3.5 stars

This was an interesting conclusion to this quartet.

Daine and Numair find themselves in the realm of the gods and encounter Daine's parents. Of course, Ozorne doesn't fade away quietly and returns to cause more chaos and problems for Tortall.

I already knew from First Test that Daine and Numair end up together. She's still relatively young (16) and he's much older (almost 30) and her mentor. However, I didn't find it as disconcerting as I expected, perhaps because they are such good friends and equals in their abilities and respect for each other. In this world, Daine is considered an adult, so I could accept it, even if it felt a bit hasty just to achieve a happier ending. And let's be honest, this "romance" was far better than the melodrama in the Alanna series.

I don't have much more to say about this book. It was enjoyable, although it didn't grip my attention as strongly as the previous one. I like how confident and at ease Daine has become with her abilities. While she can solve problems a little too effortlessly with her mind-speaking powers with all animals and immortals, she does have a worthy showdown with Ozorne.

Overall, it was a satisfying end to the quartet, with some interesting developments and a conclusion that tied up most of the loose ends.

This wasn't supposed to be the next book I completed. I had intended to finish Eulalia! first. However, one morning I woke up, rolled over, and picked up this one for no particular reason. Well, except that it's easier to read paperbacks than hardbacks when you're lying on your side and don't want to get up, especially when your cat is sitting on your hip.

Anyhow, that was yesterday. I think I read about five chapters before breakfast. And then I had to face the truth: I'm addicted to these books. I have a craving for them when I'm not reading them. And when I am reading, I constantly need more and more. If there was a way to inject them directly into my brain every now and then, I probably would. Reading them is the closest I'll ever come to being truly high.

This isn't my favorite installment, but it does have some of my favorite moments. Naturally, shipping moments. Seriously, every time Daine and Numair start kissing, a part of me goes "OKAY STOP THE PLOT AND JUST KEEP MAKING OUT FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK KTHX". (And they exchange a lot of saliva, so this happens fairly often.) This is the book where Tamora Pierce demonstrates that romance is better when it's drawn out slowly over an entire quartet. By the time you reach this point, every tense moment between the two of them sends shivers down your spine and it's far more electric than any one-book instamance.

One of my favorite bits is when Daine says, "Of all the times for him to go protective on me. Maybe he ate something that was bad for him." She closed her eyes. And Broad Foot replies, "Maybe he loves you." But she didn't hear as she was already asleep. (Daine is so clueless about the whole thing that it's kind of hilarious. Also, you have to feel sorry for Numair.)

'Falling' is probably my favorite chapter of the whole quartet.

Okay, but moving on. There are other things to recommend this book. For one thing, Pierce is extremely good at humanizing the gods. For another, there are dragons! And perhaps most importantly, this is where we get the origin story of the Stormwings. I'm not going to give you any more details about those things, though, as that could be spoilers. What I will say is that I love how the Stormwings are made more sympathetic over the course of the book, to the point that by the end you feel like you understand them and, in some cases, even like them. (Now what I really want to know is what sick person dreamed up spidrens.)

The climactic battle is not nearly as good as that of Emperor Mage, but there are enough other delicious scenes that it's all worth it. Also, I'm fairly convinced that Gainel, the god of dreams, is a combination of Neil Gaiman and his character Morpheus.

For those familiar with the Lioness Quartet and the Beka Cooper books, there's a brief cameo by someone present in both series, if you're watching carefully. (I eagerly await the day when we find out what the heck he is and why he adopts humans the way he does. If we ever do, which I suppose we may not. Damn cat.)

Anyhow, this quartet. If you haven't read it, you should really make it a priority. They don't make YA like this anymore.

This quartet has been my least favourite of the Tortall books, and this particular book is my least favourite within the quartet.

The reasons I struggled to engage with the previous books are as follows - I simply am not an animal person, and I become bored whenever Daine is overly concerned about her animal friends.

Specifically for this book, I disliked the fact that two extremely important characters, namely Daine and Numair, were suddenly taken away from a war and transported to the realm of the gods, spending the majority of the book trying to return. I desired to be in the thick of the action, and the brief glimpses that Daine and Numair had were rather frustrating.

Lastly, I have significant issues with the romance in the book. In theory, I am okay with a large age gap between two consenting adults. However, Daine is not an adult as she is only 16. Additionally, I do not believe it is healthy for young readers to be presented with the idea that a romance developing from a student-teacher relationship is normal. I am aware that the author has faced a great deal of criticism for this, and she defends her choice by stating that such an age gap was common in medieval times. Nevertheless, I would argue that this is not historical fiction written for adults but rather fantasy written for modern teenagers.

This series reaches a satisfying conclusion.

However, the age-gap between Daine and Numair remains incredibly creepy, and it becomes even more so as their bond grows stronger.

It's a pity that all the "mysteries" that were promoted as the highlight of this final novel were quite obvious by the second book. Nevertheless, it's still pleasant to witness how it all unfolds.

