Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't stop reading...
Review: I don't know how she manages to do it but she does. No other series could keep me that curious as to what was going to happen so that I read from the moment I bought it to the next dawn. Her use of perspectives, settings and natural and unnatural balances in life make this novel and its counterparts truly stand out from any other work of fiction. She is able to use religion and magic(k) in the book equally as well which also adds to the interest of the book. There is no sappiness in this story, no good versus evil and no winning for either side. She has portrayed fiction with real life actions and defeats. If you want to read a book that enables you to see reality through fiction, then this would be it. Ms. Rusch is incapable at failing with her unique writing style. She has created a classic masterpiece and if you don't read it, then you'll never be able to truly understand what makes a great novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A good series ends not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Review: After avidly following this series (and I'm not one of those fantasy readers who commits to reading umpteen books set in the same world), I was disappointed in this ending. The joining of Nicholas and Matthias to defeat the Black King brought the legend of the Roca full circle, and to some extent resolved their differences. (And gave the ruthless Rugad a fitting ending.) But the events following that climax were depicted incredibly weakly. How did Jewel get the Fey to accept a "half-breed" as queen, considering that the Black King had left other heirs? (Perhaps that dilemma will be dealt with in more depth in the next series.) How did Nicholas, Arianna and the others get back to Jahn without encountering Fey armies? Were the fierce Fey truly that demoralized by the King's death? I also wasn't satisfied with the somewhat pointless wandering of Luke and Con, or with the "resurrection" of Sebastian. Nevertheless, I will definitely be reading the Black Throne series. Knowing Arianna, Gift, and Coulter are worth any minor flaws in the book's content.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't stop reading...
Review: As usual, I was intrigued by the characters and repulsed by the excessive brutality of these books. Ms Rusch begins by fleshing out the inhabitants of her story, to the point where you want to know them better and are rooting for them, and abruptly having them disemboweled. In other cases, the characterization seems totally thin. On the other hand, you do truly get caught up in the action, and she doesn't give away much of what she's got planned. But there is just too much violence for me to truly throw my heart into this series. Characters seem to hold grudges for no reason. There is nothing really "sacred" here except the love of Nicholas and Jewel, which gets harder to understand as the series progresses. The children seemed spoiled and unlovable. Also, you might find yourself having to read it multiple times to truly comprehend her explanation of magic. The plot is often moved along by rather blatant deus ex machina, and she seems to be deciding who will live or die by rolling dice. There are also a lot of visions from the earlier books which are not wrapped up. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend these books to the squeamish. There is much to draw the reader in, but every time I got into it I was shocked into distancing myself from the gore and wholesale genocide. Like being burned by the "pretty flames..." It'll be interesting to see how far she can take this now that there is peace between these races and Ms Rusch will have to find other devices besides blood and violence to get things going.
Rating: 
Summary: Addictive, but bad for your peace of mind...
Review: As usual, I was intrigued by the characters and repulsed by the excessive brutality of these books. Ms Rusch begins by fleshing out the inhabitants of her story, to the point where you want to know them better and are rooting for them, and abruptly having them disemboweled. In other cases, the characterization seems totally thin. On the other hand, you do truly get caught up in the action, and she doesn't give away much of what she's got planned. But there is just too much violence for me to truly throw my heart into this series. Characters seem to hold grudges for no reason. There is nothing really "sacred" here except the love of Nicholas and Jewel, which gets harder to understand as the series progresses. The children seemed spoiled and unlovable. Also, you might find yourself having to read it multiple times to truly comprehend her explanation of magic. The plot is often moved along by rather blatant deus ex machina, and she seems to be deciding who will live or die by rolling dice. There are also a lot of visions from the earlier books which are not wrapped up. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend these books to the squeamish. There is much to draw the reader in, but every time I got into it I was shocked into distancing myself from the gore and wholesale genocide. Like being burned by the "pretty flames..." It'll be interesting to see how far she can take this now that there is peace between these races and Ms Rusch will have to find other devices besides blood and violence to get things going.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: I believe this to be one of the greatest books ever written. Even tough it is a bit grusome at times, you can't stop reading. I read a lot of fantasy, and I think this is almost as good as Tolkien. I think that it will be a clasic one day. I has such a wonderful plot with many twists and turns. The entiar seiries is excelent. I loved it, and will read it agai, and again.
