the_pale_woman's reviews
481 reviews

The love I'm feeling for this second trilogy is much more conditional than the first. While I adore the two new POVs, the established characters from the first trilogy are occasionally disappointing. Taniel, in particular, appears to have undergone a significant personality shift and lacks sufficient screen time to warrant his perceived importance to the plot. 

This may not be as great as the first trilogy yet, but it's just as enjoyable to read. Picking up about 10 years after the events of the first trilogy, we're in a new part of the world with mostly new characters. I don't think it's a spoiler to mention that you get Vlora as a POV. Ironically, she might be the reason this isn't a full five-star book for me. I wouldn't have picked her to continue the story, at least not as a POV. I understand wanting to give the readers a strong female character in a position of power, but I loved literally every other character in the first series more than her. This book did not change my mind about that. If there hadn't been some more character additions toward the end of this book, I might have been a little peeved, especially for Olem's sake. Is he only a sidekick now? 

Wow. I've known for a while that I would probably enjoy this book, but I seriously underestimated it. It is beautifully written and full of complexity. There's so much not said but so much to read into. I know I will be thinking about this story for quite some time to come. I also know upon a reread, I'll have even more to contemplate. 

I will be checking out more books by Oscar Wilde, and I'm also curious to learn more about his life. I love it when a book inspires my curiosity.

I found that this final book of the Powder Mage Trilogy was immensely satisfying. I truly enjoyed every minute. McClellan's characters are incredibly interesting. I think their moral ambiguities and quarks add the perfect something to this flintlock fantasy. The dark wit and quick humor combined with the vague world building brings the First Law series to mind. While it's not necessarily as well written as first law, it's just as enjoyable a read, in my opinion. 

I agree with Sando. This series is awesome! The titles could be better, but the cover art is pretty cool. For example, the title here... The Crimson Campaign. Yes, it's a bloody war, but it doesn't really capture the vibe of the story. Regardless, I loved every minute of this book. The characters are well-developed. They all have their own unique personalities and relationships with each other. And the world and magic systems feel like they're so much bigger than what we see in this story. I can see why he chose to keep writing in this world after this trilogy. 

I'd say this series is a must-read for any fantasy fan. Highly recommended. 

This felt too short. It's only about 50 pages. The story follows Vlora and Olem after the events of book one. Vlora doesn't get much attention in the main books, so I think this should have been more substantial.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this. At first, I wasn't completely sold on the magic systems or the lack of detailed explanations. Then, the characters started coming to life, and I couldn't put this story down. All the characters have a bit of grit, but they all feel fully individualized. Even the one girl who didn't say a word the whole book felt like a fully developed character to me. It seemed like everyone had a dash of humor, which I think works extremely well with the type of grim, fast-paced story. I wish more of the mysteries had been explained, but the end, but that's what the rest of the series is for, I'm sure. 

I might categorize this as a cozy classic. The miscommunication didn't stress me out, and the obnoxious characters didn't annoy me as much as I was anticipating. So, really, this was kind of a chill read. Even the romance was mellow. 

One thing that really got me thinking about this book was trying to figure out what the characters weren't telling us. There are a few bits of gossip that get mentioned, and I have my own ideas about what's really going on there. By the end, I started to look at every character with a bit of suspicion, to be honest.

SPOILERS 

I have a suspension, Mr. Weston's original wife and Frank Churchill's mother killed herself when she was cut off from her parents and wealth. She died five years after the marriage. Austen would never say something like this out right, but the way her story was told suggested that we were getting the polite version. 

There is a possibility that Frank Churchill may have been involved in the demise of his grandmother. It is mentioned that she had a pattern of feigning illness to manipulate those around her. When she died, it was assumed that she had been genuinely unwell all along. However, Frank had several motives to want her dead. She exercised control over his life, managed his finances, and would have been an obstacle for a potential marriage with anyone, particularly Jane.

Mr. Knightly groomed Emma. He is almost twice her age, and when they get together at the end, he tells her that he's had his mind set on her since she was 13! While this isn't a theory pre se (because it was actually quite blatant), it does qualify as an issue too quickly glossed over. Then, thinking back over the book, you realize that this is the reason this guy is around all the time. It's not even romantic cause all he does is reprimand her and try to correct her behavior to his standards. Emma deserves every rebuke, but when it comes from someone who raised her and wants to marry her... it takes on a sinister quality.

This one has a creative narrative. It's explained before the book starts, but that didn't help alleviate any of my confusion as I was trying to listen to this as an audiobook. If I had been able to flip back and forth when I was questioning and figuring things out, this might have been a different experience. Maybe if I ever finish the rest of this series and find it worthy, I'll go back and give this another go.

This book provided an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating reading experience. After only two installments in the series, it is evident that there will be numerous recurring themes, symbolism, and allegory. This science fiction work effectively comments on cultural and political concepts without resorting to an overtly didactic or preachy tone. Instead, these ideas are subtly woven into the narrative, alongside action sequences, humor, and unusual plot developments.

I recommend this book to readers familiar with the science fiction genre. These books could serve as refreshing palate cleansers between more substantial reads. Lacking a continual plot line makes these easy to pick up and drop off whenever the mood strikes.