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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The changes in the world from the last book were interesting to see. The characters still don’t feel special but there is a lot more action in the book than the previous
dark
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
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:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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:
No
The final book in the trilogy goes down a very different road than the first two. Which is a direct result of everything that happens in the first two and I understand that, but darn, I missed those heist vibes that were especially strong in "Foundryside" but still continued in to "Shorefall" as well. While there is a huge mission in this one, it's no longer as heisty as in the previous books, it was definitely done more in the vein of "the big final mission of a final instalment in a series".
Nevertheless, the concepts explored in "Locklands" were definitely intriguing. The way the technology of this world has evolved is memorable and provided an interesting exploration into how human society could theoretically function under such conditions (read the trilogy if you want to find out, no spoilers here).
The relationships between the characters were, in some ways, so much deeper in this book, due to the nature of how people communicate by this point and the effects of the technology they use. And since this book starts after a big time jump, their relationships also show a maturation that comes with time, though I guess it was kind of sad to miss out on seeing that growth as well.
The pacing and the overall vibe of "Locklands" felt a bit different to the previous books – at times, everything dragged a bit more than I would have liked. But those moments are made up for with the action and battle scenes, which have reached a whole new level of complexity in terms of the scriving Sancia and her crew use to get out of tough situations against a world-threatening enemy.
And then there was the ending. If you likehappy and very clearly wrapped up endings , then this trilogy gets it. For me, I liked the little twists in the ending, so even despite the nature of the ending, it's not perhaps exactly what you're expecting either.
Overall, I liked the trilogy as a whole. I won't forget the scriving technology anytime soon and as far as fantasy series go, this is a good, solid and fascinating one.
Nevertheless, the concepts explored in "Locklands" were definitely intriguing. The way the technology of this world has evolved is memorable and provided an interesting exploration into how human society could theoretically function under such conditions (read the trilogy if you want to find out, no spoilers here).
The relationships between the characters were, in some ways, so much deeper in this book, due to the nature of how people communicate by this point and the effects of the technology they use. And since this book starts after a big time jump, their relationships also show a maturation that comes with time, though I guess it was kind of sad to miss out on seeing that growth as well.
The pacing and the overall vibe of "Locklands" felt a bit different to the previous books – at times, everything dragged a bit more than I would have liked. But those moments are made up for with the action and battle scenes, which have reached a whole new level of complexity in terms of the scriving Sancia and her crew use to get out of tough situations against a world-threatening enemy.
And then there was the ending. If you like
Overall, I liked the trilogy as a whole. I won't forget the scriving technology anytime soon and as far as fantasy series go, this is a good, solid and fascinating one.
I struggled a lot with the magic system. It went to such a bigger scale compared to the first and second book that at this point I had more questions than it was possible for the author to explain without compromising the story and it kept taking me out of it.
Characters were never ones I deeply cared about, so when all of it adds up I just had the urge to DNF the whole 37% I read. I was resisting because it's a conclusion to a series but I just could not care less and it alredy made me slump for 2 weeks so I'll just stop now.
Characters were never ones I deeply cared about, so when all of it adds up I just had the urge to DNF the whole 37% I read. I was resisting because it's a conclusion to a series but I just could not care less and it alredy made me slump for 2 weeks so I'll just stop now.
Finally, the much-anticipated sequel to Shorefall which I read for the first time in 2021. I know it has some very mixed reviews, but I absolutely LOVED this book. I just finished (re) reading the trilogy back-to-back and I already want to reread this. I wish I could experience this entire world again for the first time. The magic system is so technology based in such a fantastical world… How did he come up with this…?
Bennett’s writing is so easy to fall into and the distinct characters are incredibly well fleshed out. They all have different voices and come from different places… and they are all tortured in excruciating ways. I thought the ending was magnificent. All the arcs were tied off, and all the characters got their time in the sun (or the shade). You can tell that it’s something that may have been written during a pandemic, as some of the concepts came across as “what if” and they were… perfect. I don’t have anything else to say, really, other than for me… it was amazing. I can’t wait to go back into this world again.
Needless to say, I will definitely be reading everything else RJB writes… And I think you should, too!
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
It stuck the landing. I'm in awe of this book and this trilogy overall.
Also I got teary eyed reading the acknowledgements? Come on! Anything from Bennett is an instant read for me now.
Also I got teary eyed reading the acknowledgements? Come on! Anything from Bennett is an instant read for me now.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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:
N/A
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No