The Singing by Alison Croggon

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Re-Read? The whole Pellinor series is re-readable!

Recommend? I definitely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure with a bit of growing up angst.

Summery:

The climactic volume of the epic quartet follows the Bards of Edil-Amarandh on a vital quest to merge their powers against a nameless evil.

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? (Amazon product description)

My Thoughts:

In this Fourth book of Pellinor, war seems inevitable. Maerad, our heroine, is tested in every way possible. Whether it be life, friendship or love, everything Maerad had fought for could be lost with one mistake. Maerad taps deeper and deeper into her potential and learns things about herself she would have never guessed. But what of the mysterious tree-song? In The Riddle, we last saw Maerad (in her "wolf" form) finally reuinted with Cadvan. That is where The Singing begins.

I had a hard time saying goodbye to this series. I have been so completely engrossed in the stories of the Bards of Edil-Amarandh since I had first heard of Pellinor when The Riddle came out. The Singing ends the story of our once disconcerted Maerad, the Heroine we have followed since her slave days in The Naming (or The Gift, depending where you live). When you read this final installment, you realize how much she has grown and all that she has been through and accomplished. It made me remember friends such as Dernhill of Gent (who will always remain one of my favorite characters!) and think back on how each of them have touched Maerad's life and shaped her into what she needed to be in this final book.

I really appreciated that most of this book was in Maerad's POV. I enjoy reading through Hem, but I find Maerad more interesting! The POV switches back and forth a bit between the siblings but the transitions are flawless, so I didn't mind a bit. I like to know whats going on where and when! I love Alison Croggon's style of writing; everything flows very smoothly. The world she created is engageing and I could almost believe it once exsisted! All in all, a wonderful ending to an entralling series.