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aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
So many people died!!! Like the main characters!! I can't believe it ðŸ˜
Unfortunately, this was giving filler book, which makes sense, since the series is 10 books long... Still keen to read the next book
Unfortunately, this was giving filler book, which makes sense, since the series is 10 books long... Still keen to read the next book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Genocide, Gore, Torture, and Medical content
angie_the_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.5
The war in this book hits a bit differently. It is savage, tense, relentless and heartbreaking. Even though there might be hope the casualties and sacrifices to achieve the glimmer of it is immense.
I've never read a series longer than a trilogy and this one, I'm very lucky to say, is keeping me intrigued. I'll be starting the 5th book tomorrow.
I love the war tactics in this series - something I never knew I'd like to read page upon page about. The characters are great, Thalric and Tisamon being my favourites; Che at last coming into more development. I've had no issues remembering any of the list of characters - once again showing Tchaikovsky's skill.
I've never read a series longer than a trilogy and this one, I'm very lucky to say, is keeping me intrigued. I'll be starting the 5th book tomorrow.
I love the war tactics in this series - something I never knew I'd like to read page upon page about. The characters are great, Thalric and Tisamon being my favourites; Che at last coming into more development. I've had no issues remembering any of the list of characters - once again showing Tchaikovsky's skill.
charlibirb's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.75
This book is so sloooow and there are too many characters. The 10 books needs to be edited down to about 6. And a bunch of characters need to be cut out. I can't continue reading this series, even on 2x speed (audiobook). I just want things to happen! And it takes soooo long.
willdr's review against another edition
4.0
If the first three books have been anticipation, this one is sheer release. Battles rage across the West Empire, as taken cities thrash under the weight of imperialism, while the fragile Lowland alliance struggles to hold. The horrors of war run deep in Shadows of the Apt, in its particular clockpunk meets sword and sandals aesthetic; one scene of gladiatorial combat followed by another that demonstrates the horror of chemical warfare.
While I continue to see no greater allusions in the series, its enjoyable to read, and Tchaikovsky isn't pulling any punches.
While I continue to see no greater allusions in the series, its enjoyable to read, and Tchaikovsky isn't pulling any punches.
momotan's review against another edition
4.0
La storia torna ad alzare il livello, e in un modo inaspettato...
L'azione è divisa un po' in tutto il mondo, con Collugium che per sopravvivere cerca di aprire quanti più fronti di guerra può contro l'Impero.
L'Impero però sembra una macchina inarrestabile, capace di triturate tutto e tutti nella sua costante e imprescindibile spinta espansionistica.
Seguiamo tantissimi fili diversi, ma tutti legati dalla stessa finalità e dalla stessa mano che li ha tessuti.
E pur essendo solo al quarto volume di questa lunga serie, ci ritroveremo a stupirci per una discreta serie di morti eccellenti, e di colpi di scena francamente inaspettati che fanno soprassedere su alcune piccole ingenuità .
Un bel passo avanti per questa serie, chissà cosa potrà succedere adesso...
Totho comunque mi continua a risultare insopportabile.
E resto un po' perplesso da una quasi love story accennata e fortunatamente abortita subito.
Ma un ottimo volume, che lascia il mondo aperto per il proseguio.
L'azione è divisa un po' in tutto il mondo, con Collugium che per sopravvivere cerca di aprire quanti più fronti di guerra può contro l'Impero.
L'Impero però sembra una macchina inarrestabile, capace di triturate tutto e tutti nella sua costante e imprescindibile spinta espansionistica.
Seguiamo tantissimi fili diversi, ma tutti legati dalla stessa finalità e dalla stessa mano che li ha tessuti.
E pur essendo solo al quarto volume di questa lunga serie, ci ritroveremo a stupirci per una discreta serie di morti eccellenti, e di colpi di scena francamente inaspettati che fanno soprassedere su alcune piccole ingenuità .
Un bel passo avanti per questa serie, chissà cosa potrà succedere adesso...
Totho comunque mi continua a risultare insopportabile.
E resto un po' perplesso da una quasi love story accennata e fortunatamente abortita subito.
Ma un ottimo volume, che lascia il mondo aperto per il proseguio.
helenamt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nonsenseofsight's review against another edition
3.0
I'm continuing to enjoy this series a great deal.
Not necessarily for the writing or the story in this installment... but for the fantastic audiobook narration. It's absolutely top tier.
I felt that the last book was a bit aimless. More exploratory and world expanding than plot heavy. This book takes those new boundaries and lives very comfortably inside them and seems to intentionally shrink the world a bit. There's not a lot of new world building going on here and the world building that does happen is expected or an unsatisfying echo of something we've already discovered. It reminds me a great deal of "Return of the Jedi" in that it's a perfectly serviceable continuation of the story, with some amazing moments... but it's tripping on its own universe a bit.
The lowest point in the series for me thus far for sure.
