Fortress of Magi (Chronicles of Amicae, #3)

by Mirah Bolender

[Quirky Cat]

It's time. Fortress of Magi is the third and final novel in Mirah Bolender's Chronicles of Amicae series. Honestly, I'm not sure that I'm prepared for this series to end, but you better believe that I won't let that stop me from reading it!

Amicae has survived Infestations that should have taken down the entire city. Even with only two official Sweepers available, somehow, they survive. Much of that credit must go to Laura Kramer, of the Sinclair Sweepers.

Though you wouldn't know it from the way the Council treats her, or the rest of the Sweepers for that matter. Throw in the complications that come with the city's gangs, new recruits, and a dangerous new threat, and Laura Kramer is going to have to fight for her life. And the lives of everyone else. Again.

“We may be the only Sweepers left, but the Council hates us. We seem to undermine everything they do.”

Oh. My. God. Fortress of Magi was terrific! I know I probably sound extremely biased right now. And in a way, I am. I've adored The Chronicles of Magi ever since I picked up the first book. It had everything I wanted out of a good fantasy series.

And let me tell you, the conclusion lived up to my expectations. Fortress of Magi had a lot going on, with all the different threats and complications that Laura was facing. Yet it was also perfect for that very reason.

Once again, I was transported away to a different world when reading. I adore the magical system and world that Bolender created here. While it is probably not a world I would want to live in (my luck isn't that great – I'd be one of the people eaten by monsters in the first chapter), I still loved every minute of it. Likewise, I'll miss it now that the series is done.

“If you did want the Council here to praise you, you'd be disappointed at every turn.”

Fortress of Magi is the most epic novel in the series and with good reason. It grabs all of the plots started in the first and second books and wraps them up into something huge and cataclysmic. It's the perfect sendoff for this series; come to think of it.

There is a lot more I would like to say about this book, but I feel like if I do, I'll accidentally spill over into spoiler territory. So instead, I'll say this: my poor husband had to listen to me talk about Fortress of Magi for at least an hour. I gushed and squealed all over the place and probably drove him a little nuts because of it. Interpret that how you will.

I will admit that I am feeling pretty depressed about the idea of this series coming to an end. While it was absolutely the ending the series deserved, I simply wasn't ready to let it go. I think I'll have to take some time to sit down and reread the whole series. To help me cope. With any luck, we'll be hearing about Mirah Bolender's next project soon enough.

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks