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The Daemon Prism (Collegia Magica #3)

by Carol Berg (Goodreads Author)

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95 · rating details · 390 ratings · 78 reviews

“Thou’rt Fallen, Dante. Born in frost-cold blood; suckled on pain. Thy repentance was ever a lie…”

Dante the necromancer is the most reviled man in Sabria, indicted by the King, the Temple, and the Camarilla Magica for crimes against the living and the dead. Yet no judgment could be worse than his enemies’ cruel vengeance that left him crippled in body and mind. Dante seeks...more

ebook, 506 pages

Published 2012 by Roc

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Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi 2012

112th out of 347 books — 608 voters

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Apr 28, 2012 Charty rated it 2 of 5 stars

All in all, very disappointing. For me, Dante was most interesting when viewed through the lens of other character's perspectives. In this book, he is the narrator for the majority of the story and while it was fascinating to see how he coped with his blindness, I didn't enjoy his narrative as much as I thought I might have. My biggest complaint with the book is that it's essentially plot and character-wise a complete rehash of The Soul Mirror. The veil between the living and the dead is torn an...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Carol Berg fans

Haunting. Poignant.

This concluding book to the Magica series has multiple narrative voices. This allows the reader to have a greater emotional connection to the events taking place along with a broader view.

This book has quite a different feel than the first book in the series. While the first one was almost a strait forward mystery novel, this one is most defiantly a final chapter in an epic war.

Perhaps not the best simile, but the series was a bit like watching a natural disaster unfold. It s...more

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Apr 25, 2012 E. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

4 3/4 stars!
“Daemon’s Prism” by Carol Berg continues the saga of Dante de Raghinne, the Master Mage who has been chronicled in the ‘Collegia Magica’ series. Blinded physically and emotionally, Dante has been living with Anne de Vernase and teaching her to use her magic but never allowing her to get past his tightly guarded barriers. A series of events lead to the sorcerer reluctantly calling for the services of Ilario de Sylvae and his soldier, Captain de Santo, in order to start a journey that...more 4 3/4 stars!
“Daemon’s Prism” by Carol Berg continues the saga of Dante de Raghinne, the Master Mage who has been chronicled in the ‘Collegia Magica’ series. Blinded physically and emotionally, Dante has been living with Anne de Vernase and teaching her to use her magic but never allowing her to get past his tightly guarded barriers. A series of events lead to the sorcerer reluctantly calling for the services of Ilario de Sylvae and his soldier, Captain de Santo, in order to start a journey that may rock the very world on its foundations. A threat to Portier, one of the few that Dante allows himself to care for, ensnares the handicapped sorcerer in a struggle with both his past enemies and with legends that stretch into the distant past. Unlikely and unwilling allies who may or not be betrayers as well complicate the struggle that echoes throughout the ages and the Tetrarch Beltan de Ferrau continues on his mission to force Dante to pay for all of his crimes. The discovery of the Maldivean Seeing Stones and the travails that Dante and his friends must endure to unravel their secrets may finally destroy the man who seems to have been born to become the Daemon of legends.

Another intricately plotted and detailed fantasy novel that sweeps the reader onto a remarkable journey of magic and betrayal. Dante has been a tortured character throughout the series yet manages to gain the trust of those few that have seen his actions and the struggles that underly them. Several startling twists and glimpses of the dark beginnings that Dante faced during his formative years give insight into him even as the machinations continue to plague the man whom is reviled by far more than valued by the few who know his secrets. A rare view of Dante’s family introduces yet another person of importance to the troubled soul even as it shows some of the events that hone his character. Ms Berg continues to display her mastery at world-building and her facility for creating characters and situations that shift perceptions with subsequent chapters in this mesmerizing addition to yet another of her complex series.

© Night Owl Reviews(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Verity Brown rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, this cover sucks. The person on it is not remotely close to being Dante. You'd think they would give the cover artist an actual description of the character. But enough ranting about that...

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as I did the previous two. The first was a mystery novel: who is behind the plot to kill the king? The second was a more straightforward fantasy: we have to stop the evil guys from destroying the world as we know it. The Daemon Prism, though, has a more esoteric pl...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wizard and friends go off to deal with their religion, which has gone badly, badly wrong. Not their church -- their religion. The religion (and church, and beliefs, and priests, and heresies, and all the other things that go along with religion) is one of the better-done examples of same in modern fantasy. It's all believably more complicated than made-up religions usually are.

