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The Trysmoon Saga #4
Sacrifice
Book 4 of 4: The battle for Echo Hold begins, the Uyumaak throwing their might at the fortress. The birth of the Holy Child draws near, and the Chalaine and Padra Athan try to prop up the Ha’Ulrich’s failing courage so he can face Mikkik when the time comes. Gen, still separated from the Chalaine, watches from a distance, fearing treachery, hoping he can save her from Mikkik and the incompetence of her cowardly husband.
But when Mikkik finally arrives, the tormented God foists the biggest deception ever seen upon the unsuspecting peoples of Ki’hal. Only Gen and a few of his allies know the truth. The fate of Ki’hal rests upon their shoulders as Mikkik unleashes his fell creations to hunt them down and silence the living heart of the world.
But when Mikkik finally arrives, the tormented God foists the biggest deception ever seen upon the unsuspecting peoples of Ki’hal. Only Gen and a few of his allies know the truth. The fate of Ki’hal rests upon their shoulders as Mikkik unleashes his fell creations to hunt them down and silence the living heart of the world.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
June 26, 2016
*** 4.55 ***
A buddy read with the Fantasy Aficionados at BB&B!!!
This was the forth and last part of the Trysmoon Saga. I was excited to get to the end, as well as sad to say goodby to this wonderfully magical world Ki'hal Brian K. Fuller has created. I am sadder to let go of some characters more than others, since the lines of light and darkness were mostly clearly defined. What was very well pointed out in this book was the way those who live by the letter of their faith could bring more harm to their cause and creed than those who are able to read the situation and go with improvisation, even if at times it seems contrary to the goal... It was fascinating to watch how a clearly worded prophecy can be twisted and abused, using its own words and predictions, its own heroes against its main idea, while being capable of making the antihero into the positive force of light... And as we all know, in order to play with a plot like this you need to be a master storyteller, which Brian Fuller obviously is! Reading these four tomes of one book, I was lost in the story which was facilitated by the melody of the language he weaves into this classic battle of good and evil. No wonder I was reminded of the bards of Medieval times, and I thought his own inclusion of bards in the story was a great homage to the classic Fantasy Genre...
The four volumes had no lapse of time in between and should be considered one volume. This being said, I found all of them very entertaining and perfectly balanced between plot, descriptive passages, political intrigues, and battles:) Yes, I am still quite bloodthirsty! The magic system, dependent on the three moons, the mythology, and the creatures populating the broken world were imaginative and most importantly, made perfect sense!!! I personally spend most of the book hoping that the churchmen would get their heads out of their collective ass, but it is easier for us as readers to feel all knowing when we are given glimpses of all sides of the conflict...
The third part of the book had ended in a positive note and I was worried that there isn't going to be much for the final part. How glad I am to have been wrong. The forth part began with calamity, tragedy, deceit and betrayal one after another, so much so, that by the fifth chapter I had no idea how the author is going to salvage anything of hope by the end of the book... Things were looking very glum for the Chalaine, Mirelle, Gen, The Holy Child and the whole of Ki'hal. SO much treachery, so much playing on people's superstitions, misunderstandings, and fear... Mikkik, the god of trickery, deceit and darkness, had all the good people and their church leaders eating out of his hand, feeding them with visions of their own expectations, having bamboozled all but Gen, Mirelle and the Chalaine. The most devoted priest, a fanatic at heart, but in no way a supporter of Mikkik, the good Padra Athan, whose whole existence has been devoted to bringing the light back into the world, unwittingly turns into a puppet into the hands of the Deceiver. More damage is done by the manipulations of the well meaning than by the hideous creatures Mikkik trows against the armies... So, it is up to Gen and his allies to try to save the day...
The characters in this saga were very compelling and early on the favorites stole our hearts, letting us root for them despite their flaws and weaknesses. My favorite character from the beginning was Mirelle and the epilogue brought joy to my heart. Overall, a very worthy addition to this my most beloved genre!!! Strongly recommend it to those who like me love the world of the fantastical!!!!
Now I wish all of you Happy Reading and may all books open your mind to new possibilities!!!
A buddy read with the Fantasy Aficionados at BB&B!!!
