** spoiler alert ** 
 In all, this is an excellent ending to an epic series. It is difficult to find a fitting end to all those we fall in love with but MS does a great stab at the tough end of it all. 
 The final installment concentrates on two storylines, the fall of Danu Talis and the Battle of Alcatraz. With the twins of legend now in the hands of Isis and Osiris we find out the real story. Now this is semi-predictable for anyone who has been reading. What is truly shocking, and I wish that I got to see more of this story unfold, is the real purpose of Virginia Dare. For someone who was placed as semi-minor antagonist, she really shines in this story. I would go so far to say that she is the namesake of the novel. Sadly, Sophie is relegated to bit of a dimwit in this novel. Her and Josh patch things up so quickly it was hard to believe, especially since Coatlicue had such a strong pull on him. In addition, Josh, taking the heavy-handed warrior role, was a bit hard to believe considering his weaknesses in the presence of Dee before this story. The complete absence of Sophie and Josh's parents int the past books made meeting them awkward and left a lot of the guess to the kids instead of the reader. 
 If you are happy to have wild and gruesome finale fights the payoff is given at Alcatraz. In fact, if it were not for that story's actions intertwined with the other, the Danu Talis story would have been too boring. I constantly found myself wanting to skip parts of the twins' story and get back to SF. That being said a lot of major characters die in this book and their deathsongs can come off a little overworked. Billy the Kid, Black Hawk, and Machiavelli were a real treat and play most comedy parts. One new Elder is introduced but doesn't do much beyond monologuing and then dies. And a new evil beast is here to scare you all, but just sounds ridiculous when explained by Flamel. I had to look it up but sure enough man-eating poisonous unicorns are actually a real myth. 
 Overall best book of the Second Codex, but not the best of the series. Good ending but a poorly written and semi-confusing epilogue by Marethyu left me disappointed. Wish I could get more of the adventurers of Virginia Dare and the Humans after the fall, but I guess that is what fan fiction is all about.