This is the most divided I have ever felt about a Stormlight Archive book.
As I read through the beginning, I grew increasingly worried. For some reasoThis is the most divided I have ever felt about a Stormlight Archive book.
As I read through the beginning, I grew increasingly worried. For some reason, it just wasn't hitting. Why? Was something off? Why was I, despite my best efforts, just NOT able to immerse myself in the story? Was it me, or the book?
Luckily, by around the 70% mark the plot started to build, and I was safely hooked. Everything after that crashed toward the finish line with all the momentum and intensity expected from this massive "Avengers: Endgame" level fantasy event.
Overall, I think this book does stick the landing, resolving most of the countless threads of plot and character in a satisfying way, and setting up the future of the Cosmere.
Some standout details in no particular order:
• My boy Szeth-son-son-Vallano, Truthless of Shinovar. I have always loved him <3 and continue to love him <3 and I loved finally getting his backstory! It was a fascinating backstory, and explained a lot about both him and the worldbuilding. The way his family determined to go with him when he was first taken away by the military as a boy TRULY got me in the heart.
• Adolin continues to carry at least half this series on his back in my opinion. Every time I got to one of his chapters, it felt like a relief. His Azish siege was some of the best action and one of the most compelling storylines in the book, especially during the first half when it felt like almost nobody was doing anything elsewhere. I love his relationship with the Azish Prime, and the way the deadeye spren plot thread was resolved. Wholesome. Heartwarming. Inspiring.
• Gavinor :( :( :( :( :( No amount of sad face emojis will adequately express how I feel about this.
• Taln................................................. His is such a horrible, horrible story. When he stood up during the Azish siege, I was shook. That scene had serious resonance.
• I don't really like visions. I never really like them, in any medium and in any story. Dalinar and Navani's field trip through the Spiritual Realm was made bearable by the tension behind the worldbuilding mysteries they were unraveling. It was better than the extended time in Shadesmar in some of the other books, but not by much.
• TANAVAST IS ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE. I HATE HIM AND HIS STUPID ALL CAPS CHAPTERS.
• The ending... I was okay with. Dalinar's ending. Kaladin's ending. Despite not resolving everything, enough was resolved that I'm walking away from this book not feeling jilted.
• I understand The Sunlit Man a lot better now. Might need to reread.
• I still don't care that much about the singers, but I kind of like how the battle at the Shattered Plains was resolved. Feels good, feels right.
• "Honor is dead... but I'll see what I can do." ALRIGHT, KALADIN. WHY DID THIS HIT SO HARD AGAIN? For some reason this worked super well, even though I almost don't understand why. This whole time Kaladin was kind of just a hype man and helper on Szeth's journey, but for everything to end the way it did still somehow made perfect sense.
• Shallan, in this book, was possibly the least annoying she has ever been. I'll admit, I thought we had no more buried secrets to unearth from her incredibly avoidant psyche, but I was proven wrong.
• I don't care about any of the Heralds except Taln. I wish I did. It would have made the visions and Szeth storylines much more impactful.
• Did I mention how much I enjoyed the Azish siege? Adolin being a brilliant tactician AND social engineer... Adolin mentoring Yanagawan... Some very cool action scenes... An absolutely rip-roaring finale sequence...
All right. Now, let's talk about the concerning part:
The Cringe
I have always been a delighted cosmerenaut. I have cringed in the past at Sanderson things, but only the deliberately cringe and annoying things like Wayne, The Reckoners and Frugal Wizard's Guide. I have never been a huge fan of the quintessential Sanderson corny humor but, again except for in the aforementioned works, it has never really gotten in the way of my enjoyment. Certainly it has never been a real issue for me in the Stormlight Archive, with the possible exception of how annoying early Shallan was.
I read almost SEVENTY PERCENT of this book before I really got into it. That is CRAZY and extremely alarming, given that this is book five of the Stormlight Archive.
You have to ask yourself, what on earth is going on?!?
1. The first issue was the corny humor. It seemed really overwhelming and in-your-face at the beginning of the book, and kind of tonally dissonant. This book starts up RIGHT after the end of RoW, which was a massive, high-stakes battle and it takes place over the course of only ten days. In those ten days, everyone is staring down the potential end of the world as they know it. That is an absolutely breathless pace, and I'm therefore pretty surprised at how slow the beginning of the book felt. Why did everyone seem to have infinite time to crack awkward puns and genital/potty humor jokes at each other? Thankfully, this slowed WAY down as the plot actually picked up in the second half.
2. Second issue was the odd fakeness/shallowness of the characters. I have traveled with these people for five (LONG) books now, and I know and love all of them. I'm deeply invested in them and their inward journeys. So why, at the beginning of this book, could I NOT seem to connect with anyone? Shallan's relief over finally coming to a place of stability with her multiple personality issues. Kaladin's relief at his own stability, and beginning journey to focus on himself as well as helping everyone else. Adolin's continuing sense of inferiority and anger at Dalinar. Szeth grappling with his longstanding moral injury.
For some reason, all of this seemed very very shallow and extremely repetitive. These introspective passages came up so frequently and seemed so exactly the same that I was repeatedly thrown out of my immersion in the story during the first half of the book. I'm sitting there wondering why the heck I'm almost bored by hearing about these characters I have LOVED in the past? With how slow all of this felt in a book that takes place over only ten days, it seems like perhaps some tighter editing could have helped us out here.
3. Third issue was The Cringe.
Some things just seemed... off. Some things just didn't hit the way I would have expected them to. Kaladin's therapy shtick with Szeth, for one. I liked the beginning of this in RoW! But the way it was implemented over the course of their Life Changing Road Trip just seemed unrealistic and very cringe. If someone had tried that on Kaladin when he was at his worst, it would NOT have worked. So why are these hamfisted attempts at "Talk about it! You'll feel better! You deserve to be happy! This stuff wasn't your fault!" working on Szeth, who is probably worse off than Kaladin was?
