Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) | Kate Elliott

Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) | Kate Elliott | And just like that, my faith is restored

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Crown of Stars (Cr...

	Crown of Stars (Crown of Stars, Vol. 7) Kate Elliott DAW, 2007 - 624 pages average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In the wake of the cataclysm many new alliances are forming even as old ones dissolve. As Sanglant struggles to legitimize his own leadership, the Aoi are carrying out random attacks-while implicating him as their leader. Stronghand has begun a march of conquest into the heart of Sanglant's realm. Adelheid and Antonia have made an unholy alliance. And Sabella and Duke Conrad are moving to seize Sanglant's crown. Cultures, religions, and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world.

Domestic Disturbances

Crown of Stars (2006) is the seventh Fantasy novel in the Crown of Stars series, following In The Ruins. In the previous volume, the land of the Ashioi became fertile again. Kansi, the Impatient One, was elected as Feather Cloak and led the Ashioi to war with the humans. Fleeing the forces of Queen Adelheid with Blessing as his prisoner, Hugh of Austra crossed the strand below the band of destruction and surrendered to the Ashioi. The new Feather Cloak didn't trust him, but used his skills as a mathematicus to weave the crowns. Blessing joyfully became shieldbearer to Zuangua, her great-uncle.

Queen Adelheid and Holy Mother Antonia were joined by the Arethousan general Lord Alexandros. They agreed to send galla seeking for Sanglant and Liath. Meanwhile, Sanglant and Liath inspected the shoreline of the northern sea; he also observed the clouds that covered the sun, but released not a drop of rain.

In this novel, Sanglant takes his King's Progress through immense destruction and overcast skies. Everywhere they go, starving men, women and children beg for food. Farmers are afraid to plant their seed because of the recurring frosts. Vermin swarms eat food stores. Wild beasts attack the herds and even people. Bandits loot and kill at isolated farms and hamlets. Although King Sanglant provides good advice and some assistance, people will mostly have to solve their own problems until the weather clears.

Alain and his hounds walk over backwood paths. They come to a windrow where the great storms have thrown down massive trees. He can climb over, but not with the dogs. He walks along the blockage until he comes to a lesser pile among the fallen trees. After lifting over the dogs, he makes his way through the branches, but stops when he hears something large walk by on the other side of the leaves. He and his dogs remain quiet until the thing wanders off.

As Alain continues on, he meets a small party hunting for a monster. From their description, Alain recognizes the nature of the beast: a guivre. He warns them to leave the animal alone, for it doesn't attack those who don't bother it; otherwise, they will be turned to stone. The group return to their village, but the man Atto and his woman then travel on with Alain to Autun.

When they arrive at Autun, Atto joins Lady Sabella's milites, but is ordered to first lead them to the guivre. Alain is known to Sabella, pretender to the throne, and her husband Lord Conrad and is offered the restoral of his county of Lavas. As he is considering the offer, he rides with the hunters.

Lady Bertha leads a road-weary band of clerics and soldiers toward Saony. They are refused refuge in a hastily fortified village and have to camp in the ruins of Augensburg. During the night, Ashioi attack with poison arrows, but Sorgatani walks among them and they die one by one at the sight of her.

The following morning, the survivors gather their dead and bury them. Among the casualties is Lady Bertha, who is buried separately. The Ashioi are left untouched where they fell; their killer, the shaman Sorgatani, is almost left behind, but Hanna convinces the leaders to take her with them. They trudge off toward Saony under the leadership of Sister Rosvita.

The King's Progress comes to Walburg in time to celebrate the Translatus. Biscop Alberada leaves to return to Handelburg and Margrave Gerberga declares her intentions to leave for her lands of Austra and Olsatia. Sanglant relaxes amidst his peers and family in an amicable, but bickering, atmosphere. Liath goes to talk with Hedwig, a retired Eagle, who knows more about Wolfhere, the former Eagle who had betrayed Liath to the Seven Sleepers.

That night, Prince Ekkehard runs off with Lady Theucinda, youngest daughter of Margrave Judith. Sanglant and others chase him down, guided by the folk of the countryside. They confront him in a clearing, where he refuses to return to his wife. There four galla attack, three for Liath and one for Sanglant. She picks off three with arrows fletched with griffin feathers and, as these flick out of existence, Sanglant gets the last one with a handheld arrow.

This novel concludes the Crown of Stars series. Although the nobility continues to act foolishly, the regnancy of Wendar and Verre passes on to a reasonable pair of rulers. The church reconstitutes itself and accepts new dogma. Problems that have been insurmountable are found to have a solution. But none of this happens in a manner that the reader would have foretold.

Although this series has stretched interminably, the ending is very satisfactory. Now the author is free to start a new series (hint, hint).

Highly recommended to Elliott fans and to anyone else who enjoys tales of high adventure, high and low magic, and twisty plotting.

-Arthur W. Jordin

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And just like that, my faith is restored

I had trouble with the last volume, but this finale has cemented Kate Elliott as one of my very favorite authors. I loved that she didn't tie every loose end into a tidy little package, and I absolutely adored how she handled the story of Liath and Sanglant. I cried over the ending like I haven't cried since the end of "Summer of '42". Now I understand why Alain was so terribly abused. I don't know why the parallel wasn't clear to me before, because I totally understand it now. Even Blessing turned out well. Who would have thought? Wonderful job, Ms. Elliott.

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Outstanding

I rarely write reviews but I had to for this outstanding series. The author held my interest in the characters and plot from Volume 1 through Volume 7. She (Elliott) uses language beautifully, develops characters (both human and non-human) in depth, and provides a plot that is suspenseful and has an inner consistency. This is excellent high fantasy.

Book OK Series Too Long

In general this is a good series and I enjoy the way the author writes.

I have come to believe, however, that any series of more than 3-5 books just gets too long. There can be too many side plots which can get too involved or the characters start dealing with variations of the same problems and you begin to loose interest.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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