Book Review: Return to Edan (The Edan Trilogy, #3) by Philip Chase
Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Cover art illustrated by Kyra Gregory
Return to Edan by Philip Chase
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Series: The Edan Trilogy (Book #3 of 3)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 657 pages (Paperback edition)
Published: 18th September 2023 by Philip Chase (Self-Published)
Return to Edan is an impressive and fitting conclusion to The Edan trilogy.
“There was an interesting thing about stories, he had realized. Tell people a truth in plain words, and they were more than likely to forget it amidst the thoughts and cares of their daily lives. But clothing that same truth in a story allowed people to uncover it for themselves, and having done so, they might keep it in their hearts. Also, he had realized another thing: He liked telling stories. He suspected this had been true of the man he had been before he lost his memory, but he could recall none of the tales that man would have told.”
So here we are at the end of the trilogy. I must say… It has been a pleasure to read The Edan Trilogy by Philip Chase. I need to mention foremost that I am a friend of Philip Chase, the author. But I was never under any obligation to read through The Edan Trilogy or forced to rate the series with a positive rating. In fact, I’ve been vocal about my disappointment with The Prophet of Edan, and Chase has been understanding and kind toward me despite that. That already displayed his professionalism. I read Return to Edan, the third and final book in The Edan trilogy, simply because of one reason. I want to. Despite my mixed feelings on The Prophet of Edan, its strong ending was enough to spark my curiosity to read through the last book in the trilogy. And I’m glad I did. Return to Edan replaced most of the flaws and issues I had with The Prophet of Edan with the things I loved most about the trilogy. Chase’s storytelling, characterizations, and writing shine the most in this concluding volume.
“Their grief over death was the same, and they faced the same darkness, but each faced it in his own way.”
From the ashes of the War of the Way arises chaos, and a new menace swarms over the battle-ravaged kingdoms of Eormenlond while disease and violence claim thousands. But the greatest threat to Eormenlond is its savior. Stark choices confront Dayraven’s friends as they race to salvage what they can of their world. Amidst the vast struggle for survival and meaning is Seren, a girl from Caergilion who may hold the key to unlocking the Prophet’s mind. The convergence of plotlines sweeps the tale back to where it all began in Return to Edan. And Return to Edan managed to convey the themes of the hardship of responsibility, leadership, faith, and love without shying away from the darkness and death. Death, its meaning, and its capability as an irreplaceable reason or excuse behind humanity’s virtuous or malicious actions were deftly implemented into the narrative. The themes and the impact of the narrative in Return to Edan were the most powerful in the trilogy.
“The fear of death lies behind everything: faith, desire, greed, procreation, and every institution we’ve ever built in a futile effort to keep it away, distract ourselves, or at least hide from it. But it’s everywhere. Death pervades life. The only rule is to kill before you’re killed. We’re no different from the other animals in this world.”
If you’ve read The Prophet of Edan, you might wonder whether there are many stories left to tell about these characters. The Prophet of Edan could work as a series concluding volume if the author chooses it. But apparently yes. There are still a lot of plot threads to resolve, and Philip Chase did just that. One of the things I loved most about Return to Edan is how Chase organically controls the balance of his storytelling and scenes. To elaborate, allow me to repeat briefly the biggest factor I disliked about The Prophet of Edan was how non-stop the battles were. I mean it, non-stop. It ended up slowing the pacing for me. The characters are plunged into detailed inconsequential skirmishes and battle scenes throughout The Prophet of Edan, and they travel from one place to another continuously very quickly. To me, The Prophet of Edan made The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter’s action scenes felt lesser in quantity. And I felt this was not the best way to utilize Chase’s beautiful, often philosophical, storytelling style. This situation was not repeated in Return to Edan. Sure, some battle scenes in the middle of the book felt redundant, but they are only a few. Most of the detailed battle scenes were pivotal, engaging, and filled with consequences, and they are well-placed in the story.
“You are a ruler. The best Asdralad could have. It is the prerogative of rulers to change the rules, so long as it does no harm. All traditions have their origins, but sometimes they come to cause more hurt than good, and then it’s time to change them. It seems to me Asdralad would be best off with you guiding it. Faldira knew that, and who would dare to question her wisdom? And you might be best able to fulfill your duty with the support that comes of being loved… Sometimes rulers must do things that enable them to keep going. No matter how much we pretend not to be, we are human. It’s no crime to have desires. In fact, they may help you to better understand your people.”
If you’ve read The Prophet of Edan, you might wonder whether there are many stories left to tell about these characters. The Prophet of Edan could work as a series concluding volume if the author chooses it. But apparently, yes. There are still a lot of plot threads to resolve, and Philip Chase did just that. One of the things I loved most about Return to Edan is how Chase organically controls the balance of his storytelling and scenes. To elaborate, let me briefly repeat the factor I disliked about The Prophet of Edan first. It was how non-stop the battles were.
“Without death, there is no beauty, no pain, no sorrow, no joy. No loss. No life.
