I don’t know how I feel

I thought Einar was going to die much sooner in the story, so when he didn’t, I completely forgot that it was a possibility. I thought we’d made it out of the woods. But in the last few chapters, when things started taking a turn for the worse, I bit the bullet and checked the status on its Wiki and—BOOM: “Deceased.” My soul left my body.

Einar didn’t have to die, and I don’t understand the purpose behind such a meaningless death for the story. There was no mourning, no reminiscence of brotherhood, no new lesson for Thorfinn—nothing. He was just gone. I guess that’s true to life in its essence, though; it goes on.

I feel like more could have been done before things ended. Canute had such a spectacular build up and was essentially non-existent in the final 100 or so chapters. Thorfinn, no longer plagued by the corpses of his making, could have had a final moment with his father after receiving their forgiveness.

Anyways. I just finished the series, so my disappointment is fresh, but I reckon I’ll come to understand and appreciate the ending with time. I’ll sit on it.