Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

What a perfect ending to the trilogy! I love what Jen Williams did and although it absolutely broke my heart, I'm so glad I got to enjoy this wild story.

I'm so MAD right now because this story ENDED and we won't get to read any more about Sarn. This was yet another incredible book from Jen Williams, a perfect conclusion to the trilogy even if it did make me sad (and ANGRY). Jen William's worlds and stories are really something spectacular.

It's always hard to talk about the finale to a series in any meaningful terms, because presumably, if you haven't already enjoyed the earlier books, you wouldn't pick it up! That being said, this is a great conclusion to an inventive trilogy, and fans of Jen Williams will not be disappointed!

What an outstanding end to this trilogy! I’ve savoured every single word…

After reading The Bitter Twins I said that the Winnowry obviously had a part to play but what I didn’t figure out was just how much! A collaboration certainly makes for a powerful scene and Agent Chenlo pairing with Vintage on a quest is a force to reckon with. Noon obviously had to figure something out and it’s when we’re at our lowest point that we see that chink of light …

Hestillion’s character still kept me guessing about where her true loyalties and her heart lay. At one point I thought she had become more Jure’lia than human and wondered what that would mean for the final battle. We know from the beginning how obsessive she can be in her actions and with her power growing, I just knew she would combine that intellect with what was to hand to create and cause trouble. There’s a hint in one of her creations of what is lying buried and not acknowledged but I didn’t know if it would be enough.

Once we know the reason for something vital then it all fits into place. The Jure’lia queen’s energy is directed inwards for most of the story and it’s not until near the end that we remember just how all encompassing ‘she’ can be. Can Sarn really overcome her anger and destruction? Even with the warbeasts working as one it doesn’t seem possible. Edge of your seat scenes.

As well as the creativity of the world-building keeping everything fresh and alive, Jen Williams drops hints about something that hasn’t happened yet but has impact. Alongside this is the emotional connection with the characters from the previous stories which makes The Poison Song a page turning read. There’s loss (my tears were tempered by the fact that I knew it couldn’t have been any other way … and yet still painful!) and destruction but also growth and hope.

If you’re a fantasy reader don’t miss The Winnowing Flame trilogy. You’ll regret it if you do.

Jen Williams catapulted from 'I should read her books' to 'instant favourite' with The Ninth Rain. Now that I've (finally) read the full series, I will fly her banner forever, fierce in my enthusiasm to her wonderful combination of excellent character work, immersive world-building and no-holds-barred, emotionally-devastating plotting.

The Poison Song takes time to introduce new characters, give depth to the existing cast, reveal secrets that have tantalised from the start - and then move it all along to a shattering, satisfying finale.

Bravo. Speechless, really. Or that might just be the ugly crying.

Highly recommended.

It’s always hard to review the third and final book in a trilogy without spoilers, especially a book you loved and a series you absolutely adore, and you just want to shout and talk about it to everyone. Williams continues to expand on her rich imagery, epic battle scenes fit for the big screen, and complex characters as the threats and dangers and tension increase. But among all of the high tension and battles, it’s the quieter moments between this band of characters and seeing them love, grieve, accept each other, find time to banter and grow as characters together that I love just as much as the bloody battles.

I am going to miss these characters and this original, imaginative world that Williams has built.

This series is one of my favourites. I can’t stop recommending and gushing about it enough to people.

I’m sad this series is over, but what a fitting end Williams has delivered.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

*** Disclosure - I received a free advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***



The finale of this trilogy has some ground to cover. The Jure'lia (an alien type race of beings with a connected consciousness) have been beaten back and are in hiding, licking their wounds. The humans and Eborans have an uneasy truce with the knowledge that their common enemy can be beaten, if only temporarily.

The first half of this book continues developing the story, the opening is a really enjoyable revenge visit to her old prison by Noon, and the others are trying to plan how to try and track down the Jure'lia to beat them once and for all. And then we have Hestilion, the immoral immortal, who seems to have sided with the Jure'lia simply out of curiosity or for something to do.

I'll admit I struggled to remember some of the terms and previous storylines and these are possibly recapped less than in the later books of other series. Given the weirdness of the world Williams has built, this did make it a steep remembering-curve (if that's a thing, which it isn't).

However the second half of the story is truly epic. A thoroughly engaging, action-packed assault on the reader's sleep pattern and emotions. There are highs and there are lows, and there are great character interactions throughout.

I'll confess to being slightly disappointed with the final act, I had it in my head that the Jure'lia would be beaten in a certain way, but this did not pan out, and what happened was significantly more simplistic and route one than I had thought.

