To be honest, The Demon Cycle and I have something of a love-hate relationship. While I felt the first book was a truly excellent read, every sequel after that has been problematic in one form or another, be they plagued with redundant (and overly long!) flashbacks, infuriating cliffhangers, or obnoxious characters you just want to punch in the face. Still, Peter V. Brett writes very entertaining stories, so I probably put up with a lot more from him that I would from any other author. As much as I like to jokingly call this series “Days of Our Lives in The Hollow”, there’s definitely something to be said for the guilty pleasure derived from following soap opera bait like Rojer’s troubles with his three-way marriage, or Leesha and her mom’s baby daddy drama.

That said, we’re on the final book now. No more messing around. Like I said at the end of my review for The Skull Throne, I fully expected some tight storytelling and fast-paced action from The Core as we make our last big push towards the grand finale.

In retrospect, those high expectations were probably what led to my eventual disappointment. I wanted swift execution of the story and razor sharp timing befitting of a series conclusion. I wanted answers and a narrower field of focus. I wanted to see multiple plot threads come together and to have the major characters play more central roles again. I wanted too much, in other words. I realize now that I’d hyped this book up in my head, with expectations of what I wanted The Core to be, and it ended up being quite different from Brett’s vision. Of course, I don’t blame him at all for any of that; as the author, it’s his prerogative to take his series in whatever direction he wants. What I do want to do is paint a picture of the situation so that others might better understand why I’m in the minority of feeling merely lukewarm about this novel while most others seemed to have enjoyed it immensely.

Granted, I’m probably sounding a lot more negative than I intend to be. The Core really is a decent book, and had this been any other installment, I might even have given it a higher rating. Still, we’re talking the very last book of a series here. Fair or not, it gets evaluated it on a different set of standards to judge whether or not it serves as a satisfying conclusion, and in that sense, I was not exactly overawed. Even if things ended just about as well as they possibly could, I still experienced a ton of issues along the way, especially in the first half of the story, most of which I spent feeling bored. Tedium in a finale? Something’s definitely not right.

Part of the problem stems from all the soapy plotlines that had valiantly managed to keep the Cutter’s Hollow crew interesting throughout much of the series, but unfortunately, what worked for previous two books merely felt contrived and time-wasting in this final volume. We’re supposed to be bracing ourselves for an epic showdown against demonkind, but there’s hardly a sense of urgency or any kind of tension leading up to the big event. I’ve also watched this series grow increasingly bloated since The Daylight War, and things have gotten really out of hand with the staggering number of characters we have to keep track of. I’ve mentioned before how badly this series needs Arlen to remain a big part of the story in order to keep it focused, so I was once again disappointed at his meager presence in The Core. Considering how only a handful of main character POVs—namely Arlen, Jardir, and Leesha—were significantly pushing this story along, it’s not surprising that we got nowhere fast due the relatively limited page time they were given.

The good news is, things pick up significantly in the second half, the novel’s saving grace being its later chapters. As I’ve alluded to before, I’m actually quite happy with the way The Core ended, just not quite so pleased with the uneven road it took to get there. This has resulted in some very mixed feelings, to say the least, hence my middling 3-star rating. Many others have loved it unequivocally though, and ultimately I think how you feel will largely depend on what you hope to get out of an ending volume. If you’re a reader who appreciates getting the full picture—or if you enjoyed how the previous books continued expanding the story, setting, and characters—then I think you will like The Core very much. On the flip side, if you’d been growing more dissatisfied with the widening scope, lack of focus, and increasingly shallow plot threads of the series, then I’m afraid you’ll probably find more of the same problems with this one.

Still, at the end of the day I’m pretty happy I got to finish The Demon Cycle. This series and I have had our ups and downs, but it was a fun ride throughout it all. I definitely would not hesitate to read anything Peter V. Brett does next.

Ever since picking up a copy of Brett’s “The Warded Man” back in 2010, I have loved this series. “The Core” does not disappoint. I would be lying if I did not say there have been ups and downs with this series. Some of the books are better than others. Brett brought a dose of fresh air to fantasy with “The Warded Man.” In my opinion, the original book is the best in the series. Not because it is written better, because it set-up an intriguing post-apocalyptic story the likes of which I had never read. The characters are well thought out. The magical system Brett introduces his readers is unique to anything I have read.

It is the last stand for humanity as Sharak Ka begins. Unfortunately for humanity, Arlen and Jardir’s actions have set in motion a demon Swarm. These bitter rivals must place their trust in Leesha, Inevera, Ragen and Elissa’s abilities to rally humanity against the demons while they take the battle to the Core. Humanity does not stand a chance against these demonic forces unless Arlen and Jardir can manage to work together to slay the Mother of Demons. A most desperate quest with pitiful odds of survival.

“The Core” does not disappoint! It is a satisfying conclusion to this epic tale of conflict. Beloved characters will die. Intrigue and betrayal abound. Brett does a superb job in concluding the “Demon Cycle.” While the battle is won, he leaves room for the war to continue with the following generation.

This was a worthy sequel, and was definitely a book I found hard to put down.

Note: ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

A thoroughly satisfying conclusion to this series. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next

The success of the previous four Demon Cycle books drew it's strength from the large world that was created by Peter Brett. Brett's a rare author who understands his way of writing to make each character real to us, the challenges, the struggles along the way and why he makes his decisions as he does. But, this series is not simply about one man and his vendetta. Within each book, we meet many new characters experiencing many different situations in life. They each have a choice that leads them onward into a new direction. These multiple characters who have not yet met each other are the way the stories weave together and lead to this final war st the Core No other author has imagined such a unique and exciting blend of non-stop reading and patience for the moment when everything comes together. This fifth book belongs on the shelves and devices of all fantasy lovers. No other book cares for the details, the interwoven storylines, the battles and challenges with all the characters - a highly imaginative book unlike any others out there. You will love. You will grieve, you will laugh and you will be caught up in all the elements of Brett's style of writing. This Series: Demon Cycle Series no doubt will be enjoyed by many fans far into the future!

I love the series, its magic system, its characters and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy. While this is the final volume of this series there is certainly room for more adventures in this world.

The series has held me captivated from the first book, and the ending did not disappoint. No character was safe from despair, disfigurement, or death, but it was all in keeping with the story. The characters, even here at the end, continued to grow and show even more depth. The ending was rich and well-written. I stayed up far too late last night because I simply could not have gone to sleep without knowing what was going to happen!