I thoroughly enjoyed this concluding volume of stories about the Fallow sisters, this time upping sticks and moving much of the action to Cornwall, where the sisters, and various hangers-on are on holiday. But they get tangled up with the mysterious Morlader and the Wreckers, who drew ships to their doom against the Cornish cliffs. What do the Wreckers want with the sisters, and what is their interest in the Wild Hunt?
I don’t think that the series ever reached the heights of the first volume, but I came to care about all four of the sisters across the series, although it does feel, once again, that Serena got the least “screen time” in this one. The mystery is interesting, and their mother, Alys, is always just in the shadows, and interestingly morally grey. I know it’s the sisters’ story, but I would have liked more of Alys’s motivation.
I like that this book takes us back into the country again, where I feel it’s at its strongest. I was never that interested in the stuff going on in London. It’s out in the Shires where this series is at its most evocative and magical, although this time we’re on the coast, which adds a whole extra dimension to the story.
If you loved the other books, as I did, you’ll find this to be a satisfying conclusion to the story, while still leaving enough threads outstanding that Williams could return to the world and write more about the Fallow sisters. I’d happily read it.