Again, he had TEN DAYS to make a total breakthrough and heal Szeth's broken psyche. This is magnified with Nale, whom they had what, only two days with? It just doesn't seem real, and the way this was written was almost as maladroit and awkward as Kaladin's actual therapeutic attempts. The rapidly increasing usage of the word "therapy" just didn't work for me, either. You can handwave your way out of that by using Wit's offworld vocabulary as an explanation, but that doesn't make Kaladin's "No, I'm his therapist" quip any less embarrassing.
Kaladin's speech to the librarian after she was mean to Syl was cringe. Definitely something Cliopher Mdang would have said, and then everybody nearby would have clapped. Jasnah's debate with Odium was cringe. Not going to lie, I did skip most of the last chapter of that because I was just going "eugh, eegh, agh," all the way through it. Shallan's tension with Mraize was cringe. I cannot convey how much I do not care about Mraize or his relationship with Shallan, and frankly I'm surprised that SHE cares this much. I don't know how many near-miss encounters they had in the Spiritual Realm, but it felt like way too many.
Even some of the actual formatting made me raise an eyebrow, particularly, "It was all he could do to stand there. But stand. Kaladin. DID." It's hard to miss what this ostentatious punctuation and italics is trying to convey: the rousing crescendo of a Hans Zimmer orchestral theme in the background as the wind whips Kaladin's hair and the light dramatically streams down upon him.
This kind of scene happens semi-frequently in the Stormlight Archive, and most of the time I love it! But this particular prose was done so awkwardly and in-your-face that it punched me straight out of my immersion in the story at one of the most climactic moments. What about just writing words normally? I promise the reader can supply the suitable amount of drama for themselves based on the actual tone and content of the scene.
Lastly, some of the portrayal of the characters' issues seemed oddly wooden. This was present in Kaladin and Syl's development as they traveled with Szeth. I understand what they were talking about in establishing their identities separate from their need to help others/each other, but why did it just feel empty and repetitive when they were talking about it? I've never before had an issue caring and empathizing with Kaladin, of all people.
Renarin was another victim of this. His autism just seemed so very "here let me read a checklist of symptoms straight from the DSM-5." It didn't seem real to him, and I for some reason wasn't able to inhabit his perspective. This series has always gone out of its way to highlight things the characters were struggling with (most notably Kaladin's depression and Shallan's DID) but this time instead of feeling like a genuine expansion on a person's complex experience, it felt like ostentatious, unnecessary window dressing.
This is my first time writing anything seriously negative in a Cosmere review.
I enjoyed the book! After I got 60-70% through it felt like old times, like I was back on the solid ground of what I expect from this series. As I said, I thought it overall worked well as a colossal finale for a colossal story. I definitely want to know what happens next.
But for some reason the writing quality, especially in the first half, was just kicking me in the teeth.
This is genuinely upsetting and unsettling to me. I hope that this is just a wobbly step caused by Sanderson's extremely fast writing pace and his change in editors, and not my worst fear coming true. PLEASE don't tell me that I'm outgrowing his writing. The experience of reading an awesome book is so rare and precious that I would hate to lose that.
There's only one way to know for sure. I need to do a Cosmere reread....more
This story follows Gulien and Oressa Madelin, prince and princess of Carastind. Their nation is under threat Overall, very interesting and super cute.
This story follows Gulien and Oressa Madelin, prince and princess of Carastind. Their nation is under threat from an invading force led by Prince Gajdosik and the Keiba, a mysterious semi-divine being who usually watches over Carastind, has withdrawn her protection. Gulien goes on a pilgrimage to make amends to the Kieba, while Oressa stays back to weather the siege and occupation.
This setup is simple enough, but becomes a kaleidoscope of moving parts very quickly.
Gulien's pilgrimage to the Kieba's mountain quickly shows us that there's a lot more going on than we understand. Is the Kieba divine, or is she not? What is the kephalos, and why is it like some kind of sentient AI? What are these plagues that scour the earth, that aren't like any plagues we know of in the real world? What part is Gulien being made to play in this bigger picture?
Gajdosik, the original enemy, becomes an ally of necessity when a greater enemy shows up. He's a good character, almost from the beginning. Hard to hold any of his minor misdeeds against him, and his and Oressa's sojourn in the Kieba's mountain is almost entirely enjoyable and endearing. Oressa has a little bit of "upbeat, sassy young lady who talks too much sometimes, but is smarter than she seems" disease and can come off as younger than she is. However, she walks this fine line pretty well and never tipped over into becoming annoying.
The worldbuilding mystery commanded a large percentage of my investment. I devoured every new piece of the lore behind the Keiba as it was doled out and, while not everything was explained in detail, the end was satisfying. Oressa and Gajdosik are cute. Gulien really got the most difficult ending, but it still felt appropriate. ...more
This is a companion book in the Tenai series, taking place after the events in the main series and following Kuomat, an outlaw leader with a mysteriouThis is a companion book in the Tenai series, taking place after the events in the main series and following Kuomat, an outlaw leader with a mysterious past.
From his large role in book 3 of the main series, it was pretty clear he had at one time been something more than just an outlaw. He and Emel share a very similar vibe and Emel, now elevated to a lord in his own right, chooses to capture Kuomat's outlaw band and force them to become members of his guard.
This goes about as well as you might expect.
