It’s been years since I’ve read the previous books, and I gotta say that it lives up to all my expectations. I worried that my fondness for this series was misplaced, and that it would be an archaic and mediocre read. I thought maybe modern LitRPG had surpassed it, and the novelties and depth of the story wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny from a critical adult, as opposed to a curious teen.
I’m glad to announce that despite my fears, The Wraith’s Haunt is in truth a fantastic series that deserves to stand alongside the classics of this genre. With complex characters, good plot, interesting magic, and a psychological theme, there’s so much to enjoy here. Best of all, the sound production for this book in particular is the highest quality audiobook I’ve ever heard, with fantastic sound effects, nice background music, and numerous different voices for all our characters.
I was fully enthralled by Ed’s journey, connected with his rage and passions, and was on the edge of my seat for much of the climax. The Silver Knights and King Veron were a wonderful complication, and even Ryan had a nice few chapters. It was pretty brutal to see all the “perfect” timelines slowly slip away, but I understand how we got here. The blind zealotry of the Inquisition remains infuriating, and I mourn those who we lost along the way.
The only criticism I have is that I never fully believed Huesca would allow Ed to achieve peace. Too many threads would have been left unfinished, too much of the core of the story would have been cut out, and too much interesting potential would have been squandered if the war had been nipped in the bud. Still, these issues were a mere few moments in hours of entertainment, so I’m mostly mentioning it out of a sense of thoroughness.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It properly accounts for us readers forgetting little details over the years, has peak narration, and is an amazing story. You won’t regret this read.