Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Parallel universes pop like champagne bubbles in the fizzy and frenetic final space opera of Hansen's Graven series (after Azura Ghost). Caiden Winn is locked into a hopeless mission to thwart the homogenized Unity, an ever expanding pocket universe ruled by Abriss Cetre, from swallowing up all the other individual bubbles of the multiverse. He finds an unlikely ally in Abriss's estranged brother, Threi, and together they plot to sever Abriss from the noncorporeal Graven spirit, Ethera, that drives her and gives her power. While Threi and Caiden's team assaults the Unity's capital, Caiden projects himself back in time to find the threads that tie Ethera to Caiden's own ancient Graven mentor, Azura, and to Vaith, a remnant spirit linked directly to Caiden himself. Not for the uninitiated, this outing takes a cosmic perspective, rapidly oscillating between distant pasts and wild futures with Caiden and his friends often caught in the turbulent temporal shifts. Luckily, a deeply human spark of loyalty among the fighters keeps the chill of the multiverse from freezing out its readers. This proves a worthy finale. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary. (July)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Caiden never wanted to be a hero, but with his Graven power he is an unlikely leader among the Cartographers and an uneasy ally of Threi Cetre, the Casthen Prime. Caiden's childhood friend Leta attempts to recover her found family of Graves who still shield Threi's sister Abriss. Meanwhile, Abriss uses her own Graven power to reshape the universe under Unity, bringing her vision of a peaceful universe to life--and destroying every living thing that does not fit within it. The chance to stop her may lie in Caiden, whose genetic structure has the possibility to match her power, but the cost may be his own humanity. As the forces get ready for their final battles, the fate of the multiverse lies at stake. Multiple points of view allow readers to delve into their beliefs and traumas, creating a character-driven story across space and time. VERDICT The final book of "The Graven" trilogy, after Azura Ghost, digs deep into the multiverse, along with themes of genocide, utopian idealism, and autonomy.--Kristi Chadwick
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