Warrior, queen, mother
Aline has been through hell and back. The bloody war took away many of her friends and the remnants of her innocence. As the Black Rose, for many a symbol of rebellion and the celebration of the Church of One God, she feels used, as if her life was ruled by someone else, directing her and the whole world’s movement. Will the mysterious Game Master reveal his identity and his intricate plan?
In the last part of Joanna Lampka’s saga, Aline plays many roles. The most important role – mother, is a priority for Aline and she always remembers her, even when making decisions about the fate of the world. Alexander is the apple of her eye. The boy, full of life and charm like his father, provides a kind of springboard for both Aline and the reader. At times, he literally allows you to relieve tension, for example with his lisp or pissing into a flower pot. He is also a kind of bridge between Aline and Ian, who are often stuck together by their son. The main character’s heart is torn between passion and reason, desires and duties. In fact, until the very end, we can’t be sure what he will choose.
Heroes in shades of grey
The characters in Joanna Lampki’s series are very multidimensional. You can’t just divide them into good and bad. All of them, from Ian to Michel to Aline herself, make mistakes, have flaws, and are hard to like at times. It is this procedure that makes the Game Master series perfectly reflect our reality. Other elements of the book can also be treated as references, exaggerated and exaggerated, or very real. The theme of the Church of One God and its extremism, treatment of women and propaganda may resemble stories from our backyard, which makes the book even closer to us.
All Lampka’s characters are unique, very human. In the last part of the saga, we get to know the gentle, fatherly side of the prince of the Empire. We see him in a completely different light, how he cares and how much he loves Aleksander, despite his animosity with Aline. It was like a breath of fresh air to portray his apparent weakness as a display of strength.
In Game Master we also have the opportunity to get to know Michel better, and from a very unexpected side. This thread opens up a completely different world for us, fascinating and engaging. In the same way, Mia in the North shows us a different, more maternal side, but still tough and persistent. Her plot was my favorite in this part, and unraveling the mystery related to Pina was very painful, even traumatic. With this part of the plot, we also find out that nothing is black or white.
Nothing is what it seems
Joanna Lampka can definitely write , her style was great from the first part of the saga. However, it can be said that Game Master is the best book in the series. In principle, it reads itself, fast action does not allow you to tear yourself away for a moment, which can lead to sleepless nights. It was definitely the case with me.
Moments devoted to family, love or friendship allow you to take a break from constant intrigue, secrets and pain. The contrast between the conservative Kingdom of Sailors, the harsh North, the free Empire of the Sun and the mysterious Eastern Continent allows you to fully immerse yourself in the world created by the author. There are references to our reality, especially when it comes to Aline’s situation as a woman and mother.
The last volume of the series remarkably sums up the whole thing and answers the questions bothering the reader, but not hastily and over the head, as it sometimes happens in books. In Lampka, the story slowly develops, all threads are closed carefully and without haste, and the most important secret and its discovery are the climax of the whole series.
Summary
The Game Master is a brilliant series finale, the icing on the cake, one might say the best part of the saga. It beautifully closes the threads, connects the dots, binds the ends. I definitely recommend!
