Which leads me back to the ending. Let me start by saying that I HATE sad endings, so the fact that I enjoyed it as much as I did speaks volumes. I have chided Michael that this may be the book that will end his career, which is ironic because I think it is his best work ever. Without question, it was a heart-wrenching end to what is—for the most part—a fun romp. In many ways, it’s not in the same “spirit” as the rest of the tale, and that is probably why some people have had a negative reaction to the book’s conclusion. I’ve heard an earful from the beta testers. Long-time readers who proclaimed they would never read Michael again. Or people who swore that they would have “thrown the book across the room” except that they were reading on a kindle. And those who described the ending as a “sucker punch.” To some extent, I wonder if the deeds of other authors are partially to blame. There is no doubt there have been writers who will do horrible things to their characters for “shock and awe,” but I can tell you with one hundred percent conviction that it was ABSOLUTELY not the case here. Farilane’s death wasn’t arbitrary or capricious. It HAD to happen. Period. Full stop.

This book is showing a pivotal point in Kile’s development arc. His path to redemption has left many casualties in its wake, and if eggs needed to be broken in the past to make the omelet, so be it. He’s not happy about prior sacrifices, but the stakes have been too high to let sentimentality get in his way. Like Farilane (who is cautioned by her family not to get too attached to humans because they live for such a short time), he had kept his distance from those who have had to die to keep the train on the tracks. But this time it was personal, and it will forever impact him. If Kile had spared Farilane on a technicality, he would have once more returned to his old “Uberlin” ways, and there would be no return from that dark place.

For those who are mourning Farilane’s death to the point of despair, I’ll offer one parting bit of hope: trust in Michael. I think he has proven that, like Kile, there is always a reason for everything. We just have to have faith.

In any case, whether you loved the ending of Farilane or hated it, I hope that you found the bulk of the book to be entertaining. To me, this book is pound for pound Michael’s best work. And I hope you’ll feel that your time with Farilane was well spent.

Robin Sullivan
February 25th, 2022

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