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paradoxically's review against another edition
3.0
Amaranthe and her group have been tasked with a special request from the emperor himself, a kidnapping in fact. Of himself. She and her crew (but mostly Amaranthe, because she is ridiculous in great ways) come up with a plan to kidnap Sespian, but kind of get distracted by other things at the same time that may or may not be related to said kidnapping of said emperor. The POV alternates between Amaranthe (of course) and Akstyr, who has troubles of his own (mainly of his own making).
It's always been a bit hard to tell where Aksytr would land if things for him got really hairy. Mostly because I dislike the thought of any of Amaranthe's group betraying her, but Aksytr has always been a bit aloof from the rest of the group, and you see more of that within this book.
The ending was a straight up cliffhanger. If you thought the last book's ending was a bit open ended then this one would be a smack to the face. On the plus side you finally get to meet Sespian again? Um.
Like always, the book is written so it's pretty much breakneck speed from start to finish, along with a myriad of quips and banter. You gain a couple of new members to the group that you end up liking,. 3 stars.
It's always been a bit hard to tell where Aksytr would land if things for him got really hairy. Mostly because I dislike the thought of any of Amaranthe's group betraying her, but Aksytr has always been a bit aloof from the rest of the group, and you see more of that within this book.
The ending was a straight up cliffhanger. If you thought the last book's ending was a bit open ended then this one would be a smack to the face. On the plus side you finally get to meet Sespian again? Um.
Like always, the book is written so it's pretty much breakneck speed from start to finish, along with a myriad of quips and banter. You gain a couple of new members to the group that you end up liking,
Spoiler
it's actually nice to see Amaranthe not be the sole female in the group_persephone_'s review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lauralh05's review against another edition
5.0
Cannot wait for the next book! I feel like Buroker's timing with Akstyr's story was good...I had not really cared for his character much at all, but this book brought me around. He's still not my favorite, but am looking forward to seeing continued growth & maturity from his character.
I do think that Amaranthe lets Sicarius off a little too easily for the Forge killings considering that Books hadn't finalized confirmation of if/how much those people were involved, and even if they were all fully involved in evil doings, 20 is still a lot of murders to brush off - good intentions or not. Since it's only fiction however, and since I really do like how their relationship is handled otherwise, I'll forgive it.
Very interested to see what happens next now that the group has rescued Sespian & how things work out between him & Sicarius.
Spoiler
I do think that Amaranthe lets Sicarius off a little too easily for the Forge killings considering that Books hadn't finalized confirmation of if/how much those people were involved, and even if they were all fully involved in evil doings, 20 is still a lot of murders to brush off - good intentions or not. Since it's only fiction however, and since I really do like how their relationship is handled otherwise, I'll forgive it.
Very interested to see what happens next now that the group has rescued Sespian & how things work out between him & Sicarius.
bea__reads's review against another edition
5.0
[first finished May 1, 2012 - yes, I am rereading these]
** I apologize for the excited feel of this review as I have just finished the book, it is late at night, and I am still in a post-Emperor's Edge state of overwhelming emotion. **
Upon finishing this book, I experienced a moment of complete insanity wherein I nearly screamed aloud at 11pm because the ending came so abruptly (downside of eBooks?) and was so unexpected that I could not handle the amount of emotion I was confronted with. Lindsay Buroker handles mystery wonderfully and she manages to blend it into the personality and perspective of Amaranthe (and her other narrators) perfectly. I honestly almost screamed at the end of this book. All in all, another wonderful addition to the Emperor's Edge series. Fast-paced, full of action, and HILARIOUS. This entire series has been full of amazing jokes and a very good amount of sarcasm. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book (read: I am waiting attentively and patiently in the shadows for her new book announcement email in a manner that Sicarius would be quite impressed by).
