The Crystal Mountain

Book 3, the final book of the Empyrean Odyssey starts off right after the end of book 2, where we saw the fall of Mystra unleash the Spellplague - a catastrophic event that affected the very fabric of magic and reality.

The pacing of the story is on the fast side, as we follow the protagonists in their attempts to survive the aftermath, and unpredictable effects, of the Spellplague. Along the way, we see a lot of character development, especially for Aliisza and Kael. For Aliisza, this is the final leg of her journey through redemption that started in book 1. I thought that it was very well done; it didn't feel contrived or forced, but very naturally so.

The author also uses the viewpoints of the other supporting characters to good effect, such as Eirwyn and Garin, to showcase things from perspectives different from those of the protagonists. There's even a nice surprise appearance of another character from an older series that I really enjoyed.

And since this series is set within a period of great upheaval, there's nothing like betrayals, demonic invasions, and changes in the ranks of the divinity to spice it up. The author very happily names the types of angelic beings that he brings onto the scene (archons, solars, planetars, etc.) but there appears to be a reluctance to liberally name the demonic counterparts. I couldn't quite recall the demon types although I do recognise some of the descriptions. But that's just nitpicking, since the flow is entirely unaffected.

I found the ending to be rather symbolic of a new beginning, probably to coincide with the dawn of the 4th Edition of D&D. I had expected a slightly lengthier ending, to dwell on reflections and closures, but it wasn't quite there. But still, the ending was touching and, as mentioned, symbolic. It was a satisfactory end to the series.