An Exceptional Finale
590382
Before I started in on Harry Potter 7, I had this idea that JK would leave the door open to write another Harry Potter book down the road, that she just couldn't leave it alone having crafted such a wonderful series. That, after too long a spell of not scheming up a new script, she would be compelled to write one "final" sequel.

But alas, after reading HP 7, I am pretty convinced she's put the wraps on this exceptional creation. Granted, there are a variety of ways new novels could spring from the wizarding world of Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the cast, but it seems JK has made it clear to us that she has completed the series.

In so doing, she accomplished once again what she clearly accomplished with Books 1-6: a virtually effortless reading experience with a plot that can be thorougly enjoyed (at different levels) by all ages of readers.

Harry Potter books, for me, produce an awe and appreciation of the author's attention to detail, a truly delightful humor, an opportunity to be personally challenged by the moral choices we make as we move through life, and an inspiration to EACH and EVERY one of us that we CAN tap our creative juices and bring something beautiful into this world.

Note: all HP books are loaded with British expressions. I kept by my side a dictionary that had virtually every piece of British slang that JK used. (The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, available through Amazon, was very helpful)

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for your tremendous contributions to the world of fiction!
3874748
The Galactic Milieu trilogy was an amazing series and a worthy successor to the Saga of Pliocene Exile and Intervention.  Magnificat is the culmination of all the previous works, and is the story of the rise and fall of Marc Remillard.  Like one of the other reviewers, I found Marc to be one of the most complex and intriguing characters I've ever read about.  He is the Angel of the Abyss and destroyed billions of lives.  And courtesy of the wonders of time travel, he is simultaneously Atoning Unifex, the oldest and wisest of the Lylmik, who six million years too late realizes his sin but cannot intervene to stop it.

Marc is truly a creature of opposites.  As Unifex, he dances with his young cousin Addie because he finally understands love.  As Marc, he ruthlessly tries to sacrifice his own children to his scientific dream.  But even in the Pliocene Exile saga, there are hints of redemption as Marc himself activates the time gate to send the kids back home.  And in Unifex we still see hints of the old Marc as he coerces Uncle Rogi into doing his bidding.  (As an aside, the last line of Intervention, "Goodnight, Marc", was one of the only lines ever to completely blindside me.)

Magnificat draws to a close the stories of Rogi, Denis, Fury and the Hydras, explains the Mental Man project, and finally depicts the dreaded Metapsychic Rebellion only alluded to in previous volumes.  We are also given tantalizing glimpses into the fates of Hagen, Cloud, and Kuhal as they try to live out their lives in the Milieu.  For the most part, Ms. May does an excellent job tying together all of the loose threads.  However, I do have some gripes.  Primarily, I was disappointed because the book seemed to rush through some very important events.  Since we've been hearing about the rebellion for 8 books now, it would have been nice to see it fleshed out a little.  The same with Mental Man and the science of metaconcert development.  This is really the first time we've ever seen a description of a metaconcert, and the first time we really learn what Mental Man is.  Both are alluded to during the previous books, but they are dealt with much too quickly in the final volume.

This is not to say I didn't enjoy the book.  I loved it.  But it would have been even better if it had been longer.
4455719
This final book in the mortal instruments series does an excellent job of tying up all loose ends. I was greatly impressed and pleased with the way each character was brought to a close.
1774826
A beautiful and perfect finale for a wonderful show. Resolved the characters arcs just as they should be, and brilliant and funny as ever. Obviously not much punch if you haven't listened to the 25 prior episodes, but it's a good finish and although it's painful to leave the characters behind, they live with every re-listen. Could not recommend enough.
4977032
This final story brings together the key players from the three previous books in a very satisfying conclusion. Worth reading.
373784
I loved every book in this series, and this finale was absolutely no exception. A great read in a great series.
3972839
As the last installment of one of my all-time favorite book series, UnDivided does not disappoint. Shusterman provides a great conclusion to a complicated saga, showing uncommon wisdom through his plotting and casting the story in a shroud of realism that makes it all the more powerful. I will miss this series and the characters I have come to love.
3729614
Since december, paranoia agent has had me wrapped around the tightly woven story. Ive seen all the events and tragedys in this series. Now, it is finnaly at an end. In the last disk, we wrap up the story, and find out the true nature of lil slugger. This disk might not be as creepy or disturbing as the others, but acomplishes its task at hand remarkably. This is a great finish. Some people might not understand what he was trying to say, but search deep and the answer is clear. A grwat feature on this dvd is the commentary by creator Satoshi Kohn. I recomend seeing the other disks of the series first, but don't to get the final masterpiece of this epic series.

