The Endless Song

Johnson satisfyingly concludes his Forever Sea duology with this highly conceptual if slow-moving eco-fantasy. The youngest child of a fading barony, Flitch o’ the Borders dreams of adventure. When the king decides to annex Borders house, seeking to control the nebulous power lurking beneath it, Flitch and his siblings flee below, into a terrifying confrontation from which Flitch emerges irrevocably changed. Meanwhile, Kindred Greyreach has given up everything to follow her grandmother to the bottom of the Forever Sea, but when she finally finds the Marchess, their reunion isn’t what she expected, and Kindred is forced to question every decision she has made. As the Marchess pressures Kindred to participate in a drastic plan to cure the ailing Sea, and Flitch joins a plot to defy the power-hungry king, the dual protagonists are drawn into a battle that will shake the foundations of their world. Though frequent digressions into introspection or minute worldbuilding detail slow the pace, at its best this series finale showcases the wonder and strangeness of Johnson’s world, with descriptions both terrifying and hauntingly beautiful. Readers looking for inventive, thoughtful fantasy will find plenty to enjoy. Agent: Alexander Cochran, C&W Agency. (Jan.)