I mean it… The detailed blow-by-blow battles in The Prophet of Edan were non-stop. It ended up slowing the pacing for me. The characters are plunged into detailed inconsequential skirmishes and battle scenes throughout The Prophet of Edan, and they travel from one place to another continuously very quickly. To me, The Prophet of Edan made The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter’s action scenes felt lesser in quantity. And I felt this was not the best way to utilize Chase’s beautiful, often philosophical, storytelling style. Fortunately, this situation was not repeated in Return to Edan. Sure, some battle scenes in the middle of the book felt redundant, but they are only a few. It is the other way around in Return to Edan. Many of the detailed battle scenes were pivotal, engaging, and filled with consequences. They are well-placed in the story, and most of the time, they lead to an enrichment of characterizations and their respective motivation. The final action sequence and convergence were incredible.
“Death exists for a reason, I know. Up until now, our greatest minds have counseled us to accept it as the one inevitable thing. To lie down meekly when it is our time and go in peace. But what if death’s purpose is to challenge life? What if death is calling to us, commanding us, saying, ‘Conquer me if you dare’? Should we not rise to this challenge, no matter how puny our efforts may be at first? Is it not the ultimate mystery? Is it not what gives motive to everything our kind has achieved, all we’ve groped toward, blind creatures that we are, over the course of our benighted existence? And when we solve death, when we taste immortality, we will have left behind the animal and embraced the god. Can you not see it?”
Maybe it’s because this is the end. Or it could be because Chase’s characterizations were at their best in Return to Edan. But I felt the most invested in Dayraven in this book. More than I was in The Way of Edan or The Prophet of Edan. Although I would have preferred having more of Orvandil, Imharr, and other characters in the novel, the turn and development of some characters surprised me in a good way. I don’t want to give any spoilers. But I enjoyed all the storylines with Dayraven, Earconwald, Joruman, Bagsac, and most of all, Seren. Seren is a new character appearing in Return to Edan for the first time, and she stole the spotlight for me. I believe her existence and how Dayraven’s story converged with her was crucial to why Return to Edan was so readable for me. I could’ve read more and more about Seren. It was easy for me to feel emotionally attached to her and her violent ordeals. As I said, Return to Edan did take a dark and twisted turn. Just read the first POV chapter of Bagsac, and you will understand what I am talking about. Vile characters I hated went through unpredictable development, even if one of them (in my opinion) needed more exposure to work better, and yet… I am left satisfied with the resolutions of all the characters. Even Munzil and Surt’s story! I thought their storyline would be unnecessary, and they seamlessly converged with Dayraven’s story.
“What helps me is to know that those who touch my life become part of me, and I part of them. Even with my memories lost, those I knew before are part of who I am in ways I can’t begin to understand. And those I meet from this day forward will be as well. This life is such that we will not always be together in these forms, but I try to keep in mind that everyone I meet stays with me, even when we leave each other’s company.”
One more thing to address before I close this review. The mystery of the elves. Do we get to learn more about the elves Dayraven met in The Way of Edan. We do. But honestly, not so much. There are still a lot of mystery about the Elves and their powers. And I have a feeling there will be a sequel series to The Edan Trilogy. In fact, I could be wrong here, but I think I remember Chase mentioned something along that line. But this isn’t to say the Elves did not play a part in Return to Edan. Their touch and existence influenced the people of Eormenlond’s lives irreversibly in Return to Edan. And if it is true we are blessed with a sequel series, then I look forward to hopefully learning more about them.
“Good. Now, whatever you are — soldier or farmer, merchant or fisher, wife or husband, mother or father, sister or brother — it matters not. What matters is that you perform your duties to the best of your ability and in a way that honors those near you. A true soldier protects the weak and maintains his dignity by serving the people, never bullying or exploiting them — whichever people he may watch over… A true farmer labors to feed those around her. A true merchant never cheats or steals, but honors every bargain. A true fisher blesses her family with sustenance. Wife and husband honor and cherish one another. Mother and father sacrifice for the sake of their children. Sisters and brothers… Sisters and brothers recognize the god in one another. And I tell you this: You… You are all sisters and brothers. No matter how hard, it is your duty to find a way to honor and love one another.”
Structurally speaking, the story structure in Return to Edan reminded me of The Return of the King by Tolkien. It’s clear Tolkien, Beowulf, Malazan Book of the Fallen, and Norse mythologies are some of the main inspirations behind Return to Edan and The Edan Trilogy. After I read Return to Edan, I realized that on top of a great reading experience, I also understood the message from reading the trilogy. Out of all the messages interpreted from reading the trilogy, the one I took the most is about our ability to control our emotions despite our harsh circumstances. To hate or to love. We have the power to decide which path to follow. The path of love will not be easy; it is often crueler than the path of hate. But at the end of the day, Return of Edan taught the hard and necessary lesson in choosing to love. It is my favorite of the trilogy with a satisfying and bittersweet ending. I look forward to reading whatever Philip Chase decides to write next.
“My brothers and sisters, first you must know that the power to answer that hate lies within you. You decide what person you will be. You create that person with every choice you make. This is the freedom no one can take from you. Will you allow the hate and injustice of others to twist you into something you do not wish to be? Or will you hold fast to a vision of you as a person who acts with love and honor? When you decide, you have made the first step toward hate or love.”
Series Review:
The Way of Edan: 4/5 stars
The Prophet of Edan: 3.5/5 stars
Return to Edan: 4.5/5 stars
The Edan Trilogy: 12/15 stars
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