This was the forth and last part of the Trysmoon Saga. I was excited to get to the end, as well as sad to say goodby to this wonderfully magical world Ki'hal Brian K. Fuller has created. I am sadder to let go of some characters more than others, since the lines of light and darkness were mostly clearly defined. What was very well pointed out in this book was the way those who live by the letter of their faith could bring more harm to their cause and creed than those who are able to read the situation and go with improvisation, even if at times it seems contrary to the goal... It was fascinating to watch how a clearly worded prophecy can be twisted and abused, using its own words and predictions, its own heroes against its main idea, while being capable of making the antihero into the positive force of light... And as we all know, in order to play with a plot like this you need to be a master storyteller, which Brian Fuller obviously is! Reading these four tomes of one book, I was lost in the story which was facilitated by the melody of the language he weaves into this classic battle of good and evil. No wonder I was reminded of the bards of Medieval times, and I thought his own inclusion of bards in the story was a great homage to the classic Fantasy Genre...
The four volumes had no lapse of time in between and should be considered one volume. This being said, I found all of them very entertaining and perfectly balanced between plot, descriptive passages, political intrigues, and battles:) Yes, I am still quite bloodthirsty! The magic system, dependent on the three moons, the mythology, and the creatures populating the broken world were imaginative and most importantly, made perfect sense!!! I personally spend most of the book hoping that the churchmen would get their heads out of their collective ass, but it is easier for us as readers to feel all knowing when we are given glimpses of all sides of the conflict...
The third part of the book had ended in a positive note and I was worried that there isn't going to be much for the final part. How glad I am to have been wrong. The forth part began with calamity, tragedy, deceit and betrayal one after another, so much so, that by the fifth chapter I had no idea how the author is going to salvage anything of hope by the end of the book... Things were looking very glum for the Chalaine, Mirelle, Gen, The Holy Child and the whole of Ki'hal. SO much treachery, so much playing on people's superstitions, misunderstandings, and fear... Mikkik, the god of trickery, deceit and darkness, had all the good people and their church leaders eating out of his hand, feeding them with visions of their own expectations, having bamboozled all but Gen, Mirelle and the Chalaine. The most devoted priest, a fanatic at heart, but in no way a supporter of Mikkik, the good Padra Athan, whose whole existence has been devoted to bringing the light back into the world, unwittingly turns into a puppet into the hands of the Deceiver. More damage is done by the manipulations of the well meaning than by the hideous creatures Mikkik trows against the armies... So, it is up to Gen and his allies to try to save the day...
The characters in this saga were very compelling and early on the favorites stole our hearts, letting us root for them despite their flaws and weaknesses. My favorite character from the beginning was Mirelle and the epilogue brought joy to my heart. Overall, a very worthy addition to this my most beloved genre!!! Strongly recommend it to those who like me love the world of the fantastical!!!!
Now I wish all of you Happy Reading and may all books open your mind to new possibilities!!!
September 10, 2018
Wow! What a finish to a great series.
This book and the series as a whole has been one unique ride. It has shocked and surprised me more than any in recent memory. The characters are very realistic and I became quickly attached to the main character of Gen.
I really don't want to spoil any of part the story for you so lets me just say that nothing in this book changes much for Gen. It's pretty much like the previous volumes. It still seems like no matter how hard he tries to do the right thing, he always ends up getting the short end of the stick.
When you finish the last book in a really good series, there is almost a period of grieving you go through as you realize that's it. There is no more. That your time with these characters is at an end and you'll never spend time with them again. This was definitely true for me with this series. It is one of the few series that really kept me surprised. With so many books, it's fairly obvious where the plot is going but Brian K. Fuller has a gift for taking the sudden unexpected left turn. Seriously! There were times when I wanted to throw my tablet across the room! Like WTF are you doing! You can't kill him! She did what? I can't even begin to count the number of times I said things to that effect throughout this book! It was F'ing great!!! :)
As an individual book, I'm going to give it four stars. It's a really good book but just falls short of being great. If I could rate it as a series, I would give it five stars. It is a great series of books that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys fantasy.
April 4, 2017
Full review posted in Ascension
June 28, 2016
A well written and engaging epic fantasy from a little known author, The Trysmoon Saga delivers on all fronts and deserves more recognition.
Overall this epic story starts out with a very familiar feel trope-wise, and whilst it does not deviate from this path significantly, the author does enough with it to make it stand out on its own. There are many excellent characters to root for, interesting villains and some great action scenes throughout. The humor works as well and there were some nice twists, but I found the romance to be a touch dissatisfying. While they were not badly written, I did not like how they played out and felt like the characters demanded one thing and the author just said “No, I’m doing this with you.” Hmmm. It was still good, but it could have been much better. I loved pretty much everything else in this one though, and would not hesitate to recommend it.
If you are into fantasy, grab a copy and support this little known author. It is well worth it.
