Crispin’s story finally comes to an end with Crispin:  The End of Time by Avi.  I have followed Crispin’s story from the beginning, when he fled his village after his mother’s death, wondering why there was a price on his head.  I watched as Bear took him in and together they joined fates and fortunes with Troth.  All along the way, I hoped Crispin would finally find freedom and his place in the world.

This last book in the trilogy opens with Crispin and Troth trudging across the French countryside.  They don’t know anyone and don’t even speak the language.  Now that Bear is dead, they hope to make it to Iceland, if they can figure out where it is.  On the brink of starvation, they find reguge in a convent where one nun speaks English.  Troth finds her place here, and decides to stay where she can be of use.  Her knowledge of healing herbs is greatly needed by the nuns.  Like Crispin, I missed her company on the rest of his journey, but I am glad she found her place.

Crispin next falls in with a gang of thieves.  He is swept up in their crimes before he even realizes what they are.  He is horrified but trapped.  As he journeys with them toward the coast, Crispin must decide whether to flee for freedom on his own or keep a promise to Owen, another boy trapped by the thieves.  Is Crispin ready to step up and be all that Bear showed him he could be.

If you haven’t discovered Crispin’s story, you are missing out.  Avi paints a brilliant picture of Medieval life in England and France.  Against the forces of nature and history, Crispin must make decisions about who he will be and who he will become.