By: Jon Skovron
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit Books
WARNING: There will be spoilers for The Ranger of Marzana & The Queen of Izmoroz
The Wizard of Eventide is the third and final book in Jon Skovron’s epic fantasy series, The Goddess of War. I found it on par with the first book, and throughout the series I was never fully drawn into the story. The characters remained the same and I still saw little growth in their arcs. There were many very strange things that occurred in this book. They were unique, unexpected, and hard to describe, but overall, they were very odd. Unfortunately, I can’t really get into them as it would venture too much into spoilers.
At the end of The Queen of Izmoroz, we know several important things have happened. Sonya and Sebastian have reunited and are fighting against the Imperial Empire. Galina, having ousted the northern clans, is now Queen of Izmoroz. Through several turn of events, Franko Vittorio is now in control of the Empire, and he is quite unstable. Everything that has come to pass is building up to a war with the Empire. Izmoroz wants its freedom, and Raiz wants to be sure to remain free. It is Sonya and Sebastian that are now travelling to look for allies, while Izmoroz and Raiz prepare for war.
Sonya has given up more of her humanity to the Lady of Marzanna, and Sebastian has aged well beyond his years. The series seems to take place over a fairly short amount of time. We meet Sebastian when he is seventeen in the Ranger of Marzanna. In the Wizard of Eventide, by the end, he is about eighteen, though he looks very old and feels it as well. As I mentioned, I do like magic systems where the user cannot wield it limitlessly. They need to rest, recharge, or some other way to restore themselves. This magic was a heavy price to pay, and too high a price for me to find enjoyable. It didn’t seem to make sense that one would want to be a wizard when the consequences are that one ages so quickly, and feels the effects of it as well.
The elements that worked for me were the battle scenes. I think Mr. Skovron does write them well. There were also quite a number of surprises that I didn’t see coming. Throughout the series, I did like how the narrative was structured. It was all told in the third person narrative by several of the main characters, most notably Sonya, Sebastian, Irina, Galina, and Jorge. It wasn’t confusing and Mr. Skovron writes the story well.
The Wizard of Eventide, and the Goddess of War series, is a good entry into the fantasy genre. My own opinion is that some elements worked, while others did not. The ones that didn’t gave me trouble to be fully immersed in the story. However, I will still recommend it because there I know there are readers who will love it and enjoy to oddities at the end of this particular book.
Summary (from NetGalley)
In the thrilling conclusion to Jon Skovron’s epic fantasy trilogy that began with The Ranger of Marzanna, allies and enemies alike must band together to defeat an evil on a scale never before seen—and this time, the Gods are on the battlefield.
As Vittorio’s empire enacts its bloody reign, the Uaine now behind him after a stunning betrayal, a reunited Sonya and Sebastian must embark on a journey to distant lands to amend past wrongs—and find unlikely allies along the way.
In far Raiz, Jorgehas his hands full enough with the devastation the Empire left behind. But the battle isn’t over, and the sovereignty of his nation will depend on his ability to band together the ancient houses—and recruiting a figure straight out of legend.
Galina, now Queen of Izmoroz, rules her land with an iron fist in a velvet glove. But heavy is the crown, and enemies lie in wait both within and without her dominion. To realize her vision for a free Izmoroz at last, she’ll have to fight with much more than politics.
My sincere thanks to Orbit Books for a copy of the book and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook in exchange for an honest review.
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