THE VICTOR

The elusive magical stone at last comes into the hands of those who have most desired it.

Taking on a vaguely metaphorical cast, the four-volume quest, translated from the Swedish-language original from Finland, at last brings tough, grieving Miranda and beloved young charge Syrsa to the pearl-paved Queen’s City. There Miranda and Syrsa—both pale-skinned former pearl divers who have lost an arm each to sharks—witness how intense longing for the fabled stone has warped their Queen, their raving nemesis Iberis, and all those who have abandoned homes and families over the years to join obsessively in the great hunt. When they finally see the pearlescent prize (which supposedly grants all desires), the interested parties must confront their consuming desire to possess it, an obsession cast in a new light by the pearl whisperer Syrsa’s cleareyed perception and conviction about the harm it does. Her steadfastness causes most adults to rally around her in support of the eye stone’s disposal, although some are too far gone to shake off its grip. Readers who seek robust, detailed worldbuilding may be disappointed by some loose ends and the ultimate lack of explanation of just what the eye stone and smaller pearls are made of. Those of a more philosophical bent will appreciate the exploration of Miranda’s observation that “desire can be a good thing, but not when it becomes so great that you lose sight of everything else.”

A quest to save the world from unbridled greed comes to a close.