I have loved this series so far and was equal parts excited and nervous to see how Jen Williams would draw things to a conclusion. I need not have worried because as Williams has consistently demonstrated, she has a wonderful knack of inhabiting her characters and imbuing them with believable motivations. This tells the continuing story of Tor, Noon, Vintage and the warbeasts as they try to expel the Jurelia from the world. Firstly, the plotting here is really tight and the pacing is great, with build ups to high action moments interspersed with character reflection and development. As always the dialogue was snappy and funny and just felt authentic throughout. Vintage is just a wonder and her arc in this final book was incredibly satisfying. Overall I think this was a suitably epic conclusion to what is one of my favourite trilogies and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves their fantasy with a bit of snark.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Poison Song is the finale to Jen Williams’ ‘The Winnowing Flame’ trilogy. The previous two books were great fun to read, whilst also having a lot of heart, so the conclusion had rather a lot to live up to. Fortunately, this is a book which delivers the goods: characters who matter, who feel real, in a backdrop of action, adventure, and saving the world.

The characters sit at the heart of the text here, and if you’re coming back to the series after some time away, they’ll feel like old friends. Tor, who I may have previously described as “a vampire elf with a drinking problem” is struggling to take responsibility in a world looking for heroes. He’s wracked by guilt, both institutional and personal. The institutional is perhaps easier – Tor is an Eboran, and they have a recent history of massacres in order to drink the blood of others, and keep themselves alive. Tor was too young to be part of that history, but as we sit beside him, it can be felt in his bones. Then there was the plague, which ravaged the Eborans who drank human blood – and the slow, tortured demise of an entire grand civilisation. Tor’s regrets evoke a certain amount of pathos; even as he claims to be a rake, a ne’er-do-well who accompanies vintage in search of good wine and good company, the light behind his eyes is dimmed in remembrance. Tor also does rather a good line in affectionately edged banter with Vintage, and his relationship with Noon is something else. So yes, the Tor here is one on the cusp of change, an inch from either plunging over a cliff, or learning to fly. Either way, his scenes are always an affecting, albeit sometimes painful, read.

Vintage, whose friendship with Tor and Noon is the keystone of the text, is also a delight to read. She absolutely seizes any page that she’s on. Bluff, no-nonsense, and utterly unwilling to let either of the others indulge in their worse natures. But behind the façade we can catch glimpses of a compassionate woman, a romantic whose travails have left her a little vulnerable; admittedly, that vulnerability is masked by some top-marks sarcasm and a penchant for shooting things that annoy her with a crossbow. I have, it must be said, a lot of time for Vintage, who manages to show off some of the fragility inherent in humanity, while also demonstrating the benefits of emotional honesty and a quick trigger finger. Say what you will about Tor, moping around looking for excuses for things to be his fault; Vintage takes things to heart, yes, then deals with them and cracks on. She’s an absolute joy to read, a masterclass in character with heart and soul.

Then there’s Noon. If Vintage is the heart of the group, Noon is the fire in the blood. She has passion and enthusiasm and a courageous stubbornness which lets her leap off the page fully-formed. Noon is captivating – in part because of her nuanced, awkwardly growing and from time to time bloody difficult relationship with Tor. Seeing the two of them struggle to deal with the emotional connections they’ve built around each other is by turns painful, amusing and aggravating – but the feelings are recognisable and genuine. But Noon isn’t just there to keep Tor company. She has her own agenda, her own goals. Getting into it would be a bit spoilery, but suffice to say, Noon is fierce. She absolutely won’t be denied, and her ability to throw literal fire to accentuate her points is one that is likely to come in handy. As a survivor of a brutal regime, Noon is also cautious, coming out of her protective shell and looking around to work out what to do next – and determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

They’re backed by a fantastic ensemble cast, whose relationships and actions feel organic, feel human. These aren’t faces put on a page to be devoured by a baddie, but living, breathing people who sacrifice, who wake up with a bad hair day, who love and feel as much as we do. A shout out to the villains in particular. The slithering Queen of the Jure’lia remains terrifyingly alien, with a brutal precision that invites horror, and a curiosity about humanity which hints at possibilities unspoken. Hest, Tor’s sister, and her war-beast are as conflicted and broken as ever, a pair looking to make something of or for themselves, to doom a world which didn’t want their help in saving itself. They’re complicated people, capable of kindness, of anger, of violence, and of some very poor decision making. A triumph of the text is giving us antagonists who can be loathsome and understandable by turns, whose wounds sit beneath the surface and shape their actions, even as the reader tries to talk them out of it (well, I certainly did, turning pages in the hope of redemption).

Alright, you say, the characters are fabulous, but what about the world? Well, these players are what drives the finale, as the author draws a world on the edge of destruction. From lush jungle to plains scarred by the touch of the Jure’lia, to the towers of the witches of the Winnowry, this is a world filled with small touches that make it feel alive, make it feel worth saving. The broken towers of the Eborans carry a poignant history and are the sign of a price to be paid; the fortified cities of the plains a sign of a military might that hopes to avert catastrophe, the scars on the ground a reminder of the absolute consequences of defeat

And the story? I mean, no spoilers, but it is the last book after all. This one pulls no punches. It’ll pull your heartstrings taut with tension, then emotionally gut you with no hint of an apology. Or it’ll have you turning pages trying to beat a ticking clock, trying to find out what happens next; be prepared to miss out on some sleep, is what I’m saying. It’s a story which has spend two books giving you emotional investment in the characters and their world, and I can only assure you that the investment absolutely pays off. There’s kinetically elaborate fight scenes that left me feeling every slash of a blade, and heartfelt talks that could bring you to tears. Prices are paid, costs borne, and in the end, it’s a story which you’ll both want to tear through to the finish, but also not want to be over.