Overall this epic story starts out with a very familiar feel trope-wise, and whilst it does not deviate from this path significantly, the author does enough with it to make it stand out on its own. There are many excellent characters to root for, interesting villains and some great action scenes throughout. The humor works as well and there were some nice twists, but I found the romance to be a touch dissatisfying. While they were not badly written, I did not like how they played out and felt like the characters demanded one thing and the author just said “No, I’m doing this with you.” Hmmm. It was still good, but it could have been much better. I loved pretty much everything else in this one though, and would not hesitate to recommend it.
If you are into fantasy, grab a copy and support this little known author. It is well worth it.
February 18, 2023
3.5 stars. Good story. I loved the previous three books in this series, with some quibbles, but IMO the author slightly bungled book 4 of 4 — at least, in the last quarter. Having said that, I loved several scenes in this book, including those featuring Maewen, Volney and/ or Gerand. Some of the battle scenes are excellent. Loved Gen versus Hecka Dron (sp?). And Gen and Cadaen to the rescue at Echo Hall. Loved Gerand and Maewen battling together in the city. Interesting turn of events in the Shattered Sky chapter. And throughout, we see how treacherously sly is the god-killer ...Tricky Mikk is an interesting villain, not just a poster boy.
Spoilers enclosed in tags!! Beware!
My biggest problem is with characterization detours and plot contrivances. Characters we've grown to know do things that don't add up, especially in the final quarter. For one example, they unexpectedly and unbelievably demonstrate sheer stupidity (towards the end of the book, why would Gen — always so wise and fiercely protective — trust such a personal task to ).
Characters previously portrayed as honorable (if foolish) act with dishonor (. Other characters appeared to vacillate between totally, murderously, egregiously evil versus not-so-bad-after-all (Torbrand Shadan Khairn, and the despicable Padra Athan).
Across the series I grew to loathe Padra Athan, so I wanted Fuller to sock it to him hard. So I can only suppose Fuller is planning a sequel. I'd like that, maybe.
I wanted to like Torbrand, but knowing what he'd done in book 1, how could I accept the character twist? Fuller seems to shape this character at will and whimsy.
Another problem I had with characterization centered around something that happened in the first quarter of the book.
Plus, there is the ongoing problem with the love triangle. That went on too long and traversed a winding path, with too many loop-de-loops for my taste. I mentioned it in my review of a previous book, but here it just got crazy. It smacks of problems with plot development and character development. How can the author portray
Another example of the plot driving the characters: Why would the high priest Athan swallow Mikkik's lie Maybe I'm wrong and it had to be blood donated freely, but in this case, it's supposedly his creation and his own blood. So...??
The final death at Elde Luri Mora was sad but acceptable and credible • even beautiful • but the epilogue was totally weird. It felt like a different book. Endings can sometimes make or break books, and this one broke it. Bummer.
The epilogue is such a sad fizzle. I wanted it to include my favorite characters from the series, including the Mirrim Eri elves. Instead, we get some random strangers filling up the last chapter??
But on the upside, here's an example of Fuller's writing style. Perfectly expressed metaphor, a spoiler:
There are many characters and places in this series, with weird spellings. Easy to forget. Need a wiki page or glossary.
Spoilers enclosed in tags!! Beware!
My biggest problem is with characterization detours and plot contrivances. Characters we've grown to know do things that don't add up, especially in the final quarter. For one example, they unexpectedly and unbelievably demonstrate sheer stupidity (towards the end of the book, why would Gen — always so wise and fiercely protective — trust such a personal task to ).
Characters previously portrayed as honorable (if foolish) act with dishonor (. Other characters appeared to vacillate between totally, murderously, egregiously evil versus not-so-bad-after-all (Torbrand Shadan Khairn, and the despicable Padra Athan).
Across the series I grew to loathe Padra Athan, so I wanted Fuller to sock it to him hard. So I can only suppose Fuller is planning a sequel. I'd like that, maybe.
I wanted to like Torbrand, but knowing what he'd done in book 1, how could I accept the character twist? Fuller seems to shape this character at will and whimsy.
Another problem I had with characterization centered around something that happened in the first quarter of the book.
Plus, there is the ongoing problem with the love triangle. That went on too long and traversed a winding path, with too many loop-de-loops for my taste. I mentioned it in my review of a previous book, but here it just got crazy. It smacks of problems with plot development and character development. How can the author portray
Another example of the plot driving the characters: Why would the high priest Athan swallow Mikkik's lie Maybe I'm wrong and it had to be blood donated freely, but in this case, it's supposedly his creation and his own blood. So...??
The final death at Elde Luri Mora was sad but acceptable and credible • even beautiful • but the epilogue was totally weird. It felt like a different book. Endings can sometimes make or break books, and this one broke it. Bummer.
