WINDS OF WAR

A fiendish sorceress wages war against a magic-wielding teen in this conclusion to Shaffery’s YA fantasy trilogy.

The sorceress Dinora has been around for more than six centuries, stealing magic and trapping souls in the fantastical realm of Tenebris. She’s long held a thirst for revenge against this land, and she unleashes an army of conjured stone creatures upon it. The various inhabitants of Tenebris, human and otherwise, unite to battle Dinora’s army, including a teenage girl named Nyla. The sorceress had previously targeted Nyla because the girl inherited the magic of a Mage—Dinora’s nemesis from long ago. While Nyla and others battle the seemingly endless waves of stone creatures, Xander, Nyla’s love, watches the action unfold in a crystal ball. His archery skills can’t do much against enemies of solid rock, but he finds a way to help: He turns to Cedric, Dinora’s captive, centuries-old son,who surely knows how to take out his powerful mother. Shaffery kickstarts this tale with action; Tenebris quickly comes under attack, igniting exhilarating scenes of combat. Striking descriptions highlight the formidable series hero Nyla on the battlefield as she makes her way through the monsters: “Writhing and licking, the tongues of her lilac-colored magic leapt at the creatures… Chips of their jagged stone fell to the ground below like teeth.” The narrative has its share of slower moments as the cast comes to terms with past events that are integral to the series. The author has shrewdly maintained a consummate simplicity across all three installments, focusing on a memorable small-scale country and a handful of standout characters. This installment’s later chapters deliver a worthy conclusion while providing series regulars Nyla, Xander, and their catlike, telepathic friend, Shamira, with finales they deserve.

A rousing and gratifying sendoff to a consistently engrossing fantasy series.