Friday, February 12, 2016

Limits of Power (Legend of Paksenarrion Book 4) --by Elizabeth Moon

Fiction / Fantasy
505 pages / 4655 KB
5 Stars

If you're looking for a good read, and haven't already read Books 1, 2, and 3, do not, repeat, DO NOT start here. There is too much history between the characters, and you'll be lost, frustrated, and possibly angry. Start with #1 and read in order.

I faced this book with a wee bit of trepidation. I love the series, the people, the stories, and I knew before I picked the book up that the next book would be the end of the series. Although the stories would have to end, I wasn't all that positive I wanted them to. Yes, I wanted to know how they ended, but....

A subtitle for this book might have been: The Book of Change. There are many changes the characters go through as we turn the pages. And turn the pages you will.  After years of absence, magic is reappearing in families without warning or explanation. Fanatics go on a killing rampage, hell bent for leather to stamp out all magic and magery—killing men, women, and the children who possess it. Dark Elves kill The Lady of the Forest, leaving her grandson, the king, in the lurch. The world is not a pleasant place at the moment. Turn the page.

Knowing this is a five-book series, don't expect a neat, pat ending. Moon sets us up for the big conclusion in Book Five.

Moon draws on her time of active duty in the USMC to give us a realistic picture of what it's like to be a ground pounder, and what they must know in order to stay alive. (Can you cook? Can you darn your socks? Can you follow orders without question?)


Moon has been compared to George RR Martin and Robin Hobb. Frankly, I like Moon better. She doesn't kill everyone off and her series has an ending. And for me, it isn't quite as dark. I think Martin and Hobb should be compared to Moon.

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