The First Stone

The First Stone : Book Six of The Last Rune (Last Rune) Mark Anthony Date: 03 August, 2004   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Fantasy
Sixth and last book in series

When last we left Eldh and Earth, the threat of the Pale King overcoming the worlds and turning everyone into ironhearts or worse had been averted, Travis had ended and restarted the world, and everyone was pretty well set for happily ever after. So, what could possibly be a bigger crisis than what came before? Oh, how about the destruction of the universe?

Way to up the ante, Mark.*

It's been three years since the end of the previous novel. Travis and Beltan are living happily in London (Beltan drives a taxi), Grace is rebuilding Gravenfist Keep, and various other characters are going happily about their lives. But the Weirding starts fading, rune magic starts behaving unpredictably, and dark blots begin to hide the stars in the sky as though the universe were beginning to tear. As, in fact, it is. And nobody's quite sure of anything beyond the fact that Travis is supposed to find the lost city of Morindu the Dark, and possibly, the Last Rune that will save them all. If he can dodge the Scirathi that want his head, the machinations of a shadowy group on Earth with base intentions, and the despair that seems to be affecting many on both worlds.

His writing has matured over the course of the series; this book feels natural and flowing. Of course, the answer to the conundrum is so reasonable as to be cliché, but not quite in the manner one would expect. And, quite honestly, the ending for this one is more of an ending than the previous book - one feels that these characters have earned their happy ending. I look forward to whatever series he decides to start next.

*Yes, I am on a first name basis with him. It's fun when you discover that someone you know is published. It's even more fun when you like the work.