DOWNFALL

Conrad’s battle against his tyrannical uncle reaches its climax in this conclusion to the Above the Black trilogy.

At the end of Among Serpents (2025), King Ulrich of Urwin conducted a brutal purge. Now he’s casting his nephew, Conrad, and 1,000 soldiers who are deemed disloyal into the perilous Below. Presumed dead, Conrad resurfaces under an assumed name, gathering ships, new allies, and old friends as he works toward an inevitable showdown with his uncle. Themes of leadership, sacrifice, and the cost of power thread through the narrative as Conrad grapples with the balance between mercy and strength as embodied by his mother’s pacifism and his father’s warrior ethos. He also relies heavily on the loyalty and quick thinking of his companions, who pull him out of danger time and again. Sebastian makes another appearance as a recurring villain, but his lack of growth renders him flat. The importance of trust and friendship remains central, with the found family crew providing both comic relief and heartfelt moments. The political purges and tests of loyalty echo contemporary conflicts, lending the fantasy a sharp edge. Unfortunately, the novel is bogged down by its length and pacing issues; too great a percentage of the book is devoted to monster battles in the Below that become tiresome. There’s some racial diversity among the supporting characters surrounding the white-presenting central cast.

A fittingly epic but overstuffed finale weighed down by repetition.