desertvixen | A Meeting at Corvallis

Here we are, the full-on review.

Non-spoilered version: A fitting ending to the trilogy. A little bit more introspection in this one about the societies they're forming. There's also a very definite sense of continuing on, even if the book is ending. There's a chunk towards the end where it gets a little bogged down in technical details of war, but it can be skimmed if you're not Into That So Much.

Once again, some people get what they deserve...and some people don't.

There's a mostly-humorous trend in this book of people poking fun at other groups, not realizing that by our standards, they're all cracked. Also a bit of culture clash between people who were adults before the Change and people who were either younger or born post-Change. Or, as one bit of grafitti goes in the book, "Help, I've fallen into the RenFaire and I can't get out!"

Spoilered version:

Mathilda is still being "fostered" by the Mackenzies in the beginning of the book.

Mike Havel's opinion of Astrid's reading taste - "giant doorstopper things with dragons and quests and Magical Identity Bracelets of the Apocalypse" - hmmm, sounds like a Jordan fan, all right. Poking fun at Tolkein-the-linguist.

The "Dunedein Rangers" are actually pretty useful, even if Astrid's more than a little nuts.

Corvallis (site of Oregon State) is doing the "free city" thing, complete with cheerleaders, the OSU fight song, and knights.

Sandra Arminger's lady knight Tiphaine is pretty interesting characterwise - an honorable enemy in every sense of the word.

Mike Havel starts thinking how much he likes being a father and family man, and how he has all this to live for, which in retrospect should have been a huge flashing neon SIGN from the author.

Mathilda gets stolen back, along with Rudi, leading into some interesting political stuff. Also more showcase about how some of the enemy is capable of acting honorable, although it's generally to their advantage when they do so.

Arminger gets too cutesy with his plans to get rid of his competition (Bearkillers, Mackenzies, Mount Angel) - instead of taking care of one enemy at a time, going for all of them. Result, men get their heads handed to them.

Great line of the book: Does Norman really mean it?...Or was his mother scared by a copy of King Arthur and the Round Table while she was pregnant?

We do find out what happened to the Pope and Italy - a sufficiently heroic death befitting his memory. And yes, Ratzinger took over for him...

Sandra Arminger subscribes to the "best reward is another job" school of thought.

The peasants start revolting, partly by design and partly by opportunity.

Arminger bites it. Unfortunately, Havel gets killed (or rather, mortally wounded) in the process of doing him in. A fitting death for a hero.

Stirling winds everything up with a dose of "time for happy ever after" laced with foreshadowing of their future.

DV