An excellent conclusion to the trilogy, that left me yearning for more, which I'm sure will come someday, as this world is too rich to be abandoned at this point.

Some may be a bit put off by how grim the ending appears to be, but I would argue that there was no other way this story could have ended. The characters are what they are, their personalities, histories and impulses were well established in the first two books. While some of the characters are ultimately good people striving to be better, they must also struggle with the influence of powerful companions who have specific, and sometimes contrary goals in mind. In fact, any attempt by Abercrombie to craft a "happily ever after" conclusion to the book would have struck me as an insult to the reader. The story ends perfectly for what it is, and once the story was set in motion, it ended the only way it possibly could have.

The series as a whole was wonderful, with well-drawn characters, lots of well written intrigue, fantastic action, and a wicked sense of humor. I loved it and this has quickly become one of my favorite fantasy series.

I sincerely hope that Abercrombie will provide us with more stories set in this world soon. There is much more to be explored, and I, for one, would love to see a story where a certain wizard gets taken down a few pegs.