Deathcaster (Shattered Realms, 4)

Such a fantastic conclusion to the Sattered Realms series. Cinda Williams Chima has such a way with writing engaging political warfare. I truly feel when I am reading this series that I myself am in the middle of all the action. With this being now the 13th book of Chima's I have completed I can definitely say she is still to this day one of my favorite author of all time. I want to continue reading any and everything she writes in the future. Deathcaster has such a large cast of characters but I never once felt overwhelmed by any of them. They each have their own agenda and it is amazing to watch all their stories become one as the story progresses. Another really interesting thing about this series is that there are little plot points from the original Seven Realms series that become very important to this concluding novel.I am so sad that this series is over because it was so amazing. I look forward to whatever comes next from Cinda Williams Chima and highly highly recommend this series. Of course with that you must first read Seven Realms and then continue on with Shattered Realms.

Plot – 4 StarsWriting – 4.5 StarsCharacters – 4.5 StarsDialogue – 4 StarsOverall – 4 StarsAnother series in the Seven Realms is completes and we have fallen in love with another generation of its characters, journeying along with them against foes both new and old in their quest to preserve the Gray Wolf Line and way of life in the Fels. I will not add too many details as to not spoil the series.it was good, it had most of the things I hoped for in a final book; the reunions of characters and the culmination of events to vanquish the main Villains to finally bring peace to the Shattered Kingdoms. BUT, for a 600+ page finale I think I expected a little more wrap up at the end or an epilogue set a few years in the future just to give me total closure. Still it is very implied where things are headed and so I won’t complain too much on that one. I would have probably given this just one more star if I hadn’t read The Crimson Crown, which is one of the best final books a of series I’ve ever read.This had some very tense and action-packed moments in it. All the players are very scattered: Lyla and Destin are in the Fells trying to keeps Raisa’s council in check. Lyss is across the sea with Celestine, trying not to become blood sworn and training Celestine’s army to attack the Fells, hoping she can escape or lead then a different way. Hal, wants desperately to find and save Lyss but keeps getting pulled into fighting within his homeland. Hal is trying desperately to find a way to help keep Lyss’s Queendom intact for when she finally returns. Jenna and Caz are also on Celestine’s Island waiting for the perfect moment to ‘Burn the Nest’, teaming up with Lyss and finding some baby Dragons along the way. Evan is still playing the long game with frenemies everywhere looking for a way to destroy Celestine. And then there is Adrian sul’Han who is both looking for Lyss and Jenna with the help of one of the Magemarked and trying to figure out who is attempting to kill off everyone in their family.With so many different PoVs and plot lines going the entire story had a lot of ground to cover to make it to a good conclusion and cover it, it did. I really loved most of this book and some of the reunions were so touching and much needed since we haven’t seen a couple of the characters together since the very first book. I was a little surprised with who was ultimately behind the plot against the Greywolf throne, but it seemed a little fitting. I enjoyed seeing Raisa outsmart her enemies yet again and still be in the background to the new generation.The plot arc with Celestine fell just a smidge flat for me after all the buildup, but why she was looking for the Magemarked was pretty original and added a lot of tension to the story.Overall this has a lot of fantastic things in a YA fantasy novel series conclusion. Yes, the series is a little guilty of some instances of insta-love and few other YA tropes that we all know well, but overall the story works and I love the both the male and female cast are strong and bring different attributes to the story. Not one individual is overpowered or the chosen one, it took a team of players to make everything happen. Plus, there are baby dragons (shhh don’t tell)Quotes:“There’s a rumor going around that you died at Delphi but the witch queen brought you back to life because she fell in love with your dead body.”“What?” Hal stared at him, horrified, while Robert stifled laughter.“No worries, sir,” LeFevre said hastily. “I don’t think too many believed it.”“If anything, it enhanced your reputation,” Remy said.When Evan asked Jenna for advice on how to win Cas over, she rolled her eyes. “You put a collar around his neck, locked him in a dark hold, and carried him across the ocean. Don’t you think that might have been off-putting?”Evan cast about for excuses. “He was wearing the collar when I bought him in the market.”“That’s another thing. You don’t ‘buy’ dragons or ‘have’ dragons or ‘tame’ dragons. Dragons are not weapons or airships. They are comrades. You partner with them, you bond with them—or you don’t.”“He burned my ship,” Evan said. “Doesn’t that make us even?”“‘Even’ is for enemies and rivals. You’re going to have to give him more than that if you want him to trust you.”

I've read this series for years, first with seven realms and now shattered realms. This final book brings closure to the series, yet in its own way leaves room for maybe another series to be made. Cinda Williams has done another fantastic job describing the complexities of the characters lives in this series and giving the ending deserved. Well done.

This book was the culmination of the series and pulls together some vivid engaging characters and weaves several plot lines of espionage and counterespionage. But it was just not as tight as the other books; there are a couple of jumps in the plot that were impossible to follow. And there are two paragraphs that are repeated word for word back to back in the middle.

I was hard at the first of the second book to find out it was taking place at the same time the first book, but in a different area. Book 3 somewhat started bringing things together. 4 made it all fall in place. I'm reading the books my grandkids read, because they're fun and don't have the sex junk in them (for the most part.) I wish there had been less details sex details (I know I know It's way less than some.) I wish kids could read fantasy that takes them away from this lifes stress and pressures, without taking them there. Over all a great series.

