The final book of this trilogy didn't disappoint. It was a pretty strong look at how idealism and moral clarity run up against ignorance, entrenched sThe final book of this trilogy didn't disappoint. It was a pretty strong look at how idealism and moral clarity run up against ignorance, entrenched systems of power, and just...people being people. And the ending was satisfying, even if not everyone got exactly what they deserved or hoped for.
Still...I will say this. I've been struggling to get back into reading, after the pandemic really slowed down my reading rate (which was never very fast to begin with). I just found it hard to immerse myself in long-form fiction. I finally felt ready to make more time for reading in my life, and this trilogy was one of the first stories I started reading this year. And it was just so compelling and enjoyable and un-put-downable that I just...feel like a part of myself has finally come back. That alone gives this trilogy a special place on my shelf. Is it for everyone? Probably not. It's got quite a bit more gore than I usually enjoy, and the book's voice is very monologue-y. But it worked for me, and I guess it was exactly what I needed!...more
An amazing sequel to the first book, which kept me engaged and reading for hours on end. With every twist and turn, I fell more in love with the charaAn amazing sequel to the first book, which kept me engaged and reading for hours on end. With every twist and turn, I fell more in love with the characters, with El's cleverness and the bond she has with her friends. The ending was such a cliffhanger gut-punch that I literally ran out the very next day to buy the final book and keep reading....more
I wasn't sure how this was going to go, because "Edgy Harry Potter" has definitely been done. But Naomi Novik does a great job of building this world I wasn't sure how this was going to go, because "Edgy Harry Potter" has definitely been done. But Naomi Novik does a great job of building this world as its own thing. I definitely had trouble putting this one down! The world was fascinating, the escalating tension and threats kept me hooked, and I enjoyed watching the arc of the protagonist, El, and her relationship with Chosen Hero expy Orion Lake. Probably would have finished it more quickly if I haven't had multiple time obligations on my plate right now. But this is the first book in a while that I stayed up reading till well past midnight.
My one note on the book is that it had a very high portion of "world-building asides", where scenes would frequently pause and El would take a few pages to describe and explain some new aspect of this world. A good 3/4 of this book is worldbuilding and explaining wizard politics. Which...in the hands of a lesser writer would drive me nuts, but in this case I actually found it pretty interesting and not actually a turn-off! I'm curious if, after all this set-up, the second book will hit the ground running?...more
This book was an incredibly gripping tale. It reads like a novelization of a fairy tale, but rather than drawing from any one specific fairy tale, it This book was an incredibly gripping tale. It reads like a novelization of a fairy tale, but rather than drawing from any one specific fairy tale, it draws on the feelings and ideas and images of fairy tales into something that is both familiar and wholly original. The first chapter or so was a bit slow, but once the rubber hit the road, I couldn't put it down. ...more
So I'm starting this review off with a caveat. Not long before I read this, I read the original short story version, which was a perfectly paced, selfSo I'm starting this review off with a caveat. Not long before I read this, I read the original short story version, which was a perfectly paced, self-contained story on its own. So I was curious to see how this expanded version went, but because the shorter version was still in my head, all the added material felt weirdly slow & padded to me.
That being said, once I got past that initial hump, it was a good story, with a lot of twists and turns that I honestly didn't expect. I appreciated the moral complexity of the characters; Ms. Novik really does a good job of enabling us to feel sympathy for people and to understand their choices, even those choices that end with people getting hurt. Those choices aren't necessarily *excused*, but they are understood. It's a fine line to walk and the author pulls it off well.
Anyway! Very solid story, enjoyable characters, good world-building. The plot didn't quite grab me and drag me along as strongly as Uprooted did, but to be fair, that's a high bar to clear. This is still a good book and worth your time, in my humble opinion....more
Not bad, but not as gripping as the first book. Maybe it is the lack of 'learning all about dragons and aviators' story, or maybe it is because LaurenNot bad, but not as gripping as the first book. Maybe it is the lack of 'learning all about dragons and aviators' story, or maybe it is because Laurence spends most of this book responding to threats against Temeraire by brooding and glaring and telling people off--the latter of which may have been more satisfying if it didn't happen all the time. I think I'm going to see what other people think about the third book before picking that one up....more
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