Spirit's End

[sawyl]

Time to round off the last of Rachel Aaron's The Legend of Eli Monpress novels with a few quick thoughts on Spirit's End. The book resolves the arc of the novels, explaining the secrets of creation, the role of the three demiurges, and finally revealing the Shepherdess's long hidden plan for the world.

The action opens in the immediate aftermath of the Immortal Empress's catastrophic invasion of the Island of Osera. Eli has vanished, giving up his freedom in exchange for saving Osera and the other kingdoms in the Council of Thrones. Josef is gradually coming to terms with his status as hero; Nico is struggling with the changes wrought upon her unstable nature by her epic battle with Den the Warlord; while Miranda Lyonette finds herself unexpected promoted to Rector Spiritualis of the Spirit Court when her mentor, Etmon Banage, decides that the time has come to abdicate and face the consequences of his decision to defy the Council over the war.

As if all this wasn't enough, Miranda discovers that a number of great spirits — the Shepherdess's stars, favourite spirits that help keep the world stable — have been vanishing, leaving the less spirits in a state of chaos. Miranda cuts a deal with the Lord of Storms to put members of the Spirit Court on the spot after each disappearance to prevent the world from going to hell in a handbasket.

Eli, meanwhile, manages to find a loophole in the Shepherdess's rules that allow him to escape from her domain back to the world at large. Eventually he finds himself cast into a cell with Etmon Banage — imprisoned by his estranged wife — and the pair are finally reconciled. And because no-one can keep the greatest thief in the world imprisoned for long, Eli soon escapes taking Banage with him. Unfortunately, this gives Banage the opportunity to unravel the dark secret of the Council of Thrones' communications relay and he takes it upon himself as a member of the Spirit Court to correct what he sees as a grave injustice.

Inevitably, the heroes come together again and find themselves forced to face a particularly grave threat: a group of ravenous creatures kept at bay for thousands of years by the combined powers of the three demiurges. Unable to face the threat on their own, they enlist the world's two great remaining powers: the Lord of Storms and the Master of Dead Mountain, the ancient demon who somehow managed to slip past the Creator's defences when the world was created.

As with most epic fantasy, the eventual outcome is never really in doubt, but Aaron stops at interesting places on the way by exploring some of the moral dilemmas facing the principal characters. Nico, in particular, with her dual human/demon nature has to do a great deal of wrestling with her conscience: can she stay and fight for the world or does her nature mean that however she feels at present, she will eventually turn on her friends and become an unstoppable force for evil. Eli, too, has to balance his desire to be free of the oppressive and controlling force of the Shepherdess's obsession with him against being able to use the power he can draw from her favouritism to protect his friends, parents, and, ultimately, his world.

A strong ending to a successful series.