The Last Mortal Bond (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne Book 3)

I don't know what to really say. This book, the conclusion a great trilogy, was even better than the first two. Devoured the 650+ pages without respite. Not getting into particulars(reading this for days I've been late for work) but cannot recommend this trilogy enough. Read!!!!!!

Just like all the other great sagas I've read - Middle Earth, Narnia, Prydain but a few - these characters, these lands, these stories will enjoy a very real existence apart from what little the author has revealed. I loved them and will keep them alive. Bravo.

The perfect culmination of the 2 books before. It really tied up the tale. It was a really seamless read, every chapter was engaging and interesting. This book is no good if you haven't read the previous 2, but is a a MUST READ if you've read the first couple

A lot of lost potential. The book had its ups and downs for sure. Some great character development from Gwenna and Valyn. Some decent actions scenes but a lot of the build up felt like a let down and I felt he glossed over things that should have been made more prominent.

I did not like Kaden's character in this book at all but the real shame was too much Adare. I hate this character. He does not know how to write this character.There is a scene where she barges into a room full of people and all she does is whine and curse and even her thoughts annoy me. He writes some of the other woman quite well but Adare is the worst and every time I see her chapter pop up, I sigh.

Overall the book is decent and part of the ending made me happy but was a let down from how good the first two books were.

This trilogy is an ode to story-telling perfection. As powerfully lyrical as:
Dune (F. Herbert)
Mars trilogy (K. Stanley Robinson)
Psion (J. D. Vinge)
Rarely have I enjoyed such a read. Rarely.

Great final book. I can't say how much I appreciate that this series had a defined start and end, a real trilogy. Also glad I cane across it right before the last book so I was able to read all of then pretty much straight through.

This book suffers from a few glaring flaws that forcibly ejected me from the story at regular intervals, but the novel also has substantially more virtues to recommend it. Overall, this book is a satisfying, if imperfect conclusion to a really well-executed trilogy.

The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars:
Perhaps in response to criticism for Adare's comparatively few chapters in The Emperor's Blades, the author has increased her presence dramatically in the previous and this installment. In theory, consistent with how her character was introduced in The Emperor's Blades, this seems like it would be a major improvement. A lot could be done in exploring the character arc of the oldest child who had had the only real relationship with the emperor and was actually trained in governing an empire. Plenty of really interesting tensions could be explored. The author makes a few clumsy attempts at doing some of this, but these attempts are ultimately and glaringly unsuccessful at fully forming this character.

It's undeniably important to have more female characters represented in fantasy novels--and Gwenna is a standout character in this novel--but Adare as a character is so clumsily handled that it is hard to get through those chapters. It's not that these chapters drag, or are boring. Instead, Adare herself is just so poorly conceived as a character that much (perhaps most) of what she does simply shatters my immersion as a reader. Her actions don't seem consistent with who she was introduced as a character. This type of character change is wonderful when it is skillfully handled character development. It is jarring when it is haphazardly handled, inconsistent and unconvincing.

To conclude this tirade, it seems as if what has driven Adare in this trilogy is so unclear that the author felt compelled to throw in a gratuitous baby to justify some of Adare's counterproductive and rash decision making. Adare is portrayed as shrill, intemperate, and borderline incompetent, which doesn't jive at all with the years of mentorship and instruction she was supposed to have received by remaining at the emperor's side through her childhood.

Relatedly, in a context where the fate of the world is at hand and there's no real negative repercussions to characters having knowledge of certain key facts, it is both silly and too-narratively-convenient, like a bad rom-com, for characters to withhold key pieces of information (which have no power in remaining secrets) from one another simply because they can. Predictably, the other character then makes some plot-advancing mistake almost solely on the basis of this lack of easily transmittable, utterly essential information.

All this being said, the good still outweighs the bad by a large margin. Perhaps another month or two of outlining and character development could have turned this from a flawed but satisfying finale into simply a satisfying one.

(Also, is there any indication in the first two books that Valyn is Kaden's OLDER brother? I may have missed it--and the burning eyes explains the line of succession--but it threw me for a loop in how often it was suddenly referenced in this novel)

I loved this book. Where to start. Staveley manages to maintain the pace and action of his first two books, with many of the Kettral characters we've grown to love. But this is not a one-dimensional action story. As you read, the characters and the world become ever more complex, gaining depth and dimension as they learn about themselves and we learn about them. Staveley also builds on his earlier allusions to the world and history of the Csestriim, leaving us hungry (perhaps in later books?) to learn more about that ancient race and its wars. Perhaps most compelling is the further and ultimate development of the religious themes, as connections between belief, power, self and mortality are explored. In some ways, this aspect of the book caries echoes of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the fallen, but with a tighter premise and plot line. By the end you'll love some characters, hate others, and experience the joy and sadness of an epic conclusion. A great read that I can't recommend enough. I hope we haven't heard the last from Staveley...

This was a fitting ending leaving an opening for more tales. I found I had to slow myself down to read every word. I wanted to just feel the story without reading the words. I feel this was the weakest of the three but still a solid read with most of the ends neatly tied.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two volumes in the Unhewn Throne trilogy and eagerly anticipated the final volume. As soon as I started reading my copy of The Last Mortal Bond, I was enthralled and devoured the hefty tome over the course of two days. From the beginning, Staveley immersed the reader in plenty of action and intrigue, having pushed the storyline a year after the events of Book 2. With multiple POVs, Staveley deftly varied the storyline, presenting compelling and different viewpoints. There was much grimness in this volume, though it isn't a grimdark tome. There is some humor as well, primarily from the Gwenna POV, a Kettral soldier with a delightfully foul mouth. Interspersed with the action, there are thought provoking discussions on morality, life, religion and more. They do not drag down the action in the least, providing more of a welcome respite. Staveley is a skilled wordsmith, presenting plenty of poetic language which enhances the whole. This is certainly a bloody conclusion to the trilogy, with a high body count, but ultimately it is satisfying, delivering on the promise of what has come before. I cannot recommend this trilogy highly enough.

Finally, a true fantasy trilogy. Not one that expands into an infinite universe, but one with a clear ending. And, a good ending it was.
I won't spoil it for anyone but this series has been one of the better ones I have read recently, from an author that respects his readers enough to publish in a timely fashion.

If you haven't read the first book, pick it up. Do it now. You won't be disappointed. The action is fast paced, the magic system that adds to the story rather than defining it, and characters that you come to feel something for. Although I will say, the best characters in the book wasn't the Kaden, Valyn, or Adare; it was the Flea, hot-tempered Gwenna, Nira, Pyrre, and Kiel. They gave the story a richness that made the slow, reflective philosophizing, bearable.

The weakness of the book, and the trilogy for that matter, for me was the lack of attention paid toward the politics of the empire. The Urghal (sp?) enemy was there as a foil to propel the plot forward. We didn't really get a sense of them outside of Vayln's 'friend' and what we did see was rather one-dimensional and unsatisfying, especially the anticlimactic way their story arc ends.
The same could be said of the Shin and their brethren, the name of which I can't recall as I write this review. In short, the character development we get in spades from the main characters, is not provided in some of the other actors in this world. Indeed, I also felt like of the three main protagonists, Adare was left, in this final book, to gendered stereotypes about maternal instincts and the like. Finally, I thought the ending was entirely too predicable and the epilogue was as bad as anything I've read in awhile. Maybe this was a pacing problem as much as anything?

Overall, however, the story is entertaining and well worth reading. And I would recommend this series to anyone who wants to read a face paced, action packed, epic fantasy trilogy that actually ended in three books.

I’ve been carrying The Last Mortal Bond around with me for almost a week now, so I can read it in every spare moment I can find. I love that Staveley is answering burning questions I’ve had from the first two books right up front in the start of this novel! The world he’s created is more alive than it has ever been. The characters that you love and love to hate have a new depth that I didn’t expect. I’m right with Kaden as he climbs the thousands of stairs in Intarra’s Spear, and Gwenna is just as bad ass as ever. Things are in chaos in the Empire and I love it all! This fantasy author delivers! Move over George.

