Published: November 2022
Pages: 460
Summary
A dark shadow has fallen across the galaxy. The curators—a hive mind made from the memories of countless past civilisations—have finally returned, ready to finish the experiment they started millions of years ago.
A splintered resistance with a desperate plan is all that stands in the way of utter annihilation. As Alvera Renata and her old crew join forces with former enemies and unlikely allies, all eyes turn to the Omega Gate—a twisted contraption formed of the mysterious waystations. Destroying it might give them a fighting chance against the curators—if they don’t destroy each other first.
My thoughts
This was a great conclusion to a trilogy I’ve just binged over 4 days (I was hooked!). Although there were pieces that didn’t quite work for me, there was a lot I loved and I’m glad I stuck with these characters until the end.
“Resisting is violent, sometimes inevitably so. But it can be quiet, too. It can happen across a theatre of war or in the battlefields of your own head.”
Our characters are back
I have grown so attached to these characters and I have loved watch them come out of their shells and grow against the situation that’s escalating. They are rising to the challenge and that is what humanity is all about.
Bonds have been forged between friends, lovers, family by choice and not that by blood. It was really wonderful and heart-breaking. Difficult choices are made and as the reader I can understand the characters perspective even if I don’t agree with it. That is where Scrimgeour’s writing flourishes because she can navigate difficult situations and is able to connect the reader with her characters.
“She doesn’t need the stomach for it,” she said softly. “She’s got me.”
Emotions were high and the sparks were more than just fight scenes
Our characters had to move at a very fast pace throughout this and despite the danger at hand, it’s also very lovely to see them have their moments and the spark of something more.
That’s why I came back. Because no matter how scared I am, no matter how much I really, really don’t want to die, I’d rather spend a few final days by your side than live out the rest of my life in that paradise without you.”
I was swooning over these small, precious moments, they just melted my heart and it was a piece of light in the dark.
Not all characters were my cup of tea, Rivus has annoyed and frustrated my through this entire series and that didn’t change with this book. Rivus doesn’t add much to this series, he could be swapped out for anybody else and nothing would change. It’s his position and the power he has which is needed through this story.
We have some really great character development and Ridley and Niole were my favourites, including the friendship groups they had formed. They are different people from the start of book one and I just enjoyed watch them challenge and grow, despite the circumstances that they found themselves in.
Dynamic world building and scene setting
Scrimgeour does a really fantastic job of highlighting the emotions and pressure of a situation. She brings in the risks and danger and really draws on the stakes. My heart was in my mouth at times just wondering where things were going to go.
There was so many little surprises and twists through this which I thought were incredible touches to the overall storytelling.
My slight challenges with this conclusion
What I didn’t enjoy so much came down to two things. The first was the amount of criticism and judgement Alvera faced. She was made out to be an evil person, and that this was all her fault and I just completely disagree. We’ve already determined that this has happened many times before and our characters are aware that there was nothing Alvera could have done to stop it happening, but they continue to pin the blame on her. Perhaps this is more of a reflection on desperate people and their way of functioning through a crisis by being able to put their fear and frustration onto another person. But I grew tired of reading the same thing so many times.
Let’s not forget how much Alvera has done, and the difficult decisions she’s made to ensure that they don’t all die and actually give hope to some that they will be able to live. She was not thanked once for all her work, Kojan was a big instigator of this which put me off him quite a bit.
Heavy with dread, laden with a possibility neither of them wanted to consider. Alvera had taken the decision out of their hands. Just as she always did. Just as they’d always needed her to.
The other piece was related to the ending. No spoilers to that but I was really hoping for an epilogue of sorts. So much of this book is war and it would have been nice to have had a bit of a contrast.
We are all Idran-Var now, Rhendar had said. Rivus finally understood what he meant.
Would I recommend?
Yes, this was a fantastic sci-fi trilogy. Immense worldbuilding around a very complex, intricate plot. I loved the characters (some more than others) and although I had some niggles with this final book, I still very much loved this trilogy. Others need to read this!