Three Axes to Fall

The Grave of Empires #3

by Sam Sykes, Daisy-May Parsons (Narrator)

A deal struck in a dark place set an outlaw mage on the path to revenge. And now that it's led to places even darker, she and everyone she knows may pay the price for her bargain in the final novel of "an unforgettable epic fantasy" trilogy (Publisher's Weekly).

Sal the Cacophony has made few friends, but many enemies. Many, many enemies. When her magic was taken from her, she cried out for revenge. And a power she never understood promised her vengeance. A deal for a bloody price was made.

And now the bill has come due.

In one of the last free cities of the burned-out ruin of the Scar, Sal's many foes--old and new--have hunted down her and her few allies--willing and otherwise -- and all her plans to save them might not be enough.

One last stand. One more story. One final blade to be drawn.

For more from Sam Sykes, check out: The Grave of Empires: Seven Blades in BlackTen Arrows of IronThree Axes to Fall Bring Down Heaven: The City Stained RedThe Mortal TallyGod's Last Breath The Affinity for Steel Trilogy: Tome of the UndergatesBlack HaloThe Skybound Sea

Genres: Fantasy, Queer, Science Fiction Fantasy, Steampunk, Audiobook, LGBT, Adult

Audible Audio

First published December 6, 2022

About the author

Sam Sykes is the author of Tome Of The Undergates, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage. Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.

At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy. Tome Of The Undergates is his first book, published in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Holland, and Canada. He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.

Reviews

[Bory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it was too much to hope that the chaotic fun of Ten Arrows of Iron would carry over to the final instalment in the Grave of Empires trilogy. Three Axes to Fall is much more melodramatic and bloated than either of its predecessors, and that is saying something considering the amount of bloat in Seven Blades of Black, in particular.

Also, and this is far more damning, Three Axes is depressing for large chunks of the story. The humour is greatly diminished - while I legitimately laughed a couple of times whilst reading Ten Arrows, Three Axes failed to get even a smile out of me. The fun cast from Ten Arrows, consisting of Agne, Yria, and Urda is around, only they're miserable. Agne, in particular, is done the dirtiest and it was painful to read, which, to be honest, might have been the point.

Further, the plot is hobbled by an over-abundance on repetition, and unnecessary reiteration. I don't need Velline, a character I otherwise liked, to show up for a fifteenth time to give Sal the same speech as the previous fourteen instances. Velline shows up. Things blow up. Tretta shows up. Things blow up. Some Vagrants show up. Things blow up. Rinse, repeat for 700+ pages. Also, is it me or did Sal had to be saved an absurd number of times?

Finally, the ending left a lot to be desired. We never got to see the Great General. We never got to learn how he figured out what the Relics were and how to use them to power the machines of his Revolution. We never got to see the Empress. The war between the Imperium and the Revolution is still going on. What the hell happened to Yria and Urda? But at least Sal and Liette got to ride off into the sunset, so it's not so bad, I guess.

There are good parts to the book - the Cacophony, his backstory, Sal's relationship with Liette and Jindu, Yria and Sal's rather juvenile but enjoyable sense of humour and vulgarity, the magic system - but I'm not sure that the good outweighs the bad, to be honest.

And that's where I stand on the series as a whole - I'm not sure that the good outweighs the bad. I legitimately liked Ten Arrows, but Both Seven Blades and Three Axes were merely okay, at best. So, would I read something by Sam Sykes in future? I don't know.

P.S., one axes was the Imperium; one axe was the Glorious Revolution of the Fist and Flame... who was the third axe? I never did figure it out.

[Emma Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

The longest book yet in The Grave of Empires, yet somehow also the most satisfying. All of the conflict from the previous 2 books comes to a head, told in Sam Sykes' distinctive style. While it feels like we're meandering through the story, it all comes together elegantly at the end. But with that ending comes loss, grief, and closure. And of course some BALLER fight scenes. Cinematic to the extreme, filled with sass and wit, and lightning fast action. In my eyes, this book is where Sal finally becomes a hero rather than an antihero and it was worth the wait. We get the backstory we've been waiting for (you know which one) - can't complain!

And I want to reread the entire series now, taking detailed notes on all of the vagrants and magic systems. Like if no one has turned this into a D&D setting yet, what are you even doing?

*Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

[Matt Watkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 75%. Sadly this one just isn't working for me. I dread opening the book.

[RaeLeigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

He kept telling the same chapters over and over again. I had the privilege of learning what a Redfavor was about 50 times. I didn’t expect the ending, but I don’t think I will need to read the companion novels.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I'm not disappointed per se, but I think a lot of action scenes could have been cut down or cut out to make room for more emotional development. I know that's not Sal's style, but the middle is somewhat repetitive - Sal gets herself into a bad situation, Sal shoots some stuff, Sal makes the situation worse, Sal runs away and feels sad - and the ending was so fast. In a 700 page book, the resolution was maybe the last 10%.
I'm not bothered by the ambiguous ending, but I kind of wish it had been from Sal's perspective. Does she feel a little lighter now that she's let go of her list? Does she think it was a fair price to keep Liette safe? For that matter, IS Liette safe? Some of the answers were implied, but again it's a 700 page book, I think we could have spent a little more time there.
Overall, there's so much action that it moves fast and Sal is simultaneously heartbreaking and entertaining, but I was hoping for just a bit more feeling for the final book.

[bookish_magpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was genuinely one of the best books I've read in a while. I have so many thoughts and so much love for this world, these characters, this magic, and this story. I am looking forward to rereading the trilogy at once, instead of with a few months in between each book, because I'm certain I've missed out on some details. This series has been such an amazing, creative, poignant, gritty, and realistic ride. Sykes writes about trauma and the effects of trauma in a way that makes anyone who has experienced trauma resonate with the characters. Throughout the series, I've loved the use of story telling, and telling a story within telling another story. It lends the series an epic feel which reminds me of the Iliad and the Thebaid. I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite series on my bookshelf. 5/5 stars- stunning and raw, this is absolutely going onto my shelf.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot put into words how much I enjoyed the end of this series. This ending was damn near everything I wanted and god did it fucking hurt at times. When I first started this series I thought I'd get this brash yet infectious female lead bent on revenger and what I ended up with was a complex and broken woman who gave so much of herself away to protect the ones she loved. This book stripped everything away and left us with one hell of a story to tell.

[Stephanie Switzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Took me too long to get back into this one.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

In bellissimo finale, degno coronamento di una bellissima trilogia, superconsigliato, sopratutto ai fans di Joe Abercrombie e del fantasy un po' più dark😉

[Allison Sesame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great (but long!) read. I do so enjoy Sam Sykes’ style.

[Smiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaaaaaaah okay so that whole last part was inSane, the way the war ended? Pfffft heck. I wasn't expecting that getting into this series.
I'm glad love prevailed

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three Axes to Fall
Author: Sam Sykes
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publishing Date: 2022
Pgs: 720
=======================================
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
A deal struck in a dark place set an outlaw mage on the path to revenge. And now that it’s led to places even darker, she and everyone she knows may pay the price for her bargain in the final novel of “an unforgettable epic fantasy” trilogy (Publisher’s Weekly).

Sal the Cacophony has made few friends, but many enemies. Many, many enemies. When her magic was taken from her, she cried out for revenge. And a power she never understood promised her vengeance. A deal for a bloody price was made.

And now the bill has come due.

In one of the last free cities of the burned-out ruin of the Scar, Sal’s many foes—old and new—have hunted down her and her few allies—willing and otherwise -- and all her plans to save them might not be enough.

One last stand. One more story. One final blade to be drawn.
_________________________________________
Genre:
Fantasy
Epic
Sword and Sorcery


Why this book:
Cause the other two books in this series were awesome.
_________________________________________
The Page 100 Test:
√ ◄ - good to go.
$ ◄ - this is money.
ᕦ(ò_óˇ) ◄ - strong
ᕦ(ò_ó)ᕤ ◄ - stronger

Favorite Character:
And now as the page count shrinks and I approach the end of the trilogy, after 2,161 pages read, I realize that Sal is one of my favorite characters in books. She's awesome. And I don't want the story to end. I dreaded the page count of the entire trilogy and now...I don't want it to end. …turns out that there are two more books that fall between the books of the main trilogy…cool…provisionally.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
The Scraith called The Wisest fears the Cacophony. Interesting, but keeps right on coming anyway. Eldest doesn’t really fully emerge into the world. And the offscreenishness of what goes down between Eldest and the Cacophony doesn’t lend mystery, feels more like an unwritten chapter.


Favorite Scene:
Honestly, after awhile, I wanted Sal to shoot that damned smart-ass mechanical owl that is arguing about whether they've walked in circles long enough to satisfy the rules to enter the hidden city. Of course, she wouldn’t because Liette told her not to. And Liette is about the only person in the world that Sal likes.

