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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
the best ending i could have imagined.
I am absolutely obsessed with how this book ended. There were so many surprising things but made so much sense. I really love El. she is one of my favorite characters ever. I think this series will be one of my favorite of all time. I’ll probably make a more detailed review later. I think this is my favorite book of the year.
—- so many spoilers.
There is a lot that I love about this book and the series as a whole. Here are my general thoughts:
The characters in this book become so complex and interesting. Gwen goes from being the perfect mother to someone just as bad as El’s grandmother. Liesel and Alfie become so freaking interesting. (I am a little in love with liesel). Liu and Aadhya didn’t have as large of a role as I thought they would, but they still are more than just El’s sidekicks. I just find everything about the characters so interesting. Naomi Novik’s strength is creating characters that are more than a plot device. Any of these characters could be the main character if Naomi Novik wanted.
But Galadriel is and will always be my absolute favorite. I don’t think El changes in any extreme way, but, instead, she reinforces all the changes she experienced in the first two books. El wants to save everyone, but she’s still not above threatening people to get what she wants. She walks the line between actual hero and anti hero. And el is freaking bisexual and hooks up with liesel. I was mentally screaming when this happened. Literally love it.
In the first book, El was such a whiny little bitch. And she still is a whiny bitch now. But she has goals and motivations. She has friends and lovers and she’s powerful. Not just in a maleficer way, but in the good way.
I find it so interesting that Orion is her mirror. When everyone saw him as a hero, they saw her as a monster. But when the truth of Orion is revealed, he’s seen as a monster, and El is the hero.
Speaking of mirrors, I think Ophelia is also a mirror to El. She is the dark powerful sorceress that El was told she would be. She has the same goals as El. She wants to protect enclaves and independents. She wants to destroy mawmouths and other mals. But she does it by being a maleficer. Its so interesting that Deepthi gave El that terrible prophesy just to protect her from Ophelia. I wonder what could have happened if Ophelia raised el.
I really like the explanation behind how El and Orion are powerful. Like Orion is a MAWMOUTH. I would not have guessed that ever, but it makes so much sense. I did guess the connection between el killing maw mouths and enclaves collapsing, but I couldn’t have guessed that enclave creation require creating a maw mouth. ITS JUST SO INTERESTING.
There are a few moral dilemmas in this book that I think really add to the fun:
- Ophelia literally sacrifices her embryo to make a mawmouth human thing. She does it defend her enclave. Orion forgives her, El doesn’t. Was it ok? Also the freaking real world political implications of this!!!!!!
- Do the ends justify the means? Ophelia does a lot of bad to achieve good. Is that ok?
- El decides that killing maw mouths is necessary, even if some people are killed or injured in enclaves. Is it ok for enclaves to pay for the crimes committed in the past? In other words, should western powers pay for what their ancestors did?
An implicit message in this entire series is that change can only occur in corrupt systems when there is large centralized power. The only reason the scholomance changed for the better was because of power like El and Orion. The only reason the golden enclaves are an option is because of a powerful sorceress like El. Sure, she’s created a more sustainable way now, but she needed to exist beforehand for that power. I don’t know if Naomi Novik intended for this message, but its kinda the truth. It’s a little sad but also a little hopeful.
I really love this series. What makes it special to me is the development of the characters. I find them all so interesting and a little relatable. I love the moral dilemmas and political machinations. I love how El rages against the system. This is a really good series. And I really love it.
I am absolutely obsessed with how this book ended. There were so many surprising things but made so much sense. I really love El. she is one of my favorite characters ever. I think this series will be one of my favorite of all time. I’ll probably make a more detailed review later. I think this is my favorite book of the year.
—- so many spoilers.
There is a lot that I love about this book and the series as a whole. Here are my general thoughts:
The characters in this book become so complex and interesting. Gwen goes from being the perfect mother to someone just as bad as El’s grandmother. Liesel and Alfie become so freaking interesting. (I am a little in love with liesel). Liu and Aadhya didn’t have as large of a role as I thought they would, but they still are more than just El’s sidekicks. I just find everything about the characters so interesting. Naomi Novik’s strength is creating characters that are more than a plot device. Any of these characters could be the main character if Naomi Novik wanted.
But Galadriel is and will always be my absolute favorite. I don’t think El changes in any extreme way, but, instead, she reinforces all the changes she experienced in the first two books. El wants to save everyone, but she’s still not above threatening people to get what she wants. She walks the line between actual hero and anti hero. And el is freaking bisexual and hooks up with liesel. I was mentally screaming when this happened. Literally love it.
In the first book, El was such a whiny little bitch. And she still is a whiny bitch now. But she has goals and motivations. She has friends and lovers and she’s powerful. Not just in a maleficer way, but in the good way.
