Amazon.co.uk you are forgiven - My copy of AATE has been dispatched...
High Lord Mhoram ROCKS! -
But now Mhoram felt the fire which burned against his flesh under his robe. In a rush of exultation, he understood it, grasped its meaning intuitively. As the Stone reached its height over his head, he tore open his robe and grasped Loric's krill.
Its gem blazed like a hot white brazier in his hands. It was charged to overflowing with echoes of wild magic; he could feel its keenness as he gripped its hilt.
I took my time at first, reading AATE, wanting to savor this book, enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the very first trilogy.
And then I got to the end and was like, "What? Are you kidding me?!"
Don't get me wrong, it's exceptional. But talk about doing something no one expected... I don't want to say it outright because I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but did anyone expect this? Was there some indication that I missed?
Choiceless, you were given the power of choice. I elected you for the Land but did not compel you to serve my purpose in the Land... Only thus could I preserve the integrity of my creation.