Anyhow, we finally get Dante's point of view. (It's roughly two-thirds him and one-third Anne, from the previous book.)...more

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Jan 21, 2012 S.A. Bolich rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review was posted first at Science Fiction and Other Oddyseys (http://sciencefictionmusings.blogspot...)

The Collegia Magica series, of which The Daemon Prism is the third and final book, is one of the best fantasies I have encountered in years. The first book was also my initial exposure to Carol Berg’s work, after I got the chance to hear her read from it at a science fiction convention a couple of years ago. Intrigued by the characters in the snippet she read, I bought the book and discov...more This review was posted first at Science Fiction and Other Oddyseys (http://sciencefictionmusings.blogspot...)

The Collegia Magica series, of which The Daemon Prism is the third and final book, is one of the best fantasies I have encountered in years. The first book was also my initial exposure to Carol Berg’s work, after I got the chance to hear her read from it at a science fiction convention a couple of years ago. Intrigued by the characters in the snippet she read, I bought the book and discovered a gem of an author, a grand master of characterization. Berg takes chances with her characters in ways that have, frankly, inspired me as a writer, and that leave them imprinted indelibly on your memory and your heart.

The Collegia Magica, set in a Renaissance world with vaguely French and Latin underpinnings, is about a struggle to unravel the deadly mystery surrounding an attempt on the king’s life, and then to stop the unscrupulous sorcerers who want to turn the world—and the afterlife—literally inside out. To stop them, each character must also unravel the mystery of themselves, for each is not really who he or she believes.

The narrator of The Spirit Lens, Portier, is a young, physically unprepossessing librarian with an extraordinary knack for surviving what would kill anyone else. His fellow agentes confide, the fop Ilario and the intemperate, bitter mage Dante, have precious little use for each other and harbor explosive secrets. Anne de Vernase, narrator of The Soul Mirror, is heir to a stunning heritage of magic and loathes all of it. The series traces their struggle to understand how they fit into both the problem and the solution as they race to save both their world and the souls of their beloved dead from feeding unspeakable magic.

Accepting what they find is an obstacle for each of them, from the leap of faith surrounding Portier to the realities of Anne’s dangerous heritage to the real explanation for Dante’s unusual magical abilities and uncontrollable temper. These struggles are, in a way, even more fun than the larger mystery, and all enlivened by Ilario, whose humor is matched by his loyalty. Since I refuse to give spoilers in reviews, I will say no more except that each of these four characters is so well drawn you will wish this series carried on and on instead of stopping at three books.

The Daemon Prism picks up the story two years after the titanic magical struggle that concluded The Soul Mirror. Our heroes are widely scattered, recovering from those events, and a fair bit of the action involves characters traveling to the one place they can stop the plot, a city so old that even its rightful name is nearly forgotten.

Once again we have a new perspective on the action. Berg always writes in the first person, and unlike many series, she changes the point of view character from book to book. The first two books maintain a single POV; The Daemon Prism switches several times, a necessity considering that the action is far-flung and the characters scattered. This is fine, but it does contribute to a couple of noticeable structural weaknesses. It was fairly obvious in the middle section that the author needed to stretch out the time frame in order for all the players to unravel the mystery and come together. It also contributed to one wishful instance for me, in that I would rather the climactic scene had been written from Portier’s POV instead of Anne’s.

The Daemon Prism is both more and less satisfying than the first two books. Less, because the characters are geographically separated for much of the book and therefore the interaction we love to see among them is largely missing. More, because the climax is both so poignant and so inevitable that you won’t soon forget it. Each previous book was complete and satisfying in itself.

As with all great fantasy, there is sacrifice and loss and the realization that even heroes don’t always get what they want or deserve.

This book was wonderful, but there were a few things that caught my attention: the somewhat saggy middle stretch, the slightly one-sided villains, the abrupt disappearance of Dante as narrator, and the fact that I would far rather have had Portier as the POV character for the climax. He was the endearing narrator of the first book, and we got to spend far too little time with him in this one. He is also the catalyst for the conclusion, which felt a little rushed, and it would have been nice to see his reaction to it all from the inside.

