The conclusion to a series I started reading some 4 years ago has finally arrived. Sometimes, it’s a surprise how long it’s been.

Despite a not-so-short break since I read the second book, it wasn’t hard to jump right back. Vas and Deven are working on uncovering the mysteries of the Clionea Order, while also trying to find their way back home. However, their space travel is quite bumpy and beset by enemies, as usual. They manage to stop by for repairs at a seemingly calm planet – which faces rebels and invaders that are – unsurprisingly – connected to the mysteries Vas and her crew is trying to solve.

Helping the locals gains her some support, as well as further hints that make the situation even more complicated. Good news are coming – her people have managed to find a way to get rid of the barrier that’s preventing them from returning home – though it’s not as simple as it sounds.

But even returning home isn’t the relief Vas had hoped for – the planet she had won long ago and turned into her own safe haven is also being invaded. What was supposed to be a short downtime for a bit of training, repairs, and reorganizing her crew turns out into a frantic chase for any hints of solution. It’s this part of the story where I had the feeling that it’s rushing ahead at a crazy pace. Many characters from the past – both this series and the first trilogy – make an appearance, and this involves characters that had died before (because what’s to stop them from leaving a sentient hologram behind, right?)

To the point that I had to say the ending feels a bit unceremonious. Once all the loose ends are wrapped up, Vas simply takes up her crew and any allies she managed to recruit, and heads towards the site of the final battle. The fight ends quite unceremoniously – after Vas and the recruits of the mysterious order use their abilities a few times, as long as the wit and power of their space fleet. Two rounds of space fights and all the build-up is brought to a climax in just two chapters. With a short send-off that Vas is, after a very long three years, going to return home and retire.

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Read date: 1.-9.2.2025
Published: 15.1.2025
Goodreads/Amazon links (too few ratings at this point)
My rating: 80%
Length: 560 pages (Kindle Edition)
My highlights

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I admit I hoped for a bit more detailed send-off – especially restoring the Clionea order was central to the plot but there’s little to nothing about what the new members might face in the future. But I understand that any hints of such a type would leave it open to a future return to the series and if the author wants to leave this world and its characters behind for good, I guess ripping off the band-aid works.