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mamap's review against another edition
2.0
a little bit boring and very obvious. wynn spends all her time whining and being dense - she takes 2 pages to figure out that someone is a noble dead late in the book when the reader knew from the 1st time he was introduced. see? i find chane, the vampire, more interesting, and might continue to read just for that info.
elaeagnifolium's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.0
caleba343's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
tkat's review against another edition
3.0
It took me some time to read this one, as it was an intellectual murder mystery focusing on a character that I did not really care for or focus on in the Noble Dead series. Plus it had been so long since I read the last one that a lot of it felt like news to me.
So here Wynn is off and running again to find more ancient Noble Dead that might still be alive to stop the reassurance of an ancient war. Interesting to see if she hooks up with Magaire and Leesil again. I kinda hope so.
So here Wynn is off and running again to find more ancient Noble Dead that might still be alive to stop the reassurance of an ancient war. Interesting to see if she hooks up with Magaire and Leesil again. I kinda hope so.
puppy_eyes's review against another edition
3.0
I read it too fast to stop and take notes. BUT, I really enjoyed it. There are just some things that are off. Like when you hear 'series 2,' you expect a whole new book, but in the same world. Instead, it's more of a continuation from the other books, only without Magiere and Leesil.
We follow Wynn this time, as she returns to her home town of Calm Seatt, and the story takes a drastic turn. Instead of the action-oriented drive of the previous one, this plot is riddled with politics and more inner politics. Stuck up sages that keep treating her like a child.
That's an interesting part; we're reminded that 'naive Wynn' has grown up now and matured more after the last adventure. It's infuriating to watch how they treat her, when none of the information they have would exist at all without her!
The books are notorious for their jump between point of views, and since we don't have the usual party, we're stuck with Wynn and this officer like character, Rodian. Who is a good guy, and doesn't get enough credit, though the aspect of religion puts a damper on his ambitions.
Everyone in this plotline is shady, and you don't know who to trust. I love this, because when something bad happens, EVERYONE could be a suspect! Without meaning to, it turns into a who-done-it really fast. I found myself claiming 'he did it! I bet it was him!' and it amused the people who've already read it.
I think that if you're expecting a lot of action, you'll be a little bored around the middle of it..and there's hardly any romance if you're looking for it. I WILL say that the book gets better when Chane starts getting involved. I'm just kind of annoyed that the unanswered questions we were left with at the end of the other series continue to be answered a little at a time through this OTHER series.
And yes, there's a dog! But it just makes us miss Chap. :/
We follow Wynn this time, as she returns to her home town of Calm Seatt, and the story takes a drastic turn. Instead of the action-oriented drive of the previous one, this plot is riddled with politics and more inner politics. Stuck up sages that keep treating her like a child.
That's an interesting part; we're reminded that 'naive Wynn' has grown up now and matured more after the last adventure. It's infuriating to watch how they treat her, when none of the information they have would exist at all without her!
The books are notorious for their jump between point of views, and since we don't have the usual party, we're stuck with Wynn and this officer like character, Rodian. Who is a good guy, and doesn't get enough credit, though the aspect of religion puts a damper on his ambitions.
Everyone in this plotline is shady, and you don't know who to trust. I love this, because when something bad happens, EVERYONE could be a suspect! Without meaning to, it turns into a who-done-it really fast. I found myself claiming 'he did it! I bet it was him!' and it amused the people who've already read it.
I think that if you're expecting a lot of action, you'll be a little bored around the middle of it..and there's hardly any romance if you're looking for it. I WILL say that the book gets better when Chane starts getting involved. I'm just kind of annoyed that the unanswered questions we were left with at the end of the other series continue to be answered a little at a time through this OTHER series.
And yes, there's a dog! But it just makes us miss Chap. :/
ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
4.0
So...remember when I said I'd never give a Noble Dead book less than five stars? I must have forgotten about In Shade and Shadow, then. Because now I clearly remember giving this one four stars and finding it my least favorite of the series up to this point. I guess that's what I get for writing all these reviews five years later, right? Forgetfulness.
Anyway, this one was an abrupt departure from what we know about this series. For one, it comes from Wynn's perspective, which I didn't hate...but I also didn't love. Here's the thing: although the plot is immense (it has to be, to span a total of 14 books), this is very much a character driven story. Naturally, I was drawn to Leesil and Magiere first because they were our main protagonists of the first six novels. And while their story is by no means over, we don't get to see them again until book 10. That bothered me a bit, because I would have preferred alternating chapters, where half the book came from Wynn and Chane's perspective, while the other half came from Leesil and Magiere's. It's not that I dislike Wynn, but I wasn't drawn to her in the same way I am Leesil and Magiere. Alternating chapters also would have worked for two reasons: their paths may separate for the time being, but their stories still intertwine and eventually weave back into each by book 10, so it would have made sense to just continue on with both perspectives for the sake of continuity. The second reason is directly related to the first, in that once we DO meet up with Leesil and Magiere, we spend a lot of time playing catch up, because we just spent three points singularly focused on Wynn and Chane...while Leesil and Magiere went off and did their own thing and we didn't get a word of it. This may be starting to sound like a review for book 10, but I say this because if book 7 were set up different, it would have made for a smoother transition later, when we return to Leesil and Magiere's perspective and leave Wynn's behind in the dust (even though she's still with them). And to be frank, while I recognize Wynn's side of the story is important, it wasn't nearly as interesting as Leesil and Magiere's side.
