That was a really quick read. Not that that's a bad thing, but I didn't expect to got through it so fast. I'm not quite sure where the title comes from either; I'm assuming that it means knights are extinct, and Sir Michael gave himself the title after deciding to become a knight errant. Anyway, The Last Knight was fun, filled with interesting situations, and a couple of men who couldn't be more opposite.
The Last Knight is partially fun because it's told from both main characters perspectives. Bell goes back and forth between who's telling the story; as the chapters alternate, so do the voices, starting with Fisk. Michael has become a knight errant because he wants some adventure in his life, instead of being forced to do what his family intends. Fisk is an ex-con bound to Michael as a squire until Michael decides to release him. From the beginning, it's easy to tell that their personalities will clash, and clash often. Michael is very honest, trusting, and naive about how the world works. Fisk has been hardened by city life, and his career as a con artist. Hearing them each describe their adventure in The Last Knight (thankfully without any overlapping or rehashing of events one of them has just said), does something both unique and helpful. It allows me to get to know these two men from their own views of themselves, and the way they see each other. It a classic problem: Fisk and Michael act a certain way in their narratives, but when they talk about each other, their personalities and actions feel completely different. Towards the end, these descriptions start to coincide, and I liked seeing that happen.
The funny part in the plot is that in Sir Michael's effort to do good in the world, he unwittingly rescues an alleged murderer, Lady Ceciel, from prison. In order to correct his error, he is charged with bringing her back to justice, with Fisk along for help. While they try to do this, they keep coming up against obstacles that just make their plight hilarious: they are attacked by a magic boar, kidnapped by beggars, press-ganged to be sailors on a merchant ship, escape in a tapestry box and a barrel, get beaten up, and find out that, though they have nothing in common, they've grown to be friends. Sometimes, the plot is a little bit ridiculous, but when I think about the novel as a whole, it all fits together to be a fantastic adventure.
The only part of the book I'm disappointed in is that i would have liked there to be more explanation about the significance of the two moons, the Savants, and how society works there. There were fragments, but nothing to give me a complete idea of what kind of world Michael and Fisk live in. The two moons were really confusing; I think I understand what the Creature moon is, but I still don't know why there are two, and how they interact. It's also strange that there's a quote about how since the people aren't looked after by a god, they need to look after each other, but then they talk about the Furred God. I'm not clear on why those two aren't contradictory. However, I think that the next book, Rogue's Home, will expand on these a bit more.
I very much liked The Last Knight. It hooked me immediately, and I was a little sorry to get to the end, but a good novel should leave me feeling that way. (Only really bad novels make me glad they're over.) I think Hilari Bell is quite a good author, and hope to read more of her books in the future.
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