Ottilie Colter and the Withering World

June 15, 2021
In the conclusion to the Narroway Trilogy, Ottilie faces the culmination of a long plot to destroy the kingdom. After the bone singers' betrayal and the attack on Fort Richter, the sculkie squad has been elevated to fledgling huntsmen and made into a new order named after historical princess Seika Devil-Slayer. But many of Ottilie's friends are in crisis--cursed Scoot is slowly petrifying into heartstone and will die if they can't find a cure; mysterious goedl Bill is being held captive; and Ned is having strange dreams, sleepwalking, and suffering ominous complications with his burns. The heightened threats from the bloodbeasts and their puppet master Whistler bring King Varrio Sol and his army out to the Narroway to head off the invasion. The bloody Sol family history, from Seika to Whistler to Varrio's own progeny, is delved into as it's intrinsically linked to the monstrous dredretches. All the while, Whistler attempts to recruit Ottilie, leaving her struggling with what Whistler's fondness for her says about herself. Heavy amounts of backstory satisfy readers who have been looking for answers, and various threats and fights keep the physical stakes of the story ever present. While the story's plot threads weave neatly together for the climax, the conclusion embraces uncertainty in a liberating way. There are a couple of blink-and-you-miss-them nods to romance; the primary relationships are between friends and family. Most characters read as White. A keenly crafted end to a genuinely fun trilogy. (Fantasy. 10-15)

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