The conclusion to Reeve's Hungry City Chronicles, A Darkling plain is an excellent finale to this wonderful series.
Tying up all the earlier threads from the previous books we once again join Tom Natsworthy travelling the bird roads with his daughter Wren. During a stop in Peripatetiapolis Tom catches sight of Clytie Potts - the former London Historian - Clytie pretends not to know him. Confused, Tom queries an Old Tech trader and discovers she is using another name and is buying large quanities of Old Tech. At Wren's urging they decide to follow Clytie and find out what she is up to...
Theo is home in Zagwa, thinking about Wren, and wondering what he will now do with his life when he becomes Oenone Zero's unwitting saviour. Aborting an assassination attempt by a rebel faction of the Green Storm who believe the Stalker Fang will arise once again and lead them to certain victory...
Shrike has been reunited with Hester. Full of anger, pain and grief, she has fallen back into her old ways, travelling, fighting and surviving. Convinced she will never see her loved ones again she has made Shrike promise that once she is dead he must resurrect her, so they can spend eternity together.
Meanwhile the Green Storm & Traction League's fight continues. The Green Storm has been divided by the death of the Stalker Fang, but some in the ranks believe she will rise again, and lead them to certain victory.
And in the darkness of Brighton Rocks, the Lost Boy Fishcake has a new companion - Anna Fang, who is sometimes the Stalker Fang. Slowly being pieced together again by Fishcake she has her own plans for the future, plans that will change the world again forever.
A Darkling plain is a well written, terrific tale. Each character's story is finished rather nicely, although there is a sad moment or two....but you are left feeling that all is as it should be.
