Retired wounded war heroes, covert operations, steampunky goodness, romance, and good coffee -- this book has a lot going on! It was great fun. It sadRetired wounded war heroes, covert operations, steampunky goodness, romance, and good coffee -- this book has a lot going on! It was great fun. It saddened me, though it felt realistic and understandable, that our heroes met, hit it off, and then parted in a way that could easily have led to a permanent separation (though both hoped not). But, as I said, that's real life sometimes. TBC...more
Fabulous! Batman and Robin in a fantasy/steampunk world with sharp edges and oceans' deep heart. Fabulous! Batman and Robin in a fantasy/steampunk world with sharp edges and oceans' deep heart. ...more
I love Ginn Hale and this set (1 short novel and 2 short stories) just reminded me why. Interesting world-building, a deft hand at creating charactersI love Ginn Hale and this set (1 short novel and 2 short stories) just reminded me why. Interesting world-building, a deft hand at creating characters that feel real within the space of a few paragraphs, and an admirable ability to wrap plot and description together in an organic way. I really loved these! Only two niggling problems. One, in the third story there's a time jump that glosses over an important development that I wish the reader could have taken part in, not had presented after the fact. If you take into account the particulars of the first story, it's easy to understand why she wrote it this way, it just would have been nice if it could have been fleshed out more. Second, and I know I am being utterly importunate, but why are there no more stories in this world?!...more
The latest/last? dose of the adventurous swashbuckling of Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge crew! Had a great time beginning to end. Basilard sets off The latest/last? dose of the adventurous swashbuckling of Lindsay Buroker's Emperor's Edge crew! Had a great time beginning to end. Basilard sets off into the wilds of his home country in an attempt to fight a blight ravaging the countryside with only Maldynado, J-random soldier as driver, Mahliki (President Starcrest's daughter who's a botanical graduate student/genius), and an enemy spy in tow. Naturally, Basilard and the spy (view spoiler)[find each other wildly attractive (hide spoiler)]. Naturally Amaranthe and Sicarius turn up to supervise the lot. Naturally, they are all in over their heads -- except Amaranthe, who lives there, and Sicarius who has so far never met anything he couldn't kill or control -- other than Amaranthe. It's always good to see old friends!...more
3.5. It was nice to see another side of Therrick! Not always the growling asshole. Lilah was definitely not what I would have expected from another Zi3.5. It was nice to see another side of Therrick! Not always the growling asshole. Lilah was definitely not what I would have expected from another Zirkander, but then Ridge is a hard act to follow. They were good together.
For those of you who like less romance, beware, this story leans much more heavily on the romance side than most of the series.
What I really want to see is what can they'll find in the new part of the Referatu refuge they've uncovered. Perhaps a more complete history of why the tragedy happened -- now we know who did it and how they did it, but we still don't really know why! Not to mention there must be all sorts of magical secrets hidden in the labs!
This world still has more stories in it! Hopefully Lindsay will come back and tell them to us....more
Ridge, Sardelle, Cas, and Tolemek and company are swashbuckling their way to the end of the series. Which is not only exactly what I was expecting butRidge, Sardelle, Cas, and Tolemek and company are swashbuckling their way to the end of the series. Which is not only exactly what I was expecting but also exactly what I wanted. Sometimes Lindsay Buroker's tales of derring-do are just too warm and fuzzy for me. ...And as a woman who likes her warm and fuzzy, this is to say I have to have slightly higher stores of "suspension of disbelief" in stock when reading her books than I normally do. She asks a lot more of her hero(ine)s than other authors because she let's them live when by all normal laws of existence something they've done should have killed them. BUT the books are fun, adventurous romps with large but not overly explicit dollops of romance.
In this 6th of 7 books and 2 interleaving novellas (5.5 and 7.5 to be precise), dragons have arisen and not only do they not have our heroes best interests at heart, their magic makes them far more powerful than any mere humans. Beware the cliffhanger! Now on to book 7, Soulblade....more
3.5. I liked the premise and the world building. I loved the entirity of Istvan (a ghost embodying not only itself but all of the Great War? Terrifyin3.5. I liked the premise and the world building. I loved the entirity of Istvan (a ghost embodying not only itself but all of the Great War? Terrifying and awe-inspiring) and Edmund's magic (time magic is always interesting). Edmund was a mostly good man who made a terrible mistake to gain power and tried his damnedest not to hurt too many while helping as many as he could. Istvan was incredible that despite his power (the violence, the pain, the ferocity) he was a doctor always - helping others, relieving pain his first priority, even though he was sickened by his methods.
I think I would have liked this novel more if something in the way it was told didn't push me back a step. (view spoiler)[And if Grace had never been alive in it. (hide spoiler)] No matter what, though, I would like to see more if there ever is more....more
A steampunk/fantasy/romance that never quite struck the right note with me. I am certain that it will be to other people's tastes even though I feel nA steampunk/fantasy/romance that never quite struck the right note with me. I am certain that it will be to other people's tastes even though I feel no great desire to go forward in the series....more
2.75. And so the Flashgold tales end with a bit of a whimper. The premise and the characters were interesting, but over time everything just became a 2.75. And so the Flashgold tales end with a bit of a whimper. The premise and the characters were interesting, but over time everything just became a blur of "more of what you expect from Buroker": feisty women, strong men who like them, improbably described action where our heroes should have dropped dead seven daring feats ago but miraculously survive. Don't get me wrong, I like her work, but some of the staples of her writing just become irritating if you don't have an investment or affection for the characters performing the stunts. Now to check out her newer series and see if I can invest in it....more
3.5 rounded down. Visiting with Sardelle and Ridge and Tolemek and company (even if I must put up with Jaxi, whom I find much more juvenile than funny3.5 rounded down. Visiting with Sardelle and Ridge and Tolemek and company (even if I must put up with Jaxi, whom I find much more juvenile than funny) is always fun. I enjoy Lindsay's books, even if her heroes often do things that simply wouldn't work. I have come to expect much swashbuckling derring-do ala the Musketeers, so that only mildly knocks me out of the story. There was just a bit too much of it in this one, though, so my rating reflects that....more
Wish I could rate this more highly, because the world was interesting and the author's love and enthusiasm for her work is obvious, but there were tooWish I could rate this more highly, because the world was interesting and the author's love and enthusiasm for her work is obvious, but there were too many problems with how it was written for me to get past it. Scenes didn't flow well, not only from one to another, but also within themselves. I sometimes couldn't follow the characters movements or conversation. Words were used in ways that made no sense to me; even when I tried to accept that the author might have intended words to mean something slightly different in this reality -- not sure how someone standing in a study could be piling things on top of the "vestibule" in front of her. Was it supposed to be some article of furniture rather than a room connecting one space to another? In another jarring moment a character referred to the Great Fire of London -- when this was fairly obviously not our world and I couldn't remember any other mention of London (or England for that matter). Rather disappointing....more
2.75. Started out well. Limped along. Ended. Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea.2.75. Started out well. Limped along. Ended. Perhaps it just wasn't my cup of tea....more