Favorite Concept:
This is a love story between two women. It's a western. It's sword and sorcery. It's magic. It's gunfighters. It's tanks. It's dirgibliles. It's war. It's the price and what you do with your time: who you give it to, how you spend it. Beneath the fantasy, there's life. This is pretty damned good.

The trees in the Nails, the badlands, that aren't trees. The ones that open yellow eyes when you are nearby and whisper dark tidings to you, trying to lure you closer. ... that's good world building.

Hmm Moments:
Why would the Ashmouths choose someone as their representative to the enclave who they can't communicate with and who has no connection to them? The whiskey seller is a cypher in that way. But she had to be there. She was the vehicle by which Sal could tell the story. Rudu brought her in. Cavric introduced her. Sal told her the story. We are Ozhma. She is our in. Sal is the narrator, but Ozhma is us sitting at the table.

Every offer from the powerful to help her has grit and sand as part of the deal or teeth and a metric shit ton of something foul that she'll have to swallow to make it balance.

The Poker Game/DND Table:
Playing poker with Sal would almost certainly lead to her beating someone up or shootin time with ther living magic gun.

Movies and Television:
This should be an anime. It's a freaking awesome world. The story of Sal the Cacophony needs to be seen. And more stories set in this world would be awesome. Maybe instead of being anime, it should be an opera. Sal would approve.
_________________________________________
Pacing:
Took this one awhile to catch me, unlike the others in the series. But it took awhile for Sal to come onstage too.

Last Page Sound:
I wish I could give this 6 stars.


It didn’t dawn on me what the Three Axes were until the morning after I had finished the book. They weren’t what I thought they were. Good show.


Deus ex magic gun…but it works.


Questions I’m Left With:
So…did the Ashmouths send Rudu to just hangout and get high while the Empires worked themselves into a frenzy about New Vigil?

Author Assessment:
I am absolutely going to look at the other works of Sam Sykes.
=======================================

[Courtney K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Towards the end, I couldn't stop reading because I had to know the point of the series. Everything lead up to that end and it makes complete sense. I love the formula or storytelling aspect of the books. I love how the characters all come together. This is probably the most satisfying ending of a series I've ever read.

Favorite Quotes:
And Congeniality was so mean I once saw her kick an actual kitten into the trash. Seriously. pg. 81

Once a Vagrant went Vagrant, that was it. The moment they broke their oath was the moment they started running. Any Imperial, from the highest Judge to the lowest servant, would know them as a foe to be killed on sight. Whatever else a Vagrant gained, they lost their nation, their people, their home. pg. 91

The terror of a thing can swallow you, inch by inch, over years until you see it in every shadow cast by every light. People can bleed out from battles they escaped without a scratch, some part of them weeping out so slowly they don't realize until they're empty. pg. 497

"Thank you, Salazanca," she whispered. "I love you dearly. I would have given you everything." I smiled at her. "If I didn't feel the same about you, Agnestrada, I would have taken it." pg. 559

The funniest scene in possibly the whole series. This will play out in my head forever.
"Help me up," She grunted. Urda hopped off his chair, took her by the shoulders, helped her to her feet. She thrust her tankard toward him.
"Hold my shit." (more shenanigans, think Weekend at Bernie's only with a conscious foul-mouthed tiny woman)
"Get me up in her face."
"Do you know who the fuck we are?"

And in case I want to break my heart again. Read the Jindu scene on 661

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Overall, this was an entertaining and satisfying conclusion to The Grave Of Empires trilogy - though calling it a trilogy doesn't really seem like the right word. This book had a much more somber tone than its predecessors, and while I don't think the new tone is wrong per say, it made things a little tougher to get through. This series has always been bloodthirsty, but this book really made sure we were aware of it, and I cried several times for side characters that I didn't initially think I cared about. There were certainly still plenty of irreverent Sal moments, but the fun campy-ness took a big step back.

This series reads less like a cohesive trilogy, and more like a series of legends. The storytelling framework really adds to this feeling, and ultimately I did like it. I just wish we got a few more answers regarding the world, magic, and plot lines I thought were going to be important but were pushed aside or dropped altogether. Nothing felt unfinished, but perhaps not quite as satisfying as it could have been.

The real star of this series is Sal as a character and the unique world building. I haven't personally read any comparable books, and maybe my frustration with the ending is moreso me just wanting to learn more lore. The problem with a main character who doesn't really give a shit about what's going on around her means that we as readers miss out on a lot of juicy answers.

