http://books.moonsoar.com/archives/2006/06/26/the-troy-game-druids-sword/ ( )

I have to first and foremost say that I am a big fan of Douglass, having read pretty every series she has written. Though I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, 'Druid's Sword' is but a pale comparison to its predecessors.

However, all through this novel I couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. The drama and plot u-turns were there but some of the soul of the series seemed to have gone. Characters that once had been so pivotal now seemed content to be mere window dressing that would re-appear every chapter or so, have nothing substantial to add, then slink away in despair. Noah was a powerful and pivotal character in the earlier books – but here she just mopes about moaning. And I am really not sure what Grace was all about. And how Jack could possibly just switch off loving Noah after all that time – and end up with her daughter.

Perhaps Douglass would have been better off killing of the majority of the cast early in this book and leave a handful of survivors to solve the riddle of the Troy Game.

The ending was as well-plotted as any of her novels, but felt rushed as though, after 600 pages, she suddenly ran out of things to say. Nonetheless, it was clear that Douglass had laid the groundwork for this story from the beginning. All the subtle clues back in Hades' daughter about the White Queen and stuff was there. I just think she could have done more with this material.

If you are a fan of the series, read it. You may be slightly disappointed, but it is still far better than the vast majority of the stuff that is out there. Perhaps if Sara Douglass didn't create such high expectations, I wouldn't be left feeling almost cheated. ( )

In this final book in Douglass' Troy Game series Jack, Noah and their friends are living in London under the German air raids of WWII. After millennia of living only to complete the Troy Game, the terrible reality of its true nature compels them to destroy it. However, they are stymied with the realization that Noah and Weyland's daughter Grace's fate is tied to that of The Game -- she will also be destroyed. A pale, mysterious woman offers a dangerous alternative which will also risk Grace's life but is their only hope.

Reading the first three books in the series, starting with Hades' Daughter, is an absolute must. Although I did, the series never felt fully coherent to me -- there are many characters, who change identities during four different time periods, to keep track of, as well as the myriad plot details having to do with The Game itself. I did not come away feeling that I truly understood The Game, which detracted from my overall satisfaction upon finishing. As does the rest of the series, this book suffers from awful cover art. ( )

Excellent conclusion to The Troy Game series, drawing in all the threads to a tight ending, although in the final stages it felt a bit rushed. Yet another good book from Australia's premier fantasy writer ( )

TROY GAME