Emel and Jenna are in this, but only on the edges of the story. We mostly follow Kuomat as he grapples with the new role he's been thrust into, and with the recurrence of a long-ago past that he had tried to bury for good. I didn't care much for the other members of Kuomat's merry band, and I still don't, but I did thoroughly enjoy the dynamic of Kuomat working the politics of the guard and the noble house to accomplish his goals. It was a very Costis story, except that Kuomat is entirely in charge wherever he lands, and Costis is never in charge except accidentally.
The final reveal of Kuomat's former identity took me by surprise. I honestly hadn't made much of an effort to guess, but if I had guessed I don't think I would have guessed correctly. What came after that was very interesting. It did almost seem like the revelation of his former name did change Kuomat as a person, back into his former identity.
As usual, Mitereh is the best to ever do it. Does he ever get TIRED of being the most kind, clever, and selfless human being in the whole country? Of carrying the whole world on his extremely capable shoulders? Of showing up time and time again as the GOAT? I know that he does. The narrative makes it clear. And yet he still continues relentlessly. What a guy.
I kind of liked Kuomat's resentful refusal to become a part of Mitereh's compulsory happy ending. Even though it wouldn't have occurred to me to write it that way and it still doesn't fully make sense to me, it felt right and accurate for him. And then eventually gaining his cooperation by turning his pride against him was a very satisfying choice. I am a bit disappointed not to see Tenai face Kuomat, but it does perhaps feel in character that she just didn't care enough anymore to even bother.
If Neumeier ever does choose to write more in this universe, I can guarantee that I will be SEATED and ready....more
This book starts with Kes, a teenager from a small, pastoraI'm not quite sure what to say about this.
Was I compelled? Yes. Did I ENJOY it? Mostly no.
This book starts with Kes, a teenager from a small, pastoral town who has never quite fit in with the others around her. She doesn't talk much, has a quiescent personality, and prefers wandering the hills alone to things other girls of her age enjoy. Then, griffins arrive near Kes's small town, and she learns that she is to become a fire mage and a healer.
Kes isn't mad about this. It seems like she would be perfectly happy with this fate, except that the griffins have brought with them a geopolitical conflagration and war is thus on the horizon.
The griffins are interesting. They sort of occupy the same fantasy ecological niche as dragons: alien, powerful, may or may not hunt and eat people, always operating on a totally different wavelength than humanity. The prose, specifically when it centers on the griffins or their desert, waxes lyrical about their inhuman nature, ruthless beauty, etc. I don't feel that we really get to know them very well, and I don't LIKE them, but I feel like both of these things may be deliberate. They are meant to be compelling and off-putting at the same time.
The other half of this story follows Bertaud, a young nobleman in service to the king of Feierabiand, whom he is deeply loyal to and loves like an older brother. He becomes mired in the griffin problem when he leads a military sortie out to drive them from the land. It doesn't go as planned, and soon Feierabiand is on the brink of a three-pronged war with the griffins, and neighboring rival kingdom Casmantium.
It's a powder keg situation, with the griffins and Feierabiand alternately clashing and maneuvering to avoid war. The two peoples struggle to understand each other, even with Kes and Bertaud as go-betweens.
The griffins act aggressive and off-putting, but they perceive themselves as acting with perfect rationality and the humans as showing disrespect and hostility. This is obviously as intended, but it's also unpleasant. Even the two griffins we spend the most time with (I'm not even going to try to spell their names) I never felt like I could invest in as characters.
It was difficult for me to like anyone here. I possibly could have liked Bertaud. It was compelling the way his loyalty to the king was tested and twisted as he tried to stay true to what he thought was right. But I wasn't ever able to really invest in him.
Kes feels very mindless the whole time. At the beginning she is timid and distant. When she's with the griffins, it's as if she resists any thought more complex than "this feels good and right." At the end, she's lost her timidity, but become almost entirely mindless in a different way as the nature of fire magic changes her into someone else. Off-putting, like the griffins.
The most compelling part of the book is the griffin mage and Bertaud's dynamic, which seems like it came to an extremely abrupt climax and denouement.
The griffin mage from the beginning expresses that "my need was too great" to allow me to care about right, wrong, or hurting others. He will do literally anything to accomplish his goals, and won't spend a moment feeling bad about it, and he makes that very clear. When circumstances allow Bertaud to put the griffin mage in an extremely bad position and he justifies it the exact same way, it's very interesting. This is almost the one single moment in the book that a griffin is made to consider another perspective, and therefore we see growth, and I was certainly fascinated by how it turned out.
Overall, this is a story with a lot of originality and a gorgeously described setting and mythos. I was never bored, but also never hit the point of the book I always look forward to where my interest is hooked and investment starts to cascade. I think this just isn't the series for me....more
After the high-tension cliffhanger ending of book 2, this kicks off without a single pause.
Daniel is in the most horrible situation imaginable, forcedAfter the high-tension cliffhanger ending of book 2, this kicks off without a single pause.
Daniel is in the most horrible situation imaginable, forced to betray Tenai, Mitereh, and everyone else he cares for in this world, or else lose his daughter to an unimaginable fate. On the other hand, Jenna and Emel embark on the riskiest cross-country journey ever trying to reach the king and warn him of his secret enemy. In the background, Mitereh, Tenai and the other political chess pieces continue to maneuver on the board of coming warfare.
The two main story threads following Daniel and then Jenna and Emel stay separate for most of the book. The Daniel one is HORRIBLE. It's agonizing and awful. Even after he thinks he's found a way around the magical strictures placed on him, you never KNOW until so late. I was even looking for signs of a secret Oceans 11 fake-out heist being carried out around him, and nothing seemed to be happening until literally the last second. During a few scenes I was close to screaming with pure frustration!
This is the sole reason I have docked a star, and it's not because it's BAD. Just because it hurt my feelings a lot, and I don't know that I would choose to reread this book again for that reason.
