After re-reading the fourth installment for the who-knows-how-many-th time, I thought it was my favorite of the entire series... but now that I have finished re-reading this fifth book in the series, I am starting to think that maybe it is my favorite after all. Told from alternating third-person perspectives, the story relays the story of Niall’s three sons - Brennan, Hart and Corin. The story opens when they are little more than spoiled adolescents, but as the novel progresses all three mature in different ways. All three brothers face challenges and hardships that make this a fast-paced and thrilling read. The added complexity to the plot begins to foreshadow later novels in the series. Though this series starts off a little rough, it really improves with each novel. With two sets of twins, this one has always been particularly dear to me, and I can’t wait to keep reading this fun series!
The Chronicles of the Cheysuli series is the first fantasy epic I read. In fact, it's one of the few series I read repeatedly, likely due to my young age and limited literary horizons.Nevertheless, these books shaped my first views on philosophy, religion, sexuality, racism, and sexism. The responsible way Roberson handles these issues is inspiring and commendable. On returning to read these books in later years, some of the characters and plot devices appear hackneyed and cliched, and some of themes aren't exactly as I remember them. But still, these stories provided the scaffolding on which I built my literary future.