As endings go, this one’s an absolute cracker. Pick it up, you won’t regret it.

I love this series. I love the characters and the world and I'm going to miss them quite a bit. I did find this book a little slower than the others and the ending happened quite quickly, but it was satisfying (and sad) and concluded perfectly.

This is one of my most anticipated book releases of this year and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint. It's a fantastic conclusion to this trilogy and I enjoyed every second of reading it. If you loved the first two books, then you will love this one too.

It took me a week to finish The Poison Song. I just didn’t want it to end so I dragged it out for as long as possible. I have loved The Winnowing Flame trilogy so much. The characters are wonderful and the story is well written and engaging.

The Poison Song is the culmination of an excellent trilogy. The Jure’lia are wounded and the Queen trying to understand the events of the previous book, Hestillion has her own plans, Tormalin is an emotional wreck, Noon has her own adventure and Vintage gets herself into quite a pickle. The novel tells a number of interesting and engaging stories that end up rounding up the series in a very satisfying way.

I have enjoyed these characters from the moment I started The Ninth Rain. They are wonderfully realised and I love them so much. Vintage, Tormalin and Noon are all so amazing and their plots in The Poison Song were my favourite threads. Tormalin is a mess in this book, which I love because I very much enjoy it when characters I like are emotionally tortured. I’m evil like that. Noon really comes into her own as she faces her past and uses the knowledge to help the future and Vintage just continues to be her awesome and wonderful self. Aldasair and Bern continue to be very sweet and I really liked Chenlo. Most of the characters get the endings they deserved.

Speaking of the ending, without going into any spoiler-y details, I found it to be rather bittersweet. It left me feeling very sad for the characters.

The Poison Song is by no means perfect. I would have liked She Who Laughs to have been introduced much earlier because I found the character to be very interesting. I would have also liked a little more closure with Tormalin and Hestillion but that’s just a personal preference.

On the whole I loved The Poison Song. It was excellently written with a solid plot which ends in a sad but ultimately satisfying way. The characters are all wonderful, well realised and the romances are very sweet. The Poison Song is a very fitting end to the trilogy and I am very sad to be leaving this world behind.

Which is why it took my a full week to read.

An absolutely stonking, triumphant, fun, exciting, all-out fantastic conclusion to an epic trilogy. The finale had me cheering and left me with a big smile on my face. Jen is at the head of the 21st century fantasy scene with her inclusive cast and the big sense of heart in her books and characters. Loved it! When I grow up, I want to be a war-beast.

First off, I feel it has to be said that I was an easy sell for this book - I really enjoyed the previous two books in this trilogy (The Ninth Rain and The Bitter Twins) and the previous books Jen has written as well. If you like well-written fantasy that surprises you along the way, I recommend you check them out.

Anyway, on to The Poison Song, which at times lost a little of the previous books' pace but was ultimately a very enjoyable ride. The highlight of the first third of the book was Noon's long-awaited retribution on the Winnowry, using her powers to destroy the system that had imprisoned her but without thinking of the consequences for those currently trapped in it. Her fellow witches, given the opportunity for freedom for the first time, have to then choose what to do with that freedom and make a variety of choices, which seemed much more realistic than them all going 'yes, let's do what we're told' once more.

There's a lot going on in this book and at times it probably could have done with slightly more pruning - still there are plenty of enjoyable set-pieces and none of that stopped me from wanting to know how/if it was all going to get tied up at the end (not to mention who was going to survive to see it!). There's a lot more back-story for Noon in this book, as her recovery of traumatic memories eventually helps her with the final battle against the Jurellia and to figure out where she fits into this new world she has helped create.

For some of its characters, The Poison Song is about the metaphorical chickens coming home to roost - on the Jurellia side, Hestillion is forced to face some of the realities of the choices she's made, including those relating to Celaphon (whose choices in this book have a massive effect on everyone's lives). Meanwhile, Tor is infected by the crimson flux and faces a long and painful death, which leads to some self-destructive behaviour along the way. As with the other books in this series, it's the relationships between the characters (including those who are neither human or Eboran) which helps keep the plot ticking over as much as the need to resolve the situations in which they find themselves.

So, all in all, another great book and another great trilogy finished - can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

And so one of my favourite fantasy trilogies of recent years comes to an end. I will blow any suspense right at the opening of this review by saying that Williams knocks it out of the park here. This is the climax I was hoping for, one that builds on the previous two books and surpasses them. There are epic widescreen battles, expertly choreographed, and quieter moments where character comes to the fore. There is stomach churning body horror and there is grace and heroism. There's love, acceptance and tolerance, and there is brutal bloody combat that doesn't always end well for our cast. Most of all, there's an imagination and originality that lifts these books far above the ranks of grimdark cliche or identikit LOTR/D&D knockoffs. The cosmic horror of the Jure'lia is almost Lovecraftian in scope, while the camaraderie and banter of our heroes never falls into smug cosiness. Yes, there are some loose ends and dangling questions (what did happen to the Yuron-Kai party that Tyranny decked the leader of? Have I forgotten something from the end of The Bitter Twins?) but this is a triumphant conclusion, one that is so far from dropping the ball it's doing a load of keep ups around bemused defenders and then volleying into the net from the halfway line. Superb stuff.

Feminist fantasy at its best! Perfect for fans of Guillermo Del Toro & GRR Martin. This series has made its way onto my favourites shelf. It's action, humour and characters are unforgettable. Can't wait to see what Jen does next!

Full review to come nearer the time. All I will say is that this was the perfect conclusion to an epic and epically brilliant fantasy trilogy. Jen Williams is a master.