Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
3.75 stars

MOTHER OF ALL is the third and final book in the Women's War series. I've loved this series from the first book and couldn't contain my excitement for the conclusion!

I may have had too high expectations because I wasn't all that excited while reading it. The characters were all here, the Blessing/Curse was still present, and the men are still angry.

The story took a long time to develop, it was a lot of conversations between characters without any action.

I love this world that the author, Jenna Glass, created. I love the characters and the magic system, I hate the villains, and dislike even more when I empathize with them.

Overall, this was a solid conclusion to a great series. I was just hoping for more. I feel like some ends were tied too neatly to really fit this story.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/07/23/%f0%9f%8e%a7-mother-of-all-by-jenna-glass/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

4.5 hearts

<em>The <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/237632-the-women-s-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Women's War</strong></a> series has the usual historical fantasy world where women have almost no choices. Their primary worth is to bear an heir for men in the patriarchal society. Men control the magic. Men can also choose to send women to a whorehouse for the "unwanted."  This includes wives who can't have children, or if the man wants someone else, or even daughters.  There, the unwanted are bought for sex or toil in creating spells, where the earnings go to the kingdom. (So women can do magic if it is as a slave in production mode)</em>

<em>In the first book,<strong> Women's War</strong>, there were considerable battles and the primary characters were women. They were women of royal families.  Their magic bloodlines were powerful and one created a spell to give women power over their own fertility. Men were not happy.  One women leaves her kingdom and finds a new magic well and forms a new kingdom.  Another woman becomes queen when her grandfather and parents are both dead. So now two kingdoms are ruled by women.</em>

<em><strong>Queen of the Unwanted</strong> is more of a character study with much less action and battle. I kept expecting a big fight. Men were not happy and kept trying to undermine the women. Unfortunately for them, the woman were fairly successful in their politics and magic.</em>

In the final book in the trilogy, <strong>Mother of All</strong> , we find out what happened after the stunning events at the end of the last book.  I worried all year about Delnamel being out on the loose.  Of course, he couldn't die.  He had to gain new powers which are very hard to counteract.  Because his mother is from Khalpar , he is sheltered by her in this holy patriarchy kingdom.  They are the only support he has to get out and regain his kingdom and get vengeance.

Tynthanal is in a tough situation in Aaltah.  Most people aren't happy with him as ruler, but think he might have a better chance of fixing their well because of his connection with magic.  He also is adjusting to his new marriage to Kailee, while his love Chanlix is still in Women's Well.  He is working with seers to try to figure out what happened to the well to fix it, as well as reading what they have of Mairahsol's notes. " Mother of All" is a religious term women use for the original deity, mother of the Creator, particularly seers.

Ellin in Rhozinolm is working hard to handle her kingdom.  She needs to take a husband to solidify trade agreements, and stop the efforts to marry her off for various political advantages. The negotiations were rough, but she is able to choose her husband. He will be a prince consort and not take over rule.  She is happy with her new husband, but the deal meant his old Prince, Waldmir got to take all his holdings there.  He is worried, with good reasons, about the servants and people he left there.

Waldmir has his own problem with only having daughters and no sons in a country where only men rule and women are seen as property.  He keeps killing off wives to take new ones to try for a son.  He is ambivalent about his youngest daughter because her mother escaped. So he sends the 5 year old Elwynne to the Abbey.  The Abbey is run by his original wife, Leethan, who is a seer, and tells him she has now seen he will not ever have a son.   Leithan sets on a path to try to save Elwynne.

Alys is still in mourning for her daughter, and continues ruling Women's Well.  Her son, Corlin, who has had severe temper outbreaks, is in the citadel to train for war.  Alys is getting marriage proposals but does not feel ready to stop mourning or to deal with a new husband.  With the war beginning in Aalwell, and her son in the fighting force,  she feels she needs to be there, at the well, to reduce any damage Delnamel might try to cause.

Such is the world, where Delnamel sets out to get his revenge. All these storylines keep things fascinating, as things build to Delnamel going back to Aaltah to fix the well and enact revenge.  But Delnamel has a different plan than his Khalpar army which just wants to shove women back into their place and reverse the initial spell which gave women the right to choose whether they would have children or not.

I fretted terribly about all the strong women and their fates.  They worked so hard to get just a little freedom and safety.  Delnamel's power seemed nearly unstoppable but the women figured out options to save the well and Aaltah.   I was satisfied with the exciting battle

Title: Mother of All
Author: Jenna Glass
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5

In the once male-dominated world of Seven Wells, women now control their own reproduction, but the battle for equality is far from over. Even with two thrones held by women, there are still those who cling to the old ways and are determined to return the world to the way it was.

