The Last Four Things - Paul Hoffman

RATING: THREE STARS

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Last Four Things, which had a strong and unpredictable plot that kept me encapsulated in the story throughout. Hoffman's use of bold descriptions and sentimental quotations (though  he admits that many were 'borrowed' from other sources), help to add a richness to the language of the book, which in turn helped to immerse me in the events of the world that he has created.

As with his previous book (The Left Hand of God), Hoffman centres the story around a small handful of well-developed characters, particularly focusing on the previously featured Thomas Cale, who has now been promoted from an acolyte to the rank of an untouchable Redeemer, which have different adventures across various locations. He switches between these different sub-plots well, although it could be easier to follow if he used one 'point-of-view' character per chapter like George R. R. Martin does in his series: A Song of Ice & Fire. However, this isn't really an issue and the different sub-plots help to stop the book from developing any monotony whilst reading it - with stories ranging from grand battles through to the brutal and fear-based 'sovietesque' politics of the central Redeemer government.

However, whilst the book is undoubtedly enjoyable to read, it is not as good as its predecessor and loses some of the depth and brutality that made the earlier book stand out. Hoffman also spends less time describing the settings and cultural aspects of the story and instead gives more detailed accounts of the politics that govern Redeemer society which, despite being interesting, slow down the pace of the book and make it slightly harder to follow.

Don't let this discourage you from reading The Last Four Things however! And I would still recommend that you give it a go if you are in any doubt whatsoever, as it is both a very enjoyable read and a satisfactory sequel to its predecessor - one that leaves me looking forward to the next (and final) instalment of the saga: The Beating of his Wings, which is scheduled to be released in April 2013.