The Jenna and Emel plot was much more enjoyable to follow, though still high-stakes. Their escape and falling in with bandits was very interesting, though I do admit that, as someone who has done 10+ years of various martial arts training, I squint a little bit sideways at how effective Jenna's martial arts training is at allowing her to easily kill people with her bare hands. I have to suspend disbelief because I wasn't personally instructed by a supernatural warrior from another dimension. But still, at times it seems like a bit of a stretch.
Jenna and Emel's relationship is nice, such as it is. Like most of the relationships in this book, it exists almost entirely without words. Instead, it is underpinned by a strongly-woven lattice of history, deeds, ritual, and duty. On paper, I support it. In truth, I don't understand it.
This is because the more time I spend with Emel and the more I heard him talk, the more I like him. Jenna, unfortunately, becomes less real and more vaguely stupid the more dialogue she is given. Her inner world narration is FINE, but for some reason every time she has to speak out loud for longer than one sentence, she sounds like an underbaked fifteen-year-old with a too-steady diet of Instagram and TikTok. It's fortunate that the circumstances of the majority of this book forced her to remain mostly laconic.
The denouement was good, primarily because it provided an end to Daniel's suffering. I also, as usual, really liked Mitereh's creative solutions to problems, and how he dispensed both justice and favor in due course to each person involved.
Tenai, if anything, is even more narratively distant in this book than the last one. We hardly know anything that is going on in her mind, or what lies behind any action she takes. This is even true at the end, when SUPPOSEDLY she had been in on the plot the whole time, but then became poisoned with hatred by the recurrence of war and possibly doing a human sacrifice. This is fine, but I wish we had gotten to see a debrief afterward with Daniel. If anything was lacking, it was again the kind of meaningful conversations between characters that were mostly implied to have taken place, but off-screen....more
The portal fantasy series continues, and this time how the turn tables!
Tenai, in the previous book, dropped into the modern day as a dark avenger who The portal fantasy series continues, and this time how the turn tables!
Tenai, in the previous book, dropped into the modern day as a dark avenger who could see nothing but her all-consuming bitter rage. She learned to see beyond it and live again, creating her own life, helping others, and forming relationships.
This book starts from that point and doesn't waste even a word before plunging Daniel, a mild-mannered psychiatrist, his college-age daughter Jenna, and Tenai back into Tenai's fantasy world. This is a rude shock to Daniel and Jenna, but they roll with it. Their journey, adjusting to the strange new world and seeing Tenai with new eyes, is very enjoyable.
The Tenai everyone in this world knew was a merciless butcher who could neither be gainsaid nor reasoned with. Tenai, now that she has changed, is as much of a shock to everyone in her world as the world is to Daniel and Jenna. Her very presence threatens to destabilize everything, and the plot revolves around Tenai and the young king Mitereh struggling to keep the kingdom from sliding back into warfare.
True to the Rachel Neumeier form, there is politics! There is ritual! And, of course, strong, twisted threads of loyalty and duty binding all the characters together! I loved it.
I could wish that there were maybe more meaningful moments between the characters. Ritual and duty carry SO MUCH of the emotional pathos of the relationships that there are only a few times when Jenna and Daniel, or Daniel and Tenai, or Tenai and Jenna are together. I wish they got to actually talk about something meaningful or even just enjoy each other's company in a way that reinforced their relationship. In addition, Tenai, while her journey back to the light in book 1 was wonderful, becomes less and less of a fleshed-out character the longer she stays in her world. She seems more of a force of nature that everyone is reacting to, and we're not given much insight into her inner world anymore.
However, even without this I was compelled. I think that this book and the next one, rather than being Tenai's books, are Mitereh and Daniel's books. Daniel is still playing his role as a foil for Tenai when he can, but he seems to spend much more time being the foil and audience POV character in interactions with Mitereh. While I do regret Tenai's relative distance from the narrative compared to book 1, I love Mitereh so I can't be really mad.
I am, however, mad about the END OF THIS BOOK! The rudest reveal and most suspenseful cliffhanger ever. Horrible. Awful. Unforgivable. I had to get the next book right away even though I was supposed to go to bed after finishing this one....more
Portal fantasy where a horrifying, immortal, eldritch warrior from another universe gets transported into our world. She is immediately taken to an inPortal fantasy where a horrifying, immortal, eldritch warrior from another universe gets transported into our world. She is immediately taken to an inpatient treatment facility and connects with a well-meaning doctor, who helps her work through centuries of trauma and atrocious war crimes. This is honestly legendary, and I LOVED the extended postscript....more
Guys, I'm so sad. I feel like I should make a joke here, but I'm genuinely disappointed and I really don't have it in me.
My relationship with this serGuys, I'm so sad. I feel like I should make a joke here, but I'm genuinely disappointed and I really don't have it in me.
My relationship with this series has been a wild up-and-down ride since the beginning. I have LOVED these books. I spent an embarrassing amount of money this year on a special edition of book 1. Book 5 was the comeback kid after a Lon Leresh-shaped lull in book 4. I was so excited about where we were going. The end of book 5 was such a cliffhanger!
But unfortunately, I think this might be where I have to part ways with Rezkin for good.
This book felt like a MASSIVE step back for Rezkin's character and for the series. After (view spoiler)[he died at (hide spoiler)]the end of the previous book, he spent this entire book undercover as the Raven, free as a bird, fast-traveling his way across the entire continent in mere blinks of an eye. We didn't make any progress towards defeating Caydean, we didn't make any progress interpersonally with the characters' relationships (with one notable exception!), and we didn't make much progress in Rezkin's own development as a character (with one notable exception?).
Honestly, it feels like the author is bored with her own story.
