Sword and Pen (The Great Library) (edició 2020)

1140 ( )

I AM NOT OKAY THIS BOOK IS A MASTERPIECE I HAVE SO MANY FEELING IT HUUUURTS BUT OMFG IT WAS THE PERFECT CONCLUSION AHHHHHHHDJHDHHRYJFFFYGJFD !!!!! ( )

Thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion to "The Great Library" series. I have really enjoyed this series and the conclusion didn't disappoint. It is going to be in my top 5 for the year. In fact, someone should make a TV series of this - it would work really well IMHO. I greatly recommend this series. ( )

This final instalment of the Great Library series picks up moments after the final events in Smoke and Iron and, just like in the previous volume, we follow the group of reluctant rebels separately, with each chapter dedicated to a person's POV. There is no scarcity of action or fantastic set pieces, but I somehow found it difficult to engage with the characters this time. Maybe this is because there are some plot developments that I found rather hard to believe (rather more suspension of disbelief than has been required for the series and its premise so far, that is). Though there is some loss at the end, the finale sees everything tied up far too neatly and brightly. ( )

I've given the final volume of the Great Library series the full five stars, for its own quality, but also for the achievement of the entire run.

The books benefit from solid and original plotting, and consistent character development. The relationship between Wolfe and Santi rang particularly true, and was the one romantic dyad that anchored the entire story. Similarly impressive was Caine's ability to convincingly convey a cosmopolitan world without recourse to cliche or shallow gestures. I had no difficulty in believing the world of her story was as diverse and colorful as she intended, and this was no small achievement.

Excepting only the "old man," the author did a good job of portraying the various sides and factions as motivated by something other than simple "evil." Even when resulting in bad outcomes, many thought they were genuinely doing the right thing, or at least pursuing worthwhile goals (and if it resulted in some personal benefit, what's the harm?). That moral ambivalence made the story more complex than something like the Lord of the Rings, where everyone is either clearly evil or virtuous. ( )