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philfromocs's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe wait until you can read all three pretty close together. That's what I should have done.
hellofred99's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting premise but absurdly, relentlessly depressing. It's also a bit wordy for my taste and kind of lacks a plot.
tartancrusader's review against another edition
3.0
A decent continuation of the story though I couldn't help but feel that this was a placeholder for the final installment.
blisterfeld's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rmohns's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
curgoth's review against another edition
4.0
Original 2012 review:
I confess, when I read book one of the Milkweed Triptych, I didn't realise that it was part of a trilogy. Which made the state of the end of book one rather bleak and miserable. Book two is, well, overall pretty bleak and miserable, but there are shards of hope glimmering here and there. Set 20 years after book one, Colder War does marvelous things with the terrible remains of book one. There's not too much I can say without spoiling one of the two books, but I was very happy with the way the character development was handled. I want book 3 now.
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2018 Audiobook review:
Knowing where this is going makes it better. This is Gretyl's book, where we really understand what she's been up to. What happens if you give a brilliant sociopath precognition? This is a very well-written book, dark as hell, and just fully commits to it's basic premise.
The audiobook reader continues to do an excellent job, nailing the various accent transitions pretty cleanly, and handling the pronunciation of Russian and German well enough that I (who speak neither language) can't find a flaw. My only comment is that one character (Olivia) shifts accents when she's being pleasant vs. mean in ways that I am not entirely sure about, but it's consistent and a clear decision made.
I confess, when I read book one of the Milkweed Triptych, I didn't realise that it was part of a trilogy. Which made the state of the end of book one rather bleak and miserable. Book two is, well, overall pretty bleak and miserable, but there are shards of hope glimmering here and there. Set 20 years after book one, Colder War does marvelous things with the terrible remains of book one. There's not too much I can say without spoiling one of the two books, but I was very happy with the way the character development was handled. I want book 3 now.
----
2018 Audiobook review:
Knowing where this is going makes it better. This is Gretyl's book, where we really understand what she's been up to. What happens if you give a brilliant sociopath precognition? This is a very well-written book, dark as hell, and just fully commits to it's basic premise.
The audiobook reader continues to do an excellent job, nailing the various accent transitions pretty cleanly, and handling the pronunciation of Russian and German well enough that I (who speak neither language) can't find a flaw. My only comment is that one character (Olivia) shifts accents when she's being pleasant vs. mean in ways that I am not entirely sure about, but it's consistent and a clear decision made.
w13rdo's review against another edition
4.0
Nazis and Commies and Cyborgs and Magic! Oh My!
A good follow up to Bitter Seeds. And it patched up where the first was rough. Although I guessed the identity, and nature, of the disfigured man after reading Bitter Seeds, it was great to see exactly how it played out.
And I look forward to the next in the series, The Wild Adventures of Marty McFly
A good follow up to Bitter Seeds. And it patched up where the first was rough. Although I guessed the identity, and nature, of the disfigured man after reading Bitter Seeds, it was great to see exactly how it played out.
And I look forward to the next in the series, The Wild Adventures of Marty McFly
meghan_is_reading's review against another edition
4.0
Gah, so you're set up for the right frame of mind after the first book. Everything WILL fuck up is just the way Gretel plans and given there is another book in the series I'm hoping for plenty more awesome fucked-upness, in a whole new future-past. That is probably spoilery, wtv. Book win.
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
5.0
‘The Coldest War’ by Ian Tregillis is the second in the Milkweed Triptych series, and is just as thrilling as the first. Set years after the first, we see where the characters (and Europe) are now, and overall feel very thankful we’re far, far away from both the characters and that time.
It has now been twenty-two years since the Second World War. The warlocks working for Britain have been in use since, and their powers and methods have been growing
Marsh has been trying to leave Milkweed in his past, but it’s not that easy. Everything else seems to be failing around him, no matter how hard he tries. Then the choice is taken away from him thanks to our favourite set of twins, and he finds himself in Milkweed’s clutches once again, where he discovers that Britain, though honourable, have been pushed past limits he thought they would never cross… and he’s not too sure what he thinks about that.
The characters within his book are even more vivid than in the first. We know them now, and so it skips the introductions to throw us headfirst into their trials and tribulations, and somehow makes us question what we thought of them in the first book. The character growth of the characters is astounding, somehow remaining believable thanks to the horrors they’ve all witnessed and experienced.
Tregillis’ writing is to be read to be believed. A mix of action, spy novel, character study, and a lot of what we see in dystopian novel today (though this book is so far in our past), it is a lot to take in, yet it happens seamlessly. This is one hard book to put down, and the wait for the third is incredibly hard. A lot of readers compare this to X-Men and Tinker, Tailer, Solider, Spy, yet it’s hard to confine it to something that already exists.
Though I received this book to review in 2013, I actually ordered an eCopy to tide myself over last year, and it was easily one of my favourite books of 2012. I have the third marked as an alert in my phone for when it comes out, and I can’t recommend this series enough. This may be a bleak series, but damn it gets you trapped in its claws and refuses to let you go. Highly, highly recommended.
Review written for Sentience originally: http://sentientonline.net/?p=3864
It has now been twenty-two years since the Second World War. The warlocks working for Britain have been in use since, and their powers and methods have been growing
Marsh has been trying to leave Milkweed in his past, but it’s not that easy. Everything else seems to be failing around him, no matter how hard he tries. Then the choice is taken away from him thanks to our favourite set of twins, and he finds himself in Milkweed’s clutches once again, where he discovers that Britain, though honourable, have been pushed past limits he thought they would never cross… and he’s not too sure what he thinks about that.
The characters within his book are even more vivid than in the first. We know them now, and so it skips the introductions to throw us headfirst into their trials and tribulations, and somehow makes us question what we thought of them in the first book. The character growth of the characters is astounding, somehow remaining believable thanks to the horrors they’ve all witnessed and experienced.
Tregillis’ writing is to be read to be believed. A mix of action, spy novel, character study, and a lot of what we see in dystopian novel today (though this book is so far in our past), it is a lot to take in, yet it happens seamlessly. This is one hard book to put down, and the wait for the third is incredibly hard. A lot of readers compare this to X-Men and Tinker, Tailer, Solider, Spy, yet it’s hard to confine it to something that already exists.
Though I received this book to review in 2013, I actually ordered an eCopy to tide myself over last year, and it was easily one of my favourite books of 2012. I have the third marked as an alert in my phone for when it comes out, and I can’t recommend this series enough. This may be a bleak series, but damn it gets you trapped in its claws and refuses to let you go. Highly, highly recommended.
Review written for Sentience originally: http://sentientonline.net/?p=3864