the_pale_woman's reviews
482 reviews

This third book was a little better than book two but still not as great as book one. Beyond that arbitrary ranking, I'm really enjoying this series. Who knew that a historical war setting coupled with subtle humor and cozy interludes would be a winning combination for a dragon fantasy series? While I couldn't responsibly say this book should be categorized as cozy. It's the cozy moments of friendship between Lawrence and Temeraire that leave a lasting impression. Yes, people die, and serious topics are discussed. But these are not the moments of the story that stick with me. It's the scenes that put a smile on my face that have me thrilled to continue this story and have me reaching for the next book. 

I'm a little disappointed in this follow-up. I did love the first book, and I wouldn't say this was bad. I just hope the series gets some of its spark back in the next one.

I found this book to be wonderfully fantastic. I recently read the Scolomance trilogy by Novik, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Hence, I was excited about starting another series by her. I'm pleased to say that this has exceeded my expectations. Novik is clearly a pro in her execution. The voice she gave this story was simply magical, in my opinion. And I don't think I'm capable of fully explaining how much I loved the characters in this book. Every interaction between Lawrence and Temeraire melted my heart. I'm pleased as punch that I have eight more books of this to consume. 

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Simon Vance. He did an incredible job, especially with the dragons. If you can't tell by this point, I highly recommend this read. If you're a fantasy fan, you shouldn't hesitate. I might even consider this an instant favorite. 

This book was simply great. I really liked the first two books of the Sun Eater. The novella Lesser Devil was good, but this third book really clicked with me. 

The unexpected twists here felt more natural to the events of the story than the previous books. The pacing felt more fine-tuned. The action had a vibe of sustainability. Looking back at all the events, a lot happened in this one. Plus, we finally get some explanations. And where better to get that information? A giant, mysterious, restricted library, of course. Awesome. 

Hands down, Demon in White is my favorite entry in the series. At least so far. I was planning on maybe taking a break with this main series to read some of the novellas/short stories, but after that ending, I just want to move on to book 4. Iykyk 

I found this to be a satisfying conclusion. The first half was a little slow. However, I didn't have much to complain about by the end. It picked up and wrapped up everything quite nicely. I thought the side romance could have had more purpose. Plus, her best friends could have used more character development. But overall, I really enjoyed this trilogy. It was packed with fantastic world building and really took the time to reasoned out all the plot lines. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this trilogy. It's the best magical school series I've read since Harry Potter.

Wow. I love this. I'm even going back to give book one, 5 stars. It deserves the rating despite the flaws. It's become a new favorite, and I haven't even completed the series. It's like a new Harry Potter but manages to have its own personality and story. Frankly, after this book, I'm just impressed by how much I'm enjoying it. I highly recommend you read this series. I don't even care if it's your thing or not. 

I do enjoy Ruocchio's writing, and this series is undeniably intriguing, but this story bugged me a bit and made me worry about how much I'm going to like the rest of the series. I'm finding myself wanting to love this series more than I do. I love space operas, and any beefy sci-fi series gets me excited. When it comes to this, it is just a personal tastes thing. I'm just not a fan of using Christianity or any currently major religion as a theme or plot device in a space epic set so far in the future. Especially considering the existence of alien species. I wouldn't say religion was used poorly in this novella. I just don't like it. 

I couldn't help it. I loved this. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because of a few plot holes, and because it reads younger than I thought it would since I didn't think it was labeled YA. Regardless, that's the category I'd put it in. Maybe the publishers hesitated to put it in that category when there is constant talk of death and killing. 

This story has an attitude filled POV, a magical school, monster slaying, and enemies to lovers. If these tropes appeal to you, you'll probably like this book. I'd definitely recommend it. 

While I did enjoy reading this story, I don't think it lived up to the first book. Specifically, the ending. It felt rushed and lost the vibe of a historical-like setting. Plus, I had a few issues with where the narrative chose to focus and how the plot unfolded. 

If I wasn't being picky, I would say this is a solid duology with decent writing. I'd recommend this to fans of Strange the Dreamer. It has a similar-ish vibe. This series is really more of the young adult romance than anything else. 

I found book two to be quite satisfactory and a little more enjoyable than book one. It felt more linear or more planned than the first book. Less of a set-up like book one was and with more exploration of the world, or in this case, universe. As a whole, I'd say this story was consistently compelling. I was reluctant to set it down on multiple occasions. There were a few moments that felt underdeveloped, but these were not hard for me to overlook. To a greater degree, I appreciated the ambition of this story, and I'm compelled to continue.

I must admit I was a little put off in the beginning. I haven't read the novella, The Lesser Devil, yet, so I was thinking I might have missed something. The book starts with a time jump and references to significant events that are not explained. So, I had to do a cautious Google to make sure I didn't mess up by not reading the novella. From what I gathered, that story is unrelated. Avoiding spoilers when looking up information on a relatively unknown series is difficult but I got the sense that the novellas and short stories in this series are not necessary or at least they dont need to be read in a specific order. If I'm wrong, please let me know. Regardless, this narrative choice didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. It helped the story pick up quicker than would otherwise. However, I can't help but think knowing more of this back story would have added more emotional impact to the events. Also, because of this time jump, you can't really call the new love interest, insta-love, but that's kinda what it feels like when we don't get to see these characters fall in love. As it is, we only get a glimpse of their relationship. It almost feels like cheating.