Review: World’s End (Book 3, The Pendulum Trilogy) / Author: Will Elliott / Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books / Release Date: Out Now
The third entry in any trilogy, whether it be films, games or books, is always surrounded by cautious optimism. When it works, you get gems such as Return of the Jedi or Return of the King. When it doesn’t… well, let’s not even talk about X-Men: The Last Stand. World’s End lies somewhere in between, with strong ideas and complex characters hindered at times by a confused narrative and language that gets in the way of the story.
What can’t be taken away from this book is the world in which it is set, littered as it is by locations of varying beauty, menace and downright ugliness. Take for example the first scene, which is both the aftermath of a battle and the beginning of a new one. Mages, dragons, warriors and monsters clash in a melee that would look awesome on the big screen. The fighting is brutal and described with all the gory detail the author can muster – limbs being torn from bodies, skin being cooked, etc. But what’s disappointing is how little we care about any the characters. Without memorable heroes to root for or villains you love to hate, the book is somewhat less than the epic it longs to be.
