Rift in the Sky

Watch out for what looks like the ending, I nearly stopped reading three quarters in! This is a fascinating conclusion to the trilogy.This is the last book following Aryl (and I'll miss her). This series has tried, successfully, to tell an essentially high fantasy story, in a fantasy setting, while actually being a Science Fiction story. This is a very tough job and any well read fan of F&SF will, I'm sure, be thinking of Pern. In the first two novels the story was essentially fantasy with very unique races and the SF elements essentially being added spice. In this volume however the SF element comes to the fore in two big stages, initially in an excellent showdown when Aryl bravely faces down a starship - awesome! then in the final quarter which I really wasn't sure could be pulled off - but once it got going, I loved. Though I must say the pacing at the very end seemed slow, after the grand climax with the raider's starship it felt...off, hence the reluctant 4 stars rather than 5.While this is the end for the tale of Aryl - it is so clearly just the opening for the Clan. I'm reading [b:A Thousand Words for Stranger 129019 A Thousand Words for Stranger (Trade Pact Universe, #1) Julie E. Czerneda https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1371213586l/129019.SY75.jpg 2939355] right away.