The series as a whole is a bloody and frustrating romp through a war-torn hellscape that somehow manages to be a good time. I just wish there was more!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I absolutely loved the 1,500+ pages I got to spend with Sal across this trilogy (more of you count the short stories). I'm sad for it to be done, but happy to have gone alone for the ride.

The only reason this doesn't get a full 5 stars is the length. Despite never being bored there were parts I felt probably could have been chopped. That being said I highly recommend this entire series to fantasy fans that want a new twist on the genre.

[Orion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essa aqui é a história final da Sal a Cacofonia, a conclusão de todas as consequências que foram se construindo ao longo dos dois livros passados. E, bom, foi uma boa caminhada até aqui.

O primeiro capítulo desse livro é o mais longo da trilogia, e o que mais demorei a entender o que estava acontecendo – algo que já acontecia nos dois livros passados, mas que aqui toma um tempo um pouco maior que nos outros, pra você se encontrar no que está rolando. A guerra entre o Império e a Revolução, que havia começado no livro passado como o clímax do plano de Dois Homens Velhos Sozinhos, está agora centrada em uma única cidade em que Sal se encontra: Nova Vigília; e três emissários são enviados até lá, representando as três grandes forças políticas da história (o Império, a Revolução, e os Ashmouths) para tentarem controlar a situação antes que tudo piore ainda mais.

Como falei lá no começo, a história vai se fechando ao longo desse livro, todas as pontas soltas desde o princípio vão se amarrando ao longo das mais de 700 páginas que temos aqui. Além disso, muitos personagens retornam nesse livro, como Cavric, Meret, Rudu, Tretta, e Velline, além de alguns outros novos adicionados à trama. Temos também algumas respostas, como a origem da Cacofonia e qual a Troca que os quickmages fazem com a Senhora Mercadora (sim esse ponto era, pra mim, um dos quais eu mais queria saber, mais mesmo do que a origem da Cacofonia kkkkk).

Mas algumas coisas não me gradaram tanto aqui: Ozhma, a personagem para a qual Sal conta sua história aqui, em diversas vezes funciona quase como o autor se materializando no livro ao vocalizar e apontar constatações que nós, como leitores, já havíamos feito com base nos atos e pensamentos de Sal, fazendo com que muito que ela diz soe como diálogos extremamente expositivos para que fique ainda mais claro para quem lê, o arco de personagem da Sal, e como ela mudou desde Seven Blades in Black.

Outra coisa que me incomodou um pouco aqui foi como em um livro de mais de 700 páginas, tudo se resolve nas últimas 50 páginas. Ok, temos uma narração de como foram as coisas que aconteceram momentos antes do ponto no qual a história se inicia, mas o tempo tirado para a real conclusão das duas principais situações-chave da história foi muito curto, quase que acelerado demais.

Por fim, uma coisa que não necessariamente me incomodou, mas que sei que muitos podem se sentir incomodados, é como muitos aqui não têm um final final propriamente dito. Não quero entrar em detalhes, mas tenha em mente que o que vemos aqui é uma narrativa contada por Sal, sobre a conclusão da sua busca por vingança que acompanhamos desde o primeiro livro, e sobre a resolução do problema com Liette. São esses os dois focos da história.

No mais, não quero entrar em muitos detalhes da história em si, porque acho que ela deve ser mais vivida do que contada. Fica apenas meu contentamento em ver o quanto que Sal cresceu, da personagem completamente autodestrutiva e que não sabia resolver absolutamente nada no diálogo sem envolver violência, para o que temos ao longo desse livro. Foi uma excelente experiência ler essa trilogia do Sam Sykes, e espero poder ver mais dele no futuro.

[Vigasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Sykes writes with his emotions and Sal The Cacophony is one of my most favorites protagonists of all time. I loved it and I know I will come back to it again and again.
Keep writing Sam, you are good at it ;)

[Eli S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid longer ending to a very good story.

[Diana Gabaldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book about Sal the Cacophony--a woman with a Strong (and Righteous) Grievance, and a terribly frightening (because it's alive and bad-tempered) Gun.

It's hair-raising, Very Violent and Extremely Funny. (With occasional heart-wrenching moments and snatched romance.) (In the interests of full and frank disclosure--Sam Sykes is my son, but I'd love the book even if he wasn't.)

Other people's opinions:

"Exciting and inventive." - Peter V. Brett

"Compulsive from start to finish." - Kirkus (Starred Review)

"An unforgettable epic fantasy." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

"The tale of Sal the Cacophony is delightfully sarcastic and deeply sorrowful." - Nicholas Eames

"Sykes is a master at taking familiar elements of fantasy and stirring them to a wicked, wholly original churn." - Pierce Brown

[Pirate Schmirate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was f#¢kin' rad!

[Alyssa Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant people are weak. They build these beautiful worlds in their head and then see one thing they can't explain and it all comes crashing down. This is why stupid people rule the world. We see something we don't understand and we start headbutting it until it collapses.

It's the end. I can't believe it. I'll miss Sal and her humor and her not-so-well thought out plans. I'm just so sad. There's such a heavy burden in my heart.

This book deals with the Old Magic entity living within Liette. It deals with Sal trying to find a way to fix it so she can get her Liette back. And there are so many ways to deal with. All bad ways ending in disaster. But Sal does eventually give into Cacophany taking it out of Liette. Even if he ends up being the most powerful being on the planet. The first option of letting the other Scrath take it was a no-no. Letting the Ashmounts find a way was a good option, but not a good deal considering she would have to give up Cacophany. Having Torle helped out would be nice if the power wouldn't have landed in the Imperium's hands. So yeah. Not the greatest options, but the least worse of the worsest options was chosen. Not only are we dealing with Eldest, but we get more backstory to Cacophany which was interesting. To be honest, I'm not really sure how it would end with him or how I wanted it to end, but the ending for him seem fitting.

So, I did what I always did when I was caught between a stupid idea and a more stupid idea.

I did an insane idea, instead.

Throughout this whole journey you can see the emotional and mental state Sal is in. She breaks down every so often. Worried about Liette. Worried about her friends. About this world. It's never ending. There's never any peace when you're looped in with Sal. You can see in many points of this book she cares alot about others despite otherwise. She's scared to acknowledge that people are willing to stand with her. She believes that she is not worth the pain and misery she will cause to them, yet they're still hanging around. This is probably the best personality I've seen to a character such as Sal. She's not 100% a bad person. There's still a part of her that worries about others. That questioned what is inside her that is worth standing with? After everything she has done, why stick with her? I love seeing this vulnerable part of her. It makes her more human.

"Someone is hurt because they chose to protect you. And I chose to use my people to help him. Just as I chose to come out to the middle of nowhere to die. He chose you. I chose you." He slurped the last traces of fat from his skewer. "Not everyone is afraid of you, Sal. Some might even like you, no matter how badly you wished they didn't."

Despite the brief screen time, but the many stories, I fell in love with Jindu. Ever since the first book and the encounter with him, I loved him. I don't know why, but I just did despite the many reasons I shouldn't be. And it seems like the same thing still applies to Sal. Maybe not love, but some sort of caring? feelings towards him. She couldn't bring herself to kill him. He wanted to die. To die by her side despite her sorta hating him still. And I cried when he did. It hurt more than it should and I could feel such hate carried through her when she continually punched Velline for killing him. I liked how she doesn't forgive him for what he done and she still doesn't have the feelings for him like in the past, but there is still a part of her that still cares in a way. When they fought together and it was reminiscing about them being a perfect fit, I felt so warm. I wanted to go back in the past and see it. How well they worked as a fighting partner. I am still saddened by the death, but I am happy on being able to see what they used to be. There was resolution in the end and I'm glad it didn't end in anger.

Overall, this whole series was just amazing. Oh god, I never met such a character such as Sal. She just entices you so easily and it was hard to dislike her. She's a great storyteller. And the amazing people we met along the way, I was happy to find it looped around all together in the end. It was a perfect ending and yet, I cannot let Sal go. She has too great of a personality to have it end. But she is a memorable character. This world of mages and revolutionaries was unique and there was a balance to it as well. I cannot stress this enough, but I still love the magic system in this world. The Barter is heart-wrenching and provides so much risk, but I'm glad that it was implemented to show there is a cost to such magic. From the world, to the plotline, and to the characters, this was a fascinating, breathtaking series that keeps you on the edge of your seats. The writing pulls you in and before you realized it, you're in so far, and you don't ever want to leave.

But there was not always joy in surviving. The scars did not hurt less just because you lived through getting them. And sometimes, walking away alive was as painful as falling down and giving up.

[Jonuggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

For everything that its predecessors did well, Three Axes struggles to compel until the last 2oo pages. The plot meanders and retreads the same ground for ~2/3rds of the book, with Sal, Liette, and refugees struggling to find a place to escape the war that Sal has brought to the Scar.

Sal and Liette bounce from one place to the other, looking to resolve the issue of the alien force that has invaded the latter's mind. They don't find any real answers, just empty promises from the various political factions that operate throughout the land. The book only picks up steam when they reach New Vigil and an old character is re-introduced. From there we get about 180 pages revealing - but offering zero details - the resolution to both Liette's problem, and the war that Sal began.

