The Way of Light (The Chronicles of Magravandias, Book 3)

Rating:
Summary: Convergence
Review: The third book in the Magravandias chronicles brings all the political and sexual intrigue to a resounding finale. When the emperor of Magravandias finally dies, his sons and other factions maneuver to be the one to inherit the throne. The emperor's daughter Varencienne does not side with her brothers, but instead with her husband Valraven Palindrake, the heir to the reawakening sea dragon's power. The emperor's widow Tatrini has plans of her own, and brings forth the other elemental powers, setting in motion more than any of the various players could have imagined. The wizard Taropat returns, but his loyalties are muddled, until he's forced to confront his own shadowed past and mistakes, just like his former friend Valraven must do. As Tatrini and her powerful sons chase the Palindrake clan and finally corner them at the site where the Palindrakes's power was first muted, the Palindrake children determine the outcome of the battle. Storm Constantine outshines herself in this final book in the trilogy with a delightful and mesmerizing blend of machinations, personal enlightenment, and sexualities. The dénouement is a bit rushed, but it doesn't detract from the massive scope Constantine presents for the reader. Instead it leaves the reader with a stunned sense of survival, just like the characters in the trilogy, and with a sense of satisfaction in being witness to the characters' various journeys through tragedies to peace.