I’ve read this entire series, and this book was the final installment of the tale of Max McDaniels, extraordinary young student at Rowan magic academy. Like the Harry Potter books, the later stories grow dark as they near toward their conclusion. This book was very dark, with a lot of battles and war. Some long-time beloved characters die. It’s not pretty. This book is long, at times hard to get through, but scantily peppered with some humor to help ease some of the pain. (See: the Hag Naming chapter).

We know a huge showdown is coming. It’s the last book, Max is injured, and Astaroth is still a huge threat. I found the ending to be both heartbreaking and satisfying, as our hero’s journey comes to an end.

These books can be found in the older kid’s section of the library – pre-teen perhaps – but this book might be emotionally difficult for some of the younger fans to handle. The ending didn’t bring me to tears, but I see plenty of Goodreads reviewers who did cry. So, just be prepared mentally for this one.