things go into overdrive to wrap this series up. Kristin's healing is completely underplayed. Wood[the Ancient One] is killed by Swordbreaker. Vilkata comes back and dies, and in the process all the swords but Woundhealer are destroyed and that is how it ends. ( )

Omnibus!

Wayfinder's Story:

Wayfinder's introduces yet another one-off character to bring in the title Sword, but mostly focuses on bringing the wandering Zoltan and Yambu back home. It's a fairly straightforward adventure, and clearly aimed at tying up a bunch of loose threads - the big bad Wood is addressed, the lingering fallout of The Second...'s Blue Temple raid is taken care of, and Wayfinder itself does not survive the book, foreshadowing the mass destruction to come.

Shieldbreaker's Story:

The Last Book of Swords reads more like an obituary than anything, as the remaining eight Swords are destroyed one after another. We see the last of a couple of old acquaintances, and it's fitting that the Dark King is the final enemy, but for the most part this is really just a litany of the destruction of the Swords. The final clash between Shieldbreaker and the anti-weapon Woundhealer is apt, and the symbolism of the only surviving sword being the only one that can't kill is unsubtle but appropriate. The big reveal of the identity of the Emperor, however, is too over-the-top for me to take the least bit seriously. It really undercuts a lot of the series, I think.

All in all, a fast-paced and engaging wrap-up to a classic series. The standouts are the ones least connected to the larger plot, but it holds up fairly well as pulp fantasy. ( )

Unfortunately by this point I wish the series had ended earlier. I really didn't enjoy this last volume as much as the others. ( )

These books as a series deserve better than 'I'm glad that's over.' They are decent but not great. Maybe I'm just spoiled after reading so much stuff that I thought was incredible. The best way I can sum it up is that it is like having a DVD set of Night Court and you have to watch every single episode before you can watch anything else on TV. I am glad that I finally finished the series after starting it riding a school bus twenty years ago, and the books do conclude with a happy ending. Ben of Purkinje has the most intriguing ending, carrying on his role as the surprisingly handy bumbler. He is always underestimated and finds a way to help out the cause in the end. Ben will remain as the highlight of the series for me and also as a memorable, well-loved character. The rest of the series is as enduring as the aforementioned Night Court. It will always be around, but not really remembered as a classic. ( )