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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
Each of the Masquerade series got better and better - though I understand what folks said about feeling like the pacing in the second book is off. The second and third book really form their own arc so the second book is a bit hard to get through and the payoff feels kind of minimal.
The last book of this series brought everything together in ways that I absolutely didn't expect - Baru, who has been on a downward spiral pretty steadily during books 1 and 2,actually starts to become an interesting character and one that you can root for.
The interlocking stories of distant past, recent past, and present really worked for me.Yawa and Baru's friendship gives me LIFE.
I have a hard time recommending this series to just anyone because the first two books have their challenges - especially the first one, which was a brilliant story that suffered a bit from being a first book for the author. But if you enjoy complicated and imperfect protagonists, amazing worldbuilding, and don't mind occasionally feeling like you have no fucking clue what is going on...this is for you.
I would also say that while I am rabid for book four, the arc begun in Monster finishes satisfyingly (though certainly with threads still dangling) in Tyrant. I also love the little teaser at the end. Between this, Alecto the Ninth, and The Gentleman Bastards I do feel a bit cursed on the GIVE ME BOOK FOUR FRONT.
The last book of this series brought everything together in ways that I absolutely didn't expect - Baru, who has been on a downward spiral pretty steadily during books 1 and 2,
The interlocking stories of distant past, recent past, and present really worked for me.
I have a hard time recommending this series to just anyone because the first two books have their challenges - especially the first one, which was a brilliant story that suffered a bit from being a first book for the author. But if you enjoy complicated and imperfect protagonists, amazing worldbuilding, and don't mind occasionally feeling like you have no fucking clue what is going on...this is for you.
I would also say that while I am rabid for book four, the arc begun in Monster finishes satisfyingly (though certainly with threads still dangling) in Tyrant. I also love the little teaser at the end. Between this, Alecto the Ninth, and The Gentleman Bastards I do feel a bit cursed on the GIVE ME BOOK FOUR FRONT.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
Complicated
playing the long game to dismantle empire to stay alive, or die young and hope that you take them with you
This series is stellar. Very edgy and graphic, but immersive and lyrical at the same time. Such a nuanced main character, and the journey has been so rough on her, but this book brings the journey to a close in a fantastic way.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-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
I will wait however long it takes for Seth to do justice to the end of this story.
Content Warnings
This is just a warning for graphic mentions of a lobotomy procedure. There are other things in this series that deserve content warnings but if the concept of a lobotomy makes you squirm, it is mentioned in this book multiple times
baru cormorant is an unapologetic insane dyke economist on a mission and i adore her for it. probably could have read this book faster if it was not so impossibly large but nonetheless so worth it to finish. the world needs more books that include both “tribadism” and “arbitrage”. more freak lesbian economists now
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
A whole big house of cards style political maneuvering opus.
Baru is one of those extra special smartest outthinkingest main characters—the Kaz Brekker, Kvoth, Lannister, etc. But she gets taken down a peg often enough that I don't resent her insane quadruple twist schemes. Are there plot holes? I dunno, I followed along as best I could but at a certain point you just have to ride the wave.
As usual I'm in it for the character work more than whether or not the plot holds water. Dickinson does genuinely spend the series putting in the work to slow burn all the important relationships. Baru's loyalty to Hu's memory, her rivalry with Yawa and Svir, the constant unresolved tension of when she'll see Aminata again. There are some genuinely great tense sequences in the third book specifically where all the prior buildup comes to bear in a great way.
The style has so much wild metaphor that I'd usually be into but most of it didn't stick in my mind weirdly. Just the intense conversations and emotional payoffs. My kind of indulgent shit for sure.
Baru is one of those extra special smartest outthinkingest main characters—the Kaz Brekker, Kvoth, Lannister, etc. But she gets taken down a peg often enough that I don't resent her insane quadruple twist schemes. Are there plot holes? I dunno, I followed along as best I could but at a certain point you just have to ride the wave.
As usual I'm in it for the character work more than whether or not the plot holds water. Dickinson does genuinely spend the series putting in the work to slow burn all the important relationships. Baru's loyalty to Hu's memory, her rivalry with Yawa and Svir, the constant unresolved tension of when she'll see Aminata again. There are some genuinely great tense sequences in the third book specifically where all the prior buildup comes to bear in a great way.
The style has so much wild metaphor that I'd usually be into but most of it didn't stick in my mind weirdly. Just the intense conversations and emotional payoffs. My kind of indulgent shit for sure.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
wow i tore through this. partly because i happened to have the time. but also because, unlike the first two books, this moved so fast and i never wanted to put it down. i feel like monster and this are one very long book in two installments, which is probably why i was way more compelled by this one. it's gross and horrifying at times but also fascinating and weirdly uplifting compared to the first two. i know there's another book planned but honestly baru's story feels complete to me (even if her work isn't) (this will also not stop me from reading the 4th one). everything from the world to the characters is multifaceted and complicated and it absolutely justifies the length imo.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Classism
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol