A CHASM OF NIGHT, the third and final installment of the captivating Shadow Bidder trilogy, draws readers back into the dangerous world of Hell’s Labyrinth as the repercussions of the doomed Narrow Bid and the catastrophic Swell Driver still ripple throughout the fog-drenched city. Allying himself with Count Tygean in the hopes of crumbling the Raving Blade’s murderous hold on Sullward, Vazeer assembles a cadre of enemies and rogues with whom he shares a shadowy past. All the while, Vazeer contends with an assassin hell-bent on slitting his throat and a dark, mystical power that may be entwined with strange visions and feelings that have plagued him all his life.

The world-building, which has always been a highlight of these books, is so layered and meticulous here, intertwining the past and present with heartfelt detail. The book begins in the past, carrying the aftershocks of that storied, devastating Swell Driver into the devastation of the present. It connects Sullward’s long ago grandeur (a hub for the arts and architecture) to its current water-logged, miscreant iteration—a shadow of its former self. It’s a past that Vazeer the Lash has yearned to see restored, to the point of lifelong obsession: a vision that earns him the alliance of Count Tygean, the powerful warlord who shares his ambitious dreams (albeit reluctantly).

Vazeer’s love of history, art, and architecture has always brought such an intriguing facet to his character, and it’s no different in this third book. His breadth of knowledge is put to good use, even informing some of his decision-making and echoing the political philosophies of a long-dead Empress. Meanwhile, Vazeer’s reckless decisions and mistakes continue to pile up, wherein he embarks on a sort of apology tour to assemble his patchwork team of rogues. His often introspective, self-deprecating narration is woven with clever prose. Vazeer’s sardonic humor is intermingled with vibrant depictions of Sullward’s gritty streets, fragile criminal underbelly, and hardy, varied, and sometimes wholly unpleasant citizens. Here he describes his adversary, Shade of Night: “fortified by glossed armory of magenta nails, she scraped happily over my pectoral muscles like a child tracing her name in the sand.” The following is just one of many lyrical excerpts: “The autumn morning contained a hint of winter’s exploratory bite, but it felt noncommittal, softened in the face of a coastal breeze and the hazed-over ascent of the last season sun.”

The criminal hierarchy has always been a fraught thing—full of betrayal, deceit, and illicit bargains. A CHASM OF NIGHT arguably highlights this more so than the others, for Vazeer’s tentative allies can’t even be trustworthy and alliances shift like the ubiquitous fog shrouding the city.

Through this, Vazeer surrounds himself with a formidable team of women—some of whom have been embroiled in complicated, failed romances. They are complex, skilled, dangerous women in their own right, not just in their proximity to Vazeer and his romantic misadventures. The narrative’s trials and tribulations put their skills to the ultimate test. From Vazeer’s prickly and stealthy Brood sister Heshna the Seer, tougher-than-nails fighter Terza Falconbrow, and Vazeer’s on-again, off-again love for silver-tongued negotiator Adelyn (among others, in such a rounded, expansive cast), there’s no shortage of interesting personalities. One of the series’ many strengths has been its character studies, which at times are indulgent but are always necessary to fully realize this hellish criminal empire and the kinds of people it has either attracted or bred. Not many modern fantasy books languish in such deep character work, but the Shadow Bidder series is all the richer for it, especially as certain character arcs and conflicts are brought to fruition in this last installment. The level of thoughtful detail in every part of Hell’s Labyrinth and the greater world outside it is as engrossing as always, making this trilogy a masterclass in storytelling.

Taut pacing, frenetic, breathless action sequences, and an undercurrent of occult mysticism interplay with the character work. All of these threads create their own tapestry of shock and horror in the last act of the book. The second installment was notable for its third-act twists, but A CHASM OF NIGHT kicks this up several dizzying notches and will surely provoke lots of stunned gasps and frantic page-turning. It’s bittersweet to leave the shadows of this gripping world and its dastardly characters—as well as its flawed yet enduring anti-hero—but the journey itself has been unforgettable.

It’s difficult to imagine how author Peter Eliott could possibly outdo the past two installments of this sweeping, action-packed epic fantasy, but A CHASM OF NIGHT somehow elevates the other two volumes while barreling through a frenetic, immaculately paced, and shocking finish.

~Jessica Thomas for IndieReader