I was sad to read that this is the last of a 4-book series. Here's hoping Sarah Monette changes her mind! This last one had some great new cultures, levels of technology, and vocabulary that marked the country Mildmay and Felix traveled to. Sarah Monette has a real talent for making the story of people traveling to different cultures feel genuine. Her writing makes the invention of different societies, religions, magical practices all seem effortless.
As far as downsides go, I would have liked more Mildmay chapters. His voice is my favorite, and the believable change in voice when she changes narratives is another of Monette's considerable talents. I also would have preferred a less graphic description of what is probably the most violent scene in the series (and I'm no sissy). Despite that, I loved this series, and the characters of Mildmay the Fox and Feliz Harrowgate will stay with me for a long time. ( )

3.5

Good writing as usual. The characters were great and Kay was actually another interesting character to have the POV of. I don't give it a four because I felt that it was weak in the ending of a series. I would be perfectly content if their was another book but I also understand why that didn't happened because of how it ended. So it's just that it was kind of iffy but not iffy so much that I hated the book because of it. ( )

It's always a bit hard to finish a series that you've fallen in love with--and I do assume that this one is done, although it does feel that the door might have been left just slightly open, things are very satisfactorily concluded. The unwinding of the master plot in this last volume is masterful and interesting, and the parallel development of the two brothers--both their relationship and their inner selves--balances and complements. It's just great. I can accept the violence of the first book and a half because of where Monette goes with it. Highly recommended unless you really really loathe violence. **** 1/2 for the series as a whole. ( )

Please see my full review here:
http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/corambis-sarah-monette.html ( )

well, I'm sad for sure that I've read the last book of the four. I must have gone through them in a little more than a week--and if that's slow, by my standards, that's with me reading some five other books at the same time.

What I really loved was the characters. Jeez, just the interactions and their inner lives were enough to suck me in, though of course it wouldn't have interested me so much without all the magic and shit, me being basically addicted the fantasy genre. You get a window into the characters' souls, pretty much. And what made this series stand out from, oh, many, many other books I've read was the character development--I mean, not the fact that there was character development, since plenty of other authors do that just fine; but, I guess, the way the characters got to know themselves and each other even as they became clearer to me. The emotions shine through wonderfully. As well, the way the theme of labyrinths and finding one's way--in both literal and metaphorical sense--carries through, along with a general continuity/unity between the books, just draws the reader along on the journey.

Also, Mildmay is fuckin' awesome. And apologies for my language, but I guess you probably wouldn't like him anyway, then. In which case you're not awesome, and I don't care if you're offended. XD

( )