Rather sadly, The Night of the Swarm is the last instalment of Robert V. S. Redick's Chathrand Voyage Quartet – one of my favourite series' ever! It continues the epic adventure of Lady Thasha Isiq, Pazel Pathkendle and the rest of their brave companions as they continue their quest to cast the Nilstone out of Alifros once and for all.
Their adventure is now more dangerous than ever before as they were unable to prevent the evil sorcerer Arunis from unleashing the Swarm – a sentient cloud from the Land of the Dad that feeds off violence and murder. The Swarm draws its power from the Nilstone and they must race across Alifros to cast it back into the River of Shadows before the cloud engulfs their world entirely, leaving it as nothing more than a barren and desolate wasteland.
But there are those that seek to use the power of the Nilstone for their own ends and they are now pursued by Macadra, Arunis' dark sister and ruler of the Ravens – the terrible magical covenant that is the true power behind Bali Adro. Even as Arqual, Mzithrin and Gurishal begin their terrible three way war and the soaring death toll begins to attract the Swarm, Macadra is scouring the wildernesses of Bali Adro for Thasha and the Nilstone . . .
The Good
Once again, Redick has written the book with a flair of his unrivalled imagination and it is filled with action and heartbreak; set against a stunning backdrop of inventive locales that are beautiful to visualise. His prose is superb, once again carrying his enthusiasm for his story and he continues to write with that strangely modernised style that I have enjoyed in his earlier books. His language really drew me into the story and helped to make his setting of great naval ships in a colonial era very believable (as did his research into naval jargon and technologies, which is stunningly detailed).
As ever, Redick’s characterisation is superb. As well as continuing to develop his main characters from earlier books, he also begins to explore his antagonists. As the book progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that the entire world really is in danger of being destroyed and it's interesting to read how old enemies begin to set aside their past grudges and stand together to resist the Swarm and the darkness that chases them as best as they as able!
The Bad
I only have one fault with The Night of the Swarm, which is the series being over! The first book in the series, The Red Wold Conspiracy, was Redick's debut novel and, unfortunately, I don't think he has anything else published as of yet . . . Come on Redick!
My Thoughts
The Night of the Swarm is a truly remarkable book that ends a fantastic series in a satisfying and epic manner. All of the loose ends of the story were tied up well and, I have to say, that this was one of the most creative and interesting stories that I've read in a long time. I strongly urge you to read this series and recommend it to your friends and families as it's surprisingly unknown, despite being a true gem of the fantasy genre!
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