Speaking of departures, this reads more like a murder mystery set in a fantasy world than it did the big traveling adventure we'd gone on with Leesil and Magiere in the previous books. We're mostly stuck in the same place, and in a city no less. While I have no qualms with this, the overall plot was very different and resulted in me getting slightly bored at times. Some of the characters were downright unpleasant or plain annoying. But despite my complaints, I actually found this to be a unique plot. Sure, it was different from the previous books, but I also knew that going into it. And it sets itself apart from other fantasy books, which rarely follow this almost...procedural set up.
But I'll tell you the worst part about this book (and arc in general), is Chane. First off, I could never properly figure out how to say his name, and that bugged. Nothing ever sounded right. Second, he irked the shit out of me. And the way he enraptured Wynn made me broil with irritation. I don't understand WHAT that woman saw in him and never will. I definitely wasn't pleased to have to read MORE about him, when I would've happily left HIM in the dust if I could.
But despite my complaints, I am still easy to satisfy, especially with the Noble Dead Saga, so the four stars are still justified. If this were any other book, belonging to any other series, it might have gotten two stars, but my obsessive ass was too damn in love with this series to really care that it didn't stack up compared with the others, because at least I had something to read from the noble dead saga even if it wasn't completely what I wanted.
And I read it in a day. That must account for something.
Anyway, this one was an abrupt departure from what we know about this series. For one, it comes from Wynn's perspective, which I didn't hate...but I also didn't love. Here's the thing: although the plot is immense (it has to be, to span a total of 14 books), this is very much a character driven story. Naturally, I was drawn to Leesil and Magiere first because they were our main protagonists of the first six novels. And while their story is by no means over, we don't get to see them again until book 10. That bothered me a bit, because I would have preferred alternating chapters, where half the book came from Wynn and Chane's perspective, while the other half came from Leesil and Magiere's. It's not that I dislike Wynn, but I wasn't drawn to her in the same way I am Leesil and Magiere. Alternating chapters also would have worked for two reasons: their paths may separate for the time being, but their stories still intertwine and eventually weave back into each by book 10, so it would have made sense to just continue on with both perspectives for the sake of continuity. The second reason is directly related to the first, in that once we DO meet up with Leesil and Magiere, we spend a lot of time playing catch up, because we just spent three points singularly focused on Wynn and Chane...while Leesil and Magiere went off and did their own thing and we didn't get a word of it. This may be starting to sound like a review for book 10, but I say this because if book 7 were set up different, it would have made for a smoother transition later, when we return to Leesil and Magiere's perspective and leave Wynn's behind in the dust (even though she's still with them). And to be frank, while I recognize Wynn's side of the story is important, it wasn't nearly as interesting as Leesil and Magiere's side.
Speaking of departures, this reads more like a murder mystery set in a fantasy world than it did the big traveling adventure we'd gone on with Leesil and Magiere in the previous books. We're mostly stuck in the same place, and in a city no less. While I have no qualms with this, the overall plot was very different and resulted in me getting slightly bored at times. Some of the characters were downright unpleasant or plain annoying. But despite my complaints, I actually found this to be a unique plot. Sure, it was different from the previous books, but I also knew that going into it. And it sets itself apart from other fantasy books, which rarely follow this almost...procedural set up.
But I'll tell you the worst part about this book (and arc in general), is Chane. First off, I could never properly figure out how to say his name, and that bugged. Nothing ever sounded right. Second, he irked the shit out of me. And the way he enraptured Wynn made me broil with irritation. I don't understand WHAT that woman saw in him and never will. I definitely wasn't pleased to have to read MORE about him, when I would've happily left HIM in the dust if I could.
But despite my complaints, I am still easy to satisfy, especially with the Noble Dead Saga, so the four stars are still justified. If this were any other book, belonging to any other series, it might have gotten two stars, but my obsessive ass was too damn in love with this series to really care that it didn't stack up compared with the others, because at least I had something to read from the noble dead saga even if it wasn't completely what I wanted.
And I read it in a day. That must account for something.
ssminski's review
3.0
I liked the new twists, and hearing the story from Wynn's point of view, but sometimes she is too stubbornly ignorant for me. She can't see the plots forming around her, nor does she understand until it is explained to her that everyone believes her, but doesn't want the information out. However, I am happy that her and Chane are back together. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.
julieabe89's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This story continues Wynn's adventures after returning home. I had a weird sense of deja vu. I don't think I read this before but if I didn't I've read something very similar.
milinkalap's review against another edition
3.0
Wow Wynn sucks. I'm sick of Chane and this book dragged. Not sure why I'm getting the next one. Guess I just hope the rest of the gang shows up.
ssminski's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the new twists, and hearing the story from Wynn's point of view, but sometimes she is too stubbornly ignorant for me. She can't see the plots forming around her, nor does she understand until it is explained to her that everyone believes her, but doesn't want the information out. However, I am happy that her and Chane are back together. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.
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