Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsStrong characters, but some character traits sacrificed for the sake of plot
Reviewed in Australia on 10 June 2020
The whole series (including this final book) was generally an enjoyable (occasionally compelling) read, but annoyingly I sometimes felt I was being lead by the nose for the sake of plot. Often in books you are confused by unexpected plot turns: in exceptional writing this confusion mostly gives way to an "Ahh" moment of understanding and pleasure as the reasons are revealed as a natural, plausible sequence. In mediocre writing the confusion remains and you feel a bit cheated as you are left with the "that character wouldn't do that!" vibe and the feeling that the situation is unrealistically being manipulated to fit. This latter happened a few times throughout the series and normally I wouldn't keep reading, but this was thankfully a more subtle than overt problem. In the face of the authors genuineness, obvious veneration for Arthurian legend that shone through and strong characters that you do care about, it didn't feel like a deliberate 'cheat', more like an editing problem.