The most mystifying choices that Sykes makes is to leave out any details regarding the resolution to Liette's possession, and Sal's sudden revelation regarding how to end the war. This plot point is relegated to a pocket dimension, quite literally, as Liette disappears into the ether only to reappear some 50 pages later communicating that the issue with the Scrath and the Cacophany have been resolved. We're offered no details of how this occurred or the potential costs.

Ambiguity is fine, and I particularly enjoy thoughtful, uncertain endings, but when 2/3rds of the novel seems aimless to a fault - even if that is the intention - , not only because the characters don't have any clue what to do, dropping major plot points comes at the cost of engagement. It feels as if Sykes intentionally dropped this portion of the novel either because he wrote himself into a corner or because he is saving that tale for a novella or some other effort.

Another climactic beat that falls flat, as interesting as Sal's final revelation is, seems to come out of nowhere. One moment she's battered and on death's door, the next moment she appears on a battlefield resigned to a melancholy verse in an already morose dirge.

Three Axes seems jumbled at times, bouncing between POV with less care than the previous entries in the Grave of Empires series. Sykes manages the emotional elements well but, as other reviewers have noted, he falls into a contrived pattern of Sal lamenting what consequences her actions have had across the land before having to move on for one reason or another. This simply goes on for too long. It feels as if Sykes encountered that traditional, Gordian Knot that Martin claims has held up ASOIAF for decades - not knowing a good way to get all of the characters to their final destination. The result is that he spins his wheels for far too long.

Sykes' strengths in writing cinematic actions scenes are on display, as always, and his prose style is intact. When the narrative plays to his strengths you'll turn pages without realizing it and, before you know it, you've burned through several chapters. Then you'll hit a wall.

All in all the final (?) tale of Sal and Liette feels like an anti-climax as Sykes interrupts the main narrative from time to time with pieces of lore, wheel-spinning, unnecessary details, and entirely too many pages of story that aren't as engaging as the previous two volumes.

I almost expect Sykes to return to Sal and Liette sometime in the future, after he has had time to mature as a writer, or after the inevitable Netflix animated or live action series spins up.

I'm not disappointed in the final moments of Sal and Liette's tale. Ultimately it was fitting, and elements of it were satisfying. I am disappointed in what felt like an excessive amount of filler, and maybe the prospect of never knowing how Liette managed to handle the Scrath, or whether or not her and Sal were able to find the peace that they sought.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey there – do you like the grit of Joe Abernathy?
Interested in Sanderson/Rothfuss-like world building and magic?

Yeah, this series is in that ball park.

I liked this book, honestly, I liked the whole series. It’s hard to nail down exactly what you could compare this series to — other fantasies.

The series is gritty, vulgar, unhinged, queer, cool af, desperate, interestnng, and unwieldy. The series has so many cool scenes and fun/ny characters.

Sal the Cacophony- yeah, all those adjectives above also described Sal. I love a strong character, and it’s interesting that this character is neutered and bound when we get her story — a cool place to start. But it’s the insistence of more layers of complexity that is a lot of fun. The author weaves Sal history into her character’s experience and her day-to-day. Heck, the Meta-narrative of Sal relaying her stories to someone else, and that’s how we experienced the story. It’s an interesting structure, and it paid off in my opinion.

I enjoyed the diversity of the characters, and it was fun meeting so many cool folks along the way. if I had a criticism, the magic is a very cool system and story — for real the world building and narrative tie-in to the “barter” magic has in this world is astounding. But where is my criticism? It’s in the naming of each of the kinds of magic users. It was so on the nose that it felt like an expansion pack of exploding kittens. Everything else is so well considered, and then the naming is klutzy. Not a dealbreaker/ lol.

the last book was written/published in 22. The buildup and start of the Russian and Ukrainian war can been seen as an influence the themes and scenes. If not explicitly, then implicitly, the war has influenced this author. I don’t know – everyone loses in war.

OK back to Sal the Cacophony- she is vulgar, sexual, a bad ass, deep, burdened, crazy, certain, driven and passionate. Outside of the crazy, that combination of personality traits is something I personally enjoy. I listen to Ashnikko, now there’s a left turn, and I started an ‘Artist radio’ playlist one day. One of the artist that popped up was Zand. The first time I listened to the song I was like whoa that’s rough, that’s a little crazy. And then I started thinking about it more, and had to listen to it again, and i was hooked. I think that one of the songs could be Sal the Cacophony’s anthem. Fair warning, this ain’t for everybody, but I really think of Sal when I hear it: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TFvIb...

