Review of Those Below by Daniel Polansky

I opened my review of the first book in this duology, Those Above, with George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. An inspirational series, a generation of writers walk in his footsteps, presenting stories set in fantastical worlds with hard, often brutal morals, including Polansky's Empthy Throne. But three decades and counting, Martin hasn't finished his series. Daniel Polansky has. Wrapping up the Empty Throne duology is Those Below (2016).

Those Below picks up where Those Above left off. Thistle is now Fire, and he roams the lower levels of the Roost, fomenting rebellion against the Eternals. Bas continues to play a new game, court games, in accompanying Eudokia, who herself has her own games to play. Aimed at the highest levels of the Roost, plays a hand of subtle but powerful cards. And Calla, now witness to some of the greatest drama the Eternals have experienced in ages, attempts to adapt her worldview in a way that ensures her survival.

I'll keep this review short; you wouldn't be here if you haven't read Those Above. Those Below closes the duology in extremely consistent fashion. It's clear Polansky had a vision from the beginning and saw it through. If you liked the style of Those Above, then Those Below gives you zero reasons to change your mind. Go read it.

For those still here, a few comments. My complaint about plot motivation in Those Above carries over. Where there should have been a crescendo of story, character perspectives braiding ever tighter together as the finale approached, such is not the case. Drama happens. Major characters die. But it still feels a touch flat flat.

And another comment, something doesn't make sense: Bas is famous for being the only (hu)man to have killed an Eternal. Yet at the climax they're dropping like flies at human hands. It destroys the myth of Bas, not to mention wipes out one of the tent poles the duology's plot was standing on: the seeming invincibility of the Eternal. It doesn't ruin the novels, but it is annoying.

To close, there is no reason not to read Those Below if you liked Those Above. Polansky delivers a consistent, satisfying conclusion. And I would be remiss not to note that the series' length is refreshing. Two, hard-hitting volumes that deliver entertaining characters and story, and catharsis. Aaaaaaa. Still waiting for that from Martin.