April 15, 2024
Bestseller Roanhorse is in top form in the satisfying conclusion to her Between Earth and Sky epic fantasy trilogy (after 2022’s Fevered Star). The future of Serapio, the newly ascendant Carrion King, hinges on comprehending a cryptic prophecy conveyed by Zataya of the Coyote Clan, a witch who reads astronomical portents as signifying that “something terrible” is coming for the people of the land called the Meridian. She tells Serapio that he faces “three wars to lose, three wars to win,” but that in achieving victory, he will sacrifice everything. Serapio believes some of the message is clear enough for him to take action, but his plans to fulfill the prophecy without losing all he holds dear face numerous challenges. Other characters, including Xiala, a sea captain belonging to a community that lives on floating islands and has mostly lost its ability to perform magic through singing, are equally three-dimensional, and Roanhorse weaves the myriad plot threads together seamlessly, building to an epic climax. It’s a worthy finale to a blockbuster series.