The Last Mortal Bond was an incredible conclusion to the Unhewn Throne Trilogy. All of the twists are carefully crafted, with callbacks to characters and events in the two previous books that tie the trilogy together. Most of the major characters truly believe what they are doing is the right thing to do, and this clash of philosophies and characters is what makes the book incredibly compelling. The range of characters are deep, as are the different moralities in play. Staveley has not only written an incredible fantasy, but a very astute observation of the human condition, including its joys, its evils, and its hypocrisies. I shed a tear a few times throughout the book. I look forward to how the author expands this incredible universe in the future.

The detailed world inhabited by the Annurian Empire, the (badass) Kettral, and the last of the Shin monks is as tightly constructed as ever, but it's the simultaneously uplifting and devastating decisions faced by main characters Kaden, Triste, Valyn, Gwenna, and Adare that made me start rereading this final book as soon as I finished the first go-around [now halfway through again]. I won't spoil anything, but I will say that I was convinced I knew what how things were going to turn out for my favorite Malkeenian sibling...and their fate simultaneously 1) made total sense and 2) threw me for an existential loop. Seriously good stuff.

Great conclusion to the series. The characters are multi dimensional. The magic and religion are well developed and fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an artfully created plot with intrigue and subplots.

Very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, without spoiling anything the ending worked particularly well in terms of how logical it was in fitting in with the rules of the world. Like others, I wasn't a big fan of Adare's parts of the story as Kaden or Valyn but it didn't detract from the overall experience. Highly recommended.

Kudos to the author for wrapping it up in three books and not being tempted to milk it via an ever continuing series.

After finishing the Last Mortal Bond, I must say that Brian Staveley is now one of my favorite authors. This man could write about paint drying and I’d read it…..seriously

The words epic, exciting, exhilarating and meaningful do not give Brian Staveley’s The Last Mortal Bond, close to the praise that it deserves. Let’s just get this out of the way, Holy Hull this book was nothing short of amazing, as Staveley has effortlessly pulled off one of the hardest jobs to do in fantasy, ending a great trilogy on a high note while at the same time making you wanting more from this great universe. This book’s been on my to read list ever since I ploughed through the second book in the series The Providence of Fire, my favorite book of 2015 and I came into this one with expectations as high as the heavens themselves. Readers and fans know that this is always a dangerous proposition, coming into any work with high expectations but this time the product matched my expectations. Well done.

The Last Mortal Bond is epic in every sense of the word. At the start of the novel, the Empire of Annur is burning. A power hungry magic user, known as a leach is feeding off the fear and pain caused by an invasion spearheaded by a god in human form. His hordes are wreaking havoc and destruction in the northern portion of the Empire killing and pillaging everything in their path. The Empire’s Army of the North is holding off the invasion but only barely with more Urghal, a people inspired by the Huns and Mongols pouring over the border to take part in the destruction. In the midst of the chaos, the Empire is politically divided as two of the children of late Emperor have both seized power, and both have reasons for mistrusting one another to heal the rift. To make matters worse, while the Empire is falling apart, the Urghal invading from the north, its eastern and western borders squeezed by their neighbors on those sides, the ancient foes of humanity the Csestriim have returned to wipe out humanity once and for all. The Csestriim only need to get their hands on and kill two of the incarnate gods that have been playing in our world, and humanity is finished, done, caput.

The stage is set for a story full of kinetic and fun action sequences, revelation, political intrigue and sacrifice. I’m proud to say that The Last Mortal Bond delivers on all these points. The worldbuilding is solid, building on the solid foundation of the first two books, Staveley crafting a breathable world that is both vibrant and alive. The author’s pedigree is actually in Ancient World History and Comparative Religion, a background that adds a sense of depth not normally seen in fantasy novels. Even with all the chaos of an Empire under siege the author is able to slowly peel back the scales from the reader’s eyes revealing the history of the world and the true relationship between humanity, their foes the Csestriim, and the gods that shaped them both. It’s a cliché to say that all will be revealed, but Staveley does a good job catching all the balls he’d thrown up in the air thus far in the series.

The action sequences in this novel are phenomenal, among some of the most well thought out and crafted I have read. Sure, it is a fantasy novel, meaning you are going to have your unbelievable moments, but combat and military maneuvers are realistic in a way that grabs the reader. The Ketrral, the Special Forces soldiers of the Annurian Empire are unleashed in this novel, and when I say unleashed, I mean the author seemed to take a perverse pleasure placing them in impossible situations and allowing them to fight their way out in the most awesome manner possible. The fate of the Kettral as implied by the cover is key in determining many of the battles in the novel and we are also given some key backstory on the group. Likewise, the Kettral are not the only ones who get their moment as others join in the mayhem, filling the book with epic yet awesome carnage. All the action scenes are character driven, one always knows what’s at stake and there are no pointless scenes. While the battle sequences are well executed and mountains of fun, they are also gritty and in no way glorify war or conflict. Some of the characters are broken by combat and the cries of the wounded and dying fill the pages. Even in the chaos, even when legions or others are making a noble sacrifice or last stand, Staveley finds a way to make you care about those soldiers fighting, raising the stakes even more. When they win, you feel the victory, when they’re betrayed you feel that sense of betrayal all the more.

With so much on the line, I must say that the standout for me reading this novel was Staveley’s brilliant characterization and dialogue. While juggling so many different plot points, Staveley still allows his characters to grow organically, realistically, surprising the reader with their progress. Our favorite foul mouthed Kettral for instance, shows leagues of growth in this novel, growth that I would not have thought possible after reading the first book in the series. Every character in this work, speaks with their own voice and their motivations are clear or intentionally obscured by the author with either sharp dialogue or poignant actions. Normally in a given novel I have a favorite character or two, but in The Last Mortal Bond, almost every character introduced had their moment, their moment where I fell in love with them. Of course one still has his favorites, (Pyrre, the Flea, Nira just to name a few) but there are no weak characters in this novel, which given the massive amount of world building taking place in this novel and the series as a whole is no small feat.

Staveley is a master at dialogue and characterization and opening the book I was amazed how he was able to draw me into the emotional state of his characters with his dialogue and characterization. I thought Mark Lawrence was the king of dialogue, but Staveley is easily his peer. The world may be dark, the stakes high, but Staveley doesn’t let it get to dark as macabre and dark humor pokes its head through the dialogue of his characters. Staveley also does an expert job of playing with the traditional point of view, giving insight to an individual’s doubts while also showing how others view them which is normally at odds with how they view themselves. Rather than disorient the reader, this simply made the characters more three dimensional for me, more human, more real. Also with the exception of the villain, almost no character knows the right course of action to take or is sure that they are doing the right thing and they constantly slip up making them all sympathetic in their own way.

Normally a story about a massive invasion, full of epic battles and heroics are enough to make any story noteworthy. Staveley’s conceit is that he is talented enough to weave a story with an empire on the ropes and make that the B story of his novel. The real war is the struggle between Kaden, Adare and Valyn to some extent, is to finally defeat the Csestriim by denying them the two gods they are trying to kill thereby wiping out humanity. The fact that only a select cadre of people in the world, along with the reader is aware of this gives the whole idea that everyone in the book, though fighting and dying are missing the point. The war, though bloody and full of suffering is not the end goal nor is the survival of the Empire the point. Both are just tools by the Csestriim to achieve their goals of wiping out humanity, and most people are unaware that they are simply pawns in a much larger game.

Are there some weak points in the novel? Sure. One storyline in particular from the previous novel was seemingly dropped and not developed in this novel which was a slight bummer. Also one of my favorite characters from Providence of Fire, was relegated to the background a bit in this work and I would have loved to see more of them here. I would also argue that at times Adare annoyed me to no end in this novel, as sometimes I literally wanted to reach through the pages of the book and shake some sense into her. However, these are all minor I cannot say enough about the Last Mortal Bond. This book is amazing in every sense of the word.