Now, onto some of my thoughts:
To conclude my thoughts on this subject, I think I may have sensed some amount of foreshadowing in this book with Books' talk about people changing. I have been thinking about the idea of Sicarius changing ever since and I'm honestly not sure that I can see it happening...then again, Amaranthe seems to have had a profound effect on him and given /him/ hope that he might be able to live a different life in the future. That he gave Akstyr another chance in the end seems proof of this. He could easily have killed him after Sespian was free of the implant.
Aside from that, I can only rave about how much I enjoy reading Buroker's action scenes (and everything else...)!! They're very fast-paced and exciting, and I found myself gnawing on my own nails throughout this entire book, as I have with the others in this series. I can definitely understand Amaranthe's problem of trying to chew her on nails when they've already been chewed off!
This book will be sure to keep you guessing right up to the end, and as annoying as a cliffhanger ending is, it's totally worth staying up way too late to finish reading.
** I apologize for the excited feel of this review as I have just finished the book, it is late at night, and I am still in a post-Emperor's Edge state of overwhelming emotion. **
Upon finishing this book, I experienced a moment of complete insanity wherein I nearly screamed aloud at 11pm because the ending came so abruptly (downside of eBooks?) and was so unexpected that I could not handle the amount of emotion I was confronted with. Lindsay Buroker handles mystery wonderfully and she manages to blend it into the personality and perspective of Amaranthe (and her other narrators) perfectly. I honestly almost screamed at the end of this book. All in all, another wonderful addition to the Emperor's Edge series. Fast-paced, full of action, and HILARIOUS. This entire series has been full of amazing jokes and a very good amount of sarcasm. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book (read: I am waiting attentively and patiently in the shadows for her new book announcement email in a manner that Sicarius would be quite impressed by).
Now, onto some of my thoughts:
Spoiler
This book really got me thinking about the morality of liking Sicarius so much. He is someone who is willing to kill others to solve his problems (or those of individuals he cares about) and he does not seem to feel any remorse afterwards. Now, I have tried to rationalize his behavior. I have tried to tell myself that it's okay to like him because it's just a story. (If Amaranthe is okay with, why shouldn't I be?) But I know I should probably hate him and not get so excited when he acts like an actual human being towards Amaranthe. Of course, Amaranthe is going through the same struggle of morality in this book, much more prominently than in the previous books, and I think it adds a necessary element to her character. I love that she is characterized as a strong, intelligent, independent female, not someone who is going to give in to her emotions as the stereotypical female protagonist tends to be. Yes, she has emotional feelings for him, but they don't govern her actions or her mind. I feel there will be a conversation about all of this at some point during the series (in Sicarius' book probably).To conclude my thoughts on this subject, I think I may have sensed some amount of foreshadowing in this book with Books' talk about people changing. I have been thinking about the idea of Sicarius changing ever since and I'm honestly not sure that I can see it happening...then again, Amaranthe seems to have had a profound effect on him and given /him/ hope that he might be able to live a different life in the future. That he gave Akstyr another chance in the end seems proof of this. He could easily have killed him after Sespian was free of the implant.
Aside from that, I can only rave about how much I enjoy reading Buroker's action scenes (and everything else...)!! They're very fast-paced and exciting, and I found myself gnawing on my own nails throughout this entire book, as I have with the others in this series. I can definitely understand Amaranthe's problem of trying to chew her on nails when they've already been chewed off!
This book will be sure to keep you guessing right up to the end, and as annoying as a cliffhanger ending is, it's totally worth staying up way too late to finish reading.
suflet's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite plots of the series
I adore this series more for the personalities and relationships and fun science fiction/fantasy than for the actual plot sequences but this one has a lovely, fast-paced, well-motivated plot with a strong heist vibe (it's a kidnapping but in the style of like Ocean's Eleven). This series is definitely more of a whole object than a series of episodes so distinguishing between the individual novels doesn't make a ton of sense but this is definitely my favorite so far. It makes excellent use of the stakes established in the novels leading up to it and launches the series into a new phase.
