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This is the fourth book in what turned out to be a mammoth fantasy series. Now the series is to be made into film(s) on the tail of Peter Jackson's 'The Lord Of The Rings' cinema outings, this book brings 'some' finality to the series.

If you are new to the books, David Farland has created a huge fantasy world. It has its own complex economic system both in terms of wealth but also in people's abilities and strengths. Using Forcibles - a sort of branding iron made from a rare blood metal, people can donate things like grace, metabolism, wit and so forth to a particular person through facilitator.

This can give the receiver almost super-human abilities, but leaves the giver impaired or crippled. The magic system as well is also impressive. Some people are born with innate magical gifts that are attached to the powers such as water, fire, earth, etc but runes and magic still need to be learnt.
'Lair Of The Bones' starts with the Earth King Gaborn stripped of most of his powers that were both given and taken away by the Earth.

His kingdom of Mystarria was devastated by the war with the Reavers -huge insectoid-like creatures which communicate with smell - and his enemies. There is now an even greater threat. Four powerful kings are poised to claim Mystarria for there own and an even larger army of Reavers are amassing, moving from the underworld, to wipe humans and life from the Earth's surface.

Gaborn no longer has the ability to warn his chosen people of pending danger so resorts to sending messengers to alert the people of Mystarria of the coming danger. Gaborn assisted by a nine-year old wizard, Averan, goes into the underworld. The small band enters the Reavers Domain searching for the One True Master. Totally evil, The One True Master not only controls the Reavers but also servants above.

Raj Athen seeking power and immortality has lost all humanity in the process. With thousands of endowments, he surrounds himself with a huge army, mages and flameweavers, seeking to take Mystarria for himself and destroy the Earth King.
Gaborn, on his descent into the underworld, encounters Glories -beings of light that communicate through thought but rarely contact humans.

This is a huge fantasy series. Complex multi-threaded stories, a world system that wouldn't be out of place in a role-playing game and some magnificent characters. Plots are intricately woven. There is an enjoyable pace up to the final approaching battle. There are plenty of moments where characters are placed in a dichotomy. For example, Celinor is presented with what seems to be a new Earth King in the form of King Anders. Throughout the book, you follow her through her own turmoil as she tries to decide if this is true.

There are numerous points in the book where facts are smudged and greyed out. The interplay with the characters and the political angles are used to full advantage and the final battle is not the be all and end all of the book. It's these small interactions that really push the book. I like the fact that the Earth itself is portrayed in an almost Gaia-like manner becoming a character in itself.

David Farland's descriptions are well-balanced but can be a little graphic at times. If you want classic style fantasy you certainly have got it here. The further expansive descriptions of the Reavers and their habits and society are fascinating in itself. This sense of depth allows a more realistic world in the reader's mind's eye.

When the book was released in the US, many fans complained that the ending seemed rushed and there was a lot of loose ends left hanging. I would myself disagree with this. I think Farland wanted some finality to the book but didn't want to completely kill off the series so plenty was left open for future books. I actually liked the abrupt end to the proceedings.

Some fantasies can just trundle along for far too long and become tedious. This left you wanting more and questions to be answered. Perhaps a little more expansion might have appeased some readers, but I feel this is a more than satisfactory ending to an impressive series.

Phil Jones