The epilogue is such a sad fizzle. I wanted it to include my favorite characters from the series, including the Mirrim Eri elves. Instead, we get some random strangers filling up the last chapter??
But on the upside, here's an example of Fuller's writing style. Perfectly expressed metaphor, a spoiler:
There are many characters and places in this series, with weird spellings. Easy to forget. Need a wiki page or glossary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2021
Excellent series although I do feel a little stung that this series was truly one book split into four.
That being said, this truly is an awesome story with excellent characters, mythology and magic system. The end of Gen's story was satisfying even though I wanted a different ending.
My only other gripe is the author's lack of talent at naming his books and the chapters. I tend to dislike titles that give away the story. For instance this book is entitled SACRIFICE. So take a guess on what happens in the plot.
Highly Recommended
That being said, this truly is an awesome story with excellent characters, mythology and magic system. The end of Gen's story was satisfying even though I wanted a different ending.
My only other gripe is the author's lack of talent at naming his books and the chapters. I tend to dislike titles that give away the story. For instance this book is entitled SACRIFICE. So take a guess on what happens in the plot.
Highly Recommended
May 6, 2022
Well, that was fun! This was another of my re-reads because I was in the mood for it.
The conclusion of this series wrapped up very satisfactorily. All of the threads were resolved.
There were two scenes in particular that I loved. The first dealt with the unexpected manner in which the Evil Overlord was dispatched. That really was fitting! And the second was the epilogue. Actually, I think the epilogue was my favorite section of the book. I was very happy for these two characters. Their interactions throughout the series were some of the most memorable.
This series is a clean, (smut-wise, not violence), traditional type of fantasy that has always kept me entertained.
The conclusion of this series wrapped up very satisfactorily. All of the threads were resolved.
There were two scenes in particular that I loved. The first dealt with the unexpected manner in which the Evil Overlord was dispatched. That really was fitting! And the second was the epilogue. Actually, I think the epilogue was my favorite section of the book. I was very happy for these two characters. Their interactions throughout the series were some of the most memorable.
This series is a clean, (smut-wise, not violence), traditional type of fantasy that has always kept me entertained.
May 20, 2016
Review to Come
June 9, 2015
The series starts out pretty well, but past the first book (which I rate 4/5) things started to feel formulaic to me and kinda just got worse in various ways, ending badly with this final book. If I had to describe my chief complaint, it would be that the interpersonal relationships between the main cast feel shallow and haphazard.
Looking back, character development was odd as well, with "sudden and inexplicable" being a good description of it.
Specific to this book, I'll say that endings generally make or break books/series for me and this one definitely broke it. It was simultaneously out-of-nowhere, completely predictable, and a cop-out of massive proportions.
Looking back, character development was odd as well, with "sudden and inexplicable" being a good description of it.
Specific to this book, I'll say that endings generally make or break books/series for me and this one definitely broke it. It was simultaneously out-of-nowhere, completely predictable, and a cop-out of massive proportions.
September 8, 2015
Not bad, but not quite as enjoyable as the first 3 books.
December 7, 2017
Sacrifice was a bit of a disappointment after the sheer world-combing of Hunted, and focuses instead with laserlike acuity on the eschatological events that surround Ki-hal's fate. The speed with which the story closes and amount of space needed to illustrate final events mean that some things feel a little rushed (the final encounter with Mikkik comes to mind), but there's unexpected character development for Jaron (who's really a favorite of the story by this point), as well as Padra Athan.
Broadly, I'd say I was satisfied with the book's ending, though perhaps frustrated by the romantic aspect - something that concluded in a rather lukewarm fashion after so much build time throughout the saga. A lot of this is due to my frustration with the fairly bizarre and not entirely believable mother/daughter aspect of the love triangle between Gen, the Chalaine, and Mirelle.
Fuller's writing style and creativity with both his protagonists and antagonists, as well as the fun little details that breathe life into fantasy worlds, keep ticking to the end. Something about his writing style, if not all of his characters and relationships, works very well for me, and I would give the whole trilogy something like a 3.75/5, scoring high for creativity and novelty, and perhaps being worthy of re-read sometime in the future. Definitely recommended for those who appreciate a more mysterious, underhanded evil that bears gifts in its right hand while charming those good and pious with power.
Broadly, I'd say I was satisfied with the book's ending, though perhaps frustrated by the romantic aspect - something that concluded in a rather lukewarm fashion after so much build time throughout the saga. A lot of this is due to my frustration with the fairly bizarre and not entirely believable mother/daughter aspect of the love triangle between Gen, the Chalaine, and Mirelle.