Thank you Satoshi Kohn, its been a wonderful ride
4019599
This book represents the conclusion to The Unicorn Chronicles, a story which began with "Into the Land of the Unicorns" during the mid-1990s. Though the wait has been substantial, so has the payoff. Every addition to the series has expanded greatly on the world of Luster and its inhabitants. In this particular piece, the creation (and potential destruction) of Luster is explored and a great number of forces come together to finish a war begun centuries prior. Though the world remains open for future stories, the series is indeed complete: Every answer which was promised is delivered. Thankfully, not every inch of Luster has been expounded upon in excessive detail; the world did not "end" with the conclusion, though the finale was satisfyingly complete. In that way, this concluding volume feels more realistic than most. As in life, there is more to be told, but there were no cheap, nagging cliffhangers.

Cara remains the main character of the series, but thankfully, she feels like a component of a world as opposed to its very axis. This allows other major and minor characters the opportunity to shine independently of her presence--something which is startlingly rare in fiction. Considering the wealth of unicorns, dragons, centaurs, humans, and other species evident, it is refreshing to see that one individual was not gifted the sole limelight. The entire cast deserved the opportunity to grow, and each character was granted the appropriate span of time for such development. Even new characters, such as Graumag the dragon (who had been mentioned but never previously seen), were given sufficient time to resonate with the audience as sovereign entities, not just "friends of Cara." Unfortunately, the number of characters become rather daunting, considering that every character mentioned previously in the series contributed even if it didn't feel necessary to the narrative.

As main character, Cara is sensible, intelligent, and compassionate. She retains her believability as a young person (something Coville has always done superbly well) while simultaneously rising to the occasion and becoming an exceptional female role model. Other strong women also feature prominently, such as Arianna the centaur, M'Gama the geomancer (who appears to originally be of African background), Graumag the dragon, Belle the unicorn, and Feng Yuan. These characters certainly have distinct flaws, but they are not defined by their being female. Strong male characters, such as Thomas the Tinker and Moonheart the unicorn, are also evident, of course. (It is worth mentioning that this book should not be seen as "too girly" for boys, as is interesting and appropriate for all readers. If one's son loves fantasy, this book is still a splendid selection.)

This book brings forth many interesting ideas about duty, empathy, redemption, and identity. The book has a bittersweet tone, but it emphasizes the importance of these principles; no one is allowed an escape from responsibility or from need by virtue of being a protagonist. At the same time, a few of the decisions on the part of the author feel to have been made somewhat arbitrarily, but that doesn't break reader immersion. Fully recommended for new readers and for those who have been waiting since the first novel's publication. Great for families who would like to tackle an enjoyable, thoughtful book together.
1126720
This conclusion of the first Academy Journals trilogy is a bold note to end on; I would very much be surprised if anybody could predict the ending. Many of the characters, especially Theren and Lilith, really come into their own in this book, and there is a great sense of all of the cast growing up, even those who are already adults, as the political situation around them turns more grim. Xain, as always, was also fabulous. Enjoyed it a lot!
3075828
I loved the ending. It was satisfying, and I had little to no questions about what (concerning the Elgen and the solution to the problem) happened to who by the end. Thanks Richard for this amazing conclusion to the series!
358370
Each book in this series has been progressively better than the last, which means Topia, the end of this fine trilogy, is by far the best of the series. This is the chapter wherein questions just under the surface are answered and the author's Secondary World is fully realized.