Dante’s absence is both necessary and predictable due to the way Berg constructed his choices for battling his enemies, but it would have been nice to dip into his head at least once in the final section of the book to see his struggle from the inside. I also felt one major plot thread ended somewhat serendipitously with the fearsome tetrarch who has pursued Dante with grim zealotry throughout the book defanged rather conveniently toward the end. I know from talking to Berg that her publisher was concerned with word count and she was forced to shave scenes that might have mitigated this feeling of sudden endings. Sometimes the author doesn’t get to present the book he or she would like to.

The Collegia Magica is for readers who want more than a recycled version of the current hot trend in the genre. Berg is a gifted writer who builds believable worlds and truly memorable characters; an author I am so glad to have discovered. I highly recommend the Collegia Magica, and The Daemon Prism does not disappoint as a touching and satisfying conclusion to an excellent series. (less)

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Jun 11, 2012 Maxine McLister rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Daemon Prism is the third and final book in author Carol Berg's Collegia Magica series. As in the previous two books, it is told from the view point of the characters. In this case, Anne, Portier, and even Illario have a say but the story is told mainly by Dante, troubled magician and the most dangerous man in the kingdom.

At the end of the previous book (The Soul Mirror), Anne and Dante had retired to the country so that he can help her master her magical skills. Prism opens as Anne is leavi...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Christine rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was so profoundly disappointed in this conclusion to a series I have loved! After spending two books developing a rich political environment, the heroes are drawn - in the slowest, most agonizing, roundabout, boring way possible - to a neighboring land in the middle of nowhere. The uninteresting antagonists dominate the plot while the main narrator, Dante, bides his time... and bides his time... and bides his time.

For about three-quarters of the book, I was bored, slogging through the antagon...more I was so profoundly disappointed in this conclusion to a series I have loved! After spending two books developing a rich political environment, the heroes are drawn - in the slowest, most agonizing, roundabout, boring way possible - to a neighboring land in the middle of nowhere. The uninteresting antagonists dominate the plot while the main narrator, Dante, bides his time... and bides his time... and bides his time.

For about three-quarters of the book, I was bored, slogging through the antagonists essentially laughing evilly at one another and doing terrible things while Dante did the same thing he has done in previous books: Gritted his teeth and pretended to be evil. He's an interesting character, but it would have been nice to see him without his masks for the book that was supposed to be centered about him. To top things off, the shifting narrative -- which did not occur in the other books -- seemed off-balance, disorienting and confusing rather than offering multiple facets (perhaps a meta-reference to the prisms around which the story centers?) to the story.

When I wasn't bored, I dreaded the conclusion, because the heroes never really get the upper hand and it looks as though something terrible is going to happen. I did not develop a love for Dante as I did for Portier, Illario, and Anne in the first three books. I worried for them. But Berg has always put her characters in really hot water and pulled off a delightful save. Right up until the last few pages, I was expecting that save - and instead, the conclusion felt, to me, like the most unnecessarily heartbreaking ending imaginable. Instead of feeling satisfied, the conclusion of the series left me sad, angry, and unfulfilled. (view spoiler) Other reviewers have criticized Portier's role as 'damsel in distress' for the entirety of the third book, and I too disliked seeing the focal character of the first book and the brilliant manipulator of the second, demoted to humiliated impotence (view spoiler).

This is a horrible review, and I realize the author may read it, and I do not mean to be hurtful or disrespectful to Ms. Berg. I feel like I have to write this because I am so anguished and heartbroken that I have no other outlet. Indeed, if I did not respect Ms. Berg so much I would not have had such high expectations for her conclusion. As it is, I feel as though I've been betrayed by the author.(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Althea Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A worthy follow-up to the first two in the series. In this installment, the reader gets a fuller understanding of the prickly, difficult wizard Dante, and background on why he is the way he is.
Of course, his characteristics get him into the most untenable situations, and here, he finds himself in the position of being forced to hide his true motives once again.
The bulk of the book is his POV, but we also get a good chunk of Anne's perspective,and a bit of Portier.

