The Celestial Tears of Dying Light by Joshua Walker

Blurb:

The #1 Bestselling Military Fantasy series continues! For fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, and Peter V Brett comes the third and final novella in The Song of the Sleepers.

THERE EXISTS A PLANE BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND ANOTHER.

While the Four-Front War deescalates across Q’ara, an Aobian Sleeper is sent to the deep north of the continent to investigate what the histories claimed to once exist: another population of tree-dwellers. Meanwhile, a zealous priest seeks the most powerful magical artefact to ever be wielded: a creature known as Veil-Piercer.

There’s something in the water.

The land bleeds from its lungs.

The secrets will break us all.

THE CELESTIAL TEARS OF DYING LIGHT is the third and final novella in the bestselling fantasy epic, The Song of the Sleepers.

Review:

Disclaimer: This review may contain light spoilers from An Exile of Water & Gold and The Child of the Greenwood. 

“There’s something in the water. The land bleeds from its lungs. The secrets will break us all.”

Once again Joshua Walker is back to grace us with an emotional story containing the classic dark undertones we’ve all come to love. Before going into this review, I would like to inform readers that this book is not an entry point to the series as it is the third and final installment in the novella trilogy. Doing so will only cause confusion and give spoilers due to some characters and plot points having been present from previous books. If you are wanting to enter into The Song of The Sleepers series, I highly recommend starting with The Rest to The Gods or An Exile of Water & Gold. 

“All that is left where we are going, is life on the brink of existence.”

With this novella, readers begin to see specific world building aspects that have been hinted at in previous books of the series. Q’ara and its lands expand beyond what we already know, as new and familiar characters venture to places beyond their home’s borders, seeking out what was lost through time. The destination is the second Great Tree similar to the one featured in Exile. These immense trees shelter entire Aobian civilizations within their branches, preserving their culture, histories, and the knowledge of Luminosity.

With the discovery of a second tree, this sparks a desperate race between the Sleepers and the ruthless enemy empire of Therador. Rumors have revealed that there is an ancient power beyond imagination held within. In the right hands, this power could help Aobia advance its understanding of Luminosity. In the wrong hands, it could aid Therador in bringing the entire continent of Q’aua beneath its heel.

As is classic with Walker’s novels, readers will find themselves with a couple POV’s. For Celestial, the two main characters we come to know are Prisma and Nalor. Prisma is a Sleeper who was briefly introduced in The Rest to the Gods. She is a reliable companion and has a sisterhood type bond with Nischia, a Sleeper we readers already know and love from previous books. With Prisma being assigned the task of seeking out the second Great Tree to the north, she herself must face exile from her home. For when an Aobian leaves the Great Tree, they are never permitted to return. Despite being cut off from all she loves, Prisma keeps her determination. Her unshakable will to complete the journey keeps her alive in the face of adversity. However despite her determination, Prisma will not be free from suffering and trauma. 

The second character, Nalor, is a high ranking Priest of Dirt from the empire of Therador. He is crafty, clever and ruthless. Nalor will stop at nothing to achieve his task, including the lives of his traveling companions, as he faced recent failure and humiliation in Greenwood. Finding and acquiring the power locked away in the northern Great Tree will help secure Therador’s position of power in Q’ara. 

We have encountered Nalor in previous books, however it is in Celestial I feel we genuinely start to see his character develop. In Greenwood he appears a strategic and collected individual, while in Walker’s newest novella we start to see his carefully constructed demeanor start to crack. Fear, uncertainty and rash decisions come into play as Nalor and his crew approach ever closer to the end of their quest. 

“Pride is good in small doses, and yet it’s not the poison itself, but the dose that will kill you.”

Moving on into magic. The system that I have touched on in my reviews of the three previous books in the series stays relatively the same. For all intents and purposes I will only be focusing on Veil-Piercer. If you are curious about the entire magic system Walker has crafted, I would suggest reading some of my previous reviews. 

Veil-Piercer is considered a powerful luminous artifact such as previous ones readers have encountered, however this time there is a twist. Veil-Piercer is not just an object or weapon, it is a sentient creature. This has taken what we know about Luminosity and turned it on its head. Prisma and Nalor, despite combating each other, will face a new unknown adversary. An adversary unlike either of them has seen before. For Veil-Piercer hungers and to be caught in its grasp means a slow death of unbearable pain. 

For my overall enjoyment, I immensely loved this story. From the lyrical writing, to the expansive world building and emotional impact of events. Readers who have been around since the first installment will enjoy this novella. Places that have been teased in previous works are finally coming to life in Celestial. I’m also going to assume that the events in this story will help pave the way in future books.

As many know, The Song of the Sleepers series is one of my all time favorite indie fantasies. It’s always a pleasure to return to the world of Q’ara, and this novella was no exception. I always have the feeling that's akin to coming home when reading Walker’s work. I genuinely enjoyed Celestial and am looking forward to the next installment, An Empire of Dirt & Lies.