The Golden City

The final volume in Hawks's fantasy thriller series, the Fourth Realm trilogy, brings to an end the struggle between the forces of evil, the Brethren-run empire known as the Tabula, and those of good—the Travelers, Harlequins and other fighters of the Resistance. The first book, The Traveler , promised, and delivered, much; the second, The Dark River , was bleak and a bit of a disappointment. With the third, Hawks has returned, somewhat, to the excitement of the first, though those expecting a final, titanic battle to decide the fate of the world will come away frustrated. In the end, the action scenes are too few and too brief, and the explorations into the other Realms don't come to much of anything. Some fans might wish the author had spent less time on the easy-to-understand philosophical underpinnings (e.g., “freedom is the essence of our lives—not surveillance and control”) and more time on swinging swords. Newcomers should read the series in order. (Sept.)