I adore this series more for the personalities and relationships and fun science fiction/fantasy than for the actual plot sequences but this one has a lovely, fast-paced, well-motivated plot with a strong heist vibe (it's a kidnapping but in the style of like Ocean's Eleven). This series is definitely more of a whole object than a series of episodes so distinguishing between the individual novels doesn't make a ton of sense but this is definitely my favorite so far. It makes excellent use of the stakes established in the novels leading up to it and launches the series into a new phase.
brokenrecord's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. This book was (unsurprisingly) great!!! The closest of the series so far to 5 stars (although, as I think I said in my review of the first book, I'd give the entire series 5 stars but no individual book quite reaches 5 stars for me, somehow).
In the 2nd book, I remember being a bit unsure about getting Books's POV because most of the time I just want to read about Amaranthe and Sicarius, but by this book I had gotten used to getting the other characters' POVs and appreciated it. It's a good way to flesh out the other members of the group and get more of their backstory, but they never get quite as much time as Amaranthe's POV, so it balances out well. Akstyr was not a character I cared a huge amount about before this book, but I liked seeing his POV, and how
I was also more into the main plot of this book, the most since the first book. It was nice to have Sespian back to see what was going on with him since we got his POV in the first book but then barely hear from him in the next 2. It helped me care more about the mission than I did about the ones in the previous 2 books because I knew how much helping Sepsian meant to Sicarius (and to Amaranthe, to a lesser extent). Plus, who doesn't love a good train heist? I really enjoyed Yara being back — one of my main criticisms in the first book was the lack of female team members, and I liked her well enough in the second book, so it was nice to see her join up with the team. Not fully on board for her and Maldynado, but they're fine. The biggest thing I wasn't a fan of in this book was just Sespian's continued crush on Amaranthe because a love triangle involving is not my idea of fun, but having read almost the whole series now, I like how everything worked out, so in retrospect I think I would enjoy this book more, not being as worried about the love triangle element.
And of course, the Sicarius/Amaranthe stuff was perfect here. For one thing, after the previous book, it was really nice for Sicarius not to disappear for like half the book.
Basically, this series is just consistently fun and entertaining, and I love the dynamic between all the characters so much.
In the 2nd book, I remember being a bit unsure about getting Books's POV because most of the time I just want to read about Amaranthe and Sicarius, but by this book I had gotten used to getting the other characters' POVs and appreciated it. It's a good way to flesh out the other members of the group and get more of their backstory, but they never get quite as much time as Amaranthe's POV, so it balances out well. Akstyr was not a character I cared a huge amount about before this book, but I liked seeing his POV, and how
Spoiler
even when he was going to betray Sicarius, he was going to give away fake info. I liked the thing with his mom even though I knew she was going to give him away from the start, but his disappointment in himself for believing her was so sad. I also liked, just like in the last book, Amaranthe and Sicarius basically find out what's going on with him and Amaranthe's reaction is just, "Should we send him to magic school so he won't want to leave?" rather than getting mad about him trying to betray them and run away. I just really love Amaranthe!!! She's not naive, but she believes the best in her men. And that Sicarius was willing to forgive him as long as he helps save Sespian.I was also more into the main plot of this book, the most since the first book. It was nice to have Sespian back to see what was going on with him since we got his POV in the first book but then barely hear from him in the next 2. It helped me care more about the mission than I did about the ones in the previous 2 books because I knew how much helping Sepsian meant to Sicarius (and to Amaranthe, to a lesser extent). Plus, who doesn't love a good train heist? I really enjoyed Yara being back — one of my main criticisms in the first book was the lack of female team members, and I liked her well enough in the second book, so it was nice to see her join up with the team. Not fully on board for her and Maldynado, but they're fine. The biggest thing I wasn't a fan of in this book was just Sespian's continued crush on Amaranthe because a love triangle involving
Spoiler
both a father and a son going after the same womanAnd of course, the Sicarius/Amaranthe stuff was perfect here. For one thing, after the previous book, it was really nice for Sicarius not to disappear for like half the book.