Fuller's writing style and creativity with both his protagonists and antagonists, as well as the fun little details that breathe life into fantasy worlds, keep ticking to the end. Something about his writing style, if not all of his characters and relationships, works very well for me, and I would give the whole trilogy something like a 3.75/5, scoring high for creativity and novelty, and perhaps being worthy of re-read sometime in the future. Definitely recommended for those who appreciate a more mysterious, underhanded evil that bears gifts in its right hand while charming those good and pious with power.
March 5, 2015
I'm giving it a four because I enjoyed the series as a whole, and I enjoyed the ending here, especially the epilogue. But aside from the epilogue almost the entirety of this book felt extremely rushed and all over the place.
I especially disliked that somethings were just glossed over and ignored, that some characters who've shown growth reverted back or changed into unlikable versions of themselves and I didn't like that some characters and events were not given the proper treatment.
The "big bads" demise was also a bit underwhelming but still...
Also what bothered me is that the fact of Maewen's mother and father was never adressed... Gen had the memories of her father and her mother was introduced yet besides some veiled mentions it was never a concrete part of the story.
I honestly enjoyed the overall premise and while it could have definitely been better it was still a nice read and I'm glad I stumbled upon this series thanks to Goodreads recommendations.
Mirelle remained my favorite character through almost the entire series and while the whole mother/daughter love triangle could have been done better it ended up okay.
And I'm glad Mirelle got her happy ending as the romantic side of me rooted for her.
I'd still recommend it for people if they enjoy "classic" epic fantasy series, as there were several established fantasy tropes present which could be a deterrent to some but also a sort of comfort.
Enough of my scattered rumbling. Read, relax, enjoy.
I especially disliked that somethings were just glossed over and ignored, that some characters who've shown growth reverted back or changed into unlikable versions of themselves and I didn't like that some characters and events were not given the proper treatment.
The "big bads" demise was also a bit underwhelming but still...
Also what bothered me is that the fact of Maewen's mother and father was never adressed... Gen had the memories of her father and her mother was introduced yet besides some veiled mentions it was never a concrete part of the story.
I honestly enjoyed the overall premise and while it could have definitely been better it was still a nice read and I'm glad I stumbled upon this series thanks to Goodreads recommendations.
Mirelle remained my favorite character through almost the entire series and while the whole mother/daughter love triangle could have been done better it ended up okay.
And I'm glad Mirelle got her happy ending as the romantic side of me rooted for her.
I'd still recommend it for people if they enjoy "classic" epic fantasy series, as there were several established fantasy tropes present which could be a deterrent to some but also a sort of comfort.
Enough of my scattered rumbling. Read, relax, enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2015
Interesting ideas. Exciting and well done.
There are four books in “The Trysmoon Saga” series. They are one long story. Be prepared to read them all. The four books in order are Ascension, Duty, Hunted, Sacrifice.
5 stars for Ascension. Exciting wonderful journey following Gen an orphan. The evil local magistrate bullies and harms Gen and others. Warlord Khairn comes to town killing many. Khairn forces Gen to learn to fight. There are magical creatures and healers in this world. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings with a little Harry Potter.
4 stars for books 2 and 3, Duty and Hunted. Still very good as they continue Gen’s story.
3 ½ stars - maybe 4 stars for the last book Sacrifice. There were sooo many battles and journeys. The main characters fight, flee and survive one obstacle, then an emergency happens and they are fighting something else. I was getting a little weary of battle after battle. But the overall story and how it ended was worthwhile. The evil god Mikkik was close to destroying all the good in the world. The epilogue was fun and very feel good.
BUT, I agree with everything Kathleen says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... The 4th book could have been much better.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Simon Vance is excellent. And he does females well.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: no details shown but a few occurrences are referred to after the fact. Setting: medieval time on another planet. Book copyright: 2014. Genre: fantasy.
There are four books in “The Trysmoon Saga” series. They are one long story. Be prepared to read them all. The four books in order are Ascension, Duty, Hunted, Sacrifice.
5 stars for Ascension. Exciting wonderful journey following Gen an orphan. The evil local magistrate bullies and harms Gen and others. Warlord Khairn comes to town killing many. Khairn forces Gen to learn to fight. There are magical creatures and healers in this world. It reminds me of Lord of the Rings with a little Harry Potter.
4 stars for books 2 and 3, Duty and Hunted. Still very good as they continue Gen’s story.
3 ½ stars - maybe 4 stars for the last book Sacrifice. There were sooo many battles and journeys. The main characters fight, flee and survive one obstacle, then an emergency happens and they are fighting something else. I was getting a little weary of battle after battle. But the overall story and how it ended was worthwhile. The evil god Mikkik was close to destroying all the good in the world. The epilogue was fun and very feel good.
