OH. MY. GAWD. 
 I literally stayed up until much later than I should have, to finish this book because I couldn't put it down.... just to have it emotionally destroy me. Hahaha oh man. 
 Epic. Fantasy. 
 The way the characters have changed throughout the books so far, is really just masterful. Even characters that don't have a huge role, are so three-dimensional. My single critique is that I do not wholly understand the king's motives. Everyone else's motives are explained fully or easy to decipher, except his. Is it lust for power? Is he just good-old-fashioned evil? Did he start with just wanting to do one small thing and it just snowballed from there? What drives him to do this? I think that is really the only thing missing from this series at this point is having a truly well-rounded villain. Right now it just feels like he's super evil and will do all of the evil things, but it would be more dynamic to have some kind of larger hint as to what made him begin this quest and what drives him. 
 (view spoiler)[ Lust for power only makes sense to a point. If you destroy the world, then there is nothing to rule.... Or is it hubris that he thinks he can control this darkness/evil that he's brought to the world and still have something left at the end to rule over? Why didn't he groom his son to be like him and take up the reins after he's gone? Is he also expecting his powers to make him immortal? (hide spoiler)] 
 I have so many questions!!!!! 
 But, I really can't keep doing this review right now, I have to read the next book like IMMEDIATELY.