The Hyena and the Hawk by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Spoiler Alert: This review contains minor spoilers for the previews books. Please read with caution if you have yet to finish them.

The Hyena and the Hawk is the third and final book in the Echoes of the Fall trilogy. It begins soon after the events of the previous book, The Bear and the Serpent, and follows the same character perspectives. As this is the final book in a trilogy I won’t be going into detail about the plot, but there may be minor spoilers ahead. Since I loved the first two books, I had high hopes for this one and I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint.

The trilogy is set in a world divided into clans, each of which is represented by an animal. Members of these clans contain the soul of their animal and can ‘step’ into said animal’s form. So, if you are a member of the wolf clan then you can turn into a wolf and so on. While in human form many still have the mannerisms of their clan’s animal. This has been one of my favourite things about the trilogy and I loved the way Tchaikovsky continued to build on what we already know. It is unlike any other fantasy setting I’ve come across. If you enjoy fantasy with good worldbuilding, then this trilogy will not disappoint. I cannot say enough good things about the world.

The writing is also fantastic. As with the previous two books, the prose allows you to be easily immersed in the story and makes it an addictive read. The use of multiple perspectives means you get a wider look at the conflict at hand, and a better understanding of the events of the book. Each perspective is distinct and compelling. Tchaikovsky manages to seamlessly flow between each character without any disruption to the story. The chapters were also more evenly distributed between the characters than they were in the second book.

It was great to be back with Tchaikovsky’s wonderful cast. Their development is so well done. Since we’ve already been with them for two books, we’re really rooting for them in the final instalment. We see a wide range of diverse people that make up the world. A few of my favourite characters include Maniye, Hesprec and Loud Thunder. They are all complex, interesting and flawed. It was also interesting to learn more about the villains and discover that some may not be exactly what we thought they were.

Tchaikovsky also continues to show his skill at writing action scenes, whether on a big or small scale. The building of suspense, the fear and doubt felt by the characters are very clear and make for a tense atmosphere.

Coming into this final book, I was both excited and nervous to see how things would end. It turns out I didn’t need to worry. While the plot went to places that I didn’t expect, the pacing is well done, and I flew through the book. As with the previous two, it was compelling throughout and I was gripped from the very beginning. Once I started I didn’t want to put the book down, but I also didn’t want the trilogy to end.

Although at first, I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic, after further thought I believe it was a fitting conclusion. I’m impressed that Tchaikovsky managed to pull all the threads of the plot together. Right until the end, I was trying to guess where it was going but it still managed to surprise me. Again, some may find the ending a little anticlimactic as the build-up is quite a big one and the ending happens quite quickly, but I do think it was a fitting ending to the trilogy.

Overall, I loved and I would highly recommend checking it out The Hyena and the Hawk as well as the rest of the Echoes of the Fall trilogy. It contains fantastic characters, a compelling plot and great writing. I would love to see more books set within this world. If you loved the previous two then you will love this one as well. And if you haven’t started this trilogy yet, you really should.

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