This series has always been very seriously flawed. I've seen the prose described as "grin and bear it" in another review here, which I think is very accurate, but it made up for these issues in sheer screaming fun. I'm not sure if it's just me, but that latter element was absolutely nowhere in my experience of reading this book. The story felt lifeless and empty, like the author was just rushing to hit necessary points and get it over with. The usual stupidity seemed extra stupid, and the heart and enjoyable hijinks were absent.
Everything from here on out is a spoiler.
Things I did like in this book:
• Movement on the Frisha issue! Frisha finally escaped and her golem was defeated. That's a huge relief to me, as this situation was very stressful. However, Tieran acted like an irrational, angry blockhead during this entire episode, and I'm not sure I will forgive him for it.
• I thought it was really funny when Caydean's bloody, over-the-top ritualistic demon summoning ended with all the demons wishing death on fae and humankind and then Avikeev is like "AND WESSON IN PARTICULAR." Like wow somebody's obsessed.
• I thought it was REALLY funny when Rezkin tries to impersonate a ladies' maid and gets called out for not walking right and it says, "Disappointed that he had failed in his femininity, Rezkin retreated." CRIT FAIL on femininity roll.
• I still like Wesson a lot.
That's pretty much it for what I liked. Things that bummed me out:
• Rezkin's elvish powers have leaped so far forward now that he was able to do all his subterfuge and spying as the Raven with magical disguises and illusions. Kinda neat, but also is just a massive shortcut for him and the playing field didn't seem to be leveled by the opposition of demonic powers as much as it might have been.
• Seena as baby dragon companion was fine. I like her taking the place of Cat as the companion animal that Rezkin loves almost against his will. I even like her functioning as one of the mental/spiritual ties that is shielding him against the elven madness. "Rezkin was saved from the madness by his early emotional repression, and now that he is becoming more open it is connection to others that saves him" is a GREAT development along a theme, I think. HOWEVER, Seena's actual purpose, which is to act as a convenient fast travel mechanic, is not nearly as great. There were times when I genuinely didn't know where Rezkin was for several paragraphs because he was jumping so frequently from city to city. It just felt cheap.
• After being saved from Lon Leresh (my beloathed) in the previous book, what did we do in this book but go RIGHT BACK to that cursed land! We spent a full half of the book there. I like Yserria and I don't mind what she and Malcius have going on. It's kind of cute. But oh my goodness the queenship contest was mind-numbingly stupid. The arena fight and parallel Godzilla vs Kong match that was going on in the city just had me flipping pages as fast as possible out of monotony rather than suspense. And after all that, we didn't even uncover Caydean's real purpose in Lon Leresh. What are we doing? What are we accomplishing? It felt like this book used so many pages and so many words to barely take one half of one step forward.
• Developments on the Tam front? What even WAS that? He's barely back after FINALLY being rescued, and now he's missing again, captive again? And we don't even hear about it until halfway through the book? Does nobody in this WORLD care about Tam except Rezkin? And then he found him after like one chapter, and again nothing at all was resolved.
• Entire massive swaths of characters were offscreen for this entire book. The cast may have reached a point of critical overload, if this is the best we can do. The strikers? Reaylin? Anything going on in Cael that's not Tieran fighting with Frisha's golem? What about that other kingdom Rezkin conquered, with the sword? The wolves, from last book? There are so many tangled threads we have to pull on, and instead we chose to spend half the book on Lon Leresh and all of our relationship-exploring points on Azeria.
• AZERIA. I don't mind Azeria as a character. She doesn't fawn over Rezkin and she stands up to him. Other than that, there's not much to her, which to be fair isn't that unusual in this series. However, what I DO mind is our incredibly fast, unearned speedrun of Rezkin and Azeria suddenly becoming this endgame couple with an unbreakable yearning bond. Need I remind anyone that this is the sixth book in this series, and we met Azeria JUST LAST BOOK?
As I said before, there are SO MANY TANGLED THREADS. Not only in a plot sense, but in a relationship sense! I am wild to see developments on the fronts of Frisha, Tam, Rezkin's mom, Striker Farson, even Rezkin meeting Thresson! We have spent such a long time seeing these tiny little cracks open up in Rezkin's impenetrable facade as he learned how to be vulnerable and care about people. (Temporary blindness in book 3, my beloved!!!) To do all that and then have all the characters I care about either offscreen or completely separated from one another, while Rezkin is suddenly pledging unfettered honesty, vulnerability, and faith to a character I met ONE BOOK AGO feels like a total farce.
There just doesn't seem to have been even a token effort at making this relationship something load-bearing, and because of that a large part of this book falls completely flat. Rezkin's incognito meetup with Azeria has none of the irony or bittersweet feeling that it should carry. Azeria's supposed sorrow and Rezkin's supposed yearning failed to provoke a single answering emotion in me. Rezkin's final reveal of himself to Azeria lacked all of the drama, pathos, and swelling triumphant music in the background that should have accompanied that moment. There's just nothing there, and there never has been.
This is such a sad, sad day. I want to say that I hope the next book will redeem whatever's going on here, but the truth is I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book. After six books, it almost seems like Rezkin is no closer to defeating Caydean than he was at the beginning, and even if Caydean is brought down there will still be the fae vs demon war to win. I'm beginning to doubt whether my investment can hang on for that long, and whether the author's can either....more
This is a Robin McKinley compilation of several short fairy tales. I found it to be mostly uninspiring, like almost all short stories, but enjoyable aThis is a Robin McKinley compilation of several short fairy tales. I found it to be mostly uninspiring, like almost all short stories, but enjoyable and charming for what it is. There are four stories, some much longer than others, and our theme for the day is princesses. There are two original tales, as well as two retellings: the princess and the frog (my favorite, and the shortest) and the twelve dancing princesses.
