THE KINGS' DESPAIR

King Sillik and his allies must prepare for a coming war in this concluding volume of Cannon’s fantasy trilogy.

Sillik is back in the kingdom of Illicia with his cohort, where he’s rightfully regained his crown from a usurper.However, that doesn’t mean that he can rest easy. Soon, alarms are sounding and dragons appear on the horizon, heading for the city. Taking to the skies with other riders of giant birds known as herish, Sillik fights back the dragons, but it’s up to those on the ground below to take down the “six-armed nightmarish creatures” known as schula, which the dragons have dropped into the city. The battle against the dragons is merely the first of many trials ahead, including assassins within the castle walls, an enemy in disguise, and the possible release of a demon into the world, to name a few. A great war is coming, and it will take Sillik; his beloved wife, Renee; and all their allies, new and old, to save the world and defeat the evil Council of Nine that’s bent on destroying everything, and everyone, they hold dear. As this is the final installment of a trilogy, readers would do well to read the previous volumes first; although Cannon does a fair job of catching readers up on the conclusion of the second entry, newcomers may find themselves confused by all the various characters’ names and roles. Still, fans will find plenty to enjoy over the course of this novel, including intense, well-written fight scenes (“Rogier pitched forward and slid through the blood and gore on the floor of the tunnel”); treacherous plots; and, of course, an epic conflict between forces of good and evil. This final novel wraps up all the series’ intrigue and action in a tidy manner, and it’s sure to please fans of epic fantasy, action-adventure stories, and tales of political intrigue.

A satisfying and lively conclusion to an intense fantasy saga.