An adrenaline-fueled ending to a fantastic series. A truly desolately hopeful fantasy.
Crowfall is book 3 of Ed McDonald’s debut series, Raven’s Mark, and the final(?) journey of Ryhalt Galharrow. And what a journey it has been. Seeing the way Ed has developed the character across the trials and tribulations of these 3 books has been a pleasure, and the narrator Colin Mace should be applauded for bringing Galharrow to life in such a fantastic way.
Book 3 skips ahead a bit of time and we start with Galharrow living in and off the Misery, a desolate wasteland of misshapen horrors, physics gone awry, and wild stray magic. It deals with the endgame from the outset, and though there are a few diversions, never loses sight of the epic final confrontation it builds to all the way.
Ed has a philosophically poetical way with the prose that reminds me of Mark Lawrence. Rarely a page goes by without a line that needs further consideration, not just for the meaning, but also for the way the words run together to give the meaning a delivery that hits home.
I always struggle to review book 3s of a series, but suffice it to say I loved this one almost as much as the previous 2 books. The philosophising occasionally got a bit out of hand, but that’s only a minor gripe in the scheme of things. A fantastic end to a fantastic series. 5 stars and well earned.
I needed no persuasion with this one (sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me) but enjoyed this review. Your paragraph that begins “Ed has a philosophically…” had me nodding my head. I’ve never read any Mark Lawrence but I absolutely agree that Ed McDonald writes prose that doesn’t just tell a story. The latter part of your sentence there (“…but also for the…”) gave me food for thought, or perhaps another level on which to appreciate his work when I read it. I find Ed McDonald to be able to pepper Galharrow’s thoughts with some highly perceptive insights into human nature in general. I’m eager to dive into this. Cheers! PS Best of luck with the cover art comp!