BUT, I agree with everything Kathleen says in her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... The 4th book could have been much better.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Simon Vance is excellent. And he does females well.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: none. Sexual content: no details shown but a few occurrences are referred to after the fact. Setting: medieval time on another planet. Book copyright: 2014. Genre: fantasy.
March 21, 2016
Long and rambling
Didn't appreciate the love triangle at all. The first book was good but the other three got progressively worse after that.
Didn't appreciate the love triangle at all. The first book was good but the other three got progressively worse after that.
Read
April 18, 2015OUTSTANDING to say the least
I don't believe that I have ever read a more involved series. The author had to have taken a long time to come up with all the characters and then intertwine all the scenes so perfectly. There are many many bad characters throughout the entire story and it sometimes appears they have won the war but this author is VERY crafty with this storytelling.
I do highly recommend this story to ANYONE that enjoys a great story told by a GREAT author.
I don't believe that I have ever read a more involved series. The author had to have taken a long time to come up with all the characters and then intertwine all the scenes so perfectly. There are many many bad characters throughout the entire story and it sometimes appears they have won the war but this author is VERY crafty with this storytelling.
I do highly recommend this story to ANYONE that enjoys a great story told by a GREAT author.
May 8, 2015
Extremely weak final volume in an otherwise highly enjoyable series.
December 13, 2020
What a shame, this series had so much promise in the first 2 books then it all went downhill.
I didn’t enjoy much about the previous book in this series and hoped that this one might be a return to form, but unfortunately in the opening chapters it proved me wrong. Those opening chapters felt like they were taking place after a huge time jump and I was wondering if maybe I had missed a book somehow. Unfortunately I hadn’t. Not only was there a confusing time jump and we find ourselves in the middle of a war, but all of the trials and hardships faced by the main characters in the last few books are shown to have been for nothing almost instantly. Right from the off these events rubbed me the wrong way and unfortunately the novel never recovered.
I kept reading for the sake of having already invested so much time into this series, but ultimately I left diasappointed. This final installment was disjointed, chaotic and I got the impression that the author was making it up as he went along.
Overall it’s a shame as the series had so much promise and I genuinely liked all the characters (the reason for the second star in this review), but ultimately this book didn’t live up to its potential and tanks the series as a whole.
I didn’t enjoy much about the previous book in this series and hoped that this one might be a return to form, but unfortunately in the opening chapters it proved me wrong. Those opening chapters felt like they were taking place after a huge time jump and I was wondering if maybe I had missed a book somehow. Unfortunately I hadn’t. Not only was there a confusing time jump and we find ourselves in the middle of a war, but all of the trials and hardships faced by the main characters in the last few books are shown to have been for nothing almost instantly. Right from the off these events rubbed me the wrong way and unfortunately the novel never recovered.
I kept reading for the sake of having already invested so much time into this series, but ultimately I left diasappointed. This final installment was disjointed, chaotic and I got the impression that the author was making it up as he went along.
Overall it’s a shame as the series had so much promise and I genuinely liked all the characters (the reason for the second star in this review), but ultimately this book didn’t live up to its potential and tanks the series as a whole.
December 25, 2015
So, I stayed up until 1:30am reading this final book, so I really did enjoy it, but I also have some major gripes.
Mainly about the Chalaine and how she is portrayed in grieving. You can tell a man wrote this book because there is a huge untruth and that is how easily and quickly she got over the loss of her baby.
George Lucas pulled the same thing with Padma after she had her twins and then died of a broken heart because of her dumb boyfriend.
Listen up, men. When a woman has a baby, that baby trumps EVERYTHING. There is rarely a thought for romance or sex after the birthing and especially loss of a baby. It is a chemical change of the brain. A woman is changed forever and nothing is as important as that baby.
I didn't like how driven by romance the Chilaine was. All she could think about was getting with Gen. It wasn't believable.
I think she longed for companionship and love, but it turned into her being a silly bird.
What ever happened to her training with the stones? There was such a build up to her knowing the sword, but then nothing came of it. She never fought. I thought for sure she would join Gen in fighting and that she would be a strong, defensible character. Nope.
I don't like how the prophecy turned out. I'm not even sure how it turned out. But Gen and Chaliane should have joined forces in battle instead of the bedroom. Snooze.
And I don't like how arbitrary Mikkik's magical powers were. At one point he could do anything to everyone with his powers, so what is the point of a war and battle? Just shoot your magic where you need it and be done with it.
And I find it unbelievable that he just kinda sits in the jail cell and awaits the sword. Pretty flimsy.
