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Title: All Darkness Met
Title: All Darkness Met
Series:
The Dread Empire: A Cruel Wind #3
Author:
Glen Cook
Rating:
3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre:
Fantasy
Pages:
341
Format:
Digital Edition
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Synopsis: |
The Star Rider is not some half witted old kindly wizard who pats people on the head. It turns out he is a master manipulator in thrall to some unknown forces. HE is the agent behind the wars down through the years and it is time for war between the Dread Empire and the Western Nations.
The barbarian war general from the
previous book, Ragnarson, ends up being the regent when his wife dies
and the queen, who he has been shagging on the side, dies in
childbirth. He must fight overwhelming odds, traitors, unstable magic
and his own friends trying to kill him.
We also get a brief history of O-Shin,
the super powerful magician who is currently “ruling” the Dread
Empire. He manages to stay alive and prevent total war until he is
killed by accident by someone who is looking for their missing
friend.
A running battle is fought, both
magical and mundane, and millions of people die. The Dread Empire is
pushed back, not defeated and the Star Rider continues his game of
war for his unknown reasons.
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My Thoughts:
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Ragnarson was the main character and he's just a jerk. Cheating on his wife just doesn't work for me.
One thing that dragged this down for me
was Mocker's kidnapping, torture, brain washing and eventual death.
He was a character that I actually liked and it felt so wrong for him
to go down the path he did. It also made me realize just how nasty
magic is. Mocker was compelled to try to kill Ragnarson, his best
friend. His free will was negated and he had no choice. I can't stand
that. Even with being a Christian and acknowledging God's Sovereign
Will, I still am a champion of Free Will. That's why I like Neal
Asher as an author, because he and I have extremely different ideas
on what Free Will actually is. But anyway. Mocker is killed by
Ragnarson when Mocker tries to assassinate him. It was just so wrong.
The battles were fantastic. Bloody,
tense, uncertain. No side had all the dibs on getting things right.
Somebody always messed up and cost countless lives each time. There
was no Chosen One, there was no Victory except complete and utter
annihilation of the other side and that didn't happen because of that
wretched Star Rider.
The revelations that he is being
punished, in thrall or something to higher powers opens up whole new
potential vistas for plot lines. Or it might just be a line that Cook
threw in and never visits again. If Mocker can die, then I'm
convinced that ANYTHING can happen, however bad, good or stupid it
may be.
The confusion I felt in the second book
was gone. Lots of references to the previous books helped ground me
and kept me from being swept out to sea. I think that fact alone is
what raised this up half star, even with Mocker's demise. I liked
Mocker, which is why I keep going on about him.Not sure who I can
like in any future books. Of course, Cook might skip a generation or
10 and bring up a whole new cast. I guess I'll find out when I read
the next book in a month or two.
★★★☆ ½
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