Michelle Herbert reviews The Beauty of Destruction by Gavin Smith…
The Beauty of Destruction is the final part of Gavin Smith’s trilogy that started with Age of Scorpio and A Quantum Mythology, my reviews for both can be found here and here. As the trilogy feels more like one giant epic split into three novels, I would suggest if you haven’t started Age of Scorpio yet to read no further as there may be spoilers for the previous stories below.
As mentioned this is a continuation of three very distinct timelines: Ancient Britain, Now and A Long Time After the Loss, throughout the series the books have been building up to how these timelines are connected. The Beauty of Destruction is the culmination of a story full of violence and yet also hope, as time and again individuals keep fighting for something bigger than themselves. Whether that is to find out what happened to the universe, or to protect humanity from being destroyed by madness, each timeline brings something to the overarching story and gives meaning as to what happened in the intervening years.
In Ancient Britain, the war band are still struggling to overcome what they have seen and survived. They are still together hoping to destroy Crom Drubh and take their revenge on him for the evil he unleashed. The war band also have problems within the group, as there is mistrust and jealousy over who should be the protector of the Red Chalice and doubt over whether Tangwen is worthy. The Red Chalice is still seen as something dangerous even though it has given them small victories in their fights as it has some of the group extraordinary powers. There is also dissent amongst the disparate tribes due to Bladud, the Witch King wanting to become ruler of all the clans, he sees the Red Chalice as the way he will be able to do this. Is this something that Britha, Tangwen and their allies can allow to happen or are they too focused on their own issues to care?
In the Now Beth and Du Bois are seeing the effects of Talia leaving Earth, they are working on a way to survive as the world starts to crumble around them, Knowing who they can and can’t trust is becoming harder as Du Bois is finally questioning everything he has ever believed in and coming to the conclusion that he isn’t the only pawn in the Circle’s charade. As their journey takes them across the UK and into America you have to wonder is this a suicide mission they are on are they humanities last hope?
In the section A Long Time After the Loss, Vic, Scab and Talia are now within the sanctuary of the Church, whilst there they find out more about Churchman and the Monk, as well as learning more about the universe they inhabit. Scab is still trying to play all the angles and as he has come to realise, he cannot to his frustration just kill everyone, Scab has to think smarter, but also lets off steam, by causing strife amongst the people who are stuck with him. In the far future, where everyone is selfish and competitive, harbouring secrets and plotting betrayal go hand in hand. With the fate of the universe in Scab’s psychopathic hands, was everything the Church working for been for nothing?
As mentioned previously, everything is intricately entwined. not only between the series but also throughout the different timelines. This allows us to find out what happened to certain characters that appeared in the past and the future, we get to find out about god and monsters, as well as sacrifice and courage. In some cases, Gavin Smith has weaved his characters so seamlessly into different places of the narrative that when they do appear, I at least felt vindicated and happy to see them again.
As the title tells you, this series has never been about happy endings, there is too much violence and death in every chapter for that to have ever been under consideration, this also allows the few tender moments of the story to feel more valid. At the same time, I was extremely satisfied with the ending, as Smith has finished his series in the only way possible without it ever feeling contrived. Gavin Smith has written an odyssey full of misfortune and misery, but it is well worth reading. I can’t wait to reread this series in a couple of years, I have a feeling that I will probably find details that I missed the first time round.
Michelle Herbert
Originally published February 17, 2016. Updated June 30, 2023.
