Caiden has finally been reunited with his companion Leta after ten years on the run with his unique starship and managed to convince his longtime enemy—Threi—to join his side. But the multiverse isn’t safe yet. Threi’s sister Abriss is still the most powerful being in existence. And she still wants to collapse their beautiful, diverse, constellation of universes down to one, growing more powerful and more ruthless with each unique world she destroys.
As Abriss’s strength grows, her sanity wanes under the burden of the universe’s whispers. And Caiden must weigh his final sacrifice against a new risk: if he finally unlocks the ancient Graven abilities lying dormant in his genetics and saves the multiverse, he might lose himself to the whispers just as Abriss has. For the last time, Caiden and his makeshift family must carry the fate of all the worlds in their hands.
This one is probably going to be short & more of a tribute to a trilogy than a proper review of a book.
Because I’ll be totally honest here, I got pretty lost in ETHERA GRAVE, the third book in Essa Hansen’s epic & dazzling space opera trilogy, THE GRAVEN.
And I got lost in a way that kind of upsets me? And is making me want to go back and read the whole trilogy again in the not-too-distant future. Because while I found these books at times frustrating & confusing, there’s also something so fucking beautiful about this trilogy & I have so much love for these characters & this impossible world(s) Essa Hansen created. Oof.
I kind of pride myself on not being a reader that’s overly concerned with “getting it,” particularly when it comes to sci-fi or fantasy. Like, ok cool, the ship went through some weird wormhole in space and time slowed down and also there are ghosts or monsters? Nice. Love that for me. I’ll just take it on faith that things are working as they are supposed to in any given fictional world & just…I’m along for the ride.
But obviously the characters have to really work for me in order to stay engaged, especially if the world building is incredibly complex/dazzling/totally mind-altering, which is for sure the case with THE GRAVEN. These books are just so unlike anything else I’ve read, and I honestly think in the hands of many other writers, this trilogy wouldn’t have worked for me.
But Essa Hansen really writes with her heart on her sleeve & clearly poured so much love into these characters. There’s a deep earnestness to these books that feels so refreshing.
I think Caiden Winn is hands down one of the very best heroes in all of science fiction & I have loved watching his epic journey over the course of these books. He’s got this swagger to him, even despite being this kind of broken, emotional kid with the weight of the multiverse on his shoulders. And these books for sure have one of the all-time best animal companions in C, Caiden’s steadfast & ferocious nophek.
Listen, I have fallen nightmarishly behind on reviews & I’m writing this in mid-July, after finishing this book sometime back in May. What details I was able to grasp have definitely begun to slip away. But what sticks around is the feeling I got reading this whole trilogy that I was in the hands of one of the most imaginative writers working today. I have no clue what’s next from Essa Hansen, I only know I’d be first in line to read it.
So yeah, THE GRAVEN is a trilogy that sometimes left me feeling wildly confused, but these books are also just filled with so much hope & heart. And Essa Hansen can turn a phrase that’ll absolutely smash your heart into tiny little bits, for sure.
There’s nothing easy about this trilogy. You really need to focus & work at understanding what’s happening. But the payoffs can be enormous and the emotional moments in these books really linger. This is a really special trilogy & I’m really excited to see what Essa Hansen comes up with next!
Big thanks to Orbit for sending this one my way!
Grimdark Dad 