The vast majority of the fantasy epics out there lose steam completely after book 3. Blessedly, The Symphony of Ages is not one of them. Elegy for a Lost Star takes turns that have never before been scene in the genre, and demonstrates Haydon's astonishing skills at their best. The characters change and grow as real people might, love as real people might, argue as real people do. How refreshing that we are not seeing the same story played out over and over again *coughGoodkindcough* but rather discovering more and more the beauty, the horror and colours of Haydon's endless imagination.