Excellent ( )

I have once again resumed my determined effort to learn to properly appreciate audiobooks! I read this trilogy in print about 10 years ago and loved it. A couple years ago, I decided to listen to it in audio. The narrator is Kevin Stillwell and I found his reading style works well for me, plus I already had an attachment to the characters and the story, so I did better with them than I usually do. However, I stalled out on this third audiobook twice despite enjoying it for the most part, and gave up. After picking cross-stitching back up recently, I decided to try it again while doing that. I’m still a bad audiobook listener, but I think listening while cross-stitching works a little better for me than listening while commuting in Atlanta traffic.

I enjoyed this whole trilogy, but I think the first book was my favorite and this last book, while good, was my least favorite. Seyonne’s decisions in this book became particularly frustrating to me. I always hate it when a favorite character goes darkside, even if it’s temporary. In the end his actions redeemed him pretty well, but he wasn’t fun to read about for a large portion of the story. I don’t remember what I thought when I first read it in print, I just remember inhaling them quickly and enjoying them all. The story from the first book was the only one I remembered very clearly though, so I think it must have been my favorite the first time around too. Despite some of my complaints, I did enjoy this overall and there were some great moments. I also think I would have enjoyed this even more had I re-read it in print rather than listening to it as an audio, but it’s hard to find time to re-read print books when there are so many new books I want to try.

One thing I’ve always loved about Carol Berg’s writing is that, at least in the books I’ve read so far, she starts out with a seemingly simple story that slowly gets more complex as she continuously reveals new layers that make you reconsider everything that happened before. She also does a great job of writing characters I care about and writes some really enjoyable character friendships. I consider her one of my favorite authors.

This series was my first introduction to Carol Berg and I loved it, but now that I’ve re-read them after reading some of her other books, I think I would recommend her Lighthouse duet as the better starting point, and also the related Sanctuary duet. ( )

The last episode of the journey of Seyonne from slave to "god" explores his doubts and misunderstandings and his relationships with friends, wife, son and mentors. A good conclusion. ( )

Seyonne is stilling fighting with the other in his soul, is compelled to help his friend Aleksander regain his throne and face the unknown by confronting the un-named god that might cause the end of the world. You never know which way things are going to go.
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This third one confirms my previous thoughts, plenty of interesting thing, plots, "Seyonne" the hero is well crafted but there is still some disappointment; difficult to point them...
I don't think I will follow this writer.
I like better GRR Martin... ( )