November 1, 2018
In the conclusion to Stirling's epic Change series (beginning with Dies the Fire?, 2004), the newest heirs to the rebuilt world must fight once again: the eldritch power of the King in Yellow motivates a ghoulish army attacking from what was once Korea. �rlaith, heir apparent in Montival, and Reiko, empress of Japan, lead an attack to the enemy's very stronghold. Fortunately, they bear the mythical weapons of their ancestors. This is vital, not least because �rlaith's sword grants her knowledge of languages. The heirs of Genghis Khan, a revitalized Mongol people, fight the same enemy; Dzhambul and Bort� will be valued allies in this conclusive war. The balance of resurgent magic and familiar human politics continues to be a satisfying act; Stirling has built a fascinating world, populated with believably scheming characters, and this is a deftly constructed final epic battle interspersed with gentle human moments. As an ending, at least for this post-Change generation, it is a satisfying one, answering enough questions while leaving enough room for the fictional world to continue to grow in the reader's mind.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)