In an increasingly battle-ravaged land, Maerad, Cadvan, and Hem desperately search for one another as they make their separate journeys. The Black Army is advancing north, and even as Maerad faces a mighty confrontation with the Landrost to save Innail, all of the Seven Kingdoms are threatened with bitter and devastating defeat. Yet in Maerad and Hem lives the secret to the mysterious Singing, and legend holds that if they release the music of Elidhu together, they have the power to defeat the Nameless One. Can brother and sister find each other in time to fight this all-powerful enemy, and are they strong enough even reunited to defeat him before all is lost?
Here, at the end of all things. (Wrong series, I know, but it still applies to this series)
The Singing is the final book in the Pellinor Quartet. This one picks up shortly after both The Riddle and The Crow (as they were taking place simultaneously) left off. What is different about The Singing compared to the previous three novels is that it switches perspectives between Maerad and Hem, which is a very clever thing to do. I enjoyed how everything came together in The Singing that had been building since The Naming.
These characters are endearing and wonderfully thought out, and in this novel, they fully embrace their layers and their flaws instead of running from them. There are many heart-rending moments with all of the characters, which makes for a satisfying pay-off to the set-ups that have been laid in place since the beginning. The thing that Croggon does is make sure that, even though this is the end, it does not mean that anyone is safe, something she has done from the beginning of the quartet. I enjoyed how she continued to have her characters grow and develop even though this is the last book.
Croggon continues to have her world be consistent and unique. It's a sign of good writing skills when you are sad that a series is coming to its conclusion, realizing that this is the last time we'll see these characters and this world (not counting the prequel, which isn't the same). I loved how this book ended. I can't think of a better ending for this series. While there are certain things that are left unresolved, I'm fine with not knowing how everything ends or is resolved.
These books have been an absolute delight to read. They are easy to get into. Rich character development and world building. Tangible conflict. Realism in the characters. An old-yet-new world. Croggon has done her job well in spades and it's great to see how her set-up in the previous three novels is paid off here. I can easily say that the Pellinor books are one of my favourite series. Croggon made an excellent world, with a layered, diverse cast of characters. Each of the books brought something new to the table, with The Singing being no exception. I had such difficulty putting them down when I had to do something else.
Alison Croggon has created something so unique and wonderful. It's a rich, well-developed world that fits in well with the likes of Middle-Earth and other high fantasy settings. The characters are well-spun and are multi-dimensional from the beginning to the very end, continuing to be developed even in the conclusion. The Singing is a great conclusion to a stellar quartet, and I am so grateful to have read them. They were an absolute joy to read. I am giving The Singing a 5/5. This is a great series and I highly recommend it.
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