I'd wager that's intentional (given the title) and the absolute George R R Martin level of character culling that happens here. Necessary? Yeah, probably. Enjoyable? No. Not really. Many of my favorites are no longer in the narrative now... and while I understand it... I'm not completely satisfied with any of the character based motivation that leads to those narrative threads ending. It all makes sense... but it's not ... tasty? savory? I never felt like I earned the grief I was supposed to be feeling.
Sacrifices that should be made for love are made out of guilt. Sacrifices that should be made for honor are made out of guilt or desperation. Only one major character death felt proper to me... but it happened three scenes after it should have and ended an entire plot thread prematurely.
There are some nice surprises at the end, mostly as a result of narrative omission (characters doing stuff 'off camera') and I fully intend to keep reading and exploring this world. It's a fun world to explore.
But a little bit of the light and trust in the author has gone out of this series for me now.
My metaphor for this series is that it's like reading a table top role playing game that's going right. This book, though, felt like it was on rails. The storyteller had goals and despite what the character's should do... they did what the storyteller needed them to. Is it good? Yes. Is it earned? That's a stickier question.
Not necessarily for the writing or the story in this installment... but for the fantastic audiobook narration. It's absolutely top tier.
I felt that the last book was a bit aimless. More exploratory and world expanding than plot heavy. This book takes those new boundaries and lives very comfortably inside them and seems to intentionally shrink the world a bit. There's not a lot of new world building going on here and the world building that does happen is expected or an unsatisfying echo of something we've already discovered. It reminds me a great deal of "Return of the Jedi" in that it's a perfectly serviceable continuation of the story, with some amazing moments... but it's tripping on its own universe a bit.
The lowest point in the series for me thus far for sure.
I'd wager that's intentional (given the title) and the absolute George R R Martin level of character culling that happens here. Necessary? Yeah, probably. Enjoyable? No. Not really. Many of my favorites are no longer in the narrative now... and while I understand it... I'm not completely satisfied with any of the character based motivation that leads to those narrative threads ending. It all makes sense... but it's not ... tasty? savory? I never felt like I earned the grief I was supposed to be feeling.
Sacrifices that should be made for love are made out of guilt. Sacrifices that should be made for honor are made out of guilt or desperation. Only one major character death felt proper to me... but it happened three scenes after it should have and ended an entire plot thread prematurely.
There are some nice surprises at the end, mostly as a result of narrative omission (characters doing stuff 'off camera') and I fully intend to keep reading and exploring this world. It's a fun world to explore.
But a little bit of the light and trust in the author has gone out of this series for me now.
My metaphor for this series is that it's like reading a table top role playing game that's going right. This book, though, felt like it was on rails. The storyteller had goals and despite what the character's should do... they did what the storyteller needed them to. Is it good? Yes. Is it earned? That's a stickier question.
pandacosm's review against another edition
I'm tired of the sexism and lechery. The author literally has characters notice that Che, one of the main female characters, basically does nothing but get kidnapped and captured, and then what happens? She gets captured again. It was also disgusting how Thalric forced a kiss on her despite knowing that she is in a relationship with another man she loves. Nothing better to be expected from a man who makes slaves have sex with him and uses rape as a threat, and I'm really not interested in seeing him get to perform more heroic acts. Arianna continues to be a completely flat character who is only there to be Stenwold's groupie (a replacement young woman to Che he can "keep safe" by forbidding her from going anywhere useful even though she wants to) and the book points outs once again that she is literally young enough to be his daughter (like the age gap between a college student and college professor) and yet continues this relationship. Nero is also interested in a younger woman who is literally twice as young as him, and when he confesses that he likes her, she has to process what she thinks about it rather than being realistically outright disgusted or uninterested. Pride of Dragon's sole purpose seems to be to love and support Salma as well. Tynisa's plot is just a puppet under Tisamon's plot, like this young woman can't have a cool arc of her own despite being a weaponsmaster. Felise Mienn's plot is also a puppet under Tisamon's plot. Totho's assigned woman with continues to not have solid character beyond that. The only thing keeping me going in this series was the war plot but given some devastating losses in battles of the main characters' allies, I've lost my interest there too. I think this series was best in the first book where the main characters actually got to be friends to one another and Che actually had character development, and I kept reading the series hoping that it would get even better, but instead it got worse. I no longer find it worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Sorry if I missed any content warnings.jocdilla's review against another edition
3.0
I am distraught that some of my favorite characters died, seemingly needlessly here.
While I enjoy the series as a whole, I think maybe this one was just a culling for newer apt powers, and characters.
Like, what happened to Achaeos?!? Were Felise and Tisamon forced into that point because there was nothing else for them?? I just don't understand most of the how and why here and that's quite frustrating.
Will I continue? Yes. Will I be sad that it is without Salme or Tisamon? Absolutely.
While I enjoy the series as a whole, I think maybe this one was just a culling for newer apt powers, and characters.
Like, what happened to Achaeos?!? Were Felise and Tisamon forced into that point because there was nothing else for them?? I just don't understand most of the how and why here and that's quite frustrating.
Will I continue? Yes. Will I be sad that it is without Salme or Tisamon? Absolutely.