Book #204 of 2021:
The Born Queen by Greg Keyes (The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone #4)
This high fantasy quartet never quite regains the propulsive rush of its initial entry, and there are a few too many dramatic reversals and reveals in the lengthy climax of this last novel for each to land with the impact that it might otherwise individually deserve. Still, author Greg Keyes has found some really neat ways to twist the mythology and magical rules of the setting, and if the human heart of the characters gets a little lost in the shuffle at times, on balance I’d say it’s almost worth it for how he manages to bring forward figures from the epic past that he’s built up over the course of the series. (That would be like if Isildur had become a major player in the battle of Helm’s Deep, or Aegon the Conqueror were summoned to assist his descendant Daenerys. The only story in this genre that I’ve seen try anything near as daring is The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.)
All told I have to concede that this volume is probably the weakest of its sequence, but it delivers a satisfying conclusion to all the various plot threads amid the same pulse-pounding action, political intrigue, and rich worldbuilding that have made these books so fun overall. I’m glad they generally hold up as well as I had suspected for this reread — despite this one ultimately flagging a bit — and I remain fairly puzzled that they’re so obscure today.
[Content warning for gore and rape including threat to children.]
This volume: ★★★☆☆
Overall series: ★★★★☆
Volumes ranked: 1 > 3 > 2 > 4
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