Connie and her allies have learned much about the Holy Grail of Eris and how Scarlett ended up on the executioner’s block. But knowing is one thing; being able to do anything to correct history and prevent further tragedies is another. Especially since Connie, who has been compared to the infamous villain Scarlett Castiel, may end up following in Scarlett’s footsteps in the most dire way!
I didn’t think The Holy Grail of Eris volume 3 was the finale, but between the author thanking people for their assistance on this “trilogy”, volume 2 having a lot of revelations, and the events of the novel, I honestly believed the series was over until I double-checked as I was writing this review. Most if not essentially all of important issues are resolved, and there’s an epilogue-like finish to the book.
One of my first thoughts after finishing the novel (and that I wrote in my initial draft) was that between the heroes and the villains, there are certainly quite a few characters competing for page time, with some clear winners and losers in that regard. Volume 3, like its predecessors, isn’t considered a short book, but the intrigue of personal revenge, war, drugs, romance, and more make volume 3 a quintessential jack-of-all-trades and master of none. For instance, hunting down the criminals often has an abridged feel to it, with several events (like characters escaping) happening off screen. Perhaps now that I know the story is continuing some of assumed resolutions will actually become major plot points in volume 4+, but as I was reading the book, I kept feeling like I was being short-changed in most areas of the story.
There are a few flashbacks to explain some characters’ motivations and true thoughts, which I’m sure many readers will enjoy and are arguably needed to add some dimension to those individuals. I’ve considered the series as one that neither caters to males or females, but here is where I think the shoujo inspirations are the strongest. Considering Scarlett’s gruesome death, the abundance of drugs, and the threat of war, this seems like a novel with a lot of dark topics, but the author finds ways to downplay what could be more horrid moments or chooses to redeem characters. There are positives and negatives to this approach, and your opinion will likely be based on what your favorite genres are.
But where The Holy Grail of Eris finds its most success is the relationship between Connie and Scarlett. They may not be the romantic couple of the series, but they are the couple of the series. Even though they may have changed since the beginning of the story, Connie and Scarlett still keep much of their original dynamic that makes them so fun to follow. Along those lines, I’m sure readers will have thoughts on the novel’s final developments and truths (I know I do), but at least the girls’ bond is strong. It makes the actual romance even more lackluster than it already is, and I’m sure that’s bound to frustrate shippers of both Connie x Randolph and Connie x Scarlett.
As with the previous entries, each chapter ends with some brief character intros and recaps. This time, the author went all out with the humor, with comparisons from Dustin Hoffman to Darth Vader and some lampshading of the characters. Perhaps I shouldn’t be so entertained by these little synopses considering they make up a minor fraction of the book — let alone anything important to the main story — but if you skip them, you’re missing out.
However, I won’t necessarily disagree with those who choose to skip continuing The Holy Grail of Eris…but only after finishing volume 3. I don’t think Tokiwa was forced to keep writing this series, but volume 3 resolves all the key issues and functions as a solid finale to Connie’s and Scarlett’s intertwined stories. I don’t think it should have, as the novel ends up tackling a little too much as it tries to do a balancing act with all the characters.