There is a particular pleasure in discovering that a series has been taking its smaller details seriously all along. Heir of Novron delivers that pleasure, but the revelations alone are not why the ending works for me. By this point, Royce and Hadrian's loyalty has enough weight that a choice between them and a grand historical claim feels personal.
Royce is especially compelling when the habits that once kept him safe stop being enough. Sullivan doesn't need to sand away his dangerous edges to make his attachments matter. Hadrian's generosity gets a more demanding examination too: goodness is easy to admire in the abstract and considerably harder to hold onto when it asks something of you.
Wintertide and Percepliquis bring the six original novels together in this final volume. There is plenty of explanation, and some connections click into place with almost conspicuous neatness. I can live with that here. The conclusion understands that solving a mystery and satisfying an emotional promise are separate jobs, and it gives both the attention they deserve.
— Cory Lane