Now into this struggle comes a darker power. Delnamal, the former King of Aalwell, may have lost his battle to undo the spell that gave women reproductive control, but he has gained a terrible and deadly magic, and he uses these new abilities to raise an army the likes of which the world has never seen. Delnamal and his allies seem like an unstoppable force, destined to crush the fragile new balance between men and women.

Yet sometimes it is possible for determined individuals to stem the tide, and it comes down to a unique triad of women--maiden, mother, and crone--to risk everything...not only to preserve the advances they have won but to change the world one final time.

I did not read the first book in this trilogy---not something that I recommend---but I was able to jump into book two without much problem. And, I very much enjoyed this book, the last in the trilogy. The magic system is unique as are the cultures and societies. Very strong female characters and some of the men are excellent characters as well—although some of them are total jerks. This is a solid fantasy read that I do recommend!

Jenna Glass has been writing since the fifth grade. Mother of All is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

(review live 7/24.)

Great world building. I enjoyed getting sucked into this world, and how the characters were against one another, and yet dependent on each other at the same time. It was an interesting take on coming of age through the lense of coming into your power, that you didn't necessarily ask for.

Mother of All by Jenna Glass is a surprising and action-packed conclusion to a wonderful trilogy that I can’t say enough good things about. With a women empowerment story that is not just a by-product of the tale but is the story, I quickly found characters to aspire to and ones to cheer for. This ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ read made me feel that anything is possible.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the e-Arc! My rating is in star form and will be included with this review. I may go back to more extensive reviews in the future, but while I am catching up on everything, they will continue to be stars only. Thank you so much!

The final book in the women’s war series, Jenna Glass does a great job at concluding this in depth series of what happens when the women in the kingdom are able to take charge of their own destiny. I was wondering how it would all come together but I can say I’m satisfied with the end and encourage people to give this series a try.

3.5 stars

This is the final installment in the Women’s War trilogy. We follow quite a few characters’ perspectives in these books (with a few new characters introduced in this book), so I would strongly recommend reading the entire series in one go just so that you can keep everyone straight. I have to say that I think the pacing for the majority of the book is rather slow, and frankly I think the book is too long for the story that it told. But the last quarter of the book really picked up and delivered a satisfying ending to the series.
One thing specifically that I would like to complement the author on: you can tell while reading this book that the author really planned and mapped out the entire series from the beginning so that it would all make sense and all flow together well. I can’t tell you how many series finale’s I have read that rush things or have endings that make no sense, but not with this book.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I good ending to a trilogy. I will admit that there were a few things that irked me regarding the characters. I would've liked a little more drama involved. The magic system was intriguing, and I would've love to see more than what we already know. I'll admit the writing wasn't my favorite, I think with more time we would've been able to flesh out the characters more and get other perspectives in this world. Overall it was an interesting read.

Mother of All by Jenna Glass is the exciting conclusion to a women empowerment fantasy trilogy that simply left me awe over the world-building. The last few chapters ultimately won my heart. They fueled my desire to reread the trilogy, so I could marvel once again at the heroes’ journeys, the bits of wisdom bestowed, and the overall wonder of this magnificently built world.

What I Loved

I found the magic system to be completely unique and thoroughly intriguing. In this world, everyone can see these tiny motes. Some are feminine and can only be seen by women, some are masculine and can only be seen by men, while still others are neutral and can be seen by all. These motes fuel spells and magical gadgets, like talkies which is a 3-D virtual communication tool. But, ultimately and unfortunately, they also helped create this misogynistic world.

I loved the surprise heroes that came out in an abundance of twists towards the end. Characters that I had only given a modest amount of attention to throughout the series are now among my favorites along with the expected ones, and maybe even more so because their heroic actions are totally unexpected. I cannot even tell you about my favorite character for fear that I will give away a spoiler.

Women empowerment stories are always among my favorite tales, and that is the central theme of this trilogy, not just a by-product. In this world, women are property and only property to be used and thrown out as the male that fathered or married them sees fit. Until one day, a multi-generational spell that required sacrificial motes was cast, and suddenly women had a say in what happened to them and their bodies. The beginnings of equality emerged. And, through the entirety of the trilogy, women had to fight to maintain that power and hopefully change the world to a place where women and men are equal in spell crafting, in marriage, in childbearing, and in politics.

To Read or Not to Read

Suppose you are looking for a fantasy story with a well-honed magical system, a complex and detailed world, and characters you enjoy rooting for. In that case, this is a story you will not want to miss.

