The final book in a trilogy or series, as I’ve remarked in previous reviews, can make or break the series itself. If a series is on the cusp of greatness, then that final book can elevate the series or it can bring the whole thing a tumbling down. The final book should also work well enough to tell a complete story in and of itself. The Autumn Republic, the final installment in Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage Trilogy gets a big check plus for each of those items.
The Autumn Republic picks up where The Crimson Campaign left the characters: Tamas thought dead, yet still working on his return home, his son Taniel thought dead and desperate to find his lost companion Ka-Poel, the gods Kresimir and Mihali thought dead, and forces are occupying Adopest. Add to that the investigator Adamat separated from his family as he tries to finish the one last job so he can return to his family. But before that, much of the early narrative focuses on Nila and Borabor in their search for Taniel. Taniel once saved Borabor from being executed and Nila the former laundry girl is developing powers she fears, but must learn to harness for the greater good.
In my review of The Crimson Campaign, I remarked that I wanted to see more of an active role from one of the female characters, Nila to be specific. In The Autumn Republic Brian more than delivered on that hope. She really comes into her own as her character develops throughout the series and novel from the laundress we met initially in A Promise of Blood to how integral she is here in the finale. Events could not have played out as they do if Nila didn’t take the active role she did. I appreciated the level of humanity, strength, and fear Brian brought to Nila as she grew in stature. Throughout the series, the military has been very gender-balanced and this plays out here in the finale as well. What makes this so great is that the characters do not make a big fuss about women holding roles of power in the military units – it is simply how their world works.
The gods in this world took a not-so-passive role in world events in the previous two volumes. However, though it may have seemed all the gods were dead or contained by the end of The Crimson Campaign, Brian shows that may not be the case. Beings thought of as gods don’t die easily; in this world they have lived for many years and have gained a great deal of experience in surviving. There are cards yet to be shown in this poker game and the reveal of some of those cards is both surprising at the outset of the reveal, and completely logical once the reveal settles.
At this point, people reading this review might be looking for one thing in particular. How does the series as a whole rate? Blazing through the pages, I was struck by what a great job McClellan did with finishing off the Powder Mage Trilogy in The Autumn Republic. There was a great crescendo of tension, as not only the elements of this novel came together, but the themes and character arcs of the whole trilogy came together towards conclusion. As great as McClellan did in crafting believable characters, his pacing was probably the strongest element of The Autumn Republic. I was continually impressed with Brian’s expert handle on how he wants to conclude the story of Tamas and Taniel and his restraint in not rushing towards it unrestrained, while still maintaining that fantastic pace.
Pulling off a satisfying conclusion to a series without putting too neat of a bow on it is a tough task for any writer in any media, just ask the folks behind the series finales of Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and How I Met Your Mother. A trilogy of novels is undoubtedly a different beast, at least in scale, but the point remains; there’s build up for two thirds of a story which can potentially considered rubbish if the ending isn’t satisfying on some levels. Brian did a fantastic job of bringing The Powder Mage to conclusion here in The Autumn Republic, I was very satisfied. The story is completed, there’s closure but there is also story potential for more for some characters.
The Powder Mage Trilogy is a superb fantasy trilogy, from beginning to end; great characters, great pacing, and marvelous world building. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Orbit, February 2015
Hardcover, 592 Pages / ISBN: 978-0-316- 2191-2-9
http://www.brianmcclellan.com / https://www.facebook.com/ThePowderMageTrilogy
Review copy courtesy of the publisher, Orbit Books
