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Title: A Path to Coldness of Heart
Series: Last Chronicle of the Dread Empire #3
Author: Glen Cooke
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 445
Format: Digital Edition
Series: Last Chronicle of the Dread Empire #3
Author: Glen Cooke
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 445
Format: Digital Edition
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Synopsis:
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The world has come
as close as it ever has to having some peace, so obviously the Star
Rider will stir things up. However, due to him having been so visible
in the last 50 years, the main characters on the stage all know about
him, from The Dread Empire to the King without a Throne to Bragi to
Varthlokkur.
Mist, queen of the
Dread Empire, secretly assembles a cast of people all presumed to be
dead who have had interactions with the Star Rider. They begin a
massive plot to take him down, all along parallel tracks not
connected so that if one plot fails, another may get through.
This involves a
whole new generation of people and we get hints of horrible things
the Star Rider has actually been keeping contained for the world's
safety. The plotters succeed and the tale peters out.
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My
Thoughts:
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While there is a book of short stories still left in the Dread
Empire saga, this was pretty much the wrapup to the overall
story. Except it didn't really wrap anything up, it just “ended”
while introducing the vague new threats the world would have to face
and vaguely introducing the next set of people to face those threats.
Cook seems to revel in showing the heroes growing old and failing in
one way or another.
And here's my biggest caveat about this book. We are introduced to a
minor wizard who is, for all intents and purposes, a pedophile. He's
into pre-pubescent girls and while its made clear nothing is done
against their will, the whole idea is abhorrent and Cook makes it out
to be “just another thing”. I don't think I've seen that before
in any of his books and if I do come across it again, that'll be it.
The wizard is a major side character in this novel, so that keeps
popping up.
Overall, it is apparent that Steven Erikson, of Malazan fame,
stole much more from Cook's Dread Empire than from his Black
Company series. When I finished this book, I just felt “ehhh”.
Between the pedo-wizard and the non-closure of an ending, I had to
ask myself “What did I get out of this”and the answer is “not
much”.
The writing is at the same level as all the previous books, so
without pedo-wizard this probably would have been a 3 ½ star book,
but that inclusion dropped things pretty hard. I do plan on reading
the collection of short stories to truly wrap up the Dread Empire
series and then I have to decide what of Cook's writings I want
to read next. I've got one or two trilogies/short series and then his
much longer Garrett, PI urban fantasy series. I'm thinking of
holding off on Garrett just because me and Urban Fantasy don't get
along for the most part. Ahh well, that is months away, plenty of
time to make up my mind and change it several times too!
★★☆☆☆
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