Despite my aversion to the numerous poorly integrated clichés, fans of happy endings will appreciate how everything is neatly tied up without an all-out massacre, which some fantasy authors seem to believe is a perfect demonstration of their unique plot-making abilities.

Overall, while there are some flaws, the conclusion manages to bring a sense of closure and satisfaction to the story.

Honestly, the ending of this quartet was rather lackluster. When I was a child reading it in the 90s, I found the relationship between Daine and Numair to be charming. However, as an adult, it now makes me extremely uncomfortable. And when considering the quartet as a whole, it just doesn't seem to work well. The development of their relationship is insufficient. Given that Daine is only 13, 14, and 15 in the previous books, it's hard to imagine how it could have been properly built up. In fact, it's rather disturbing even in book 4, when she is 16 and Numair is a whopping thirty. The rest of the story seems to drag in some strange places and rush through the parts that I found most interesting. It's a bit of a disappointment overall.

The weakest book in the series, which isn't a good thing for the finale.

At times, the book would be pacing along quite well, flowing smoothly and engaging the reader. But then, out of nowhere, it would lurch forward abruptly. This sudden change in pace would cause me to go back several pages, wondering if somehow I had skipped something important.

There were, however, some great moments within the book. It was wonderful to have closure with Daine and the other beloved characters. We got to see how their stories ended and what became of them.

But overall, it felt like this book was way too rushed. It seemed as if the author was trying to keep the series at a 4-book limit, and in doing so, sacrificed the pacing and development of this final installment. It's a shame, as the series had so much potential, but this book just didn't quite live up to expectations.

Perhaps with a bit more time and attention, it could have been a truly great finale. As it stands, it's a somewhat disappointing end to what could have been an amazing series.

2020 REREAD:

Man, I have completely forgotten just how much I adore the scene where Numair believes Daine is dead. I am such a softie for those kinds of moments. It's truly remarkable how every time I read these books, I notice these small yet new details. And let's not forget, the darkings are super cute as well.

This was an absolutely spectacular conclusion to the Daine quartet. It ties up all the loose ends in the most wonderful way. The majority of the book is set in the Realm of the Gods, which was an absolute delight. We get to spend quality time with Daine's father and have many of our questions about her mother answered. Additionally, we get to meet a whole host of other gods and immortals. Honestly, if you have read any of the Daine books, you simply must read this conclusion.

Also, Daine and Numair are just the sweetest couple ever. We finally see some development in their relationship, moving beyond the platonic one they had before. Moreover, both Numair and Daine get numerous opportunities to showcase their amazing magic skills. It's just so incredibly amazing. This quartet was of such great importance to me as a teenager, and I'm overjoyed to find that it has aged well for me.

I'm going to have to concur with other reviewers.

I firmly believe that this installment was the weakest in the series.

In this particular book, Daine and Numair are whisked away to the Immortal Realms.

There, she discovers that her mother has now ascended to goddesshood and her father was Weiryn, the god of the hunt.

The majority of the book is dedicated to their attempts to return and assist the people of Tortall, who are under siege from the Immortals.

The narrative felt more like a drawn-out debate about whether or not they would go, followed by a rather rushed journey and a somewhat anticlimactic final battle.

It was definitely not on par with Emperor Mage, which, in my opinion, is the best in the series.

Moreover, the romance between Daine and Numair, who is almost twice her age, was rather unsettling.

I can't help but wonder why the author didn't simply make Daine a few years older at the start of the books.

She could easily have been a bit older and Numair a touch younger without significantly affecting the plot.

At any rate, I suppose this book serves as proof that even a highly talented writer can produce a mediocre work from time to time.

This series has reached a truly cool and exciting conclusion.

So many events took place, and so many new elements were introduced. It's been an amazing journey.

I'm extremely glad that I finally decided to give Pierce a chance to charm me with her unique world.

The way she weaves the story and creates the characters is truly captivating.

After reading this, I'm eagerly looking forward to delving into more of her books.

I can't wait to see what other wonderful adventures and magical worlds she has in store for us.

Each of her works seems to offer a new and thrilling experience, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

I believe that Pierce has a special talent for writing that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

I'm sure that her future books will be just as amazing as this one.

Yes, we're back on the 2020 comfort reading train, what of it?

This year has been filled with uncertainties and challenges, but one thing remains constant - the power of a good book to provide solace and escape.

Comfort reading is not just about passing the time; it's about finding a haven within the pages of a story. It allows us to forget our troubles, even if only for a little while.

Whether it's a classic novel, a heartwarming romance, or a thrilling mystery, there's a comfort read out there for everyone.

So, let's embrace this journey on the 2020 comfort reading train and discover the magic that lies within each book.

Who knows what wonderful stories and characters we'll encounter along the way?

Let the reading adventure begin!

Okay, I have to admit that I have been dreading this book.

This book scarred me when I was a kid. The first time I picked it up after thoroughly enjoying the rest of the series, what I thought at the time would be an enjoyable diversion to keep me occupied in the leadup to Christmas instead turned into a round of "EW EW EW EW EW I CAN'T LOOK EW EW MAKE IT GO AWAY EW EW EW!".

