
Review:
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This was another complex fantasy book in the series with a unique premise and some interesting characters, but I have to admit I didn’t enjoy this book quite as much as the first one.
This series is turning out to be more epic than I generally like. I prefer to focus on one or a few characters so that I can get to know them and really connect with them. Since this was the second in a series, I was already connected to Rowena, Anselm, and The Alchemist, but their POVs only consisted of maybe half the book.
The other problem was all the description and explanation of the geography, the history of the world, settings, and machines that I just didn’t understand. I have a hard time concentrating, and history and geography were always my worst subjects.
But of course these are issues of personal taste, not things that make a book bad, and I can still appreciate that the world-building was complex and thought-out and that the POVs provided a lot of unique perspectives and a well-rounded view of the story.
And as I said, I really liked the three main characters. Anselm is especially interesting to me, very rakish and charming but with deadly claws (figuratively speaking). And the Alchemist, “sweet” is not a word most people would use to describe him, but that’s exactly how he is with Rowena. There’s also an adorable found family element between the three of them, especially between Rowena and the Alchemist.
This book also had more lanyani (tree creatures), so it was interesting to learn more about them, how they move and communicate and live and think.
Overall, this book skewed away from my own tastes a bit, but I still enjoyed the time I got to spend with the three main characters, and I think anyone who likes detailed world-building and an epic style with POVs on all sides of the story will enjoy this even more than I did!
Recommended For:
Fans of Book 1 in Tracy Townsend's Thieves of Fate series. Anyone who likes alternate Earth fantasy worlds, scrappy underdogs, ex-mercs with soft sides, and cute character dynamics.
More Books in the Series:
Book Review: The Nine (Thieves of Fate Book 1) by Tracy Townsend
Book Review: The Fall (Thieves of Fate Book 2) by Tracy Townsend
Ugh, I still haven’t finished this, and I’m so mad at myself. It’s just so different from the first book. I gave book 1 five stars and based on what I’ve read so far, this is not going to be another five star read for me.
I’m glad to know it’s not just me who feels it was really different.
The tree creatures sound pretty interesting, but it’s a shame this book wasn’t as good as read for you as book 1. I think all of that history and geography probably would have done me in too, lol.
Yeah, that kinda stuff just isn’t for all of us lol.
It’s a shame when a subsequent book doesn’t live up to your expectations. 🙁 The question is, do you continue to the next book or leave it?
I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend, Kirstin.
That is exactly the question I’m now pondering lol.
Ah, it sounds like this wasn’t necessarily a bad book, but that it shows the series is going to go in a direction you didn’t expect and just isn’t one for you. I know what you mean about epics being overwhelming sometimes, especially as there is so much to keep track of. I love world building and reading all about it, but I know that isn’t for everyone! So no worries 🙂
Exactly. I like world-building sometimes, depending. Hopefully other people will like this one more than I did though!