Princess Alys' much-abused mother set in motion a powerful magic spell that upended gender relations across the land. Her despicable half-brother Delnamal tried to restore the patriarchy, but ended up turning himself into a monstrosity. Other women across the realm, from queens to harlots, join the struggle to keep the modicum of equality they so recently gained. It might be a sprawling high fantasy epic, but the characterization does not disappoint: even the flattest villains from previous volumes are finally fleshed out. On the other hand, Glass invented a singular world and magical system and then only looked at them through the narrowest of lenses.

This is the third book in series of what many have labeled as an epic fantasy. I agree with this fully but want to emphasize that this series focus is on feminism with its strong female leads and the majority of the issues around rights. To not give much away each one of these books showcase the world and what happens when women choices are taken from them and when they are given back. To me I felt like each one of the books focused on the feminism more than the fantasy. There are gaps in the fantasy world that needed to be explored a lot more but the female struggle to get control of their own choices and to keep them is a fight and one that takes over three books to tell. Recommend to anyone that does not mind fantasy, loves strong female leads, and the answer to the question “what happens after you get what you want?”

I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

It's always hard to review the third book in a trilogy without giving away massive spoilers for it or the previous two volumes, so I will speak largely in generalities. The <i>Women's War</i> series is feminist epic fantasy. Its central theme is women shrugging off their subservient role in society, and claiming equality and power. In the first book, a world-shattering sacrifice was made by three women, the result being that all women have gained the ability to control their reproduction abilities, and more. The books follow many points of view across various kingdoms--good guys and bad guys--as political, social, and personal repercussions play out in dramatic form.

This is a very epic, epic fantasy. Glass has created an intricate, complicated world, and the way she pieces everything together to a satisfying end is incredible. It has been a long time since I read the previous books, and I was afraid I'd be lost as I started this one, but I had no problems whatsoever. Her writing is that good. The magic and the worldbuilding here will never cease to fascinate me with its originality and complexity. However, the characters are really the stars. The characterizations are deep, and the antagonists are not one-note villains at all, but people you come to respect in some regards even as you hate them.

As is fitting for the final book, everything and everyone comes together in a big battle that I read with breathless anxiety. The ending nails it. It packs in surprises and rightness all at once. Such a great ending for a great trilogy.

Three powerful women sacrificed themselves to cast a spell that changed a world. Women now have control of their reproductive ability. One damaged angry woman has tried to undo the spell and inadvertently created a monster. A monster who wants to destroy whoever and whatever he can get his hands on.

Once again, three powerful women must fix things. A maiden, a mother and a crone will have to face their fears and set aside their desires in order to save their world.

Mother of All is a great ending to a wonderful, feminist series. I was sad that the story came to an end.

I love a strong woman, a fighter. And this book has all the strong, independent world changing women that you could ever want and need! 💪

I loved the first two books and wasn't disappointed with the last. In a world of men and magic, three women do what they need to do in order to save lives and change the world.

And while I like different magical worlds, elements and ways in which you cast spells-I thought that the author could have maybe expanded on the how a little bit. Sometimes I felt like it was just always-they worked on spells or cast a spell. But as this was the only thing I could find fault, I feel like I am nit picking a little. 🤔🤷‍♀️

And I got my satisfying butt kicking ending! So really what more could I ask for in a great #fantasyreads ?

The third and final volume in The Women’s War trilogy is fantastic and a perfect end to the series. I am sad that it’s over, but have enjoyed the ride! Glass has done a fantastic job building the world we are in and she’s made these characters so good that I am genuinely invested in them.

With this final battle every kingdom is involved and everybody has chosen sides. Trying to work out the mystery of the damaged well as well as figuring out if Del is truly dead or alive is a huge stress in the first half. As we move on the darkness that we know is coming from the end of the second book is making its appearance and you can’t help but be on the edge for everyone outside of Khalpar. In the end, incredible magic and the strength of our female characters is what will make or break the whole thing and I personally loved the ending. (I also was crying / almost sobbing during the well scene) While I will agree with another reviewer that the ending did tie some things up in a nice bow for some characters I am not disappointed by that. I’m so invested in these characters!

All in all, this is a series I recommend to everyone who asks me and I give 5 stars to the final book.

With the third and final volume, Jenna Glass successfully concludes her Women’s War trilogy. This unapologetically feminist saga brings explores questions of sexual violence and reproductive freedom Within a richly rendered world. She has terrific craft and is able to knit together all her characters and worlds into a satisfying conclusion. However, the victory ultimately comes at not too high a price, almost as if the author was too invested in her characters to let any of them suffer. In the end, it left me wanting to have my heart broken a little... which is always the hallmark of a compelling fantasy saga. Instead, it gave me a happy ending that left me disappointed.