[Costin Manda · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to use one word to describe Three Axes to Fall it would be: lazy. The title is lazy, as it has no connection to the content. It only gets worse from there. The characterization is lazy, the same repetition used ... repeatedly... to convey emotional depth, the random characters doing random stuff just in the nick of time, the relationships started haphazardly and ended stupidly or not at all the inept enemies that have a lot of power and do nothing with it except boast and bluster, even the book cover is lazy. But the worst part is Sam Sykes was too lazy to finish the story or even remember why he started it.

Remember Sal? The woman so brutally betrayed that she wants to burn the world to get revenge? Sam doesn't. In the first book she was an angry, driven, asshole who could spare no quarter for anything that wouldn't further her deadly goals. I liked her then. She was smart and surprisingly funny. In the second book she was turned for no actual reason from an anti hero to a tragic hero, a repentant protector who kills tens of people with her sword in a single fight and still keeps running. In this third book she is a tired, exhausted, fleeing person who thinks about things, reflects a lot and whines the entire book, until she forgets who she is and stumbles into being a messianic savior surrounded by a fast and furious family.

Now imagine John Wick, hunting for the people who killed his dog, the only living thing reminding him of his dead wife, and then somehow deciding he wants to do something else and start a hobby, finding forgiveness in his heart. It's almost that bad. I could have forgiven (heh!) this book if it were half as short and ended prematurely because the writer died. But no, it's just a lazy, half-assed non-ending that leads to nothing except a long final chapter in which people part ways smiling wisely and wearily after doing fuck all the entire book.

You want to know what happened to her magic? Nope. You wondered why her list grew from what seemed like a short one in the first book to more than thirty names? Nope. You frustrated she barely started on that list before she let it go? Who cares? How about the frenemies she made, who grew along with her trying to kill her, like Velline and Tretta? Nah! Want to know where the gun gets its bullets anymore when Liette is not around? Bah! This goes on and on and on.

Bottom line: a captivating book lost its way in the sequel and collapsed in the third, with no meaningful closure or payoff for reading through 2500 pages of story.

[Daniel Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Hachette Audio for copy of "Three Axes to Fall" by Sam Sykes! Received it hours before my physical arrived so I went back and forth as holiday preparation allowed me to.

Daisy May-Parsons narrated the series and killed it. The one liners, the action sequences, the quiet moments when my heart gets ripped from my chest. Done, crushed it.

To folks who have not read the Graves of Empires series, it is good, read it. I did the leg work and can say it lands it. Thank you @pieraforde for shilling for Seven Blades years back so I gave it a try.

After the one (reasonably) quiet bit of the Scar got blown to hell, after some airships full of bombs fell on it, Sal is on the move with the refugees she (sort of) feels responsible for. Because of course she has a plan on where to go with the being of immense power that is living inside of Liette. All while the Empire, the Revolution, and some of the folks on her list are trying to get them. YUP, totally fine when you have a magic gun that is starting to do "new things" that are a bit unsettling.

Reasons to read:
-We find out what happened to Jeff, the best of swords
-A variety of murderbirds
-Big expansion on the background of the Empire and Revolution, their tech, mages, history, the works
-Sal is personing again
-Yria and Urda, their concern for each other and exquisite insults
-Agne, **** I am having a hard time remembering what she went through without feeling emotions so I will leave it at that.
-The origin of the Cacophony
-Somehow I even forgive that person, and I'm super petty

Cons:
-Being burdened with the knowledge that I can not smoothly deliver lines when people really want to kill me, its like 3 people probably but still

[Ellie Bennet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a near-perfect conclusion to a series that would be hard for anyone to tie up nicely. Sykes ties up nearly every loose end, and above all brings the story to a satisfying close. I would have loved some sort of gratuitous epilogue, or sequel content, but the story wouldn't benefit from it. It takes courage to write something with a real ending, and this is perfect for that.

It's also the most emotionally driven of the trilogy. Sal becomes a deeply sympathetic character, Liette and Cavric get their moments in the emotional spotlight, and even Jindu has what I'd consider a well-rounded arc. It's especially interesting to look at how the characters are portrayed in this book compared to the first two given that Sal is telling the story all three times. Her inner/emotional life is so vivid in the text. The backstory chapters are also wonderful, Cavric's in particular. He really gets to shine.

