I am a big fan of historical fiction and this trilogy has been thoroughly enjoyable.
I've had this third book in Jane Stevenson's trilogy for several years but finally got around to it this week, and it was worth the wait. It brought back memories of my favorite characters in the first two books: The Winter Queen and The Shadow King. While each book was a little weaker than the the previous, it was exceedingly informative and entertaining, and therefore, worthwhile.
This third volume is set in the present day, but the characters are researching the mysteries that were unveiled to us in the first two books. Sure, some of it is redundant, but it was four years since I read the second book and I enjoyed reminiscing. It was good to remember some old friends!
As so often happens at the end of trilogies, Ms. Stevenson pours a lot of her research into this third volume simply because it has been researched. By giving us main characters at various stages of their professional university careers, she also is able to get a lot of her anxiety about the English university system off of her chest. However, the story gives us a good account of 21st century university life (in Britain and the Netherlands as well as in the Caribbean) and the politics of those systems.
Personally, I'm pleased with the path of this trilogy and it's conclusion. I didn't get the feeling that everything was being wrapped in a nice little ball (like most modern TV shows and movies), she left me hanging on a couple of critical issues, and she played out the main story line in a simplistic and reasonable way. If you have any interest in history, particularly in Europe, then you'll enjoy these books.
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