That said, I really enjoyed the closing half-book of this series and on the whole it has been a really great read of a story in a very unusual and creative world.

4.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2019/06/03/the-poison-song-the-winnowing-flame-trilogy-3-by-jen-williams/
And so the final book in the Winnowing Flame Trilogy comes to an end, slightly bitter sweet maybe but nonetheless a thrilling conclusion to a fantastic and epic series that for me firmly places Jen Williams on my favourite fantasy author list. Two series, both epic, both completely different in tone, world building and characters and yet both incredibly impressive. What’s not to like really – it’s an absolute no-brainer.

I’m not going to discuss the plot, if you haven’t read the first two books in the series I strongly suggest you do so, apart from the fact that you’d be missing out on an awful lot of world building and development of character arcs but also, for me, one of the things I love about this author is she pretty much picks up from where she left off. It’s something I really like but I imagine if you like to delve into a series midway it might make the book something more of a struggle to get on board with. Plus, be aware that this review might contain spoilers.

First and foremost I would say that this is another series where each book brings something unique to the storyline. We being this adventure with the Ninth Rain in which we meet some very easy to like characters and take a look at the fascinating world of Sarn. This is a fictional world that marries fantasy and sci fi. Occupied by a variety of different people and species and also with a long history of conflict invovling invading aliens. We discover the world primarily through the eyes of Vintage, an archaeologist of sorts who seeks out wartime artefacts. We also learn of the Eborans, a race of immortals, beautiful and almost ethereal who resorted to drinking the blood of humans when their own source of immortality dried up. They brought about their own downfall causing a massive rift between their people and the humans (who seemed to take umbrage at becoming meals on legs) when their blood drinking tendencies lead to disease and a rather messy demise. We discover the meaning of the Ninth Rain and end the story with the birth of the fantastic war creatures.

The Bitter Twins is a book where the main characters are desperately scrabbling around trying to find a way to help them defeat the aliens and survive the threat of extinction. This is definitely a voyage of discovery with some great revelations not to mention some betrayals and some excellent world building.

The final instalment brings this all together with a monumental threat to this world. What I really liked about this third instalment (well, to be honest too many things to really mention so I’ll narrow it down) is, here we have an invasion of aliens. Destructive and deadly beings with one intent (which I won’t give away here). What’s really great about this is that at the same time as really being able to powerfully dislike the Jure’lia and their methods (plus, did I mention insects??) they also become understandable. They’re not really baddies as such, they’re simply doing what comes naturally, it’s like blaming a lion for eating you. Of course that doesn’t make the fact that everywhere they go they cause death and destruction any easier to take but in a sense it’s the perfect antagonist – the motivations are easy to understand because this is more about their own survival. You don’t like them, you’re not in their corner, but they’re just doing what comes naturally and even if they’re defeated, they’ll simply go away, lick their wounds, recover and try it all over again. I love this combination of fantasy and science fiction (fantascience), it works so perfectly and at the same time as giving us a relentless and unsympathetic adversary it also serves to throw into relief certain symbiotic similarities that aren’t at first really obvious. The Jure’lia are basically parasites destroying everything they touch to fulfill a certain need that drives them. The Eborans also shared a brief spell of ‘taking’ whatever they needed to survive, regardless of the consequences. They didn’t stop because they suddenly became ‘nicer’ they stopped because they were dying out as a race. At the same time the humans need the Eborans in order to survive the alien invasion and so over the years their relationship has evolved, out of necessity, to become more mutually symbiotic in nature and in that respect they must fight together if they’re going to survive.

The characters all move on again. Tor in particular changes somewhat in this instalment, I won’t giveaway why but he definitely suffers from a sort of withdrawal of sorts which hurt some of the other characters. Noon plays a key role, returning to the Winnowry to release her fellow captives. She becomes a hero of sorts and in a strange twist discovers a new meaning for her particular brand of magic – of course she had to face some rather bitter truths in order to make that discovery but her findings are fundamental in the terrible war that is played out in the final chapters. Vintage is probably my favourite character. She’s been a great character throughout the series, often feeling like an almost motherly figure to the others, bringing them together, calming them in times of need, offering words of wisdom but not only that, she really does bring the optimism to the story that you need as a reader and her sense of wonder and enjoyment at finding herself bonded with her own war creature is incredibly infectious, all the more so because of the sad way that it became a possibility.