The end of the story is visible from a ways off, but in the best possible way. By the time it becomes clear how things are going to end, or at least what the climax is going to be, the tension is palpable and delicious. And, when the dust settles, I really think Sal gets the only ending that would have felt human. She's lost what she's lost, but she's still kicking.

Maybe the most important thing to me personally though is that Sal and Liette are gay. It's super rare to see good sapphic love written by a cis dude, but this is fortunately an exception. They have such a complex, fascinating love, and this really is their story. The whole trilogy is as much about Liette as it is about Sal the Cacophony, and that's beautiful.

I'll carry this one for a while, and I'm so glad to have read it. It really rounds the series out to a perfect 5/5 for me.

[Benoit · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, overall, I really liked this book, but it was probably the most difficult of the three for me to really get into.

Highlights: the beginning and the end of the book. Those are absolutely relentless, and so much stuff happens in the last 100 pages that I could hardly put it down. Revelations getting dropped left and right, plot points getting wrapped up... Shit goes DOWN during the climax of this book!

What made this a bit more of a challenging read for me was everything in between. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent story beats in the middle of this book, but I just felt that sometimes, it took a while to get to them... Like, a LONG while. What I'm trying to say is: this book is long.

Slight spoiler ahead - I'm not going to ruin any plot points, but if you want to know nothing going in, I'd rather be safe than sorry.. So, there are A LOT of starts and stops in this book. Sal and company running from something, fighting, running again, stopping, fighting again, running, stopping, fighting... You get the picture. I can get why these are important from a story sense to get us from the beginning to the end, and A LOT of stuff happens in those quieter moments that are super interesting, but a few times I started saying "here we go again!" to myself, and that's never a feeling I enjoy when reading a book. Especially when certain parts are so strong. IDK, I feel like the book may have needed a few more passes through the edit (even as I'm typing that, I know that it sounds dismissive, and I certainly do not want to make it sound like "edit more" is an easy solution - it's not, but I did want to do my best to get my point across). Anyway, as I was about to finish the book, so much stuff happened in the last 100 pages that I was constantly telling myself "why couldn't we have seen more of THIS in the slow parts?!" SERIOUSLY, we learn A LOT of things close to the conclusion and I would have loved if we had spent more time with those concepts (The Lady Merchant, The Cacophony, just to name a few things).

In any case, if you've read the first 2 books in the series, I don't see what anything to stop you from reading this one. It provides more thrills and snappy dialogue from all the characters, as well as what I feel is a definitive ending.

[Charles Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

After 2,000 pages, this was a pretty disappointing way to close out the trilogy. The same framing device, a new Big Bad, and nothing's really resolved. It's also unclear why all these people help Sal. Sykes tries to explain it, but it's neither clear nor convincing. And the longer the series went, the weaker the world building seemed. Why are the Vagrants still tied to the Imperium? Was the original conspiracy right? The Great General has this ancient being as a general; that implies he's somehow more powerful, more amazing? It's fine to leave some things unexplained (although at 600-odd pages/book, the plot better outrun the questions) but when there are things that seem so vital to the plot - like the Vagrant status and culture - it weakens the story. I'm so curious about so many things in this world, and I got so few satisfying answers. Also, concluding on a technicality felt cheap. Sad to say, this series was not worth it.

[Jessie B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as previous books, but some incredible insights into the human condition, especially chapter 27. The Cacophony is such a great, flawed character, so unapologetic, yet filled with regret, raunchy, conflicted, an unstoppable force, living without a minute of reflection, just running….audiobook incredible narrator. I wonder if some of the trouble the author has experienced is meshing with his characters so much, getting positive feedback for such a compelling character, it would make it hard to not emulate them in a way. Writing this good you would really have to become that person. And have trouble finding that line in reality where fantasy blurs reality away to get back to the real world. I find it interesting that more people who are this creative don’t lose themselves in the process. How to find your way back to who you are, especially when you’re always changing? It’s like the ultimate dissociation.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book of a series always breaks my heart. After those final words are read, there's an emptiness that lingers. A feeling knowing that you'll never set foot in that world again for new adventures and birdshit crazy characters.

I pray this isn't the last we here of Sal and Liette, I really hope it isn't.

That being said, I am satisfied... for now.

"But no one would talk of Sal and Liette. The two women who tried their hardest not to hurt each other. The woman who loved whiskey and the woman who loved books and the lengths they went for each other. The loud, obnoxious one and the soft-spoken, obnoxious one, who left behind a war and tried to find something better."
I hope they do find something better. I hope Sal never leaves Liette alone, ever again.