I cannot recommend the Last Mortal Bond highly enough. The world building is superb, one of the most intricately created and well thought out worlds I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing through the written word. His characterization is superb, the dialogue is top notch and the action scenes are amazing. Brian Staveley has done the impossible, provided a fitting end to an already phenomenal series. I don’t know what he’s gonna write next, but I tell you one thing….I’ll be buying it.

Oh and one more thing, The Flea/Pyrre 2016……

I’ve tried to start this review five times now and I’m just not sure what to say or even how to rate this book. The trouble is the writing is beautiful. There are so many great prose in this that I can’t deny that it is beautifully written and that Stavely has a talent for a turn of phrase

*** It was strange the way that people venerated truth. Everyone seemed to strive for it, as though it were some unalloyed good, a perfect gem of glittering rectitude. Women and men might disagree about its definition, but priests and prostitutes, mothers and monks all mouthed the word with respect, even reverence. No one seemed to realize how stooped the truth could be, how twisted and how ugly. ***

I spent the majority of this book either annoyed with characters or trying to figure out what was really going on. As my friend Gavin said it was a weird mix of engaging and infuriating. I never would have predicted the way the story actually went and for the most part I didn’t like the original three characters we started with most of the time.

Gwenna, Annick and Talal were essentially the only characters I really cared for besides Triste for most of the book. They were the only ones that seemed to hold true to who they were and I enjoyed most of their story arc.

In my opinion they were the highlight of the book and that is probably bad since they don’t even make up a forth of it. Gwenna was the comic relief of the book with her sharp tongue and quick wit. But she is also a strong leader that doesn’t take s*** from anyone and is going to get the job done.

*** That makes you Kettral, you crazy sons of bitches, and let me tell you something about being Kettral. We don’t get the easy jobs. We don’t pull wall duty or guarding the baggage chain. In return for getting to fly around on these enormous, manslaughtering hawks, we actually have to go do the dangerous s***, the s*** that gets men and women killed, and so if this isn’t what you signed up for, you tell me now.” She paused, shifting her eyes from one soldier to the next. “Which one of you isn’t Kettral? Who wants to wash out all over again?” ***

Triste and Pyrre are the other two women who are strong in different ways. I really felt bad for Triste after the happenings of the last book she hasn’t had an easy time of it and it seems that she doesn’t have anyone in this world who is on her side anymore. Pyrre on the other hand is back with the Skullsworn and getting a look into that religion was amazing and different. To not be scared of death to such an extent was really interesting and I enjoyed her outlook on life.

*** “I suppose it would be too much to hope,” Pyrre said, “that one or both of you might have spent the past year studying something other than pottery or fellatio?” The assassin raised an eyebrow. “No?”
She let out a long sigh. “I guess we’ll stick with the same plan as last time, then.”
“What plan?” Triste demanded.
“You run as fast as you can,” Pyrre replied brightly, “while I kill people.” ***

But then there is the rest of the cast. Adare for instance, I totally hated after the end of Providence of Fire and she didn’t do much better in this book either. For a former minister of finance she does some really stupid things with money and overall I was mad at the way she treated Kaden and how she thought she was a better ruler than everyone else. Honestly without Nira around she was a rotten mess.

Kaden too I had some difficulty with. How he treated Triste ‘in her best interest’ and how he seemed to be played by so many others around him. I never knew who to trust and neither did Kaden it seems. While I did enjoy him more towards the end of the book I still was upset about his over plot arc.

Valyn is a little on the dark side after the happening of Providence of Fire. I really can’t blame him but this was the story arc that seemed to move away from any direction I thought it would go in. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. I’m still sad about how Valyn sees himself and I shipped him with a firey redhead who liked to blow things up and they barely had any page time together so I was really sad about that as well. But at least his plot arc stayed pretty interesting the entire time through.

*** “The thing you don’t understand, my calm, quiet brother, is that sometimes goodness and nobility aren’t enough. Sometimes, when the monsters come, you need a dark, monstrous thing to pit against them.” ***

