Reviews

The Burning Swift by Joseph Elliott

brandypainter's review against another edition

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3.0

I don't know if this would have been better if I'd waited longer after the second book, which I found underwhelming, to pick it up. Alas, I didn't, so I just found myself burned out. I'm sad that I didn't love the end as much as the beginning.

dananana's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful
  • 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

4.0

this series has been an unexpected, but wonderful part of 2023. I picked up the first book on a whim and fell in love with Agatha and Jaime and (in book 2) Sigrid. The setting was so transportive, and the narration immersed me into each characters' perspective. I will miss reading these books but I know I'll think of them often!!

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kizzabell's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

eveerest_'s review

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5.0

I just... I cried when this ended, it was beautiful, at least for me. All the questions have been answered, they all got what they deserved. Honestly, I feel like there's still ground to write about the trylogy, and yes, it might lead me to fanfiction...
I loved this trilogy soo much, it helped me get through some tough times and is doing so even now, after it had been over a year since I first even heard about it (closer to 2 years really, almost 3 I think).
I feel like more people should read this - it has some really good representation and the writing is fantastic!
I loved the fact that each character had a different voice they narrated the story in. I loved Jamie's narration just as much as Sigrid's more simpler language (all of her little 'ses' and other sayings) and let's not forget all of Aggie's narration.
Overall I found this book and the whole series greatly enjoyable and I'd reccomend it to anyone who'd be looking for something new and fresh to read.

alwaysarchery's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

squaresofliving's review

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A lot of fighting going on in this one, and I'm not overjoyed. I still think the characters are great, but a lot of action is not my favorite in books. 

erebus53's review against another edition

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4.0

For Audiobook version unlisted on Goodreads at time of review.
Edition: Nudged Audio Children's Books, W. F. Howes Ltd.
Release: 1 March 2022
Narrated by: Gary Furlong, Fiona Hardingham, Nina Yndis
ASIN B09QT44DHL

The adventurous conclusion to the Shadow Skye trilogy, sees blood magic, monsters, lost lineage, ancient secrets, and an epic battle unfolding. It's a satisfying conclusion to the story arc.

Reading online, I found that some detractors of the series were upset by one of the main characters, Jaime, being really homophobic. It's not how I read it, because I always assumed the character was gay, and was struggling to understand himself having being raised by a clan that considered non-heteronormative couples to be immoral. Having left home, encountering other groups of people for whom it was perfectly acceptable, left him utterly conflicted as to whether the teachings of his people were Right. As this was not the only difference between his home and other cultures, it rang true to me. If you only ever know one way of living it can make you distrustful of people with different beliefs, and this book made that crystal clear. Some traditions help us know who we are, and some of the old ways are not as relevant as they were, and ought to be questioned. Not-so-spoilery alert: love conquers all.

Once more Agatha finds herself imperilled and rises to the challenge by being brave and saving herself and, let's face it, pretty much everyone else she meets (and we find out more about her mysterious parentage).
Sigrid fights venomous death-rats, makes allies and helps to rally them to the cause, as the Two-Kings' Army advances upon the clans of the north.

I am seldom one who is interested in blow-by-blow battles and wars. It's supposed to be exciting but it bores me, however the big clash foreshadowed in the previous book, is interesting and not overly complex. There is tension and weird things keep happening which makes it a lot less about military strategy and a lot more dynamic.

This has been a fun romp, and would be appealing to a young/teen audience.

cnohero's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

gabriele_queerbookdom's review

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5.0

DRC provided by Candlewick Press via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.

Representation: gay white Scottish protagonist with anxiety, disabled white Scottish protagonist, gay white Scottish tertiary character.

Content Warning: anxiety, violence, death, internalised homophobia, sexism, misogyny, ritualistic self-harm.

The Burning Swift by Joseph Elliott is the marvellous conclusion of the Shadow Skye trilogy, an enthralling fantasy series set in a mythical Scotland, deserving of more notoriety than it gets.

After saving the girl who came to warn the clans of Skye, Agatha, Jaime and their friends will need to recruit allies and plan their defence against the incoming army of Norveg and Inglish soldiers set upon them by the evil and ruthless King Edmund and Konge Grímir.

I received a galley of the previous books in the series last year and I was extremely happy and excited to have been given the chance to read and review the series’ finale as well. As always, I will have a hard time reviewing because I adored the book and, while I do not get why, I often find it difficult to put thoughts to paper.

I loved this book even more than the first two. I thought it was a brilliant end to the series. Seeing Agatha’s, Jaime’s and Sigrid’s internal growth throughout the whole trilogy (even if Sigrid only turns up in the second book) was simply splendid and so were the adventures and the fighting scenes; the discourses about beliefs and how one should not impose one’s own views on others and instead learn to respect them delighted me.

The Burning Swift captivated me from start to finish and made me love even more the whole series. I do not only recommend everyone to read this exceptional trilogy, but I implore you to do so because I am fairly sure you will not be disappointed.

ternary's review

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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? No

4.5