Overall, I remain puzzled by the fact that I ADORE McKinley's Damar-world books, but have been somewhat less than impressed by everything else I've read from her....more
To what I'm sure is everyone's everlasting shock, surprise, incredulity, etc. this was great.
This is the flashback story of Ryo's mother and father geTo what I'm sure is everyone's everlasting shock, surprise, incredulity, etc. this was great.
This is the flashback story of Ryo's mother and father getting together, and it's very interesting. It was a second marriage for his father after becoming a widower, and a first for his (much younger) mother. I really liked seeing Marag's point of view as she carefully considered everything, and Sinowa's as he crashed through every problem like an extremely confident wrecking ball. He was known by everyone as That Guy With The Unmitigated Gall. Marag was like, Hm. Don't know if this is wise. Compels me though. And you know what? I respect that.
The central problems of the plot were 1) mysterious curse possessing people and 2) tribe with weak morals badly managing their youth. This latter issue is a classic of the genre, and called back (forward?) to Ryo's adopting Tano. The former issue is one we haven't seen before, and I still don't really know what was happening, though it lent a nice spooky atmosphere of suspense to the story. And an author's note in the back hints that the angry spirit will be explained eventually, so that's something to look forward to....more
I'm sure no one is surprised when I say that I read this book in one sitting, adore it, and am even now restraining myself from jumping up and down wiI'm sure no one is surprised when I say that I read this book in one sitting, adore it, and am even now restraining myself from jumping up and down with glee.
"Is this girl ever going to read anything that's not a Tuyo book?" you ask.
Well, yes, probably, because there's only one more currently published Tuyo book. But if there were an infinite number, I have to confess that I might struggle to force myself to ever read any other series.
Anyway, this book is an entry in the "soldier and a woman evading pursuit and causing shenanigans as they travel across the country" subgenre of this series, but it's much more serious in tone than Esau and Keraunani's book. This is partially because the stakes are higher, and partially because Kior and Rihasi, the two POV characters, are more serious people than Esau.
Rihasi is fleeing pursuit and assassination at every turn as she struggles doggedly toward her goal - to reach Lord Aras and lay her petition before him. Kior just took her on as a job, but before long finds himself an inextricable part of her mission, even though it may cost him his own long-held secrets.
The whole thing is great. There's an atmosphere of intrigue as we gradually learn more about both Rihasi and Kior's pasts, and ratcheting up suspense as they race against the clock to reach Lord Aras. There's only one hearing of a capital crime in this book, which is fewer than usual, but it was a pretty good one. I wouldn't have complained about seeing more drama up close, or about seeing Kior's reunion with his family, but to be fair Kior and Rihasi had been through a LOT by that time, so it's probably reasonable to pass lightly over the epilogue matters.
I loved getting to see Aras post-Tasmakat, since there's a LOT we don't yet know. However, many questions remain, most urgently: what is the state of Aras' sorcery now? Did the madness just start over at square one, ready to be triggered again if he uses coercion? I noticed that he did NOT mind-control ANY of the people in the hall of judgment even when it might have been convenient to do so. Or now that he's been judged by the Sun and counseled by whoever that guy was, is the madness no longer a concern?
I will not be fully at ease until I know these things, but I acknowledge that Aras is just a side character in this story. Regardless, it was good to see him back where he belongs, and at harmony with the prince. It was nice to see the prince a little more up close, and meet his daughter!
Overall, an excellent experience characteristic of this whole series. No notes....more
Book 1 Aras: I do hope this sorcerer isn't going to be too difficult to deal with. They often are, you know.
Book 3 Aras: Another evil sorcerer, you saBook 1 Aras: I do hope this sorcerer isn't going to be too difficult to deal with. They often are, you know.
Book 3 Aras: Another evil sorcerer, you say? I can't WAIT to CRUSH him under my heel and make him WISH HE'D NEVER BEEN BORN. I'm going to DRAG HIS WORLD DOWN AROUND HIS EARS. *ahem* ...For the greater good, of course.
Okay. With the greatest and most respectful restraint, I have to say that I am JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND SCREAMING. This book was an extremely long, epic journey to hell and back. I had chores to do today, and I did exactly none of them because I could not countenance putting this book down for that long.
This is definitely a long travelogue book. They are traveling the ENTIRE time, without exaggeration. There are three distinct phases: 1) Journey to the Summer Country, 2) Journey to the Summer King's Reckoning, and 3) Journey to the Land of the Jackal-Headed People and People-Headed Lions.
We pick up immediately after the end of book two, with Ryo, Aras, and the whole crew traveling back to the Summer Country after their extremely long and arduous sojourn. So many questions remain. Can Ryo come to grips with the weird polygamy situation he's entered into? Is Aras' newfound difficulty controlling himself getting worse? Of course, there are many small and large dangers and adventures they face before they even get within sight of the river. I was riveted the whole time, naturally. I'm not going to lie - I don't enjoy the weird polygamy situation, and it took up a lot of emotional and narrative space in this part of the book.
Once they make it to the Summer Country, though, things really started kicking off. Some highlights:
• I was RABID to know how it Aras' justice against the attempted assassination from last book was going to go. Frankly, I did NOT expect how it went? Gratifying. Deeply concerning. Both at the same time.
• Kerren was a good character. He got better and better as the story went on.
• WE GOT TO MEET ARAS' FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have liked, frankly, to spend a LOT more time with them than we did, but what we got was quite enjoyable. I clocked his granddaughter the MINUTE she said, "Don't be sad!" What a terrifying, heart-wrenching set of circumstances. This subplot had me on tenterhooks the entire time.