But this is the ending of a trilogy and I’m just going to say that I didn’t like how it ended. I’m pretty disappointed in almost everything at the end. It was far more dark than I was expecting and I’m not going to lie there are some parts that I’m really not sure I understand what happened. Also it seemed like BS left some things deliberately open so he can revisit this world again so it isn’t tied up in a neat little bow.

~~~~~~~ Overall ~~~~~~~~

This ended darker than I expected and while the writing and prose is wonderful I really didn’t care for a lot of the actual story. I spent the majority of my time reading this yelling at characters and while it is good that I cared enough to yell at them it is bad that I struggled with a lot of the journey.

That said….if there is a book in the future with Gwenna and her team I’d read that.

Ugh. So much love for the other two books! Sum up book 3....way too much ADARE. Each time I saw her name on the next chapter I got more angry. She is awful. Knows her man is the genius bad guy but constantly falls for his lies. Ruined the book.

This book did have great characters: Gwenna, Flea and Valyn.

But Kaden and Triste love story was annoying. Also, too much philosophical debates.

So much lost potential! Why not have
- the Kettral drop bombs on their enemies from on high?
- turn slarn in to warslarn or breed them into a weapon/guard of some kind?

Spoiler:

Really?! The main two villains killed like punks?

One arrow in the eye after all that horror?
Super Valyn could not kill him but his annoying sister could with a simple hairpin?
Ugh.

Honestly I would probably rate it 2 1/2 if I had the option. I loved the first two books. The problem is with the 3rd book here. The primary character is Adare and I really dislike her, but she is shoved down your throat. Her chapters are horrible, she is the character that thinks she is great and looks down on her brothers for their mistakes but not her own, always able to justify what she does. Which what she does is constantly screw everything up. And you have to drudge through a ton of her chapters to get on to the actual decent characters. Which also this book kind of messed up. Valyn a great character in the first two books he turns into some kind of irredeemable beast. I can say the good note is the Gwenna chapters it was always great to end a chapter and see hers was next. All in all I liked the series the first two books were great (might be they were more focused on other characters and not as much adare is why) But the ending book here was just ok.

I had just gotten off of a fantasy craze when I found The Emperor's Blades. I had noticed them a few times in that "people who liked this book also read this" section after you finish a book on the Kindle, but had avoided reading them. Finally, I bought the first one, and it was entertaining enough even if the plot and twists were a bit obvious (like painfully so). So I bought and read the second. It was good, up until the last 60% of the book, when the characters stop making sense (why would Adare think she needs Iljorna? Despite his "genius," it is so obvious he is duping her). Dumb choices, ignoring the obvious, some of them become cartoonish in their two-demonsionalism. It does not get any better in this book, and I'll tell you why.

One the three main characters, Valyn, Kaden, and Adare, are just downright unlikable. Adare is frustratingly stupid, Valyn isn't relatable at all in his immense self-hatred claiming he's become an animal or something like that, and Kaden goes from the stoic monk to boring.

Valyn's role in this book is pointless. He literally did nothing besides have rough sex and mope, ride horses and mope, and mope. I don't think there is a more troubled, angsty character than Valyn. And the worst part is that the angst is never removed or absolved. He, like, becomes his angst. He could be removed from the novel and it would roll on completely fine without him. He did not effect the main plot in anyway, even though its clear Staveley was trying to make him seem relevant. He would've made such a bigger impact if he had actually died in the second book, honestly.

Adare is an idiot who thinks she's smarter than everyone else, than she messes up terribly, shames herself, and then does the same thing over again. Just reading her portions of the novel frustrated me. It's one thing to make a frustrating character on purpose, and set them up so you can see their tragic failure a long way down the road, it's another to set a character up to look like they'll fail and then they end up succeeding entirely. Adare is the winner of this book. She messes everything up and then some how comes out on top. And that's not a spoiler, you can see that coming from a mile away too.

As I said, Kaden is boring. His passages are philosophical debates with Long Fist and moping about whether he should become an emotionless husk or not (honestly, what is even the purpose behind that? His reasons for wanting to do so are so pathetic that you just wonder what he's even trying to get at). He doesn't even seem to have a personality, honestly, he just kind of does things. Staveley painted him as this calculating, calm leader in the second book, but that goes out of the window in this novel and he simply becomes a driving force for his story line. Which ends in disappointment.

Everything in all three of their story lines was predictable as well. The build up was so obvious that I wondered why the author even bothered to draw it out. He should've just thrown the developments in my face and moved on to interesting stuff

Gwenna is probably the most (and only, really) interesting character and the one with a story line that doesn't make you want to mash your fist into a pulp. Like the three genius Imperial heirs, she is fallible, but not unrealistically like Adare who screws up so bad you don't understand how she's even still alive (like, she should've choked on her own breakfast by now because of how inept she is), and her story line is interesting AND it ties into the main plot. She's also well written. You can see Staveley's skill through her, like it does when he spends a bunch of time during the other character's portions describing useless junk that never comes to fruition or internal reflections that are meaningless.

Finally, the ending is disappointing. There are a dozen loose ends that were not tied up. This book is not finished. It does not deserve four and half stars nor a fifteen dollar price.

There are much better novels out here than this. Do yourself a favor and don't read it. I gave it two stars because it's not garbage, but it's not worth reading, certainly not for the current price. I just expected so much more from this book.

This novel is massively flawed, and overall suffers from the tragic and soul crushing inconsistency of "the final novel" in a trilogy. I will grant you that perhaps my standards are too high but no other novel has satisfied a good conclusion for me like Tolkien's Return of the King. First off, you have Adare a character so awfully reconstructed she was a walking, talking, thinking character flaw. She becomes the focus of this novel when she rarely had any meaningful development besides her narrow scope of the state of affairs from the world at large. We are introduced to more of her pride and narcissism but this time she acknowledges it, she also thinks she was right to murder her brother, and yet she's not willing to sacrifice her son for the empire, we are led to believe that out of all three she loves and cherishes her legacy, and as such is willing to sacrifice anything to preserve Annur, and yet it's not true. By the end of the novel it is implied she's a better leader, but rally by the end she reminds me of terrible leaders who's loved by their people like Richard the Lionheart or Vladimir Putin, so no matter how much the author insists she makes a good Emperor or a good individual who has what it takes to lead, it all falls flat, especially when the mess they're in is almost entirely because of her. None of her failures are expounded upon like Kaden's which did more to prevent total obliteration. Valyn is also presented as irremediable but there is consistency with his character. The sibling interactions are also pretty much pointless, nothing like that first encounter Valyn and Kaden had, or Adare and Valyn. It is so highly disjointed the author declared this novel to be a love story when in reality in favor of moving the plot along and keeping some sort of disjointed pace, all meaningful moments are squandered or oversimplified, there is no depth of emotion, while the prose soars in opulence and irritating uselessness to cover for all these empty and shallow events.

SPOILER: Valyn couldn't kill torjna, and yet Adare could, Valyn who can kill a dozen men by himself. The scene is also portrayed like much of the story's culminating points, extremely theatrical, especially how it is suggested and implied that Adare suffered more at the hands of Torjna than Valyn did, which is woefully inaccurate, Adare was manipulated once, but after she found out he was Cestriim, you can't act like you're being betrayed, meanwhile Valyn lost comrades. Adare portrayed in such a way as to heighten and dramatize her suffering, punctuated by that last line Torjna delivers to her, when in truth it is obviously Valyn who has suffered most, and we barely get any introspection like what we get with Adare.

Okay, let me pick my heart up from the floor and try to write a review for this conclusion. This whole series was a roller-coaster, but this last and final book was just me experiencing love and heartbreak over and over. Seriously, the range of emotions this series made me feel is indescribable, but mostly I was an incoherent mess while reading. Not only does Brian Staveley write love so seamlessly and perfect, but he writes unconditional love, in an epic fantasy series, better than maybe anyone I’ve read.

“It’s not always up to a man,” the Flea replied quietly, “what he is, and what he’s not. Some things you don’t get to choose.”

I see many people saying this was the weakest book in this series, but it was easily my favorite and, in my very humble opinion, the best. This elaborate plot became even more addicting, these characters made me even more heartbreakingly empathetic, and this world left me breathless over and over.

I was concerned, because I had to put this book down a few times because of upcoming ARCS, so I was apprehensive about how I’d feel to pick it back up. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I was falling asleep last night, struggling to stay awake just so I could finish. I woke up this morning, rolled over, and finished the last ~10% of this book before I even made my coffee! If that is not a testament to my love for this book, I’m not sure what is.

This book isn’t just a fantasy novel surrounding the path of three could-be-emperors after their father has died, while they fight for his throne. This story is about humanity at its very core; the essence of it both ugly and beautiful and everything else in between. This is a tale of empathy and sacrifice and what it means to be truly selfless. This chronicle is about the different paths we each take every day in our world, and the priority we put on religion, family, friends, strangers, power, materialistic things, and everything else under the sun.