In terms of criticisms. I have to admit that this took me quite a while to read. There’s a lot going on here and sometimes you can’t help feeling a rather desperate sense of being overwhelmed by the true scale of the threat. Plus, it took me some time to get back on board with everything that had happened previously. On top of this there’s the conundrum faced by any author who has been so successful in creating such a group of well loved characters – who lives and who dies – and this must have been a very difficult choice to make. But, I suppose, it’s inevitable really, you can’t expect a world under threat, terrible battles and ferocious enemies and yet everyone to miraculously survive. That being said, I can’t deny I would have liked a slightly different ending and even now my mind is trying to find ‘what ifs’ in some desperate attempt to find my own happily ever after.

In a nutshell, epic-y goodness, fantastic emotion, wonderful characters, gorgeous writing and a series well worth investing in. Do yourself a favour and read Jen Williams.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2019/6/1/the-poison-song-by-jen-williams

I’ve been reviewing Jen Williams’ Winnowing Flame (starting with the glorious and well deserved British Fantasy Award winning The Ninth Rain and last year’s tense The Bitter Twins) it’s been a fascinating epic saga of a world where a mysterious alien race known as the Jure’lia repeatedly arise and attempt to take over the world. In the past only the slightly vampiric elves known as the Eborans could defeat them using their specially grown and mind-linked war beasts but the Eborans fell and now only a small group stand in the way. When we last met them a breathing space was managed but everyone knew a final battle was looming. Very pleased to say there is an extraordinary satisfactory conclusion to one of the best epic fantasies out this decade.

The group that came together to see the Jure’lia is battered by their experiences in the Bitter Twins. Tor feels strangely weak; Noon has decided it’s time to go on her own attack against the Winnowry the group of witches who captured any young girl showing the signs of magic and Vintage is feeling chastened by the loss of a war-beast egg and betrayal by her lover. The Eboran Alasdair is meanwhile worried about his lover Bern who has a piece of Jure’lia crystal linking him with their strange disturbing hive-mind. They’re not ready for a major battle and there is a question of exactly how you can finally stop an armada of ever replicating creatures who themselves are now being increasingly aided by Tor’s sister Hestillion and her own warped dragon Celaphon. The start of this book feels like the two sides racing to get to the best idea to wipe the other out once for all.

A lot of plot points Williams has grown over the series are finally coming to fruition and give us an opportunity to explore more of Sarn and its history for the last time. A key theme is the impact the Winnowry has had on the world. We get a new character Agent Chenlo who seems far more focused on protecting the feel witches under her care rather than the desire for more power that we’ve seen to date. There is theme of how many women who could have achieved great things just like Noon is doing have had their futures taken away. Here the group now freed from the Winnowry’s control get a chance to show what they’re capable of. And Chenlo proves an even match for even Vintage in terms of humour and intelligence as they trek to trace the last egg under the control of the clever ex-winnowry agent. Noon gets to explore more of the Winnowing flame itself and realises that like the Eborans its history may be more alien than originally thought and Noon could access even more power if she can accept the price.

This first half of the book sets up the finale’s two impressive set piece battles that make the second half race along. There is a tense mission to make a strong strategic move that impressively links all these elements together before a very brutal stand against the odds as the Jure’lia make a desperate final attack against Ebora whatever the cost. These highlight the three major strengths that Williams brings to the table in her work – a world populated with amazing and intelligent creatures that can scare and make you cheer, stunning set-piece action that flows off the page and most of all her stand-out characters. Having been in our heads over the three novels this group (even the villainous Hestillion) all feel real; their motivations make sense; their interactions can be heart-warming, frustrating and sometimes laugh out loud funny. That emotional journey they’ve all been on is they key to why I think this novel is so successful and it’s fascinating to remember where they all were when the story started three years ago. This makes us also extremely fearful that the cost of victory for some will be high…

The Poison Song is a fitting emotional conclusion to a great series that clearly shows respect to epic fantasy’s traditions but also gives us something new and modern. There are not many fantasies that have so many female and gay characters in key roles and its just accepted. This feels like truly 21st century epic fantasy and I hope inspires many future writers and readers as to what the genre is capable of

My thanks to Headline for an eARC via NetGalley of Jen Williams’ ‘The Poison Song’, the final book in The Winnowing Flame Trilogy, in exchange for an honest review.

My apologies for this being late but I realised quite late in the day that I needed to read the first two books in order for the story to make sense. In each case I elected to read in combination with the audiobook editions. I also bought the audiobook edition for ‘The Poison Song’, again narrated by Jot Davies.

