SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
Eostra is the only soul eater left and Torak is determined to face her. But Renn has fears about him going and will do anything to make sure he doesn't face her alone. But both Wolf and Renn face issues that may keep them from Torak.
PACING
The pacing continues to be great. Multiple stories are going on at once, Wolf's, Torak's and Renn's. There is even a small section for Fin-kedinn and there are plenty of mysteries and plot twists that keep you guessing as well as things unrelated (such as Wolf making a mistake on a hunt) that are exciting. Also a ticking time bomb is eventually revealed so Torak knows he has to face Eostra by a certain date.
EOSTRA'S PLANS
Eostra seems to want to get Torak to come alone to the mountain. It's interesting to watch the characters get separated and then brought back together. Wolf suffers a grave loss, which causes him to lose his will to live. Renn causes an incident where she must stay behind. But eventually they all come back together, and then are torn apart again. It's interesting to watch the choices each character makes that lead to these decisions.
THE RETURN OF FA-SPOILERS
In the end of the first chapter, Torak thinks he sees the ghost of his father. He starts to think he is being haunted, because he chose finding Wolf over avenging his father. I thought this would have been a bigger component, but it kind of faded away after Torak thinks he father left behind a piece of fur to send him a message. I think maybe this was supposed to tie into the climax, but I didn't real feel like it did.
A GREAT LOSS
Wolf goes through depression and Torak must rescue him and try to heal him. It was rather overwhelming, but I fully believed he had lost everything. So when it's later revealed not to be completely so I was relieved but surprised. I thought without these things, Wolf would never have a life separated from Torak.
RENN'S ROLE
Renn is important because she reveals the location of Eostra, when she seeks him out a midst a dangerous storm. She also realizes that Eostra want's Torak on Soul's Night and is the one who tries to figure out everything about Eostra, as well as what to expect and when to be confused.
For example, she believes that Torak is to be kept alive until Eostra takes him but then it seems like his life is threatened. These things keep the reader interested by wanting the mystery to be solved. She also learns about the consequences of Torak breaking his oath to Bale and reveals it to him, as well as figuring out Eostra's one flaw.
WOLF'S ROLE
Wolf is important because he saves Torak's life a few times, as well as creating a distraction so Torak can go to the mountain without being chased by certain dangerous creatures. I admit though that I was surprised how things ended, as a part of me expected wolf to have to say goodbye, or at least a change in his and Torak's relationship.
FIN-KEDINN's ROLE
He isn't in the story much but he does play an important role. There are a few scenes where we witness him on a journey but we don't know why. It's not revealed until the climax.
RENN & TORAK
They have the same trust issues they always have. Renn keeps a secret from Torak, about his fate. He reveals he cannot remember his dreams.
TORAK'S FEARS
They are multiple times where Torak thinks he is going to die if he goes to Eostra. He has bouts of panic, which I though was nice. I have read so many stories where the characters don't experience any real fear or doubt. They seem to get over things very fast, like witnessing a death or learning they have to risk their lives.
LAST MINUTE DARK
Torak has finally made it to the mountain, when he is knocked out and wakes up in a cave. Turns out he was rescued and nursed back to health by a boy named Dark. To avoid spoilers, lets just say that he is lonely so he ties up Torak and refuses to let him go.
This speeds up the timetable, as Torak realizes that days have passed and his deadline is near. Torak eventually gets free and Dark plays a crucial role, showing Torak the entrance he would otherwise have to take a long time searching for. And then showing Renn a small, secret entrance that allows her to aid him.
It was interesting to have a character be introduced so late and yet be so crucial to the plot.
CLIMAX
Torak faces Eostra in the mountain caves, where he is exposed to her amazing power. Dark guides Renn inside through a small hole where eventually they find Torak, but are not able to get near him. Eostra is eventually defeated, but not without help from a surprising person.
AFTERMATH-SPOILERS
Torak returns to Raven Clan after being healed on the mountain. Renn fears he will leave because people still treat him with fear. There communication skills still leave something to be desired, which annoyed me because I knew this was the last book.
Renn gets to leave with Torak because her mage duties are now optional. She says Fin-kedinn gave her the option. I think it was a good idea in theory, to give Renn a choice. I just didn't like how it was executed. I wanted Renn to make her own choices without an easy way out, as it would be hard to reject tradition and the role that she essentially had no choice in.
CONCLUSION
Paver creates a well paced finale with plenty of mysteries and plot twists. The scenes where Renn and Torak were being hunted by crazed dogs were some of the best action and suspense scenes I have read. Unfortunately, Renn and Torak have the same issues they have had since book one: trust issues.
And as much as I wanted everyone to live happily ever after it felt like cheating when a character that was introduced so late had such a huge impact on the plot. I give “Ghost Hunter” three and a half stars.
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