Customer Reviews
The best! - By: Gordon Gowland Jones, 06 Jul 2007 
I have read alot of fantasy novels & i can honestly say that this book & trilogy is possibly the best i have ever read. david eddings storyteller style & detail enables you to actually feel like yourin the story. i give this book, trilogy & writer five stars & would give more if possible buy this trilogy & every other trilogy he has written they wont let you down!
And so the Elenium draws to a close... - By: IJ, 05 Jul 2006 
It may not have been the earth-shattering series I was hoping for, but it was nonetheless a consistently diverting chronicle (if a little drawn-out at times) with a vibrant array of characters & exquisitely flowing prose from a master of the genre.
Butin truth, I don't know what to make of this book. Rating it is really difficult. On the one hand `The Sapphire Rose' rolls along at a good, solid pace & is unquestionably a satisfying conclusion to the Elenium Trilogy, but on the other hand the Eddings' style of writing almost works against itself here by creating too much ease & friendliness between the characters (no matter what side they happen to be on), thereby detracting from all the brutal descriptions of impending doom, religious fanaticism & all the various horrors of war, which are the familiar themes that every Eddings fan will by now be very well accustomed to.
Thankfully though this final part of the trilogy is not as infuriating as the previous two- the sarcastic remarks have been significantly toned downin comparison to the first storyin the trilogy `The Diamond Throne' & the storyline here is nowhere near as infuriating as that of the previous story `The Ruby Knight'. About the only aspect of the writing that really grated as I read `The Sapphire Rose' was the cringeful & criminally over-used term of endearment, which ALL the male characters (whether on the side of good or evil) use to address one another. If I have to read "Old boy" one more time, I don't know what I'll do!
As a past lover of Eddings' Belgariad & Mallorean series I'd probably characterise myself as still being a fan of the works of David & Leigh Eddings, despite since reading examples of the genre that have (in my view) surpassed their stories. While I haven't found this trilogy anything like as exciting, or involving as the previous series developed by the Edding's partnership (I believe David now credits his wife as being as much responsible for the creation of his stories as he himself, even before her name accompanied his as co-author) & along the way I've been annoyed by certain aspects of their writing that I felt detracted from the magnanimous tone that this series attempted to set for itself...`The Diamond Throne', `The Ruby Knight' & `The Sapphire Rose' are still engaging, accomplished & extremely well-crafted stories.
If you loved the previous two storiesin this trilogy then you'll have no complaints for this final chapter. You may even be itching to begin the next series developed by the Eddings team (The Tamuli), which continues the story of Sparhawk & Ehlana. As for me, I may just read that series at some pointin the future, but for now I'm very much looking forward to a gap year (or seven) between now & my next venture into familiar Eddings territory.
4 stars for ending on a high note.
Brilliant! - By: , 27 Sep 2001 I have read all of David Eddings books & they are, without fail, absolutely fantastic! This one is no exception. It brings the set to a perfect conclusion with a wonderful twist at the end. Buy it -in fact, buy all his books! If you like fantasy, you won't be disappointed!
Oh no! the end is nigh......... - By: , 14 Jan 2001 As with Edding's previous series, the Belgariad & the Malloreon, the Elenium has gone from strength to strength. Despite some of the characters having started out a little like the onesin his previous books, they have settled down into their own stylein this 3rd book of the set, & coming into their own. What a shame this is the conclusion!
The story has unfolded, many ends have been tied up, BUT could the last few pages be a leadin to yet another book featuring Flute & her 'daddy' Sparhawk with the rest of the gang? I would certainly like to hope so.
This book is a 'must' for the bookshelf, you will want to go back & re-read it many times.
Brilliant - By: , 13 Dec 1999 It was a really exiting book that kept the reader guessing until the end. A good end to a good series. If you really loved it try Domes of Fire by Eddings which is the next Sparhawk book
