The Light of All That Falls

Islington wraps up his saga of ancient evils, treachery, and time travelers in the dense final installment of his Licanius trilogy (after An Echo of Things to Come). With evil forces looming in the north of the land of Andarra, Northwarden Wirr faces the legacy of his father’s failures while keeping his own plans secret. Wirr’s friend, Asha, must hide her illicit powers as she fights to strengthen the magical Boundary that holds back the Northern monsters. Meanwhile, time traveler Davian struggles to escape the prison world that has held him captive since the end of the previous book in order to go back in time and set a series of events in motion, and Caeden, the legendary king called Tal’kamar, faces the consequences of his hapless past. Even with the inclusion of a 19-page refresher on the previous books in the series, new readers will be lost. Unnecessary intrigue drags down an already overstuffed story, and Islington’s tired characters are not dynamic enough to support the heavy burden of the plot. Devoted fans will be glad to see loose ends tied up but exhausted by the long trudge to the series’ ending. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (Dec.)