Becky's View: When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears by Kersten Hamilton

When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears by Kersten Hamilton
♦publisher: Clarion Books
♦release date: August 6th, 2013
♦hardcover, 400 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: The Goblin Wars, book 3
  book 1: Tyger, Tyger (review)
  book 2: In the Forests of the Night (review)
♦source: ALA midwinter 2013

“People will die.”

Locked doors are opening, and uncanny creatures are tumbling through mysterious portals from Mag Mell, the world-between-worlds, into the streets of Chicago. The Dark Man has marked Aiden with a new song that’s scared him badly, and a frightening new group of sídhe is lurking nearby.

Teagan knows this is war, and she must protect her family. She leaves her flesh and bones behind to join Finn in hunting the evil beings across the city. Meanwhile, their relationship is heating up—almost faster than they can control. But he is still bound to fight goblins his entire life . . . and by blood she is one of them now.

Then the gateway to Mag Mell cracks open again, and the Wylltsons find themselves caught in a trap. As her loved ones begin to die, Teagan realizes that she must destroy the Dark Man and his minions once and for all in order to save those who remain . . .

. . . before it is too late.

Review: Bringing one of my favorite recent series to a close, When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears picks up right where the last book left off and finds Teagan, Finn, Aiden and the rest of the massive cast of characters preparing for their next move to take down Mab, Fear Doirich, and save the magical land of Mag Mell.  

While admittedly, this was my least favorite of the three, it was still great fun to be back with these incredible characters.  There are so many---sometimes it was tough to remember who was who with all the unusual names (and species!), especially after being away from this world for a year.  I would definitely recommend rereading the first two for a refresher, or better yet if you haven’t started the series to read them all at once!  The first 100 or so pages did feel a bit slow, most of it taking place in and around Teagan’s house as the group speculates on new and old dilemmas and prepares for the building danger and their plan of attack.  

 Despite the danger getting more and more severe, you’ll still find the same great humor and heart throughout the story, with Teagan reaching out to help even the nastiest of creatures, Finn fighting back his fate to be who and what he wants despite his legacy, Lucy and Aiden in all kinds of mischief,…even Mrs. Santini, the nosy neighbor from across the street, has her great shining moments this time around.  There are a few new faces, some not so welcome, and some that will help save them all in the end.  With the climactic onset of the war, there are some shockingly heartbreaking moments of betrayal and some very heavy losses.  Hamilton definitely doesn’t patronize us with a sappy happy ending, but gives us the gritty, heart-wrenching, and hard-won triumph that this fantastic adventure deserves.  

Find Kersten Hamilton online: Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase the book:  Amazon  •  Book Depository  •  Indiebound