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booksblabbering's review against another edition
4.0
The pacing of a quartet can be hard to master, yet this was a strong second book.
Utilising sensible time jumps, introducing new characters and places, the plot is moved along to keep your attention and to develop the characters well.
At long last, after years of waiting, one of the men who might one day be Khai Machi had made his move. The city waited for the drama to unfold.
Maati is considered an embarrassment and sent to find out whether Otah had anything to do with his brothers’ deaths.
Otah has taken on a new identity as a courier but is drawn to his father’s city and becomes embroiled in other people’s plotting he wants no part of.
Idaan is the daughter of the Khai and is considered lesser, not a threat, a pawn for marriage than anything worth power. She has learnt to be cutting, ironic, cruel; hidden behind her paints and a nice smile.
<b>‘Ah, and if I do this thing, you’ll be shamed. Because I have breasts and you’ve a prick, I’m supposed to muzzle myself and be glad. Is that it? Well I won’t. You hear me? I will not be controlled, I will not be owned, and I will not step back from anything to protect your petty pride. It’s gone too far for that, brother. If a woman shrinks meekly back into the shadows, then you be the woman. See how it feels to you!’
</b>
We have characters who have loved, betrayed, grown up being reunited admit a charged climate full of suspicions and secrets.
We see the power grabbing of the city and still the Galts are in the background trying to be puppet masters.
mthesestrim's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
30 goddamn poses in the Prologue. This series is just not worth the effort. Yet another example of fantasy fans being disappointingly content with amateurish prose. Good on them. I genuinely cannot suffer through such lame prose. I'm reading a book after all - it's all there is to it. I did not come here for a screenplay.
vitalbeachyeah's review against another edition
3.0
I plodded through this, and found myself less able than before to overlook the problems - chiefly a lack of suspense stemming from poor structure, and characters making inexplicable decisions to further the plot. Still love the core ideas, especially the way in which language shapes the world.
josh4167's review against another edition
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
silvermuse603's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jdaigle's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoying this low-key fantasy series from Abraham who also moonlights with Ty Franck as James S.A. Corey of "The Expanse" fame. The setting is vaguely eastern/south Asian and the magic is interesting but both take the backseat to the strong characters and relationships. Will definitely be finishing the series and moving on to Abraham's Dagger and the Coin.
hypatia13's review against another edition
3.0
Halfway through reading this, I was bored and not interested in the series at all. But then it got a lot better. The world building is quite well done, and the intrigue is complex, even when you're not being kept guessing. Not a fast-paced page turner, but an enjoyable story in the end.
I'm torn about the female characters in this book. It's a traditional fantasy male-dominated society, and the plot of this book largely revolves around at least one female rebelling against that. At the same time, her rebellion ends up being evil and destabilizing, and certainly doesn't bring about any lasting change, which I thought was disappointing. I think there are a few peripheral female characters who have the potential to be awesome and strong characters, so I hope we see more of them in the next book.
I'm torn about the female characters in this book. It's a traditional fantasy male-dominated society, and the plot of this book largely revolves around at least one female rebelling against that. At the same time, her rebellion ends up being evil and destabilizing, and certainly doesn't bring about any lasting change, which I thought was disappointing. I think there are a few peripheral female characters who have the potential to be awesome and strong characters, so I hope we see more of them in the next book.
melmarsea's review against another edition
3.0
There was a little too much in this book of scenes that were just the players stating their positions; it felt repetitive for a while. However, it is refreshing to read a book in which there are quite a few people trying to accomplish complex goals but none of them are actually doing very well in their plans. It's realistic!
skamibayashi's review against another edition
4.0
Very exciting - I couldn't put it down. I preferred the andat from the first novel better...he was a little more evil...but this was still a very exciting read, and I liked the ending much better than the first. Now for the next installment...
lard7's review against another edition
4.0
Good book, if you like a lot of political intrigue. Not a ton of action.