Wildwood Imperium (Wildwood Chronicles, 3)

Thoughts: I read this book about a year and a half ago, before I started reviewing books for my blog, Kid Book Reviewer, and only recently decided to reread it - not because I was freaking out over it or anything, but because I was curious to see what my reaction would be nearly two years later to a book I had deemed decent and had still enjoyed to the fullest. Let me start by saying that this is is no way one of those finales that completely knocks your socks off and more than fulfills the excitement, creativity, imagination, and urgency of the previous books. Wildwood Imperium IS better than Under Wildwood, which I personally didn't care for because of the unsatisfying conclusion-that-didn't-really-feel-like-a-conclusion, but that doesn't mean it lives up to the complete adoration I felt over the first book in the trilogy.That said, I still really enjoyed this book and thought, as I did a year and a half earlier, that it was "decent." The writing became a bit sluggish and slow-paced for me (which is to be slightly expected, since Meloy tends to over-explain everything - it adds to the charm, but not the suspense), although I think Meloy IS an extremely good writer (reminds me of the Doldrums, Phantom Tollbooth, and possibly A Series of Unfortunate Events, actually). The story is engaging, however, and has a multitude of twists that's bound to balance out the slow points in the writing. I loved the inventiveness still squeezed into this book, even though Meloy could've settled with just tying up the loose ends of the previous series, which honestly wouldn't have made the book worthwhile, then. The characters, of course, were all spot-on, although I did wish the Wildwood Bandits had more of a play in this book...All in all, a steady finale that exceeded my expectations because of the slight let-down of Under Wildwood.

The real world of human interaction isn't the black-and-white, good versus evil, stuff of traditional fantasy and fairy tales. We're all at times selfish, impulsive, overly-ambitious individuals. Communally, we can find ourselves prone to xenophobia, protectionism, and exclusivity. Meloy and Ellis have created a world in Wildwood that reflects these complexities. Throughout the trilogy, characters routinely make self-interested decisions and power grabs. Still, none of them is beyond redemption, and many of the characters do exhibit learning and find redemption. There is no real villain in Wildwood, save for the selfishness and short-sightedness that can tempt us all at any time.This is a refreshing departure from so many mythologies, which conveniently draw a line in the sand. Characters choose a side, good or evil, and remain on that side throughout the story. The only drama comes when a token character or two makes a dramatic switch to "the other side" at some point. In Wildwood, characters trample that line, as their concerns for self-interest, family, community, security, and nationalism compete against one another for primacy throughout the trilogy. Most characters in Wildwood "mean well," yet still misstep at some point along the way. Some become quite entrenched in evil actions, though driven by very real (and valid) human emotions and concerns.I think fantasy worlds like Wildwood are increasingly important in our modern, global world. We are often told that people from [INSERT COUNTRY NAME HERE] are [INSERT DISPARAGING TERM HERE], and are therefore not to be trusted. True, some folks in this world do fit the "villain" profile a lot better than others, and we must fight and defend ourselves against them. Wildwood represents this well. However, contrary to the portrayals of our attention-grabbing media, not everyone who is unlike us is against us. Rather, most people around the world have the same concerns - safety, family, community, liberty, and self-realization. Just because a person or group of people is seemingly at odds with us does not make them inherently evil or alien. Wildwood gives us a mythology that reflects this reality, yet does so in such a beautiful, non-preachy way... in other words, Wildwood makes the points of my above post, but does so in a way that is actually FUN to read.TL;DR - The good vs evil construct in fantasy is normally far too simple to accurately reflect the real world. The Wildwood Chronicles addresses this in an engaging world full of complex characters. Five stars!

I read all three Wildwood books because my grandsons were reading them. I wanted to see what they were reading, and to be able to share with them.This is a very interesting and imaginative series. If you are willing to just turn loose and go with the wild and crazy flow of make-belive, this is a good way to do it. Even this 70-something Nana found herself gripped in one crisis after another, and nervously eyeing her ivy plant. Good fun, very well written.

Colin Meloy keeps at it with his grand vision for the world of Wildwood. A beautiful series.

The best of the trilogy, our heroes pass into adolescent maturity overcoming (barely & with luck), not one, but three increasingly challenging adversaries- the final a supreme force of nature bent on nothing less than the utter devastation of not just Wildwood, but the "Outside" world as well! I caught many well crafted passages reminding me strongly of master storyteller Ray Bradbury in this wonderful book. If you've been following this story from the first book, you won't be disappointed in this final(?) masterpiece!

An incredible series! My son and I loved reading this together aloud. Might be a bit too wordy for younger kids, due to it's impressive word usage, but we read this series between age 10-13 (you could go a little younger) and felt it was a great fit for my son with a wild imagination.

This series is not just for kids! Well written and although the books are very long....well worth the read!!

I really liked it, but it felt like another book needs to happen because much of what was introduced in the the second book was left unexplained, as well as element introduced in the installment. I would maybe give this 3.5 starts because of it. I still really enjoyed this series and it has made hiking through forest park even more special (if that is possible).

I've really loved all of these books and this one was no different.I won't give any of it away, so I'll just say it's another really enjoyable read.I was a little concerned in the last few pages that it wouldn't be wrapped up in a way that I was satisfied with. I loved all the characters so much I really wanted to know what became of them all. I was not disappointed!Brilliant trilogy:-)

A wonderful story that arrived in very good time. Thank you!

Really good final book,pity the UK publishers haven't got their act together.This was a used book in Tipton condition from America.

Well paced. Beautifully illustrated. A fairy tale for the modern world. Read it !!!You won't regret it. Absolutely lovely.

Deeply,deeply enjoyable.