This being the third and final book in the series, it’s sort of hard to do a review justice without spoilers. Instead, I’ll just give my thoughts on some of the main characters, their developments, and how they made me feel.

Adare is a character I love and understand, even though I see many people hating on her. The growth she experiences throughout these three books is pretty insane. By the epilogue of this book, I was so moved by her and her sacrifices.

“It was a good lesson, if she somehow survived to remember it: silence had its own violence; some reigns ended in blades and fire; some with the barest nod of a head.”

Kaden got the short end of the stick, in my opinion. I’ll be honest, I cared about him less than Adare and Valyn, but I made up for it with my unwavering love for Triste. Plus, his chapters spent in Rassambur, home of the Skullsworn, were some of the best chapters in this whole book.

“There are words,” Gerra mused, “and there are deeds.”

Valyn, oh my poor Valyn. I’m tearing up typing out his name. I’m fine, completely normal and not too heavily invested in fictional characters. Valyn broke me over and over, and, obviously, I’m still a little broken from his character. I fell in love with him in this book, and he will be one of my favorite characters of all time. Also, his opening chapter shook my very core. Brian Staveley’s writing is seriously incontestably amazing.

“Sometimes you need to break a thing,” the Flea said finally, “in order to see what’s inside it.”

Gwenna‘s point of view ended up being my favorite. Again, I could write my own book about how amazing Brian Staveley writes women of all different strengths in this world, but Gwenna was something special from book one. My single complaint about this beautiful conclusion is that Gwenna deserved to at least tell her feelings to someone, because, on the real, she and that someone are literally OTP goals. Maybe eventually Brian Staveley will write that story, since he is already expanding this world in Skullsworn (which, holy moly, I need to get my hands on this now!), but until then I will be crying and praying.

Triste was my second favorite character, and she is pretty much everything that is good in this world. Triste is such a selfless character that never asked for the path she was forced to walk. I’m at a loss for words when it comes to her, because I’m not sure any will do her character or storyline justice. Seriously, perfection.

“I’m used to being given up by now. I expect it. But I’ll tell you what I won’t do—I won’t accept it. I won’t play along.”

Pyrre is also on a whole other level in terms of strong females in high fantasy today. This death worshiper somehow managed to fill my heart completely, and, again, I need Skullsworn immediately.

I encourage all my friends and followers to pick up The Emperor’s Blades and give it a try, especially if you’re a fantasy lover. This empire, and all the smaller places we get to experience, is something on a different level of fantasy. The characters will make you feel everything under the sun, whether it is love, hate, or pure empathy. The writing and prose are so beautiful, I found myself rereading passages over and over, even in very heated, life or death, battle scenes. This story is fast paced, thought provoking, and simply magnificent. I can’t wait to reread this trilogy over and over. This is now one of my favorite series of all time.

If you were reading this book because you enjoyed Palin's poverty you'll be sorely disappointed in the amount of chapters he has. Unfortunately I was just unable to enjoy any of the other characters, most of whom I found myself wishing death on.

The ketteral were the only real hook for me and while they do get plenty of coverage in the new pic (which I assume was added solely for that purpose) it didn't feel the same.

I did enjoy the appearances Valyn had and the book maintained the rhythm of the series.

Brian Staveley concludes his Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy with the long and complex “The Last Mortal Bond” (Tor, $28.99, 649 pages) and once past the violence, gore, violence, betrayal, violence, intricate plot, violence and, oh yes, violence, Staveley is grappling with some big issues.

In between the spatters of blood on a pre-industrial world with heavy duty magic, one of the main characters begins the three-volume journey in what looks very much like a strict Buddhist monastery, and the monks seek vaniate through meditation, a state that cushions them from the tide of human emotions. In the meantime, the very violent world that surrounds the character is awash in pain, some delivered by a god who takes over a human body and tortures people to hear the music of their suffering, and the rest delivered by traitors, magicians who feed off of agony, and warriors who conflate pain with pleasure.

There is a goddess of pleasure, but her side of the coin is seldom seen, as Staveley goes whole hog into the Buddhist vision of the material world as a vehicle only for suffering. Thus the protagonists spend a lot of time contemplating death and how much nicer it would be than life, given all the pain and violence (did I mention “The Last Mortal Bond” is violent?), and in fact some do shuffle off this mortal coil.

Overall, the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne was an above-average entry, but “The Last Mortal Bond” would have been well served by some serious editing – with 200 fewer pages, it would have been a better read, but of course there wouldn’t have been nearly as much violence.

If this reviewer was satisfied with this book, he didn't show it. Emperor's Blades was a great first entry to the series and I really enjoyed Providence of Fire even though there were many decisions I didn't like. Unfortunately, The Last Mortal Bond did nothing to mitigate or offer a satisfying payoff to the bad narrative decisions from the last book (especially almost anything involving Adare) and ultimately it just kept going downhill for me.

There is very little character development for most of the characters. Who they are in the first book is still who they are 1500 pages later. The world building also left a lot to be desired. It felt like the entire series took place in 3 places, the Bone Mountains, the Annurian Palace and the Waist. When the author brings up foreign emissaries, you have no idea who they are, their culture, appearance or their politics vis-a-vis the Annurian Empire. The Urghul are the only other moderately fleshed out group.

I also wish there was less long winded purple prose and more just telling of the story. Not everything needs to be accompanied by some overly flowery metaphor. Lastly, the love story angle was so last minute that I just couldn't buy in. Overall, a disappointing end for me.

It's just ok. As far as quality of writing goes it's fine, but the conclusion to this story is disappointing. The primary characters stop evolving in the second book and this one spends it's length attempting to tie all the story threads together. It's surprisingly tiresome wading into the end. The answers and closure aren't there. It feels suspiciously like he meticulously built a massive lore to play around in and when it came time to publish the third book he mashed an ending together. Multiple highly anticipated climaxes end with a resounding "meh". I think this series alone, barring any expansion into the greater lore, could have filled at least another, maybe two, books. None of the main characters receive any kind of satisfying conclusion and by the end of it you sort of wish the book had been about the supporting characters, some of whom are still growing on you by the end of the book.

Uhm...Wow. Staveley stuck the landing of this trilogy and then some. This is the best new epic fantasy I've read in forever. The last writer whose first complete story hit me like this was...I'm not even certain.

Staveley balances scope and narrative in spectacular fashion, allowing the background to stand out in just enough detail to give you visions of the mountains and monuments in the distant past of this world in all their vastness, and yet he never loses the focus on the present narrative and its urgency. He's also managed to capture some of the flavor of the cynical realism about characters and motives that shape Martin's work without falling into the crevasse of ugliness and despair in which A Song of Ice and Fire, however beautifully written, sometimes wallows. At the same time he's got some of the grand heroics of the epic fantasy tradition before it took the cynical/self-aware turn that seems to have swallowed up most of the major writers in the field.

The whole trilogy turns out to be a powerful meditation on what it means to be human, what makes us human, and the cost of it all--"it all" being life and the beauty, pain, peace, ugliness, strength, weakness, all the oxymorons and paradoxes that make it up. and in the end, in perhaps his greatest thematic decision, Staveley refuses to answer except in ambiguity and implication invites the reader to decide exactly what the answer is or should be. It examines death, its role, its weight, its curses and blessings in as profound a way as anything I've read in a very long time.

An Addendum: I probably actually read only half this book--the other half I listened to, and Stephen Vance's performance on the audiobook is absolutely spectacular. Wonderfully read.

The Emperor's Blades series has been enjoyable to read. The storyline is compelling and the characters, for the most part, keep you turning the pages.
The downside to the books are the chintzy writing style, naïveté in character development, overuse of "drop-the-mic" moments, and the shallowness of the fantasy world Staveley sought to create.
The writing is repetitive and every chapter or section seems to end with an aphorism or a "deep" observation about the world or human nature. Staveley's diction is sort of annoying as he chooses a handful of unfamiliar words to describe familiar things. I don't mind the word "inchoate" but it seems that Staveley is obsessed with it. Sometimes his descriptions are not clear. It's like listening to someone with really bad eyesight describe a landscape they hardly remember. Otherwise, his writing is accessible and flows well with the story, but it never comes close to touching the sublime.
The characters are mostly two notes. While the author goes to lengths to make sure we understand the complexity of the characters' decisions, somehow they all seem like caricatures that could only exist in a fantasy world. He tells us too quickly what to feel about our characters and as a result the story loses its power to move me at crucial moments.
