๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐
- Release date : April 9th 2019
- Publishing house : Ace books
- Series : Book of the Ancestor
- Pages : 353
Spoilers ahead
If you want to read my reviews for the first two books, headย here and here
Character :
Nona Grey :ย Over the series, Nona has matured a lot. During the two first books, she had trouble controlling her bloodlust but thanks to Abess Glass, she has been able to see the bigger picture and that killing may not be the only solution. When she is offered the choice to join one of the three orders, everyone thinks that she is going to the fighting order or at least the assassination order but she surprises everyone by choosing the holy order as per Abess Glass’ request.
The application of knowledge could unlock doors that her flaw-blades couldnโt so much as scratch, and it could bring down those so mighty that no feat of arms would stay their hand.
There were several relationships I liked during the book and in the series. For instance, Zole and Nona’s as they went from enemies to close friends. I’ve loved how Zole slowly opened up to Nona by smiling, by joking and so on. Ara and Nona’s relationship is another one I’ve liked. Nona thought switching places with her to allow her to guard the convent while she went to war would see her safe but the attack on the convent almost killed (and Clera’s betrayal). She rushed to her rescue and killed dozen of men to protect her and the novices/sisters.
I haven’t reached the Path in twenty years because in all that time I have never left it
Story :
The story is divided into two timelines : right after the events in Grey Sister when Zole and Nona are fleeing on the ice and three years after when Nona is completing the end of her training. Unlike in Grey Sister, we only follow Nona’s point of view even if we can know what is happening to her other friends thanks to the bond they share. Queen Adoma’s army has been rampaging across the empire and is now closing in on Verity.
As we discovered in Grey Sister, Abess Glass was such a brilliant mastermind. I was quite sad to read about her death and everyone’s reaction of her death was also sad. She knew whom she could rely on to secure some kind of peace and asked them – Nona and Zole – to follow her instructions to make it happen. She was always several steps ahead of her enemies and knew how some people would react so that she could think of some countermeasures (like for Sherzal).
I also loved the fact that Nona withdrew some important information from almost everyone else (us too) as only her, Zole and Abess Glass were in the know. Abess Glass knew that telling their plan to too many people could endanger it.
Moons might rise and fall, empires wax and wane, even the stars come and go, but there are constants too, and though the story of our kind is ever-changing it is also always the same.
I’ve always loved Mark Lawrence’s talent to create a wide array of believable characters, each one with a distinct past, personality and desires. Nona’s development is one of the best I’ve read about. She has become an inspiring person you would want to follow. Her future may be grim but I know that she will keep pushing on with her friends. The only tiny issue is that it was a bit short compared to the first two. Maybe we could have had the fights of some important characters who died off-page.
L'Antre de la Fantasy 