Review by K Geisinger -- End of the Last Great Kingdom

K Geisinger · Post by **K Geisinger** » 29 Apr 2018, 15:41

[Following is a volunteer review of "End of the Last Great Kingdom" by Victor Rose.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Victor Rose paints a violent world often colored with the worst failings of humanity. While reading Mr. Rose's book, End of the Last Great Kingdom (The Brimstone Chronicles Book 1), I was impressed by the way he described the world he created. There are numerous races such as Human, Enlightened, Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Gnome, and many others. There is a clear delineation between the races. The most obvious difference is between those who have enough magic to become a mage and those who do not. Upon becoming a mage, the young student is given a new name that corresponds with their magical abilities.

End of the Last Great Kingdom is a coming of age novel where the characters are aged between 10 and 15 years old. These especially young characters are forced to confront atrocities committed against themselves and others, all while discovering how they fit into this chaotic world. The story is a multi-year adventure following several school children who named their group Crimson. The most infamous character, Brimstone, is often framed for various crimes, but he is far more likely to help the villagers than terrorize. The reader follows Brimstone as he discovers more about who he is and what is wrong with his magic. His close friends, Heat and Neutron, set out on a campaign to reconnect with Brimstone after his arrest, but are often delayed.

What I liked best about this book is that there was no attempt to hide the child-like biases of the main characters. They may be in adult situations, but the main characters still see themselves as heroes come to save the world. The only option in all situations is to fight, and every adult is a potential enemy until proven otherwise. The main characters often use false names and pretend to be siblings to avoid detection, and it is notable that there are no adults in Crimson. I also enjoyed reading the realistic understanding of how power corrupts over time. High ranking officials in the Order terrorize the villagers with increasing violence as the story progresses. As revolts occur, those in power become more authoritative to try and control the situation.

My biggest complaint with this story is that Brimstone enters as a failed student with no magic or fighting abilities. Even with Nova, a master battle mage, providing daily instruction, no one could possibly become a renowned fighter in one summer. Brimstone fights and wins against generals and life-long solders with little effort. No 13 to 15-year-old would be able to overcome a decade of non-stop fighting expertise with one summer's instruction. If you like a story where the good guy always wins, even if unprepared, this story is a great option.

I believe this book deserves better than a 3 out of 4 because of the complex political landscape and how the author described the characters’ reactions to adversity. I greatly enjoyed reading this story. The plot moved quickly, and the author avoided getting caught describing months of travel. Even with a light description of the monotonous traveling, Mr. Rose clearly describes and addresses the monsters of war and how it harms the noncombatants. He did not shy away from showing the resulting child murder, maiming, rape, homelessness, or hunger found in a long war. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and highly recommend people consider reading it.

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End of the Last Great Kingdom
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Ajayisola · Post by **Ajayisola** » 18 Nov 2018, 13:08

I enjoy reading this book I believed this book deserves better than a 3out of 4 because of political landscape and how author described the characters reaction to adversity thanks for this review and it was well understood

K Geisinger · Post by **K Geisinger** » 19 Dec 2018, 11:46

Thank you for your comment!

It was interesting how the author had each of the characters react. I didn't always like how the characters interacted, but I found it engaging. I'm glad you enjoyed the book.