I realize this is a self published book, so this is more of constructive criticism...I think the premise is really intriguing and could be a fabulous story if it was honed and fine tuned a tad.
Book one is by far the most well crafted of them all. I wish they were all to that level because I could really like this series if they were.
Mainly about the Chalaine and how she is portrayed in grieving. You can tell a man wrote this book because there is a huge untruth and that is how easily and quickly she got over the loss of her baby.
George Lucas pulled the same thing with Padma after she had her twins and then died of a broken heart because of her dumb boyfriend.
Listen up, men. When a woman has a baby, that baby trumps EVERYTHING. There is rarely a thought for romance or sex after the birthing and especially loss of a baby. It is a chemical change of the brain. A woman is changed forever and nothing is as important as that baby.
I didn't like how driven by romance the Chilaine was. All she could think about was getting with Gen. It wasn't believable.
I think she longed for companionship and love, but it turned into her being a silly bird.
What ever happened to her training with the stones? There was such a build up to her knowing the sword, but then nothing came of it. She never fought. I thought for sure she would join Gen in fighting and that she would be a strong, defensible character. Nope.
I don't like how the prophecy turned out. I'm not even sure how it turned out. But Gen and Chaliane should have joined forces in battle instead of the bedroom. Snooze.
And I don't like how arbitrary Mikkik's magical powers were. At one point he could do anything to everyone with his powers, so what is the point of a war and battle? Just shoot your magic where you need it and be done with it.
And I find it unbelievable that he just kinda sits in the jail cell and awaits the sword. Pretty flimsy.
I realize this is a self published book, so this is more of constructive criticism...I think the premise is really intriguing and could be a fabulous story if it was honed and fine tuned a tad.
Book one is by far the most well crafted of them all. I wish they were all to that level because I could really like this series if they were.
March 31, 2016
I'm going to review this book alone here, even though it seems the author's intent is that all four books be read as one book. (The chapter numbers of each even pick up where the previous book leaves off.)
I feel like the fourth book sort of takes some very strange turns in wrapping up the tale. Some of which are unnecessary and to be honest, a little off-putting. Pretty much the entire Gen/Chalaine/Mirelle love triangle icks me out. I was incredibly disappointed by the big reveal that Gen was in love with the Chalaine in the first place because I felt it didn't fit either of the characters. I didn't get a romantic read off them at all, more of a friendship which was what the Chalaine needed desperately. I can't really count Fenna because Fenna was her servant and would never be as frank with her as Gen was. I thought it was terribly cliche for the hero to fall for the supernaturally beautiful woman admired and lusted for by all. Especially when said hero seems to have much better chemistry with that character's mother. The third book even ends in a manner that I thought heavily hinted that they would be married when we came back to the story in this book. The fact that he married and had relations with both daughter and mother in this book weirds me out to no end.
Also, the jump from the events at the end of the last book to the beginning of this one is rather jarring. We're thrown so suddenly into the whole battle with Mikkik and everything that happens there that I thought it would turn out to be a dream Gen or the Chalaine were having. It was odd to be thrown into such drastic events so quickly. I feel as if there was too much thrown in to this book and the author tried too hard to wrap up everything neatly.
On the whole it's not necessarily a bad ending, but it's not what I expected and the path to get there is strange and rushed.
I feel like the fourth book sort of takes some very strange turns in wrapping up the tale. Some of which are unnecessary and to be honest, a little off-putting. Pretty much the entire Gen/Chalaine/Mirelle love triangle icks me out. I was incredibly disappointed by the big reveal that Gen was in love with the Chalaine in the first place because I felt it didn't fit either of the characters. I didn't get a romantic read off them at all, more of a friendship which was what the Chalaine needed desperately. I can't really count Fenna because Fenna was her servant and would never be as frank with her as Gen was. I thought it was terribly cliche for the hero to fall for the supernaturally beautiful woman admired and lusted for by all. Especially when said hero seems to have much better chemistry with that character's mother. The third book even ends in a manner that I thought heavily hinted that they would be married when we came back to the story in this book. The fact that he married and had relations with both daughter and mother in this book weirds me out to no end.
Also, the jump from the events at the end of the last book to the beginning of this one is rather jarring. We're thrown so suddenly into the whole battle with Mikkik and everything that happens there that I thought it would turn out to be a dream Gen or the Chalaine were having. It was odd to be thrown into such drastic events so quickly. I feel as if there was too much thrown in to this book and the author tried too hard to wrap up everything neatly.
On the whole it's not necessarily a bad ending, but it's not what I expected and the path to get there is strange and rushed.