• This is redundant because by now we all know the entire series is about this but. THE LOYALTY DYNAMICS. They remain ABSOLUTELY UNMATCHED. Everyone has some sort of complex tangle of deep honor and loyalty they're striving to satisfy, and it's incredible. I was FEASTING.
• Lots more worldbuilding was added. It's interesting we hadn't heard anything about day-astrology in the previous books, but it became so significant here. It was also interesting to hear what the Jackal People had to say about the origin of sorcery.
• There is absolutely a high-pitched violin note of sustained tension rising in the background the whole time, when it comes to Aras' slowly yet inexorably progressing descent into megalomania. Each time he wanted to do something, or did something, and Ryo pulled him up on it and in all wide-eyed sincerity he argued, "I really don't think this will cause harm, Ryo." Well. I was biting my nails. By the time they dealt with the Peacock Desert issue, WELL. The writing was pretty clearly on the wall. I was horrified and scared but I also loved it. Even the gradually-progressing changes of his speech patterns that Ryo made note of... THE TENSION.
• I WAS SO. INVESTED. in the Summer King's reckoning. And it delivered. I loved seeing their family dynamic there, as well, with the king and the prince and Aras and Commander Samaura all being relatives and caring about one another, but also bound so strictly to their greater responsibilities.
• Aras voluntarily taking the sleeping potion over and over throughout his life, never knowing if this is the one time he's not going to wake up from it... Upsetting.
• I still have less than no idea what the People-Headed Lions actually look like, and I'm not sure I want to. A weirdly small human head affixed to a massive lion body with zero neck? A weirdly huge human head with a freakishly large neck? They still have manes, so is the human head just like, planted in the center of the mane like the middle part of a sunflower? Creepy. I just started imagining them as complete, sentient lions after a while because it was less distracting.
• Also, is it just me or are the People-Headed Lions kind of OP? Like, they CREATED the Jackal People? They had the power to grant sorcery in the first place? They can teleport, terraform and so on and so forth? Each people does have their own special abilities, but this seems to just make the People-Headed Lions basically demigods.
• Aras whenever he gets to be a part of a happy surprise: >:D
• The climax... I would say "the ending" but in classic Tuyo Series fashion, it's not the ending since there's a decently long "and back again" portion. THE CLIMAX... (view spoiler)[When Ryo stabbed Aras I was so sad. When it turned out to have been a sorcerous false memory, I was SHOOK. WHEN HE HAD TO DO IT THREE TIMES... WHEN ARAS FINALLY LET HIM DO IT FOR REAL... (hide spoiler)]
This story follows Tano, a character introduced in book 2 of Ryo's trilogy, but it's hardly a mere sidenote. This was just one punch to the heart overThis story follows Tano, a character introduced in book 2 of Ryo's trilogy, but it's hardly a mere sidenote. This was just one punch to the heart over and over and over again.
Tano is a young man recently adopted into the inGara tribe from a very abusive situation. And can I just say, I LOVE HIM. He is wracked by self-doubt, trauma, and guilt, but he's so smart and such a little snake and I enjoy following him so much. (He's trying to learn NOT to be a snake, but as we see in this book, it's not always a bad thing!)
In Tarashana, Tano brings about the downfall of his abusive father and his father's tribe. In Tano, we see that that story is hardly over. Tano and his friends set out to chase down some members of his old tribe for what seems to be a good reason, and end up landing themselves in extreme danger very quickly. It was jarring to me how fast they went from lowkey to the most awful circumstances and narrowest escape ever known to mortal man. The TENSION. The SUSPENSE. I was flipping pages (metaphorically, on a Kindle) compulsively. It's really hard to work out and read at the same time, but today I managed it.
In the end, Tano has to face several of his deeply trauma-rooted fears, and comes out of it with steadying experience, on the road to confidence and healing. It's great to see the inGara in this, and how they strive to handle difficult situations with wisdom and thoughtful consideration. I also loved Aras' small part, because I am THE Aras stan. Truly this felt more like the cornerstone of a whole new series than just a side-character novella, and I can't wait to hopefully see more of Tano in the future....more
This novella is an aside taking place after the end of Tuyo, the first book, in which a renowned Lau doctor travels into the Winter Country alone to tThis novella is an aside taking place after the end of Tuyo, the first book, in which a renowned Lau doctor travels into the Winter Country alone to treat the wounded left there after the battle.
The doctor is a little thoughtlessly arrogant, set in his ways, and high-handed without meaning to be. He's also selflessly dedicated to the sick and injured, and despite crashing into the Ugaro camp and culture gracelessly, they find a way to work together toward a common goal. He has surprising things to teach the Ugaro, and they have things to teach him in turn that he never expected.
This is an interesting addition to the series, because we see far more of "good" Lau magic and how it works than we've ever been shown before. I liked all the nitty-gritty medical details, the negotiation of culture clash, and overall thoroughly enjoyed this story....more
This book takes place concurrently with Tarashana.
While Aras and Ryo are striking off into the Winter Country, we're left at home with the developingThis book takes place concurrently with Tarashana.
While Aras and Ryo are striking off into the Winter Country, we're left at home with the developing assassination attempt aftermath. Esau, one of Aras's men, is sent off on a confidential mission which he thinks will be pretty simple. It turns out to be a complete shenanigan from start to finish.
In addition, it's told half in the current time and half in flashbacks. Esau's present-day mission is the covert extraction of a woman from a dangerous situation, which is complicated when she decides to be uncooperative with her rescue. It's pretty fun, I have to admit. In the flashbacks, we see Lalani's introduction to the talon as a 17yo talon wife (Yikes!!!!!! This is creepy and gross, but the Lau don't think so and it is not presented that way in the story.) and Esau's development from a regular soldier into a man known for pulling success out of odd situations and impossible missions.