I thought this was going to be...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Lynne Cantwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I tell you what, Carol Berg can write. This is the third volume in her "Collegia Magica" series. The protagonist through most of this book is Dante, a sort of outcast sorceror who is more powerful than nearly all of the "book-learned" sorcerors at the Collegia Magica. He is also irascible, cantankerous, and unpredictable -- up to now. Oh, his personality doesn't really change in this book. It's just that now we see events through his eyes, and we finally get his back story, which explains much o...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Maria rated it 5 of 5 stars

The best and also most annoying thing about Carol Berg series is that they are incredibly complex. This is the third in a trilogy, and it took me until about halfway through the second book to not want to stop reading. That's not to say that the first book wasn't good, it just takes a while for her to get her stories set up and her characters established. I was always happy to read it, I was just content to read it only at bedtime. That was not the case in this book. Characters are already estab...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Elizabeth Tai rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's sad to say goodbye to a good series. And I'm especially sad to have to say goodbye to the characters whom I loved so much! I wish, for one, Berg would give the Scarlet Pimpernal-ish Chevalier an adventure of his own. I do love his character so much!

That said, I think The Daemon Prism is the weakest of the three books, not that I'm saying it's terrible. I felt a little let down by the last few chapters as they seemed rushed and we didn't get to experience the adventure - rather, we were told...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

The third book in Carol Berg's Collegia Magic trilogy is quite satisfying and a little sweeter than the first two. Though Berg puts her characters through the wringer time and time again, she allows a kind of peaceful resolution at the end.

At first I had trouble warming up to this book. I so loved the Spirit Lens and Portier's voice (and the Soul Mirror as well) that I had trouble adapting to Dante's alternately cerebral and extremely intense voice. It seems like the right voice for Dante, but...more

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Jan 28, 2012 Shauna rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the third book in Berg's wonderfully complex and intriguing Collegia Magica trilogy. Everything you thought you knew at the end of book 1 unravels in books 2 and 3 and becomes rewoven in new and surprising ways.

This book follows the disgraced sorcerer Dante. He has already suffered the most of all the main characters of the series, and in this book he must suffer some more. What he must do for honor and for the king who has banished him is painful to read and yet cathartic to see him pe...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Jenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i like carol berg. i don't like all of her stuff, but i did like this one. interesting fantasy novel. i'm not a fan of multiple voices, i prefer following one person as they discover the story, though, with this book, it did help to develop the characters.

i like carol berg because she allows bad things to happen to good people, not everyone lives through everything, and not everyone come out unscathed. still, some of her reasoning can seem a big far-fetched, however, it is fantasy.

finally, we ge...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Vanessa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-you-should-read, fantasy

I've been looking forward to reading THE DAEMON PRISM since reading THE SOUL MIRROR in May. I had no clue what to expect, or where Carol Berg was going with the story. After the stunning climax in MIRROR, what else could happen? As it turns out, there's an even bigger plot we haven't discovered yet.

At the end of book two, Anne and Dante retire to the country where he can teach Anne her new-found magic skills. Portier has gone into hiding to recover from the events on the mount, but also to study...more I've been looking forward to reading THE DAEMON PRISM since reading THE SOUL MIRROR in May. I had no clue what to expect, or where Carol Berg was going with the story. After the stunning climax in MIRROR, what else could happen? As it turns out, there's an even bigger plot we haven't discovered yet.

At the end of book two, Anne and Dante retire to the country where he can teach Anne her new-found magic skills. Portier has gone into hiding to recover from the events on the mount, but also to study the myths and history that would make people believe he is a Saint Reborn. They had discovered and thwarted the nefarious plots of the aspirant--but it turns out that the conspiracy is even deeper, and they must stop the evil that would bind the world of the living and dead together permanently.

SPIRIT was narrated in first person by Portier, MIRROR by Anne, but DAEMON is primarily Dante, a PoV that is a complicated, tortured soul. He's proved in every book that he's willing to do despicable things in order to see the mystery through, and will even risk his friendships and the relationship with the woman he loves. Berg has made a deliciously tortured character in Dante, whose past has shaped him, and we finally get to see in DAEMON exactly what that means. Many are convinced he's the evil that needs to be stopped, but Anne, Portier, and Illario are steadfast in their trust that he's doing what's ultimately the right thing. In DAEMON Anne, Portier, and even Illario make brief appearances as first person viewpoints to round out the narrative; but here, it's Dante who shines.

