and Tejohn can get a stolen magic to work, they might be able to fight back. This series really ought to be better known than it is. After a successful Kickstarter campaign got it onto the map, Connolly released the three books in quick succession. “Epic fantasy without the boring bits” was how he described it, and really? Very true. There’s no downtime in this, it’s disaster and then the epic attempt to save the world. Very cool.
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The finale of the Great Way trilogy fires the biggest guns on the table, some of which go off in surprising ways; the denouements don’t always follow the standard epic fantasy tropes, but they are very, very human. (This volume piles several more guns on the table for a future trilogy, or a role-playing game set in the world.) This volume nicely blends the action-driven themes of the first book with the character-driven themes from the second, and Connolly stays true to his premise of “epic fantasy with no dull parts” throughout. ( )

One good ride from start to end. Action, magic and culture intertwine, several answers come in a timely fashion, there is a definite conclusion and what is left out is open to the reader’s speculation. I really liked the ending, it almost caught me by surprise, it was almost abrupt, yet it was very fitting, and I felt no need for anything further.

In retrospect, though, I noticed that there were a few loose ends still around; nothing of primary importance, but still, I like it better when all the elements of a story are fully exploited and properly fleshed out. So, while I’m immensely happy about this trilogy, I’m sure a more polished wrapping-up was in order ( It was original to have the prince out of the way so soon, but will Lar and the others left at Fort Samsit be found among the cured? Will the alligaunts react? They were introduced as an arrogant and though race. Will there be an open conflict with the Snakes, or were they simply an element thrown in the story and forgotten? What about Alga? Once he fulfills his role, he disappears. And the Cho-ja…ehm the Tilkilit, are they ever going to leave the valley now? Etc.).

My interest never wavered and all in all I found the plot original. I had a feeling that several of the races and places described in the book were familiar, from other stories and movies, but hey! It was very entertaining and, doubts about underwater physics aside, I read with gusto, savoring all the turns of the tale and the characters’ wit and strength.

Catzia and Tejohn are not complicated personalities but they are well-rounded and a pleasure to follow, I liked them both and was eager to see how their attitude and logic would steer their actions. During their ordeals, they grow and learn to listen and understand that the world is much, much more than what they can comprehend. On a little side note, I thought Catzia’s attitude towards all things male and of an age was a bit perplexing, given her personality and even accounting for her upbringing in a hostile environment, but It was fun to see how conscious she was of every man with handsome features in range.
Generally speaking, the representation of women was nice and there were no uncalled for romance subplots.

This third book starts powerfully; the story steadily gains momentum and develops on the foundations built in the second and first installments. There are many revelations and the climax was very immersive and gripping. Recommended for a pacey and pleasant read.
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