Lastly, the fantasy world is just not defined enough. The whole world sort of sounds like a fantasy lover's wet dream. The undergirding myth, the history of the various peoples, the geography, the beasts and vegetation, the culture of various peoples, the technology, and the language seem hastily created. There is something rather simple and lacking about the world. Interesting mostly, yet paper thin. The whole world feels like it's created simply for the protagonists and not a world unto itself. By this, I mean it is a contrivance for plot and character development. I feel the story was created before the place, where in reality, the opposite is true for us.
Nevertheless, I would recommend reading the books if you are a fantasy lover or if you just want some easy, enjoyable books to binge for a few weeks. But if you are looking for great literature in the fantasy genre, this is not it.

Coming out of that second book I was a bit worried that the mythological would overwhelm the familial, but I am in awe of the way threads come full circle with The Last Mortal Bond. Somehow, even as it reveals deeper complexities within the centuries-old mythological struggle (revealing that it's the fate of humanity, not just an empire, that's truly at stake), this final volume manages to put Valyn, Adare, and Kaden firmly at the forefront. Here we have three siblings, already weighed down by a family legacy, now faltering under the weight of world-crushing expectations, with no idea of who or what they can trust. There's an entire story hidden within each sidelong look, each secret withheld, and each lie so carefully crafted.

More than all of that, though, this is a story about humanity . . . about the human condition . . . and what it is about us that makes us so fascinating (and terrifying) to the gods.

Ironically, for a book that's so big and so bold, it's almost the most bloody of the three. While we're aware of the larger conflicts taking place, and are doubly aware of the casualties piling up, it's the one-on-one conflicts that are the most terrible. Valyn's chapters are especially dark, taking the story to places even deeper and more deplorable than the underground caverns of the slarn. Adare may have made a pair of huge sacrifices for what she thinks is right, but her brother is forced to make one after another after another. As for Kaden, he seems to be taking the most heroic arc of the three, compromising family for the sake of politics, peace for the prospect of survival, there's no question that his decisions are some of the hardest to justify. Other characters, many of whom we'd be forgiven for assuming lost, come back into play as well, with the dual story lines around the Kettral and Valyn's lost wing some of the most intensely satisfying.

For a long time I couldn't see where it was all headed. I knew the plots and counter-plots (or, at least, I thought I did), and I could see where certain character arcs were headed, but how Staveley planned to resolve everything was a complete mystery. Fortunately, it was also a genuinely remarkable surprise, with a climax that delivers on the potential of all three books, and which does justice to the myriad themes, conflicts, and struggles. All in all, the perfect ending to a fantastic trilogy.

As an avid reader and an avid fantasy fan I have read hundreds of books from the genre over the last several decades. This series ranks in the top 5 books I recommend to people looking for an excellent read. It does not rely on gimmicks, shock value, or crazy twists to set itself apart but rather treats the reader to a rich, complex world full of compelling characters and multi dimensional plot.

It is so difficult to find a resolution to a fantasy series that hits the mark - this book does it and makes it feel effortless. A near perfect resolution to a huge number of plot lines that were artfully and thoughtfully woven together. A real treat for the reader, especially one who often finds themselves dissatisfied at the end of a read.

The wonderful nature of these books is utterly believable but wholly unpredictable with both main and supporting characters who are exciting to become acquainted with. The satisfaction that I derived from this trilogy has lasted and prompted me to write this review years after I finished reading. A true example of everything I love about fantasy done well.

This final chapter in the series squanders so much of what made the first book a good read. Tight pacing, interesting world building, and reasonably believable characters, conclude with plenty of hanging plot threads, seemingly endless re-hashed debates, suddenly dimensionless and idiotic characters, and meaningless character arcs.

I am a glutton for punishment as Providence of Fire indicated this is where the series was headed, but I was swayed by so many positive reviews. This was an exercise in tedium, where I found myself rooting for an asteroid to simply wipe out Annur.

Another major issue is that much of the important/i interesting moments happen "off camera," while we get to spend pages and pages with folks having yet another discussion of the purpose of humans, or the choice between suffering or a quick death.

That said. The Kettral and Gwynna were fascinating and unique in fantasy. I found those portions to be better written, better paced, and more enjoyable. Take me back to the Kirin Islands, Mr Stavley, and I might just come along for the ride.

This is one of those cases where the writing was solid but I found the direction the story took to be so deeply unlikable it diminished the whole series for me a bit. If I'd paid for the privilege rather than get narration via a free trial I'd be pretty pissed. As it was, it kept me reasonably entertained while cleaning the house and exercising.

Very nice conclusion. Some of the characters took turns that weren't expected, but were understandable if you truly paid attention to their character. Some of the elements could have used more foreshadowing in the previous books, but nothing is ever perfect. 5/5

I'm dissapointed with this ending to the series. I feel this third book could have made the series worth while and recommendable or, as it happens, do the opposite. It's such a bad ending that it spoils the first book which was quite good (a coming of age story) as well as the second. A pity.

I enjoyed reading Brian Staveley’s debut series, Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, and especially liked the finale, The Last Mortal Bond.

Much of what I like about Staveley’s series sets it apart from many offerings in the contemporary fantasy market.
1. It is a finished series.
2.It is a “mere” fantasy trilogy (imagine that!), as opposed to a 10+ volume saga.
3. The entries were published in a timely manner.
4. The series got better with each installment.
5. Staveley, though he has written a “gritty” and dark series, does not resort to lowest common denominator gutter tactics by wallowing in and titillating the reader with sadistic and sexually explicit material.
6. There is no heavy-handed, social justice warrior political messaging in this series. Rather, Staveley has simply written an entertaining fantasy series that-like all really good fantasy-provides enough philosophical/psychological depth to engage and nourish the reader.

In this solid fantasy series, the last volume clearly stands out. Sure, Staveley had shown himself to be a good writer in the earlier volumes, and his work was original enough from the beginning in that he did not seem to be modeling his fantasy milieu, magic system or series off of someone else. However, the first 2 books did not serve as standalone tales. Only with The Last Mortal Bond do we get to see Staveley’s fantasy vision and his storytelling come to full fruition. The way he uses the royal siblings Kaden and Valyn to articulate and illustrate the humanizing importance of navigating between the scylla of detachment and the charybdis of unrestraint is well done. And Kaden’s storyline-the most richly articulated and satisfying of the 3 siblings’ plot threads-renders problematic all his earlier hard earned accomplishments as a Shin disciple and makes intelligible Staveley’s claim in his acknowledgements that this grim trilogy is really a love story. Meanwhile, Valyn learns an eye-opening lesson about the omnipresence of deadly struggle. And in a discussion between the three siblings rather late in the book, the flailing sister Adare learns a lesson about self-reliance from her brothers’ rough experiences that this Empress and ostensible prophet of Intarra puts to good use with some bold and inspired decision making that greatly assists in the struggles against both the Urguhl and the Csestriim. As an added bonus, a fourth main plot thread, involving Valyn’s old wing-mate Gwenna and the Kettral “washouts,” perhaps steals the show, and is definitely my favorite Kettral related storyline in the entire series. It ties in nicely with the rest of the story, and will prove especially memorable for anyone who has ever craved a shot at redemption.

The ending of the book (and series) worked fine, with the small possible exception of the somewhat odd epilogue, which doesn’t really tie up several remaining loose ends, and which seems either the result of Staveley rushing to meet a deadline or possibly (I hope) the bridge to a future series that leaves some loose ends dangling now so as not to shackle later creative choices.

A more definite (though also small) problem with this book and series is the excessive and monotonous use of certain curse words. Though I do not have a problem with the use of such language in fantasy, here it seemed as if a decision was made to drop as many f-bombs as possible as a marketing strategy to adolescent males, and I found it occasionally annoying. A commonly alleged problem with this book, which I don’t think is a problem at all, concerns a negative reaction to the brooding and introspection of the main characters. Though Staveley does not flesh out emotional depth and psychological complexity as compellingly as some genre authors that come to mind, I think his ambitious characterization works just fine. And at any rate it is embedded in a story with good pacing, plenty of action, and entertaining minor characters.

Well done, Mr. Staveley!

What a let down. This series was alot like a one night stand. Fun flirt, fantastic foreplay, underwhelming, poorly timed climax. Left wanting and not in a good way.big build up, crap predictable payoff. The first two were solid. This was weak :/

I found the trilogy to be a fairly enjoyable read, and I just want to say from a viewpoint that isn't analytical that you should probably just finish out the trilogy. The book isn't bad and while it may not be the greatest piece of literature you'll ever see, it is a fantasy book and is made for enjoyment. I do not think I wasted my money buying it, and I got the closure I desired that usually plagues me if I don't finish a series. Anyway, those are just my thoughts. Peace.

Another great read.

After finishing the series I can happily recommend this to others.
Plot was great and the finish to the series didn't disappoint. At no time during the three books could I have guessed at the ending, the author keeps you guessing and entertained.

I love the complex story lines and the fact that there's no easy way out for the characters.

