The third book of the Legend of Tal series follows right after the destructive battle at the end of the second book – and delivers a good chunk of backstory that puts some current events into perspective.

After the battle, Tal saw no other option than to rush off to the East on his own, afraid that his friends would be in too high a danger. However, his friends aren’t fond of the idea of leaving him to save the world alone, and set off in pursuit shortly after.

At the end of the second book, during the final battle, Tal had finally reached his full power – but using it to defeat the summoned demon had pushed him too far and he’s now struggling with a powerful ailment that seems to be caused by magical burnout. When the harsh weather of the mountain adds to the mix, the journey gets perilous. A mysterious stranger appears to help him and Tal, seeing no other option, forms some kind of alliance even though he suspects the creature might be something else than the lone traveling elf it seems to be.

His perils soon get worse as his path leads him to a village inhabited by people he had encountered in his past – in not exactly a good way. Here, a fragment of his past is revealed – the darkest moments in his life where he was weakened by dealing with powerful creatures and manipulated into killing people he would have no quarrel with. And now, this past gets him thrown into a jail in a remote mountain village.

His friends manage to catch up but fail to find him – and when Garin suspects a lead, things take a turn for the worse as spawns of darkness attack. Tal makes an escape, trying to find a cure for his situation, while the others stay, defending the village. Soon, they resume their search, but it takes time – and more trials – before they are reunited.

Together, they reach the capital of the Empire and manage to defeat one of the major servants of the villain, though it’s also clear that the worst challenges are still on the way. The Emperor provides them a respite and a tentative deal – though even his help might not be enough. But that’s something to be seen in the fourth book.

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Read date: 11.-14. 8. 2024
Published: 6. 9. 2021
Goodreads/Amazon rating: 4,43/4,6
My rating: 80%
Length: 428 pages
My highlights

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This book was a very quick read for me, given that I had taken it on my hiking holiday and used most of my “downtime” to progress through it quite fast. That said, it does feel like an intermezzo that delves deeper into the backstory and worldbuilding. Despite that, it still has a decent pace, and was quite enjoyable.