With the outcome of the two previous books being bleak and then bleaker, the level of humanity's loss is staggering from the very beginning of the book. More so than in any situation in the two previous entries the tension has bubbled far beyond the boiling point. A theme of hope in the face of total defeat pervades the book, and a communication about what it means to live in a world of constant inexorable threat permeates the climax of the novel. The nobility of the protagonists, and in some cases the antagonists, is most clearly demonstrated via events of this final book. Everything is more dire, and no less than the fate of humanity, or better yet the soul and freedom of humanity, is at stake.

I burned through this book, the pages disappearing in mere hours, pushing towards the resolution and my faint sliver of a hope that all the suffering and death would finally lead us to eucatastrophe. All of the elements and narrative strings pull together in the last stand of mankind, and ending is consequently a resounding success. The promises implied in the structure of the author's mythology and the themes trailed throughout the narrative culminate in Topia, and in its conclusion I see the beginning for even greater things to come.

I patiently await the continuation of this Secondary World's impressive saga. It's rare to find a book with as much implicit depth, surrounded by fun loving quirkiness. Joy, the goal of the proper Fairy-Story (in this case told with Wolves, Men, and the things of Nightmare) sings out from the accomplishment of this Trilogy.

The author should pat himself on the back.......and then get back to writing more jewels like this--for our sake.
1420974
His best yet! An epic conclusion to the commonwealth/void series, with some new characters and some familiar faces. Obviously you should read the previous six books before looking at this one, but you won't be disappointed.
254973
This is a superb finale to a truly outstanding series.  I would bet serious money that it earns another Pulitzer for Atkinson.  In particular, his analyses of the interactions among British, French and American leaders, and his detailed treatments of the complex personalities of men like DeGaulle, Montgomery, and Patton reveal or recast important pieces of history that seem to have been largely glossed over by others. His treatment of the Normandy invasion is the best I've read.  One wishes that there were some way of getting Atkinson to do a book treating the war from the Soviet perspective as well, for that is a huge story, not often well told in the West, and he is among those best qualified to tell it.
1960903
This the final book is a well thoughtful book which leads to a perfect ending. Be sure to read all three
Books and enjoy another masterful read.
2490256
The sign of an outstanding series: your readers get to the end and say Its over? Ah, man! Over the course of reading Ian Williams Sentient series, I have become rather invested in the lives of Graham, Phoenix, Stephen, and even Isaac. The Sentient Corruption wraps up the series in the most fantastic, satisfying way. If you have read either of the first two books, I strongly urge you to read Corruption.

Having been returned safely to his family, Graham awakes to find himself in a strange military command center, and is uncertain how he got there. He meets up with Captains Rigs and Gregson, who are preparing to wage war against Isaac and his army of evil Sentients. They will soon discover that theyve vastly underestimated the enemy. Isaacs vision of a superior society goes well beyond the force-field covering New Chemslford, and he has powerful allies. The fate of the entire world is in the hands of this small rag-tag crew of determined fighters.

The first chapters were a little hard to follow, but thats mostly because technology and military terms fly over my head. But trust me on this: it is worth the wait, because when it picks up, it really picks up. And you will be hooked. Corruption has one of the best endings I have ever seen for a single book and an entire series. I cant wait to see what Williams will write next. I am definitely a devoted fan of his work.
709984
Like all her other books in this series, the characters were extremely well developed to the point where the characters have obtained what they had lacked in the beginning. This final book was an amazing way to conclude this epic saga. The crew goes through a ton of twists, and the style of writing completely captivates in every chapter. The imagery is extremely well done. Reading this series was like watching a movie in my head. This was a great book and would recommend to everyone.