The Deathcaster book first arrived with some damaged pages but the seller was quick to replace it!I had to read this series after The Seven Realms and was not disappointed. Cinda Williams Chima created a wonderfully well thought out fantasy world and interesting new characters to go along with it. I was very satisfied with the ending and I hope this author writes more books!I included pictures including all the books in this series with and without the dust jacket.

Wow! Great closure on all levels. The pace was smooth. Written well. I couldn't put it down. I just found Cinda two years ago. Since then I have plowed through everything she has written. Every book was a joy to read. Highly recommend this author!!!

It was a good final book to the magical story of the seven realms series. I have read the series from book one every time a new book would be published. Never got boring, I love the story of the demon king, and I really enjoy how Cinda created this world with truly interesting and diverse characters. Thank you for this amazing and romantic adventure.

Great series of books

Você já se apaixonou por uma série e um universo de livros e ficou com medo de que o último livro estragasse tudo? Já ficou adiando a leitura para caso não fosse tão bom assim? Já teve medo de criar expectativas demais e se decepcionar depois? Eu já. Mas nunca com essa autora.Para falar a verdade, adiei a leitura desse e do penúltimo livro da série, mas só porque sabia que seriam os últimos e eu teria que encarar que tinha acabado. E está sendo bem estranho mesmo pensar que eu provavelmente só poderei voltar aos sete reinos se quiser reler as duas séries (claro que vou). Cinda Chima criou um mundo tão rico em detalhes e tão coerente, que eu nem questionaria se alguém me dissesse que existe de verdade. Eu poderia terminar minha resenha logo depois de dizer que essa é uma das melhores séries de fantasia que já li.Mas ainda tem muita coisa que preciso dizer.A escrita da autora não tem nada de rebuscada ou que tenta impressionar. Muitas vezes, ela vai direto ao ponto e é bastante competente. Confesso que às vezes sinto falta de uma descrição das expressões faciais e das sensações dos personagens entre falas e acontecimentos, mas não chega a atrapalhar a história. E isso é o mais perto de crítica que vou chegar a fazer.Quem já leu os outros três livros sabe bem o quanto a história dessa série é complexa. Tem vários pontos de vista de personagens em posições e situações tão diferentes, que é bem estranho quando eles se encontram. Parece ser um choque de mundos. Além do mais, tem tanta coisa acontecendo ao mesmo tempo, tanta intriga política da realeza, tanto exército atacando cidades, pessoas tomando tronos, matando reis, traindo aliados, guardando segredos e história voltando na linha do tempo, que talvez algumas pessoas fiquem perdidas. Eu, em compensação, fiquei foi louca. Louca de impressionada, de abismada, de apaixonada.Esse realmente é o enredo mais complexo que já li, e fiquei bem satisfeita de ver que a autora não se perdeu e nem caiu na moda atual de sempre ir fazendo mais e mais a ponto de chegar em um clímax forçado e que parece ter saído de uma novela. Talvez isso incomode alguns leitores, mas eu acho ótimo. A emoção do livro está nele desde o começo, não só no clímax, mas isso não significa que a história não chega a um ponto crítico também. Eu realmente não mudaria nada aqui.Mentira. Mudaria sim. Queria mais páginas. Não havia a menor necessidade de terminar o livro com menos de 700 páginas. Eu super leria mais umas cinquenta de nada acontecendo, só os reinos se ajeitando. Juro que leria mais cem páginas de reencontros e personagens felizes, porque são personagens tão queridos para mim, que nem me lembro de uma época em que não os conhecia.Aliás, obrigada pelos dragões, Cinda! Meu deus, obrigada pelos dragões! Agora eu quero um para mim. Quer dizer, para ser meu companheiro. Dragões não são animais de estimação.Uma coisa que realmente me pegou desprevenida foi o quanto o Destin Karn se tornou importante para mim. No livro um, eu ainda não o tinha entendido muito bem. No dois, ele mal apareceu. No terceiro, eu comecei a gostar muito dele, principalmente por todo seu romance com um certo pirata. Mas foi nesse que ele virou meu grande favorito, seguido bem de perto pela Lyss. Sua personalidade verdadeiramente direta, implacável, impiedosa e determinada me conquistou de um jeito, que nem sei explicar. Meu amor por ele passou dos limites!Mas todos os personagens são dignos de atenção. Cinda realmente não sabe escrever sobre personagens sem graça e daqueles que você esquece dois dias depois. Ainda bem.É sempre triste chegar ao final de uma série, mesmo que isso signifique que ela está completa (e que já não há como estragá-la), mas é ainda mais quando é uma série dessas. Provavelmente vou passar o resto da vida relendo Sete Reinos e ela, além de sonhando com a possibilidade da autora de escrever mais uma no mesmo universo. Cassandra Clare faz isso. Você também pode, Cinda.

This was a great book! My 17 year old son really liked it!

This series held so much promise. The conclusion left much to be desired. I read the last book only because I didn't want to leave the series unfinished.

These are great books! Love the author