Wow! I thought the first two books in Brian Staveley's the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne trilogy (The Emperor's Blades and The Providence of Fire) were intense, enthralling and engaging but everything gets ratcheted up several notches in The Last Mortal Bond, the third (and final) book in the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne trilogy.

The trilogy revolves around a trio of royal siblings, Adare, the eldest child and her two brothers, Kaden (the heir to the Unhewn Throne) and Valyn (the "spare heir"). There were some critiques of the first book (The Emperor's Blades) that it was too focused on following the exploits and adventures of the male protagonists (Kaden and Valyn) while the primary female protagonist (Adare) was left at home to deal with more domestic concerns (of dealing with the ramifications of the assassination of their father, Emperor Sanlitun hui'Malkeenian). However this critique was muzzled when the second book The Providence of Fire not only increased Adare's profile in the plot considerably, but also gave increased "screen time" to awesome female characters like Pyrre, Gwenna, Triste, Huutsuu and Kegellen. In fact, one very beneficial change is that in The Last Mortal Bond has been Gwenna raised to a point-of-view character on her own (similar to Adare, Valyn and Kaden) and this is great because Gwenna is awesome!

However, what really makes the entire Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series really tick is the compelling writing by Staveley which forces the reader to care about the characters and makes the book almost impossible to put down, especially in its last third or so. In addition to the central question(s) of what will happen to our key characters (Kaden, Adare, Valyn and Gwenna) Staveley raises the stakes by adding a plot development that threatens ALL of humanity in the compelling world he has created and built. The entire series of books is action-packed and incredibly bloody and since the third book takes place while a war is devouring the Annurian Empire (or is it a Republic?) there are scenes of incredible carnage and thrilling chases.

One unusal (but interesting) aspect of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series is the infusion of religion, faith and belief throughout. One would think this would annoy or repel an atheist such as myself but it doesn't. Instead, Staveley's depiction of this society's various gods (Intarra, Goddess of Light and Fire; Meshkent, God of Pain and Hate; Ciena, Goddess of Pleasure and Love; Hull, Lord of Darkness; Ananshael, God of Death; Bedisa, Goddess of Birth) provides the kind of details on which his engaging and believable world-building is based. Many of our protagonists spend a fair amount of their time delivering imprecations and exhortations to various Gods (e.g. "'Kent-kissing" is a common curse). But since this fantasy, it turns out that some of the Gods in question (particularly Intarra, Meshkent and Ciena) become actual breathing and speaking characters in the story.

But the key feature of this book is really the action and the subsequent ruminations on the nature of courage and cowardice. This mostly happens in Gwenna's section of the story as she has to learn how to turn a group of people who had been branded as cowards and failures into a deadly fighting force. Gwenna and Valyn are members of an elite fighting force called the Kettral. They are named after giant (i.e. 50 feet long) birds called kettrals that are used to gain air superiority on their enemies. To become Kettral you have to lose all sense of fear as you become hardened killing machines and a very small percentage of people who try out to be Kettral actually make it (and a large percentage of people die during the training, or during the Last Trial). All three Malkeenian siblings are put into some terrifying situations, which each of them deal with in different, but ultimately reasonable ways. Staveley presents several different ways in which characters deal with potentially fatal scenarios and it is incredibly compelling (and nerve-wracking, because Staveley is not shy about killing off characters we care about.)

Overall, I would argue that any fan of high epic fantasy (like those written by Peter Brett, Daniel Abraham, Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson and Richard Morgan) will greatly enjoy the work of Brian Staveley. I can't wait to read all his future books!!

Title: The Last Mortal Bond (The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 3).
Author: Brian Staveley.
Paperback: 656 pages.
Publisher: Tor Books.
Date Published: March 15, 2016.
Date Read: April 10, 2016.

OVERALL GRADE: A- (4.33/4.0).

PLOT: A+.
IMAGERY: A+.
IMPACT: A+.
WRITING: A+.

The end of a 3 part series. Like the previous books, the action occurs in the last chapters. The writer has a wonderful story telling but sometimes it is extended too long. This book had a few hurried parts for favorite characters that was disappointing. Also, a few storylines I could yawn through. Overall, I enjoyed the series.

Awesome ending to the trilogy! Of course I am not happy with all that happened but that's also why this book is great. The story comes back right where the last book left off, all the Malkenians are separated, each fighting their own battles. Valyn is blind and has changed drastically over the course of the books. I cant wait for any future works Mr Staveley writes based on this world.

I had a mixed response to the first book in Brian Staveley's trilogy, The Emperor's Blades, but thought book two, Providence of Fire, was a big improvement, boding well for the future of the series. That optimism was borne out, as the final book, The Last Mortal Bond, though perhaps not quite as consistently good as Providence, continues to deepen the themes and characters, bringing the trilogy to a happily satisfying conclusion. I'm going to assume you've read the first two books and won't bother recapping who people are. Plus, It will be impossible to discuss the concluding volume without spoilers for books one and two, so fair warning.

If the first two books showed us the separation of the three siblings at the heart of the Annurian Empire, book three deals with their eventual coming together, though given that one stabbed another in book two (fatally all assumed), one might imagine it's not exactly a happy family reunion we're talking about here. To say there are trust issues would be a major understatement. But before we can get there, each has to work through their own plots a bit.

Often in these sort of multi-stranded fight against ancient villains (in this case the near-eternal Csestriim in the form of Ran il Tornja) and contemporary foes (the massed Urghul army invading Annur), each person or group has their part to play in the general struggle. What I really like about Staveley's approach though is that the three siblings don't only disagree about how to fight the enemy, they don't even agree on who/what the enemy is. Even better, the reader is also kept off-balance, so we're never quite sure which, if any, if the siblings to be rooting for. This complexity of goal and plot was one of my favorite aspects of the novel.

Thanks to this complexity, characters are often wrong, a much more realistic and relatable trait. I also enjoyed how the characters from the first few novels continue to change and grow. Kaden, for instance has to find his bearings as leader of the newly created Republic, come to terms with his feelings about his siblings, resist the temptation to retreat to often into his monk-trained "happy place," void of all emotion. And he's forced to question his basic understanding of this war, who his enemies and allies are, and his view of how the world works. Save for the monk part, his sister Adare has much the same path (though her leadership role is as Emperor), and as well the complicating factor of her new son. The final sibling, Valyn, is a bit more one-note in terms of characterization, though he does provide much of the action and also has one of the most moving sections of the novel. The other character involved in most action scenes is Gwenna, Valyn's former Kestral colleague, and she was actually my favorite in the book in terms of character and storyline thanks to the mix of action (including a great assault on a fortified area), character development and the interaction amongst her wing and between her wing and others they encounter. If anything, her subplot steals the show a bit from the siblings.

The different strands don't just have different plots, but different tones and emphases. Kaden's, for instance, is much more philosophical and introspective. Valyn's is the most grim and despairing and probably the most bloody. Gwenna's is probably the most varied, and offers up some camaraderie and much-needed humor

The Last Mortal Bond raises some thoughtful questions as it progresses, examining the nature of humanity, the relationship between gods and their worshippers, forms of governance, leadership, cowardice, and the like. For instance, it's often taken as a given that when the fate of humanity is at stake, one does all one can to save it. But here is Kaden musing on that very question:

A pair of hawks circled silently upward . . . Those Hawks followed their own ancient imperatives . . . And the peaks themselves, carved from reds deeper and fuller than human blood . . . From russet sandstone by forces stronger than any human hand--what did those mountains care for women, for men . . . What did the sky care? Or the sun?

What if the world were like this? . . . Unblemished by the scrabbling of men and women. No houses, no gouges in the dirt . . . No roads carved across the land . . . Would that be worse?

This is not the only time this question is raised, and it makes the reader pause a bit and wonder themselves if saving people is in fact such a great goal. The above passage also, even truncated as it is, gives a sense of Staveley's prose, which is excellent throughout--vivid, precise, original with a good number of sentences and passages worth lingering over.

The Last Mortal Bond did have a few issues. It felt a little over-long in its 600 pages, and somewhat paradoxically, the ending felt a bit rushed. And a few plot points seemed a tad forced or contrived. But these are outweighed by the book’s thoughtfulness, excellent writing style/language, set action pieces, bittersweet close, and the way in which it keeps the reader always guessing. Overall, the trilogy’s weakest segment is the first book, which means those starting out will only find the series more engrossing and better written as they continue, with both plot and character broadening and deepening as one goes on.

(review first appeared on fantasyliterature.com)

I love Brian Staveley's elegant writing and the story in general. However, I wish he had developed his characters more in this one. Also, the ending seemed rushed after all the buildup (i.e. It feels like there should have been a fourth book). Still worth reading though and hard to put down. Even though the store doesn't have half stars, I'd rate this one 3.5 stars and the first 2 books at 4.5 to 5 stars.