When the narrative started I had a hard time understanding how this new plot line continued that of the previous books. It begins with Anne returning home to her parents to help with the household, leaving the blind Dante alone and feeling abandoned. Until a former soldier appears at his doorstep with a dream that has tormented him for years, and fears it will cause him to go insane. But Dante learns that the dream is actually someone looking for him, and he's compelled to find out what it's really about--something about magic stones and setting free the beautiful woman trapped by them.

I tried to figure out how this seemingly random storyline coincided with the previous books, and for a long time I felt like it was a contrivance. But, as in the previous books, patience wins out--Berg has a bigger picture in mind through the entire series. Dante's story is compelling, and it's worth the wait to watch it slowly build and come together in the final climax of the series.

We also see more of the world outside of Sabria; before we were limited to the capital city and a few areas around it. This time we travel to Dante's hometown and beyond, to cities where history is catching up to and influencing the present. Berg's world is varied without being overwhelming, with a rich history that's interesting to unravel and explore. I only wish there were more.

If you've read the previous books, yes THE DAEMON PRISM is worth the effort to see it through. Berg does take her sweet time telling the story, but there is a purpose to it, and when the threads start coming together in the final 70 or so pages, everything gets mashed up and jumbled and exciting.

I know I gush; however, I'm not completely blind to the book's imperfections, including some unanswered questions, abruptly tied off character story lines, and pacing issues through the middle of the book. Yet, they are small issues when one looks at the series as a whole, because the overarching narrative is fascinating and compelling.

Can you read THE DAEMON PRISM without reading the first two? No, and you wouldn't want to. The previous novels are worth the slow buildup of information--magical, historical, religious, character--and the time it takes to see this series to the very end.

Recommended Age: 16+ more for comprehension than content
Language: Fewer than five instances
Violence: Death, torture, and grisly magic rites, much more than in previous books
Sex: Referenced and described in a handful of instances (including as part of a death ritual), although without detail

***This book review and others are available on the Elitist Book Reviews blog.***(less)

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Feb 17, 2012 Kaia rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dnf

Sit down, kids, I'm going to tell you a story.

It's a story about a book called The Spirit Lens by a woman named Carol Berg. More specifically, it's a story about my review of said book.

I was so excited to get my hands on The Spirit Lens. I've worshiped the paper Carol Berg writes on since I started reading her work somewhere in the vague vicinity of mumblety years ago. I haven't outright adored every book she's written, but I've enjoyed all of them. Until The Spirit Lens.

I didn't like that book...more

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Jan 31, 2012 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf-fantasy

Four stars because it's about 150 pages too long....but 'tis a terrific story that continues the plotline supposedly finished in SOUL MIRROR. Once again everyone, especially Dante, takes a lot of physical and psychic torment along the way, so you couldn't exactly call this LIGHT reading. Still, very high quality fantasy. This one seems to finish things off too, but plainly the author might well have different ideas.

She does kill off a character, but it's the very last one you'd expect. In a way...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012_release_read, genre-fantasy, read_2011, review_fbc, series_read, t1_recommended_2012

I will have a FBC rv probably around its Jan 4 publication date so again some points without (major) spoilers;

- Dante narrates for the major part of the story, but there are interludes from Anne that eventually grow in length and we even read Portier's thoughts once again and Ilario for the first time, so all the main series characters narrate at least a little

- the transitions are handled well though there is this tiny lack of smoothness as opposed to the one narrator earlier books

- the novel h...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Cherry Mischievous rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, favourites, own, willreadthisauthoragain, wonbooks, i-ve-read

Audiobook & Paperback Review:

This is my first audiobook where there are four readers involved and I find that I kinda liked it! It's not a dramatization but the book is written in such a way that there is swapping of POVs as the story is told. And the narrators take turns as their character's POV tells the story. Really fun to listen to! Specially that I've listened to David deVries and Angèle Masters with Book 1 (The Spirit Lens) and Book 2 (The Soul Mirror) respectively already. But even...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Tori smexys_sidekick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, review-for-smexybooks, fantasy

Favorite Quote: “You say you can see what lies within me, lady. Tell me I am not going to destroy the light.”