In case it isn't entirely clear, I'm referring, of course, to the Daine/Numair romance.

Just to be clear here, we're talking about pairing off a sixteen-year-old girl with a man almost twice her age—almost old enough, in fact, to be her father—and who's been mentoring her since she was aged thirteen. Of course, now, rereading this series with the benefit of hindsight, it's possible to pick up on the hints that this was coming—but Middle School Me was completely and utterly blindsided, and not in a good way either. I'd even read the back of the book, which had a quote from some reviewer that clearly said something about "the blossoming romance between Daine and Numair", prior to reading the actual contents, but apparently even the idea of it squicked me so badly that I blocked it out, and therefore went into this with no warning whatsoever.

Now, of course, I can't help but wonder who exactly Pierce was trying to please. After some poking around, it looks like more of a case of Author Appeal than anything else, but it still seems pretty irresponsible on the part of the author. This is a YA series. Its target audience consists of adolescent girls. Is it actually normal for middle school girls to fantasize about taking their pants off for 30-year-old men, and I was the only weirdo who was crossing my legs into a pretzel just thinking about it? Of course, I can only speak for myself, but far from swooning at the romance of it, every subsequent time I read this book while I was in its target age range, I deliberately skipped over all of the romance parts—which, surprise surprise, took away next to nothing from the story, leaving a narrative that would have been perfectly readable with no romance whatsoever given only a few minor tweaks.

Granted, they do talk about it. Numair briefly agonizes about whether he's taking advantage of her... and then goes ahead with it anyway. He expresses concern about whether Daine might "wake up" someday and see an old man where she wanted a young one—as if that's the biggest problem they need to be worrying about here! Daine, for her part, wonders if he might "wake up" someday and see a baby where he wants to see a woman. News flash: if one of your biggest relationship concerns is the possibility that the other person might see you as a baby, then you should not be in a relationship with that person!

Aside from the extreme age difference and the underage romance (which are a pretty huge deal in and of themselves), the other big thing that I never noticed as a teenager but which really bothered me on the reread was that, as far as we've seen, Daine has never been in a serious relationship before. Or, for that matter, a casual relationship. She's never even so much as had a fling as far as the readers ever hear about. Oh, sure, the author does shoehorn in an aside where it's mentioned that she's kissed a few boys before—just so the audience has the reassurance that oh, by the way, she's not actually finding her True Love, her One and Only, her Happily Ever After, in her mid-teens after never having even so much as dated. I mean, I guess I've read worse (lookin' at you, paranormal romance genre), but that doesn't make this any less cringeworthy.

As a matter of fact, prior to this point, I would've been ready to believe that Daine was completely asexual—and in all honesty, I think that would've been awesome! After all, it's not like Tamora Pierce hasn't already explored sexual freedom and sex positivity with any of her other teenage heroines, most notably Alanna and Beka Cooper, who were both allowed to fumble around, make mistakes, have sex without getting shamed for it, and overall figure out how to do this whole "relationship" thing before making a lifetime commitment—and they were allowed to do all of it on page. It would've been so nice to, just once, for even just once in my whole goddamned childhood, see some representation for girls who honestly just aren't all that interested. I normally do try to refrain from saying that an author should have included any specific brand of representation, both because it's impossible to include everything in any given book and because there's no guarantee the author will do it well—but given how gross the canon romance came out, and given Daine's complete lack of interest throughout the entire rest of the series, this feels like a missed opportunity. It feels more like the author shoehorned in a romance because she felt like the book had to have a romance rather than something that actually works with these specific characters.

*takes a deep breath* Okay. On to the positives.

As far as relationships go, I was much more interested in the completely platonic relationship between Daine and Rikash, and their growing Vitriolic Friendship is and remains hands-down one of my favorite parts of the series. In the second book they were enemies who occasionally called a truce for the sake of someone they both cared about, in the third uneasy allies with a reluctant mutual respect; now they're comfortable snarking at each other without giving or taking offense, and Daine's even starting to take real interest in Stormwings and the reasons for their existence rather than just falling back on her knee-jerk reaction of insisting they're evil just because they're viscerally disgusting. When he died in battle, she was screaming his name, and that one line—that she had not realized that he was her friend—has stuck with me ever since. It certainly made a bigger impression—not to mention a positive one—than our teenage heroine sucking face with her teacher ever did.

Reread 03/20 -

My least favorite of this quartet is due to the developing relationship between Daine and Numair.

Especially from an adult perspective, although they seem well-suited, the age difference and student-teacher dynamic appears inappropriate.

I do appreciate that Pierce at least permitted the characters to explore that angle.

However, I still wish Daine was a little bit older before they got involved.

The rest of the story, particularly in the realms of the gods, is also less engaging than others in the series.

It lacks the same level of excitement and depth that the other installments possess.

The plot in this regard seems to drag at times, making it a bit of a chore to get through.

Nonetheless, the overall concept and world-building in the series are still quite impressive.

But this particular book just doesn't quite measure up to the others for me.