Last of the Wilds is book 2 in Trudi Canavan’s Age of the Five trilogy. You might recall that although I enjoyed Book I, Priestess of the White, I was somewhat hesitant in recommending it, based on the fact that it was more event driven than character driven.

I’m glad to say that Wilds is a very different kind of book, and something I’m much more at ease recommending. This time out we have characters that do step out of the pages of the book and become real. Events are on a much smaller, more intimate scale: in Priestess there was essentially a world war; in Wilds very little happens that would impact ‘the common man.’ Thanks to the smaller scale, the camera is focused much more tightly on a handful of characters, and several disparate plot lines that weave in and out of each other. To me, this almost defines great fantasy.

Once again there is very little that is black or white, good or evil. Lots of shades of gray. In fact, now that I think about it, there really is no “bad guy” in this book, which makes it even more interesting because there is definitely strife. Everyone seems to be doing what they think is best for the world, and the set up for the third book is quite compelling.

With the change in ton and focus in Wilds I am much more confident in giving the trilogy a thumbs up. I’m looking forward to sinking my teeth into book 3: Voice of the Gods.