Spoiler
And that hug!!!!! The fact that he pulls her aside to a room so he can hug her and kiss her neck and thank her!!!!!! I also loved her explaining to him that when she tells him to be careful, it means she cares, and the second she said that, I knew there was going to be a parallel with him telling her the same thing, but it still got to me when it finally happened. Also the bit where she's complaining a bit about not knowing what he's thinking and speculating what it might be, and finally he's just like, "You smell nice." He's so much more open with his feelings about her in this book (to the extent that he's open about anything), and so it's still hilarious to me when Amaranthe is like, "Sicarius might care about me a little bit," when it's clear that in reality he loves her more than he's ever loved anyone (besides Sespian).Basically, this series is just consistently fun and entertaining, and I love the dynamic between all the characters so much.
lauramg's review against another edition
I loved the first book, I kept reading hoping to relive my love for the start of the series. Unfortunately I have lost interest in the characters. I find Amaranthe tiresome, didn’t care for akstyr’s POV. V disappointed.
miloulou's review against another edition
3.0
This instalment features Akstyr as the focus, and it's definitely a big difference from the last novel. As always, he has a distinctive voice from the other characters, and all the maturity you'd expect from the youngest member raised with the least number of rules. was pretty shocking but it also reminds everyone of how dangerous the world actually is. I'm not exactly sure what about it made it less of a thrill for me, but I think it was because it had one of those problems many middle novels have. It was kind of just that novel for me, the one that was there but none of what happened really stuck out. Other than the glimpse of Akstyr's past, which was just a horrible as one would expect. What I did appreciate however was the way it wasn't written as a sob story. Akstyr doesn't allow himself to dwell on it, and for him it's all about moving forward. I think he'd be a very interesting character to read about, when he's say five years older and has had more time to mature. All of his flaws and complaints makes him at times exhausting to read about, when I just wanted to shake him and tell him to grow up. There's a lot to sympathize with, but because of all the other flaws as well, it's hard to remember that he's been beat down his entire life.
Personally, this one though it delivered on the funny banter and adventure, it was one I have a hard time really placing and remembering. The one big scene
Spoiler
would be when Sicarius goes off the deep endWhile I normally would love the introduction of another female character, as the series is pretty bogged down with a lot of guys, Yara is so written to be so stuffy that it's hard to really sympathize with her. Maldynado's teasing was fun though, so hopefully she'll get better as the series moves on.
twoflower77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
4.25
The slow burn in this is killing me, exactly as it should
pickledpuck's review against another edition
4.0
That. Cliffhanger. Was. Awesome!!! I mean, I saw it coming a mile off (there weren't many pages left, and I've read enough books to find the subtle allusions). Now, granted I probable wouldn't be as excited if the next book wasn't out yet, but it is, and I'm giddy af!
Anyways. In this book, we finally have Sicarius and Sespian together (-ish), but the author focused more on Amaranthe and Sespian here, so I expect there would be 'bonding' (as much as Sicarius is capable of, anyway) here between father and son...? Although I suspect that instead of rainbows, we'd probably have violent storms and unrelenting wind. Eitherway, I'm excited. Also, again, I don't think Akstyr was completely explored here. Would've liked more development, but oh well.
On to the next installment!
2/09/2017 20:53 In a hospital bed
Anyways. In this book, we finally have Sicarius and Sespian together (-ish), but the author focused more on Amaranthe and Sespian here, so I expect there would be 'bonding' (as much as Sicarius is capable of, anyway) here between father and son...? Although I suspect that instead of rainbows, we'd probably have violent storms and unrelenting wind. Eitherway, I'm excited. Also, again, I don't think Akstyr was completely explored here. Would've liked more development, but oh well.
On to the next installment!
2/09/2017 20:53 In a hospital bed