“All is chaos. All is confusion. The Jure'lia are weak, but the war is far from over.”

This is a brilliant epic fantasy that combines science fiction and fantasy in the tradition of the Pern series in which a world is threatened by an invading alien species. The Jure’lia are extremely creepy and alien and seemingly indestructible. I admit that I found some of the descriptions of their attacks quite gruesome. The war beasts were amazing as can be seen on the cover art for the series.

So overall this proved a very satisfying conclusion to this excellent trilogy that combined memorable characters, strong world building and wonderful storytelling. Throughout the series while there were certainly times of tragedy, there has also been warmth and humour, some of it quite snarky.

It was sad to say goodbye but it was so well crafted a series that I feel that I could reread in the future.

Highly recommended with 5 stars for this as well as for the entire series.

Please note, The Poison Song is the third book in The Winnowing Flame trilogy. If you haven’t read books one and two then what follows will likely contain spoilery type information. Don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance.

All is chaos. All is confusion. The Jure’lia are weak, but the war is far from over.

Ebora was once a glorious city, defended by legendary warriors and celebrated in song. Now refugees from every corner of Sarn seek shelter within its crumbling walls, and the enemy that has poisoned their land won’t lie dormant for long.

The deep-rooted connection that Tormalin, Noon and the scholar Vintage share with their Eboran war-beasts has kept them alive so far. But with Tor distracted, and his sister Hestillion hell-bent on bringing ruthless order to the next Jure’lia attack, the people of Sarn need all the help they can get.

Noon is no stranger to playing with fire and knows just where to recruit a new – and powerful – army. But even she underestimates the epic quest that is to come. It is a journey wrought with pain and sacrifice – a reckoning that will change the face of Sarn forever.

When it comes to trilogies, I think the rules are relatively simple. Book one has to capture a reader’s attention. Book two needs to expand effectively on that initial premise. Characters that have been established previously are given the opportunity to grow, and the overarching plot moves ever forward. It’s book three that I suspect is the trickiest one to accomplish. Readers are onboard by that point; they’ve committed to the experience. The expectations promised in books one and two need to be delivered upon, or an entire series was all for naught. The good news is that Jen Williams is well aware of that fact, and The Poison Song is the perfect ending to The Winnowing Flame trilogy. I can guarantee that those amongst you who, like me, have been captivated from the get go will not be disappointed.

Though Noon, Tor and Vintage remain the undeniable heart of the novel, the rest of the ensemble cast all get their opportunity to shine. The depth of the relationship between Bern and Aldasair is a particular highlight. I’ll even admit to having a huge soft spot for Helcate. How could you not? To her credit, Jen Williams consistently manages to create truly memorable characters.

There is a subtle bittersweet quality that runs throughout this novel. All the characters, without exception, are broken in some way. Some have been physically hurt, others bear the mental scars of prolonged trauma. The strain of battling against such overwhelming odds is starting to show. These constant high levels of stress affects many of the relationships. From a reader’s perspective you can’t help but get caught up in the drama. The author has taken the care to establish how the main trio of characters, and their extended surrogate family, have come to rely on one another. When they suffer, it feels almost palpable. Even Hestillion (boo!) has demons of her own. I might have felt the odd pang of sympathy here and there, even though she is a thoroughly despicable sort.

Not only is William’s writing adept when it comes to her characters, she also has real skill with the pacing and actions of her books. As this is the final book in the series, all bets are off and there is an unrestrained glee when it comes to action. The battles are tense, bloody affairs. The scope of each encounter gets larger and larger with each passing chapter. This all builds to a final meeting between the two sides at the gates of Ebora which is as definitive as it can get. I loved it all.

I have a sneaking suspicion that from next week, TV land will be looking for a new fantasy novel to adapt for the small screen. Perhaps something with great characters, a cracking story and bucket loads of visceral action? Wait a minute, I’ve just had a really good idea. On an unrelated note, does anyone have HBO’s phone number?

I’m always a little sad when I get to the end of a series I’ve really enjoyed. I take some comfort that in this case the series ended on such a high note. Jen Williams has truly established herself as a modern storyteller well worthy of your attention. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. I genuinely hope Vintage makes a return in the future in some form or another.

Sometimes my soundtrack suggestions to accompany a book arrive via some sort of weird cosmic synchronicity. Spotify recently suggested, via their algorithmic wizardry*, that I should listen to the album Dragon by Epic North. I’m sure you’ll be shocked when I tell you an album with that name is the perfect accompaniment to a book that features those very creatures. What are the odds?

