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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
cryopariah's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
darkskybooks's review against another edition
4.0
The world of the Black Iron Legacy is one of the biggest strengths of this series. The faintly cthulhuonic overtures, the mad gods and twisted realities create a truly mind bending world, added to the steampunk/gaslamp fantasy setting just gives something hugely different and refreshing. The creatures and monsters borrow from the Lovecraftian mythos as much as classical fantasy. The whole thing is at the apex of modern fantasy for me, taking a novel and new approach rather than retreading tired worldbuilding tropes.
In this third entry in the series we get to explore a bit more of the world, expand our horizons to some of the other parts of the world that have been ravaged by the godswar. Seeing how a vestige of humanity continues to survive in these places twisted by the conflict between mad gods is fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
The expanded world is both the greatest strength and also one of the weaknesses of the book. The problem with these type of sprawling fantasies is that as a world grows the plot can become less focused. Splitting our attention between Guerdon and Cari's adventures kind of gives a certain disjointedness to the story. I am also a bit torn on my feeling towards the Ghierdana. Yes, dragons are cool, but they somehow seem a bit incongruous in this story, particularly with their 'mafia' stylings. I can appreciate the concept - it is cool - but I am not sure it fully works for me. But ymmv.
I love the Black Iron Legacy books. This is my least favourite so far, but it is still a brilliant book, really pushing at the boundaries of modern fantasy. I am looking forward to seeing more in this world in the future.
In this third entry in the series we get to explore a bit more of the world, expand our horizons to some of the other parts of the world that have been ravaged by the godswar. Seeing how a vestige of humanity continues to survive in these places twisted by the conflict between mad gods is fascinating and horrifying at the same time.
The expanded world is both the greatest strength and also one of the weaknesses of the book. The problem with these type of sprawling fantasies is that as a world grows the plot can become less focused. Splitting our attention between Guerdon and Cari's adventures kind of gives a certain disjointedness to the story. I am also a bit torn on my feeling towards the Ghierdana. Yes, dragons are cool, but they somehow seem a bit incongruous in this story, particularly with their 'mafia' stylings. I can appreciate the concept - it is cool - but I am not sure it fully works for me. But ymmv.
I love the Black Iron Legacy books. This is my least favourite so far, but it is still a brilliant book, really pushing at the boundaries of modern fantasy. I am looking forward to seeing more in this world in the future.
simmyzee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Overall the book is good, but I think theres too much around Spar that doesn't really develop into anything and feels like filler
rolstew's review against another edition
4.0
It was better than the second one, but I keep saying this can’t be the end. There has to be more. So many characters that were brought in don’t have typical resolutions, but that being said, I am still satisfied with the ending. After all the chaos of the series, it was a calm ending that was enjoyable.
emiann2023's review against another edition
4.0
While I didn't absolutely love this one like I did the first two, I did love most of it. Particularly the ending. A solid 4 star book tipping into 5. And while it's taken me time to get used to the different perspectives each book offers, I find myself entertained by the breadth and depth of characters we are introduced to.
That ending (as always) was a serious cliff hanger. I'll be very interested to see where we go from here.
That ending (as always) was a serious cliff hanger. I'll be very interested to see where we go from here.
liamcalnon16's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0