A brilliant ending to a really enjoyable trilogy.

It was a slow start in Red Sister, some might even say "tedious" in those early pages, but for those who stick with it you'll be rewarded well for your reading efforts as the whole trilogy has been a good, slow crescendo all the way to the end, and it's an end that doesn't disappoint at all.

If you like really good fantasy with a little sci-fi thrown in then these books will not to disappoint.   It's big, a lot of pages, but it's well worth all the hours.

Best of all, when you get to the end of the Kindle version you'll find out that it doesn't end there.   For all us Abeth fans, Mark has just begun a new trilogy with The Girl and the Stars.   I am so looking forward to more from this ice world.

Ten out of ten. ( )

4,9 stars

Well, now. This was definitely an ending to a series.

I can't write any kind of coherent review about this, at least not right away, so let's just say I loved everything about this finale and leave it at that. ( )

Fínasti endir á þríleik Lawrence um Nonu Grey sem sér nú fram á að ljúka námi sínu og verða fullnum nunna við nunnuregluna Sisters of Mercy. Líkt og í fyrri þríleik sínum, Prince of Thorns, gerist þessi saga í heimi þar sem galdrar, sverðaglamur og óblíð náttúruöfl takast á í veröld sem býr yfir löngu gleymdri tækni forfeðra sem virðist hafa átt vissan þátt í tortímingu jarðarinnar. Tekist er á um volduga gripi úr fortíðinni til að sigrast á andstæðingum en líkt og oft vill verða eru þessir gripir stórhættulegir þeim sem þeim beita.
Saga Lawrence er ákaflega dökk og aðalsöguhetjan glímir við marga galla sem skerpir persónu hennar og gerir hana heillandi persónu að fylgjast með. Sögurnar hafa verið nokkuð flóknar og ég mátti hafa mig allan við en þær eru vel þess virði að lesa. ( )

One of the best fantasy series ever!

That said, the last of the books falls a bit short of expectations. Don't get me wrong. It's still head and shoulders above most books of the same genre, but after Red and Grey Sister, the conclusion in this grand finale seems a bit tame. The characters don't acquire any new traits, rather they grow into the people that we observed over the course of the last 2 books. The plot is refreshing, but as I said, not quite what I expected.

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.
One of the strongest opening lines I've ever read, this sentence introduces the reader to Red Sister.Over the course of the three books, the scene is presented from time to time in varied ways, each time setting the heart pounding. As a result, a lot of expectations build up by the time you finally reach this stage of the story. However, the actual execution of the scene leaves something to be desired. Maybe, it's because when you read a sentence like this, you expect Sister Thorn to be a battle-hardened and mature, somewhere in her late twenties or more. Finding Arabella, who, though a good warrior, was never portrayed in situations which captured her valour or skills, stretches ingenuity a bit. Nevertheless, it was quite well-written.

As for the prose--well, it's Mark lawrence. It's bound to be beautiful. Consider this:

The markers leaned at drunken angles and every grave mounded like a pregnant belly above its occupant.

All in all, a lovely, lovely book. The ending reminded me quite strongly of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. Do read The Book of the Ancestor trilogy! ( )

This is the final book in the Mark Lawrence trilogy, Book of The Ancestors. And like the opening hook in Book 1 Red Sister:“It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy convent Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.”( I don't think I am spoiling anything if I say Sister Thorn survived that battle.) The ending is not only satisfying, but superb!

This is a story of young girls becoming strong, independent, wonderful woman-forging bonds and with one mission in mind: Protect the land, Protect each other. Nona Grey, an 11 year old child is sold to a child peddler, who ends up in the Convent of Sweet Mercy, a wing of The Church of The Ancestors. The Abbess of the convent, Sister Glass, sees in Nora what no one else can see-raw, trainable power. Can she be the Chosen One? The Moon is failing, the Ice is moving in and the Empires surrounding them are readying to claim the only land still viable. The Sisters of Sweet Mercy are preparing for battle.

As Nona progresses from Red Sister to Grey Sister(Book 2), her character grows into a wonderful bad-ass woman, with not only raw power, but character flaws that make her human and lovable. Strong female bonds are established, and this is so, so refreshing to see in the Fantasy genre!

The series covers ten years. Moving from childhood, to adolescence, to woman in the three books-Nona is trained and employed to face down the threats.

From Book 3 Holy Sister:
"They came against her as a child. Now they face the woman.". And what a powerful, compassionate woman she becomes! The POV travels between the end of Book 2 and 3 years later as the final battle culminates.

If you are a Sci-Fi OR Fantasy lover, this book covers it all-Fair warning, there is war, violence, LBGT love, and a lot of loss and suffering. But all in all a very satisfying trilogy that I believe will stand the test of time and become a favorite in this genre. ( )