I think I enjoyed the conclusion even more than the rest of the series. In Lost Truth Alissa’s dreams of a young girl named Silla – a student Master wearing robes of purple with a red sash – the sign that Keribdis is her teacher, and a sign that the lost Masters live. Alissa, her suitors Strell and Lodesh, the formerly feral Connen-Neute (whose consciousness Alissa brought with her when she returned from the past), and Alissa’s beloved kestrel Talon, embark on an arduous journey across the sea to find the missing Masters. Teacher Talo-Toecan choses to stay behind, knowing Keribdis will interpret his arrival as confirmation that she was right all along.
On arriving on the island it is clear that Keribdis, an imposing, assured and strong-willed woman, dominates the group. From the beginning she stakes a claim on teaching the transeunt, but Alissa’s allegiance to Talo-Toecan is strong and, ever contrary, defies Keribdis over and over again, until Keribdis does something so shocking the entire group turns against her.
It is a testament to Cook’s skill as a writer that she is able to so clearly not only convey Alissa’s single-mindedness (which comes through as determination rather than wilfulness) but, more masterfully, Keribdis’s growing sociopathy. This is a stunning and powerful conclusion to an already impressive series. – Alex
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