May 11, 2019
I had a hard time with this book. I read all four books within a couple weeks and couldn't wait to read more. I was so engaged and loved it all. This last book left me filling very unfulfilled though. I got so tired of the back and forth with the love triangle and was glad when it seemed like Gen finally made a choice and we could get on with it. I was really disappointed with the way it all worked out...everything was way too happy and he got everything he ever wanted. And the epilogue was ridiculous! So out of character with the rest of the story and so dumb. I wished I hadn't even read it. Overall the whole saga was great, but Sacrifice was definitely lacking compared to the other three books.
July 24, 2015
Strong Finish
This was a strong finish the series. The best part was the aggressive plot--lots of surprises and big events. It didn't end like I thought but it was satisfying. There were a couple of character changes that weren't realistic but they weren't so bad it ruined things.
This was a strong finish the series. The best part was the aggressive plot--lots of surprises and big events. It didn't end like I thought but it was satisfying. There were a couple of character changes that weren't realistic but they weren't so bad it ruined things.
July 15, 2015
This was a fantastic series! And one that I could never quite predict exactly what would happen- There are a lot of Red Herrings, or plans the characters make that never end up happening because the plot goes in a different direction- I loved it, it's honestly my new favorite series!
June 14, 2015
Melodramatic and anticlimactic at best. Great characters, great plot and great disappointment. It could have been so much more.
July 29, 2016
how can fuller make the main character so powerfull and so USELESS at the same time?
December 15, 2017
As with Fuller's other Trysmoon books, the title indicates what would be happening to persons.
In this novel the cast are sacrificing left, right and center.
The series was tied up in a pretty bow. I would call deus ex machina, but everything was foreshadowed in previous novels... so planned deus ex machina?
3/5 Stars
In this novel the cast are sacrificing left, right and center.
The series was tied up in a pretty bow. I would call deus ex machina, but everything was foreshadowed in previous novels... so planned deus ex machina?
3/5 Stars
August 9, 2023
This is a decent ending to a decent series. I found the plot nice but the characters flat. The most interesting character for me was the Aughmerian warlord from book one, and he grew quite boring when he converted to being a good soldier. I also felt that Gen and Maeve should have had deeper interactions. The love triangle between a boy a girl and her mother was unsettling and felt fairly pointless to me. In general all of these battles seemed pointless the way they were framed and Gen should have been doing more useful things throughout. I wish there were bigger surprises and harder decisions. And especially that the Chalaine was a more useful character - all she does for four books is whine about boys, light healing, and bleeding. This is honestly more a harem fantasy book than an epic fantasy. I'd rate the only part of the series that felt grounded and interesting to be the first part with Gen and Tolborn. Everything after that got over romancy and overdramatic.
February 27, 2021
Acredito que a melhor maneira de descrever essa série seria ''estável''. Desde o começo até o fim ela mantem o mesmo nível de qualidade, não sendo incrível ou épica, mas sendo constantemente divertida e instigante. Os personagens são bem legais de acompanhar, (Mirrele uma das melhores personagens femininas que já tive o prazer de ler), e ver o desenvolvimento deles durante a série é bem prazeroso, e todos de maneira geral, tiveram uma boa conclusão. Trysmoon Saga foi realmente um achado, que merecia um reconhecimento maior e Brian K Fuller vai ser um autor que vou ficar de olho.
October 12, 2018
I loved the ending of this book. Although its not as wide or far reaching as I would've hoped for a fantasy novel, it is a story that focused a lot on the characters and developed very well, especially Mirelle.
I look forward to Brian's future works.
PS. The Audiobook narrator is Simon Vance, who is a master of these kinds of stories. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you want to listen instead of read.
I look forward to Brian's future works.
PS. The Audiobook narrator is Simon Vance, who is a master of these kinds of stories. I wholeheartedly recommend it if you want to listen instead of read.
May 30, 2020
A very enjoyable series. Lots of roller coaster action, cliff hangers galore! Highly recommend this series. Excellent character and world building. I could not stop until I read all 4 books. I've recommended this series and author to one of my doctors that enjoys the same genre of books as I do. My husband recommended it to me as one he thought I would like, he was correct! I recommend reading this author's stand alone novel, Flametouched, as well.
April 13, 2018
Absolutely amazing
I obtained all 4 books in this saga and I couldn't have enjoyed them more. This story was wonderful the character's so believable the only thing that upset me was when I came to the end and there were no more books! I will now read everything I find by this author!!!
I obtained all 4 books in this saga and I couldn't have enjoyed them more. This story was wonderful the character's so believable the only thing that upset me was when I came to the end and there were no more books! I will now read everything I find by this author!!!
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