*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***
A very satisfying conclusion - all loose ends tied up! - to the events that began in Book 5.
I think the author is really good at character development. He keeps Will, Horace, and Alyss interesting while also introducing all sorts of new and different characters. He even had me feeling sorry for Keren at one point!
The book was probably on track for a 5-star rating, but then I reined it in because I felt like there were some major holes in the action. When Will and Horace are hiding for hours under the upside-down cart, it just made no sense to me that the castle defenders wouldn't just walk out and physically inspect the cart after it's abandoned. Why wouldn't Keren order some men to investigate the cart, to see if there might be any hint of what kind of siege they might be planning? And when he orders the cart burned, the flaming arrows fail, so they just give up!? How lazy can you be! Why not walk down to investigate why the cart isn't burning, and then break it apart for firewood or something!?
Then there was the climactic scene when Alyss was on the verge of killing Will. Of course Will wouldn't harm Alyss, but surely Alyss isn't so skilled with a sword that Will wouldn't be able to evade or restrain Alyss, right? He's one of the best-trained Ranger's after all, and managed to avoid being killed by the Scotti general in hand-to-hand combat! I think the implication is that Keren could easily have picked up the sword and finished the job, or held Will down while Alyss struck the fatal blow. But in a book where nothing goes unsaid, and battle scenes are described in great detail, it seemed like the logistics of this scene could have been fleshed out some more.
Anyway, I loved the ending, and left the book with lots of positive feelings.
As usual, a few mild swears ("damn" and "hell") thrown around. My third-grader who is reading the series is always especially entertained when he comes across a swear word!
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