The Poison Song is published by Headline and is available now. I recommend this book, and by extension the entire trilogy, unreservedly. If you enjoyed these novels, and you haven’t already done so, I’d also suggest you give The Copper Cat trilogy a try.

*Ok, I’ll admit it was their “Discover” feature. I just thought algorithmic wizardry sounded cooler.

I think it's important to note that this can be read as a stand-alone novel, however I suggest reading the first two parts of this trilogy to get the full experience of the premise and the characters. The Ninth Rain and The Bitter Twins, the first and second book in the series, take you on the path that leads to the decisions made and actions taken in this third book.

Does that sound ominous? It's supposed to. The actions start with characters using war beasts to seek revenge, set things straight and press the reset button for many others in similar situations. To free the oppressed, which seems like a noble thing, but has it been thought through enough? Perhaps less spontaneity and more impulse control would have been better.

What's interesting about this trilogy is the way Williams gives her younger characters great depth, the kind of depth and emotional awareness you see in more adult characters. That means you don't just get the immature, inexperienced and often lackadaisical attitude of YA or teen characters.

These characters, especially Noon, have reached (in this book) the point of no return. In fact the beginning of this book is indicative of her thought process throughout the book. It's time to give the silenced a voice, to free the imprisoned, and it is definitely time to fight back.

It's fantasy with elements of sci-fi, in fact I would call it sci-fi fantasy. Is that a sub-genre? The alien invasion and the whole bug aspect of the story was very science fiction meets the world-building of a fantasy story.

Kudos to Williams for giving this book the ending it deserved and not being too scared of the reaction of avid fans, who are invested in certain strong characters. It was the perfect conclusion to this trilogy.

I had thought that this final episode wouldn’t be able to deliver yet more surprises about the key figures in this full-on adventure – but I was wrong. We learn a lot more about the winnowing flame through Noon, the rebellious young fell-witch whose actions deeply affect those similarly cursed or gifted, depending on your viewpoint… And once more, Hestillion and the Queen of the Jure’lia manage to shock and repel me by their actions. I’ve grown very fond of all the characters in this adventure over the duration of this series – but for me, it’s Vintage who is my absolute favourite.

So… given that the first two books were so very good – has this finale lived up to expectations? Oh yes. Once more, we are immediately whisked right up into the middle of the action, so I’d also recommend that if you read The Bitter Twins a while ago and can’t quite recall exactly what is going on – flit back and remind yourself of who is doing what to whom – Williams doesn’t give you much breathing space before plunging you back into the thick of the plot.

In amongst all the mayhem, the recurring theme is about identity. Are we who we are because of what befalls us, or because of our genetic heritage? I was interested to note that Williams answers this question quite firmly by the end – and I was also interested to see which side of that discussion she favours. Not that the plot drifts off as this is discussed in any way – there simply isn’t room in amongst all the world-changing battles and soul-searing adventures.

As I don’t want to give away any spoilers, my comments regarding the unfolding story are necessarily vague, but I can report that the handling of the pacing, the conclusion of all the main character arcs and the climactic final battle is brilliantly done. I loved the bittersweet nature of the ending, though I was a tad devastated by the outcome regarding one of the main characters. And finished this one feeling a bit shattered, uplifted and with a lump in my throat. That doesn’t happen to me all that often, these days. But despite the fact that I have over half of 2019 still to run – I know I have just completed reading one of my outstanding reads of the year. While I obtained an arc of The Poison Song from Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

Jen Williams knocks in out of the park with the finale to this brilliant fantasy series, which has managed to be stunningly original and full of action, while keeping great characters at its heart. This third book delivers on the promise of the award-winning first book, not to mention a second volume which expanded the scope and heightened the drama. More than just a concluding volume, Poison song reveals even more about the mysteries behind the conflict that has threatened the world, and the characters that are fighting - on both sides. The cast expands a bit further as well, while drawing back to the pivotal four at the key moments. In a spectacular finale, Williams manages to draw all the whirling strands together and give us an ending filled with heroism and pathos, but as with a lot of things this series is even more about the journey than the destination, and the characters and world she's given us here will live long in my memory.

I enjoyed this trilogy so much. The final book had just as much fun and imagination as the first two. There were unexpected twists and turns that had me turning each page as fast as I could. I couldn't hate any of the characters either. I hope Jen Williams writes many more books.

This is the final volume of a trilogy, so before reading it make sure that you've read The Ninth Rain and The Bitter Twins - otherwise this book won't make sense!

