Taste of Darkness (Healer, #3)

by Maria V Snyder

[inlibrisveritas]

Taste of Darkness is the last installment of the Healer series. Everything has been building up to this point and Maria doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to get stuff done. I thought that this was a satisfying and fun end to the trilogy.

There are some fantasy books that are just fun to be immersed in and despite all the stress that comes with the story you’re still sad to see it end. That’s how I felt with Taste of Darkness. This book (and the others) had me on a roller coster ride of panic, Is Kerrick going to die? Is Avry going to die? Is Belen dead? What the hell is going on with Tohon? So MANY questions! In fact if you look at my notes for this one, it’s mostly just questions and random sentences of panic. Needless to say Maria manages to answer them all and in some cases go above and beyond what I wanted. The plot thickens but keeps it’s quick pace, even as we see new places and meet new people. I really liked the addition of the Skeleton King, because not only is he a threat he is freaking creepy. I thought that everything tied up well and while there was some things I wish were more spectacular I’m pleased with how everything came together.

Avry is still our stubborn and recklessly brave girl, who is surprisingly good at getting things done the fly. No matter how many plans this girl makes she still ends up improvising and figuring out a plan. Kerrick is still Kerrick, though I was surprised with the twist his story arc presented and even though it was a bit heartbreaking I kind of loved it. Everyone gets some time in Taste of Darkness from the Monkeys to Mom, and it was really great seeing everyone again before saying good bye.

While it took me a while to get use to the point of view and Avry, I really came to love this series. It’s a wonderfully constructed world with fantastic characters and interesting creatures.