Kirkus Reviews ‘Daughter of Aithne’

I was excited (and nervous) last week to receive Kirkus Reviews’ assessment of Daughter of Aithne, the third and final installment of The Silver Web Trilogy. 

Nervous before I read it, excited afterwards.

All three novels of The Silver Web have received positive reviews from Kirkus, but Kirkus seemed to like Daughter of Aithne best of all: “Thankfully,” the reviewer writes, “[Gastreich] ends her series with the strongest entry.”

The novel is praised for its “superbly fleshed-out characters” and “refined, assertive style.” The unexpected climax is deemed “impactful and wholly satisfactory.” In summary, Daughter of Aithne is described as “An enticing and elegant series finale, filled with magic and turmoil.”

You can read the entire review by visiting Kirkus on-line.

More than an editorial review, this marks a moment of real closure for me. The writing and publishing of The Silver Web has been a journey of more than ten years, filled with ups and downs; inspiration and disappointment; set backs, reboots, failures and a smattering of triumphs that was just enough to keep me going.

In other words, writing an epic saga is a lot like living an epic saga!

I’ve written elsewhere that Daughter of Aithne is the novel I’ve always wanted to write: a thoroughly woman-centered epic fantasy that honors the old tropes while transforming them into a new vision. After reading Kirkus Reviews last week, I can rest easy in the knowledge that I’ve succeeded.

I am so proud of this trilogy: the bright innocence of Eolyn, the dark terror of Sword of Shadows, and the final triumph of Daughter of Aithne. Finishing this series is probably among the biggest goals I’ve ever set for myself, and it means a lot to know it’s a job well done.

So I’m going to bask in the glory of this moment for at least a little while, and then… I’ll be on to the next epic project, and all the ups and downs that come with it.