Noon, Tor and Vintage are still trying to defeat the Jure'lia (who are an unpleasant creation - their motivation is becoming clearer throughout the series, but they still give me the creeps). The book starts with Noon burning down the Winnowry, the organisation that holds fell-witches captive and deprived of their power, which is deeply satisfying and sets up one of the major battles of the book some time later. Other threads start to come together, including the origins of the fell-witches and Noon's own history and power., as well as Tor succumbing to the illness which killed so many of his people and how he deals with that.

Vintage is a charming character, and I'd love to read more of her adventures both before and after this series. I want to know what happens to Aldasair and Bern afterwards as well - and all the war beasts. The characters have all developed throughout the series, from Aldasair as a lost dreamer to someone who is battling the whole way through, and it's one of the strengths of the series that all of the development makes sense and isn't highly unlikely (in the context of a land with griffins and giant bats, obviously!). The ending was both the right thing and not what I'd hoped for, but it stayed with me for some time after finishing the book.

As a conclusion to a trilogy, this manages to tie up the loose ends, give a satisfying glimpse to the future and have some cracking set pieces of battle. The books aren't short, but they're well paced and enjoyable, with a good range of characters and relationships. If you like fantasy, then I can heartily recommend the series!

I've read all three of this trilogy, and this finished it all off so nicely. I love the world Jen has created in this trilogy, and if you haven't read any of the first two, then do before you read this, and then read this, all in one go, overnight, just like I did.

SPOILERS:

But I want it to continue! All those poor little war-beasts: will they die now? or will they stay alive and live happily after? Was Noon really gone for ever? Nooooo!!

I think we should start a government petition to force fantasy writers to continue their worlds. It's not fair on us.

Recommended.

I was so excited to get my hands on The Poison Song, the last book in The Winnowing Flame trilogy! I've been waiting for this for two years now. And happily, it didn't disappoint.

It shows how much I've enjoyed this series that I could remember what happened in the last two books. Normally I forget everything and have to keep checking back, especially if it's been a while, but the storyline of this series has stayed with me.

And there's a lot of story that's been crammed into these three books! It works and it never felt overwhelming or like it was moving too fast but there's a lot going on. So much so that right up until the last third of the book I couldn't see how the story could come to a conclusion by the last page. Jen Williams has very cleverly made this intertwined story come together and wrap everything up neatly, but without feeling forced. I don't know how she's managed it, the woman is a genius!

So, the storyline I don't want to talk about too much because I don't want to give anything away if you haven't read the first two books. But it starts with an event that I've been waiting for since the first book when Noon goes back with her warbeast to where she was imprisoned for so long and makes them see the error of their ways (to put it nicely). Aside from that though things are looking bad for the warbeasts and their riders. They are damaged and battered from their fights in the last book and they have lost one of their own but despite all that, they have become a team. They now trust each other and are working together.

The Jure’lia, who I still think are some of the creepiest and scariest villains, are also battered and their Queen is distracted trying to fix the crystal. Hestillion won't let them give in though and uses her knowledge of her world to give them strategy and make them attack with a purpose, something the Jure’lia have been lacking.

There are some epic battles in this book! Hestillion is scarily clever and the warbeasts and their riders have to pull out all the stops to fight her. Noon and Vintage have their own adventures - I loved Vintage's storyline in this one. She is by far my favourite character and she was already kinda awesome but I enjoyed watching her out on her own without Noon and Tor to back her up.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. I admire authors that make brave decisions but I also kinda hate it at the same time and I wish it hadn't ended like that. This is one I need time to recover from.

The Winnowing Flame is modern and fresh fantasy and it's one of my favourite series of the last few years and it ended super strong with The Poison Song. I hope Jen Williams style starts to influence other fantasy authors.

I have loved this series so far and was equal parts excited and nervous to see how Jen Williams would draw things to a conclusion. I need not have worried because as Williams has consistently demonstrated, she has a wonderful knack of inhabiting her characters and imbuing them with believable motivations. This tells the continuing story of Tor, Noon, Vintage and the warbeasts as they try to expel the Jurelia from the world. Firstly, the plotting here is really tight and the pacing is great, with build ups to high action moments interspersed with character reflection and development. As always the dialogue was snappy and funny and just felt authentic throughout. Vintage is just a wonder and her arc in this final book was incredibly satisfying. Overall I think this was a suitably epic conclusion to what is one of my favourite trilogies and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves their fantasy with a bit of snark.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.