I find it so interesting that Orion is her mirror. When everyone saw him as a hero, they saw her as a monster. But when the truth of Orion is revealed, he’s seen as a monster, and El is the hero.
Speaking of mirrors, I think Ophelia is also a mirror to El. She is the dark powerful sorceress that El was told she would be. She has the same goals as El. She wants to protect enclaves and independents. She wants to destroy mawmouths and other mals. But she does it by being a maleficer. Its so interesting that Deepthi gave El that terrible prophesy just to protect her from Ophelia. I wonder what could have happened if Ophelia raised el.
I really like the explanation behind how El and Orion are powerful. Like Orion is a MAWMOUTH. I would not have guessed that ever, but it makes so much sense. I did guess the connection between el killing maw mouths and enclaves collapsing, but I couldn’t have guessed that enclave creation require creating a maw mouth. ITS JUST SO INTERESTING.
There are a few moral dilemmas in this book that I think really add to the fun:
- Ophelia literally sacrifices her embryo to make a mawmouth human thing. She does it defend her enclave. Orion forgives her, El doesn’t. Was it ok? Also the freaking real world political implications of this!!!!!!
- Do the ends justify the means? Ophelia does a lot of bad to achieve good. Is that ok?
- El decides that killing maw mouths is necessary, even if some people are killed or injured in enclaves. Is it ok for enclaves to pay for the crimes committed in the past? In other words, should western powers pay for what their ancestors did?
An implicit message in this entire series is that change can only occur in corrupt systems when there is large centralized power. The only reason the scholomance changed for the better was because of power like El and Orion. The only reason the golden enclaves are an option is because of a powerful sorceress like El. Sure, she’s created a more sustainable way now, but she needed to exist beforehand for that power. I don’t know if Naomi Novik intended for this message, but its kinda the truth. It’s a little sad but also a little hopeful.
I really love this series. What makes it special to me is the development of the characters. I find them all so interesting and a little relatable. I love the moral dilemmas and political machinations. I love how El rages against the system. This is a really good series. And I really love it.
Read this all in one day! Such a well written trilogy. So much depth in the world building - getting to the end and seeing the bits that were there all along and seeing how it’s all been woven together. So good!
It felt like most things were explained - maybe not quite the extent of Els power (basically speaking whole worlds into existence and how that will all continue after her and Orion die) within the larger framework of balance and how everything must be paid for. Typically that’s the thought behind most types of magic - but this world is so much more intriguing and layered, and even more realistic to human nature and greed and desire to protect one’s own. — Only thing I didn’t love was some oddly placed sexual encounters that just don’t add anything to the story and raise my hackles a bit - especially since it sorta gives the sense that spiritual / emotional trauma can be plastered over through sexual touch (weirdly extending the idea of physical grounding oneself during a mental crisis through the 5 senses). Not explicit so it’s not distracting but it was the only instances that took me out of the scene. And I also always despise anything that smells like cheating so that was annoying.
The ending was ok - glad that not everything was neatly packaged up and left room for reality to occur. I wish there was more of an explanation for El & Orion's relationship and what it is moving forward / how he is remaining alive. But overall decent end to the trilogy.
—
Anyways, basically such a great read that I literally could not put down. Highly recommend
It felt like most things were explained - maybe not quite the extent of Els power (basically speaking whole worlds into existence and how that will all continue after her and Orion die) within the larger framework of balance and how everything must be paid for. Typically that’s the thought behind most types of magic - but this world is so much more intriguing and layered, and even more realistic to human nature and greed and desire to protect one’s own. — Only thing I didn’t love was some oddly placed sexual encounters that just don’t add anything to the story and raise my hackles a bit - especially since it sorta gives the sense that spiritual / emotional trauma can be plastered over through sexual touch (weirdly extending the idea of physical grounding oneself during a mental crisis through the 5 senses). Not explicit so it’s not distracting but it was the only instances that took me out of the scene. And I also always despise anything that smells like cheating so that was annoying.
The ending was ok - glad that not everything was neatly packaged up and left room for reality to occur. I wish there was more of an explanation for El & Orion's relationship and what it is moving forward / how he is remaining alive. But overall decent end to the trilogy.
—
Anyways, basically such a great read that I literally could not put down. Highly recommend
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lost a star after the re-read because i just didn't think it was as good as the first two.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
The 2nd half of the book, with all the action & revelations, is really good.
You do need to get through the slow paced angsty part to get there, but I think it's justified, and aligns with the plot.
I did skip quite a few paragraphs but it is definitely worth reading to the end
You do need to get through the slow paced angsty part to get there, but I think it's justified, and aligns with the plot.
I did skip quite a few paragraphs but it is definitely worth reading to the end
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes