Book three of the trilogy is The Poisoned Crown, the culmination of the story, and possibly my favourite of them all. Nathan, now 15, has realised by the end of the last book that his dreaming is not random, and is led by the alien lord on Eos. Nathan has discovered that the last relic he is meant to find - the Crown - is on Widewater, a planet completely covered by the sea except for a polar ice cap, ruled by the evil godess Nefanu, bent upon destroying the land creatures who live on the ice cap. An albatross and a mermaid become his allies, and with the help of his best friend, Hazel (whose abilities we read about in the first two books), he overcomes his fear of water to acquire the Crown. Nathan also finds himself involved in a war between the cold bloods (sea creatures) and the lung breathers (birds, seals, half-human-half-seal selkies).The culmination of the book is the performing of The Great Spell. Annie, Bartlemy and Hazel all play vital roles. Without adding any spoilers, and although things turn out predictably, Nathan's coming-of-age story is one of bravery and resourcefulness. He must choose whether to give in to forces greater than himself or to fight those forces because he knows it's right.Hemingway does pay tribute to the great sci-fi and fantasy series, and references are smart and not always obvious. She also manages to weave in English folklore and Arthurian legend into the mix, successfully creating a story like no other.These books are highly recommended, especially for those of you who liked The Dark is Rising series. Go get them all now!This review was originally published at Book Weyr