There are zero Ugaro in this story, so as you can imagine there is a lot less extremely serious negotiation of customs and cultural mores. Esau is a much more fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants type of guy. It is enjoyable to see how the soldiers relate to each other, and Esau's role as Shenanigans McGee certainly doesn't leave any time for getting bored. Overall, this kept my attention the whole time and the resolution was surprisingly wholesome....more
This book dragged me through a slow-motion, multi-part roller coaster ride.
Part 1: The Summer Country and Journey to the Ugaro
This was FABULOUS. I wasThis book dragged me through a slow-motion, multi-part roller coaster ride.
Part 1: The Summer Country and Journey to the Ugaro
This was FABULOUS. I was so happy to see Ryo and Aras again. Their dynamic remains immaculate. Aras is perfect. He is right about everything. Ryo is unflinchingly loyal, even when he has to tell Aras to his face that he's wrong. Starts off with a bang and then continues through tense negotiations of morality, loyalty, law, and relationships. You know me, I LOVE that.
When they started on the journey to the Winter Country, I was a little sad to leave the developing assassination attempt situation behind without seeing it resolved, but I was consoled by how Ryo almost immediately picked up a pathetic life form. This was engrossing, and Ryo's developing mentorship and relationship with Tano held my FULL ATTENTION. His situation only becomes more gripping with every little detail we learn about his backstory.
Part 2: Land of the Shades
This part seemed to take the longest. I wasn't disinterested in this save-the-universe plot, although it did seem very under-explained, but it was a long journey with a lot of environmental description. I don't really care about the people of the starlit lands. And this section has a lot less of the relationship/morality/values negotiation that is my most beloved throughout this whole series. Finally, at the end, the great climax comes, and it is HORRIFYING. I was stunned with horror. And it just goes on. And on. And on. For so long.
Part 3: Aftermath and Convocation
We're completely done saving the world and it's only like 2/3 through the book. That's when you know that you're really in for it.
I was glad the book didn't end leaving Aras and Ryo in their immediate post-battle state, because I don't think I could have emotionally withstood that. I read this book until 2AM and deeply regretted it the next day, but I COULDN'T put it down until I knew if they resolved their problems. Yikes yikes yikes. This was good, because Aras and Ryo are the heart of this whole series and it was such a high stakes and probably necessary moment for their dynamic, but still so painful. You mean Aras isn't perfect, and right about everything?
The Convocation plotline when they finally made it back to the Ugaro was RIVETING. Satisfying. Excellent. I love the Ugaro's extremely systematic, custom-based form of dealing with issues. Lots of talking. Lots of telling and re-telling things that happened. I couldn't look away the whole time. Tano is a great character, and I very much enjoyed getting a look behind the curtain of his story and seeing him get justice for his family. Loved it.
And then, in the middle of all this talking about what Tano did, the Aras and Ryo problem gets WORSE. SO MUCH WORSE. What is happening??? I'm worried now! But then it gets solved. Kind of? Overall, I went through the wringer with this book. It felt quite long and slow in parts, but I don't regret a minute of it. It definitely left me with the sword of Damocles issues hanging overhead that the second book in a trilogy often does, so I'll be going on to the next book forthwith. I have to resolve this tension asap.
Brief note on negatives: this book goes a lot more into the Lau types of wives, and Ugaro polygamy (and polyandry?) than previous series installments. We'll see how that goes, moving forward....more
The ordeal of reading this felt a lot like going for a run when you really don't want to: constant thoughts of stopping, and an eWE DID IT BAYBEEEEEEE
The ordeal of reading this felt a lot like going for a run when you really don't want to: constant thoughts of stopping, and an exercise of willpower just to keep your feet hitting the ground at a good pace. I was tired. I wanted a drink of water and to go home. Every moment seemed like an hour. My library loan ran out twice on this, it took me so long to finish.
Anyway, now that I am finally done, in all ways other than physically I am standing atop a victor's podium right now.
It wasn't the WORST. What makes this series fun in general is still present here. But it's just so much and so long. I always talk about the Queen's Thief series as a masterpiece in minimalist writing, and now I think I've found the perfect counterpoint to that. Paolini is definitely a MAXIMALIST. We get to read about Eragon's day beginning and his day ending, every day. We get to read about his training, his eating, his worrying, his dreaming, his having meaningful moments with every single significant character before and after every single significant moment, etc.
There's a lot to talk about - Nasuada's capture, Galbatorix's defeat, Murtagh, the ending, the catastrophically harebrained "sneak into Dras Leona" mission - but I just have nothing to say. I'm WEARY. Galbatorix met his final end, and all I could think was, There's still 15% of the book left.
The only thing I really do have to say is about Nasuada's magician registration program. Respectfully, why the hell does she think that's a good idea? And why did Eragon think allowing her to do it was okay? I also don't understand how Eragon's plan to raise a new group of Riders is going to work, but I don't really care either because I'm too busy rejoicing that the book is over.
I'm supposed to go on to Murtagh now, but I think might have to wait a bit to gain a second wind....more
I was warned about this book being mostly filler and a massive slog. I actually didn't find it to be so!
This book does occupy a weird place, being whI was warned about this book being mostly filler and a massive slog. I actually didn't find it to be so!
This book does occupy a weird place, being what was originally intended to be the finale of the series, but now stuck between book 2 and what became book 4. So there is some feeling that the ball doesn't move as much as you feel like it should. However, I enjoyed the whole thing completely and chugged through it at a steady pace. I never got bogged down - I enjoy Roran's arc a lot, and am happy to follow along with Eragon's steady quest to become the most overpowered individual in the realm....more
D. B. Guin
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