Pros
- Satisfying conclusion to the series
- Good action scenes in space and on the ground
- Some familiar faces returning briefly
Cons
- Relationship between Marc and his daughter isn’t really discussed
- Ending for the Geist a bit anticlimactic given the threat they posed
Legends Rise Review
Legends Rise by Richard Fox is a great conclusion to the story arc involving the Geist and their attempts to revive an ancient and powerful evil Malal. The conclusion is almost fan service, returning some faces to the last battle that may be familiar to fans of The Ember War Saga.
As with most of the books in The Ibarra Crusade, this one is packed with action, suspense, and exciting descriptions of battle scenes. And what a final showdown: the entire Ibarran fleet pitted against the formidable Geist defenses surrounding Earth.
While there’s not much in terms of space battles—little discussion of strategy for the liberation of Earth—there’s plenty of ground combat featuring Ely and the rest of his armor squad. One of the more endearing qualities of the series are the alien characters, and the presence of two aliens in Ely’s squad is reminiscent of team members in other series.
These memorable characters make a return appearance later in the series, and while it seems almost a kind of service to fans of the series, their brief return for the conclusion is one of the high points of the story, especially as it allows some characters to move on from their regrets and trauma.
The conclusion itself is satisyfing if not a little cluttered. Stacy’s, or The Lady’s, last second volley of promises and plans for the future may seem great for humanity, but they don’t bode well for other aliens, especially those who may be more aggressive in nature. Her sudden last speech feels a little forced since it’s wrapping up the series and acts almost as a kind of epilogue for humanity going forward.
One disappointing aspect of the series is the lack of reconciliation between Marc and Stacy, and it almost feels like a cheat to give him a chance of doing everything over with the new child Stacy. While his relationship with his adult daughter was not quite fantastic, perhaps Stacy’s leadership of the Ibarra nation would have shown her the decisions that her father had to make in order to save humanity.
Still, Marc’s ending may not be ideal for readers, but perhaps he’s earned a quiet retirement of sorts. In fact, his one mistake gives the Geist an enormous advantage during the final battle to reclaim Earth.
Legends Rise by Richard Fox delivers on its namesake when old, familiar faces return to aid in the conclusion of the Geist threat. The series concludes on a satisfactory note and perhaps where it began: in an antique bar with a group of friends remembering their fallen comrades.
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