The Daemon Prism is the final installment of Berg’s complex renaissance based character driven trilogy, The Collegia Magica. It picks up not long after The Soul Mirror ends. Each book in this trilogy has been presented from one character’s viewpoint. The Spirit Lens was from Portier de Savin-Duplais, The Soul Mirror from Anne de Vernase, and our final journey is told from Dante, the catal...more Favorite Quote: “You say you can see what lies within me, lady. Tell me I am not going to destroy the light.”

The Daemon Prism is the final installment of Berg’s complex renaissance based character driven trilogy, The Collegia Magica. It picks up not long after The Soul Mirror ends. Each book in this trilogy has been presented from one character’s viewpoint. The Spirit Lens was from Portier de Savin-Duplais, The Soul Mirror from Anne de Vernase, and our final journey is told from Dante, the catalyst in the whole series. Blinded and crippled after battling a vindictive enemy in The Soul Mirror, Dante is struggling to deal with the tremendous loss he feels he has suffered. Ms Berg’s wonderful use of prose makes Dante’s voice irresistible as he takes us on an incredulous journey fraught with mystery, intrigue, and fantasy. The incredible world building continues to superbly translate the emotions and feelings of Dante as he tries to come to terms with his blindness and eventual loss of magic. The overall storyline is elegant in it’s ebb and flow with a lyrical prose that dips deep into a well of darkness and despair that wasn’t present in the first two books.

Dante has made it his mission to teach the practical and stubborn Anne de Vernase how to wield and control her powerful magic. He knows the time will come when he will no longer be able to command the elements himself so he uses what little time he has left to pass his knowledge on. Anne, needing a rest from Dante and the insane pressures of his teaching, makes plans to visit her family. She departs, promising Dante she will return to him. When a battle scarred solder comes to Dante, begging help against powerful dreams of a magical crystal and a beautiful ghost, Dante sees his chance to be the man he once was. Dante knows deep down this is a trap and will probably be the end of him, but he agrees and is joined on his journey by an old companion, the chameleon chevalier, Ilario de Sylvae.

I love a well executed ending and Ms. Berg delivers that here in spades. Deception, sacrifice, madness, and redemption continue to be the main courses in which the reader sups upon when reading this final installment. A trap has been set and baited, with Dante as the prize. We follow his journey as it takes him to the truth of his own beginnings and destiny as he learns of his past, present, and possible future. Once again, past events are brought forth and viewed through various eyes, convincing us that what we have read and judged as absolute truth are nothing but wisps of facts and fiction, interweaving together to produce yet another version of the story. The explanations of the magic(s) involved continued to be overly elaborate and expounded on to the point of confusion. I found myself skimming through these parts to get back to the action of the story.

Various subplots run through out the main story, running independently until they merge together to form the big picture. Anne soon enters the narrative once she realizes why Dante has committed to this journey. His ulterior motives are finally revealed-he believes the crystal’s magic has something to do with his missing friend, Portier de Savin-Duplais. Both friend and enemy, Dante discovers that Portier is to be destroyed and his body used to raise the evil mage that Anne and Dante killed in The Soul Mirror. I loved once again seeing the connection between Anne and Dante. It gives a romantic element to the story in that they are physically separate throughout most of the book yet linked through their thoughts and actions. Dante realizes through this connection just how much he needs Anne.

Secondary characters, friends and foes alike, all hold exact places within the story, propelling it forward and imparting valuable information along the way. I will admit that towards the end we are subjected to rapidly switching narratives as everyone joins the fray and the story seems to stumble through these parts. Overall this installment didn’t have the same smoothness to it the last two had but in no way does it take away from your reading pleasure. The ending is a magnificent battle of wits, magic, and sacrifice as Dante struggles to find his way back from the Hell he has consigned himself to. I was hard pressed to imagine how Ms. Berg could end this epic saga on a satisfying note yet she managed to do so in a way that will keep these characters in my heart and soul for years to come.