With this trilogy, Staveley has become one of the very best writing in contemporary fantasy. The final chapter of this tale was incredibly compelling, well-written, tightly plotted, and engrossing from beginning to end. I'm really excited to see what he does next.

War is consuming the lands and people of Annur. The Csestriim, an ancient and immortal race, have orchestrated events intended to destroy the gods who have flawed their human children.

In the towering heights of Intarra's Spear, Kaden both protects and imprisons Triste, the human vessel for the goddess Ciena. To secure the goddess's ascension to heaven, Triste must willingly participate in a ritual that will free the goddess but extinguish her host's life.

The exiled Emperor Adare and her armies defend against the invasion by the savage race of nomads called Urghul who have rallied under the banner of the warrior, Long Fist. Adare has assumed many mantles since her father's murder; prophet, emperor, mother, murderer. In an effort to save her people she has appointed Csestriim Ran il Tornja as general of her armies. Adare doesn't trust il Tornja but his brilliant war tactics have proven the strongest defense against the legions of Urghul who are hell bent on slaughtering the Annurian race.

The Last Mortal Bond is the magnificent conclusion to a trilogy that is truly a masterpiece of epic fantasy. Brian Staveley has woven an intricate tale that spans the course of three books, culminating in a rich and breathtaking tapestry that is nothing short of perfection.

The Last Mortal Bond unfolds through four main points of view which allows for crucial character development while also revealing far flung events with real time urgency. Part of what makes this story powerful is the depiction of its main characters. Staveley portrays their flaws and strengths with brutal honesty which creates a tangible sense of empathy.

The balance between male and female characters is worth noting. I am impressed with the inclusion of multiple strong and heroic female characters who have major parts to play. Adare, stands out because of her bravery in the face of the unthinkable. Her desperate longing to protect her infant son while attempting to save her Empire resonated strongly with me. The choices she is faced with would break a lesser person. I also grew to love gruff Gwenna, and felt a tremendous sympathy for Triste. Look for Huutsuu, Pyrre and Sigrid as well; they kick major ass.

Staveley is an expert wordsmith. Throughout his detailed descriptions of battles, hand to hand combat, covert missions and other levels of human suffering, Staveley conjures images that are uniquely stark , utterly realistic and at times hauntingly beautiful. His ability to take seemingly minute elements and incorporate them into the greater story to produce a dense and satisfying work, rich in layers and complexities is remarkable.

The Last Mortal Bond is not a lighthearted adventure where the reader envies the heroes; at times I felt sorry for them. Yet faced with choices that are as cruel as the world they are living in, they persevere, and in doing so grace the reader with their strength. A phenomenon like the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne comes along once in a lifetime, so I encourage lovers of high fantasy to read this series sooner rather than later.

Make room on your “All Time Favourite’s” shelf. The culmination of Staveley’s incredible trilogy succeeds in every possible way, delivering fantasy readers a truly epic tale full of memorable characters, clever politics, an intelligent magical system, brutal battle scenes and witty dialogue.

This series has been an adventure from start to finish and when I picked up the hotly anticipated The Emperor’s Blades a few years ago I was surprised it was the author’s first book, as the attention to detail and success at world building was something I’d expect from a much more seasoned writer. After being enthralled by The Providence of Fire, it’s now no longer a surprise that with this final instalment, Staveley’s skill at manoeuvring his characters and subtly revealing their motivations and destinies in this enormous world has continued to grow. The universe that has been established and built on is at a beautiful and tragic tipping point and the author treads that fine line between exploring what we know and invigorating it with new and surprising revelations particularly well. There is a constant learning curve and at no time, throughout any of the books, can the reader feel safe and secure in the fates of their favourite protagonists or the directions their choices will take them.

“Scholars and philosophers were forever lauding truth, holding it up as a sort of divine perfection available to man. The truth in those old texts was always shining, glowing, golden. As though they didn’t know, not any of them, that some truths were jagged as a rusty blade, horrible, serrated, irremovable, lodged forever in the insubstantial substance of the soul”
In terms of the action, and a personal favourite Valyn was last seen tasting a a knife between his ribs from his beloved sister Adare, and falling to his apparent death after trying to assassinate her General, Csestriim lover and father to her child, Ran Il Torna who let the Kettrel rebel know who was the better swordsman by running a sword across his eyes. There are simply so many balls up in the air at every stage of the book that to give anything away about certain characters, even from the start, would be to spoil the enormous fun. It is safe to say, especially considering the blurb and the gorgeous US cover, the fate of the Kettrel will soon come to play a huge part in determining many of the battles ahead with readers finally getting to experience some mutli bird v bird, kettrel v kettrel aerial warfare that is stunning in it’s execution. We also learn more of the history of the Special Forces group, the fates of some those that washed out in the past and the consequences of civil warfare and it’s impact on those that can be caught between protecting the innocent and following orders.

Balendin the Leech has turned from a schoolyard bully into one of the most feared magic users in the world. His propensity for public torture combines rather well with his source of power, which is the emotion of any person whose thoughts are directed to him. You tend to take note of the guy who can slay you alive in an instant when he walks in the door. With the existence of old and new Gods, I was simply not expecting a support character to achieve such heights and he is not the only one. Triste and Gwenna grow into their roles with more charisma, guts and elegance than I could have ever expected and, like Balendin, the parts they play in determining the end game is surprising and satisfying. With the stakes being so massive it was also a relief that some of the burden of saving everything they know is taken off the three siblings shoulders and spread to the equally crafted side characters.

One of Staveley’s greatest strengths is how he writes his dialogue, every sentence grounded in that exact time and moment and dripping with wit and authenticity. He does not pull his punches with his insults and, like some of my other favourite writers of dialogue, like Quentin Tarantino or Mark Lawrence, often produces singular moments of conversation that are laugh out loud hilarious and/or shockingly crude. Many of my favourites are far too coarse for the likes of you my dear readers, so I’ll let you find them yourself.

Despite having three books set in the Annurian Empire I feel like we have just scratched the surface of things to be explored, it’s like being 30 hours into Fallout 4 and knowing there is so much more to find and discover and being more than willing to put the time in needed to do so. The outstanding finale to this exceptional series delivers everything a lover of fantasy could hope for and more. It is an absolute must have and I can’t wait to see what Brian comes up with next. A final shout out to “The Flea”, he is one of my favourite characters to have ever existed on a page.

Author Brian Staveley turns it up to volume 11 in the final book of the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne Trilogy. Much like ‘The Emperor’s Blades’ and ‘The Providence of Fire,’ ‘The Last Mortal Bond’ shows you the gruesome reality of what is to come of Annur from familiar characters.

Unlike the past two novels, Staveley grabs the story in his fist and packs it down your throat from the first chapter. Things have developed—well over two novels—and now it felt like it was the author’s time to burst this chaotic, exciting, violent, brutal climax onto the reader’s eyes (and emotions). Another note: No new characters have a POV. There’s no time for new characters to tell their story, because the book is constantly hulking down toward a violent ending you can practically sense from the first page.

I often have an issue with trilogies, and this could just be me, but the last book almost always disappoints. It may feel rushed, or just bulls***ted through, but the ending of ‘The Last Mortal Bond’ was a work of art. Anything you wonder as you read the climax—which is about 100+ pages of raging war written on top of another 500+ pages of grim reality and action (at the highest level one can write fantasy fiction)—will be answered. I focus on the ending of the book, which I hate to do because every single damn page of this book felt like a detailed script of war, because when something ends, it sucks when it ends poorly. This ending is a fist. Sometimes a fist can kill you; sometimes it can only hurt you.

My influences in fantasy were George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Steven Erikson, and Guy Gavriel Kay, but none of those great authors wrote a novel that inspired me, like Brian Staveley’s ‘The Emperor’s Blades,’ to start writing my own stories and novels—which I’ve fallen in love doing so. Staveley’s worlds give me a vacation from reality, his characters always remind me of someone I actually know, and his prose and narrative has an edge to it as if the story is being told to you by a battle-tested, intelligence, and foul-mouthed survivor of the events from the novels.

‘The Last Mortal Bond’ is the best book of of the year, and I’m confident this statement will remain true at the end of 2016.

Can't believe she became emperor. She was not only the weakest (and the dumbest) of the bunch, but her actions compounded the crises through out the story. She almost murdered her brother, and would have murdered her other brother if given the chance. Not only that but she single handedly destroyed her family line (her son is not really a malkeenian despite the fact that she had given him that name). In other words, terrible ending. The author must have a feminist for a wife.

This was exactly the book I've been waiting for to finish up one of *the best* fantasy/spec-fic series released recently.! It was also the smoothest, and easiest to read out of the trilogy. I loved how each of the characters' POVs came together and were woven together. What a nail-biter!

If you haven't read the other two books yet, stop waiting! Great series.