Since this is the third book in a series, I don’t want to give a synopsis and spoil previous books. A few quick details: This installment takes place nearly twenty years after the first book and follows Sigrud (a side character from both previous books) as he avenges a murder and then gets involved in a plot involving the children of divinities.

Again, to avoid spoilers, I’ll keep this review short. This was a very satisfying end to the series. This book had more in common with the first, but its own unique elements as well. I liked seeing the progress of characters, cities, and culture over time. This one is bloodier and more gory, but I would’ve guessed that given that Sigrud was the primary narrator, and it was never so gory that I got turned off. I particularly enjoyed some of the more philosophic conversations that sprung up in dealing with divine creatures again. There were a lot of parent-child relationship issues that reminded me of some of the classics I’ve read (like Fathers and Sons), where the adolescent child believes they have all the answers while unknowingly repeating all their parents’ past actions (both good and bad). (How many of us with teens have seen that firsthand?) And then the series offers a nice, ambiguous note, simultaneously hopeful and ominous: People will be people, regardless of whether or not divine powers are involved. Yes. I approve.

Also, the audiobook version continued to be great.