Rating:
Summary: Good but confusing
Review: K.K. Rusch has done a good job with this series. From the moment that I read the first book the "Sacrifice" I was hooked. I was enthralled by the Fey, even though they were excessively bloodthirsty and gruesome at times, I found them to be exciting. I also liked the idea of the Islanders in an act of desperation finding a weapon that could defeat the Fey, when all seemed lost, although I thought they way the "holy water" killed was just a tad too gruesome. The other books developed well and we got to know a litle bit more about the characters and there motivations. Although, when you actually got to know the major characters Ms. Rusch looked liked she was killing them off with the roll of a dice. It almost appeared as if she wasn't suffering a major character to live, and to be honest it seemed she would have killed off all of her major characters by the time the series was finished. So although I thought her books were good I don't think she needed to kill off so many major characters, or be as blood thirsty as her books were. As for her last book. I found the introduction of the man in the cave to be confusing as well as the "Roca" and his rationale for what he did. The magic I think was not explained very well and "God" or whatever that water fountain was seemed to be a bunch of schizophrenic spirits. Also the explanation of how Nicholas finally killed the Black King was a little off, especially with all of that talk of "Black Blood against Black Blood." The Shaman was saying that Nicholas was of the blood so how could he have killed the Black King without chaos resulting. The Fey at the end accepting Arianna as the Black Queen just like that didn't work for me, and the way Ms. Rusch glossed over how Jewel helped Arianna win that acceptance didn't pan out either. It seemed to me as if even SHE did not know how to frame it so she just glossed over it. And this "peace" between the Islnders and Fey after all that has happened is just to good to be real or accepted. Anyway for all of this I think Ms. Rusch did a good job and I will be reading her new "Black Throne Series" when it comes out.
Rating:
Summary: Good but confusing
Review: K.K. Rusch has done a good job with this series. From the moment that I read the first book the "Sacrifice" I was hooked. I was enthralled by the Fey, even though they were excessively bloodthirsty and gruesome at times, I found them to be exciting. I also liked the idea of the Islanders in an act of desperation finding a weapon that could defeat the Fey, when all seemed lost, although I thought they way the "holy water" killed was just a tad too gruesome. The other books developed well and we got to know a litle bit more about the characters and there motivations. Although, when you actually got to know the major characters Ms. Rusch looked liked she was killing them off with the roll of a dice. It almost appeared as if she wasn't suffering a major character to live, and to be honest it seemed she would have killed off all of her major characters by the time the series was finished. So although I thought her books were good I don't think she needed to kill off so many major characters, or be as blood thirsty as her books were. As for her last book. I found the introduction of the man in the cave to be confusing as well as the "Roca" and his rationale for what he did. The magic I think was not explained very well and "God" or whatever that water fountain was seemed to be a bunch of schizophrenic spirits. Also the explanation of how Nicholas finally killed the Black King was a little off, especially with all of that talk of "Black Blood against Black Blood." The Shaman was saying that Nicholas was of the blood so how could he have killed the Black King without chaos resulting. The Fey at the end accepting Arianna as the Black Queen just like that didn't work for me, and the way Ms. Rusch glossed over how Jewel helped Arianna win that acceptance didn't pan out either. It seemed to me as if even SHE did not know how to frame it so she just glossed over it. And this "peace" between the Islnders and Fey after all that has happened is just to good to be real or accepted. Anyway for all of this I think Ms. Rusch did a good job and I will be reading her new "Black Throne Series" when it comes out.
Rating:
Summary: The FINEST fantasy series in print, period.
Review: Rusch has done the impossible, she has written an even better book than the preceeding four in the series. The characters are developed to perfection, the story line is never confusing and flows perfectly and quickly, and the book is never boring. The other books were excellent and this one even better! In conclusion, Rusch has created a fresh new world that is a pleasure to experience. I cannot even begin to describe the talent and quality of this entire series.
Rating:
Summary: Great end to a great series
Review: Rusch is a talented writer. Her Fey series is unusual for the genre. She frequently surprises you. This book very nicely ties together the open ends from the previous four and makes a very satisfying conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: Great end to a great series
Review: Rusch is a talented writer. Her Fey series is unusual for the genre. She frequently surprises you. This book very nicely ties together the open ends from the previous four and makes a very satisfying conclusion.
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