Overall Rating: B+(less)

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Oct 13, 2011 Mandeep rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this series - and this book - it was great finally getting inside Dante's head! Carol Berg's "renaissance fantasy" writing isn't the usual straightforward, action filled, plot driven type you'd except of a fantasy book. I would describe it as smoother and quieter - with elegant prose (the quotes listed by other reviewers are good examples) and equisitely drawn characters (the better fleshed out main ones and even the more one-dimensional side ones surprise you). She definitely has a grea...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Mackay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

If you're looking for a fast read, mental candy, then this isn't a book for you. Carol Berg's books are meant to be savored, like a fine wine, rather than gulped like fast food. This one is the last of a trilogy (The Spirit Lens, The Soul Mirror) and ties up the overarching mystery most satisfactorily. At the same time, it deepens the characters we've come to know from the previous two books, sometimes in surprising ways but always in ways that feel real and human. And of course, no one makes ma...more

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Nov 14, 2012 Megan Chance rated it 5 of 5 stars

An superb ending to an excellent series. Deeply layered, thoughtful, poignant, emotional and revelatory--this is how it should be done. Threads left hanging from the first two are tied up here, and, as usual, Berg's world-building is first rate, and everything you've learned from the previous books comes to fruition. I am in awe of how elegantly she creates/invents and invests her characters and her legends with depth and resonance. Excellent.

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Feb 04, 2012 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was an excellent conclusion to the series. Most of this book was from Dante's perspective and it was intersting to see event from his point of view and to understand why he did some of the things that he did. There was a lot of action and interesting plot twists in this book that I did not expect. I am very happy and satisfied with the conclusion of the series. Overall, I really liked this series and felt it got better with each book. I would definitely recommend it.

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Jan 27, 2012 Adrianne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Berg's characters are very deep and complex. They will haunt you long after you put the book down. Her prose enchants and drags you deep, deep into her mesmerizing world, and you will be hard pressed to remember that you're reading, much less put the book down.

This book is the third in a trilogy, and I would highly recommend reading _Spirit Lens_ and _Soul Mirror_ first. All three books are incredibly good reads.

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Sep 01, 2012 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: berg-carol

Nice ending. I'm in two minds about this book - even though I saw it coming from Volume 1, I am uncomfortable with stories about gods whether those postulated to exist on Earth or those in other fiction. At least, we didn't have actual gods speaking, although "daemons" or "angels" are nearly as bad. Over all, the three books were exciting, and, as always with Carol Berg, the characters were exquisitely drawn.

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Mar 26, 2013 Lacey Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: same-author, next-in-series

I liked it. Even though we didn't get a whole lot of narrative from Ilario, Anne or Portier I still enjoyed the narrative from Dante's perspective. Now some questions are answered, like his childhood and upbringing and his purpose and destiny. I guess the hardest part I had with the story was trying to figure out everything that was happening to him when he was blind, which would make sense as he was having a hard time with it as well. Probably the first book I've ever read that did tell the sto...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Wendy Darling rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Much as I love Carol Berg, I have to say, this book is a muddled mess - the last 200 pages in particular. Berg seems to have fallen into the same trap she has with many of her other sagas, taking a plunge into an esoteric, incomprehensible battle that lasts far too long for the reader to keep caring. I plunged through to the end just so I could reach -reality- again instead of the mists of bullshit the story had mired itself in. And even that wasn't very satisfying, as the story ties itself up t...more

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May 08, 2013 Bunnyjadwiga rated it 5 of 5 stars

Clears up some things; weaves a tangled web that may or may not be tidied up at the end. One character's development doesn't 'feel' right but other than that it's a masterful character study (despite some romance-like tendencies that make me go 'eh?') As dark and disturbing as the first volume, with a frenetic pace and a 'everything you know is wrong' theme that captures the imagination.

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About Carol Berg

Carol Berg is the author of the epic fantasy
The Books of the Rai-kirah, The Bridge of D'Arnath Quartet, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winning Lighthouse Duet - Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone - the standalone novel Song of the Beast , and the three novels of the Collegia Magica.

Berg holds a degree in mathematics from Rice University, and a degree in computer science from the University of Col...more

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Son of Avonar (The Bridge of D'Arnath, #1)

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The Daemon Prism (Collegia Magica #3)

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