The cover of this fifth and final installment of Obert Skye’s Leven Thumps series is scarier than the previous books, as it depicts Leven laying down—perhaps dead or dying—with Clover sadly looking on. Will our quickly-maturing hero meet his demise in this finale (perhaps as many Harry Potter fans thought the titular character should have to make that series more authentic)? (Spoilers ahead.)

Like many of the other books in the series, most of Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder has Leven on his own, with only his faithful sycophant, Clover, as a companion. Upon the urging of a strange voice, Leven embarks on a journey to the old Alder tree of Foo, where he faces some of his most difficult battles yet before he can finally determine the fate of the realm of dreams—as well as that of reality. He must deal with his unfinished business, from what little remains of Sabine to several other characters, including his father, before moving on to complete a task that calls for his own death.

Meanwhile, Geth and Winter are on a journey to help Leven as best as they can as the war on reality reaches a climax; the Dearth, now fully formed, has led all of his massive army from Foo into reality, where Dennis and Ezra—as well as Leven’s surprisingly haughty father—await with military troops, doomsday-like masses of people, and government officials. As Geth predicted, the creatures begin to disappear and die the longer they are in reality, proving that what the Dearth knew and wanted all along—to simply destroy everything and turn it all to dirt.

As amazing as Leven’s trials are—as well as the journey of the members of Foo once in reality—this final book left something to be wanted with its slightly rushed ending and tiny chapter of resolution. Leven never does get to have that much-wanted chat with his mother, and his father, who turns out to be a world class jerk, is so pathetic that it doesn’t even break your heart when they briefly reunite (and fight) as it should. Leven’s cleverness and perseverance, along with his powers, are definitely amazing, but like the rest of the books, a little more time for happiness—particularly with Winter and Clover—might have been nice. We’re not even sure how several of the ending moments happen; though the books have been incredibly descriptive up until this point, some of it feels vague.

 Ruins of Alder is still a killer ride, however, and though it makes us sad to see Leven, Winter, and friends go, it’s nice to know that our dreams will be protected and that we can still look forward to that bit of Foo that touches them each night.