Reviews

Edoardo Albert painted a great word with Dasht i-Keva, giving a tasteful homage to Dune. The world-building parts of the novel were very enjoyable. Moreover, his more fleshed-out characters were a joy to read about. The plot twist around the middle of the book was quite interesting and the new problem it presented was resolved in a very satisfying manner. Also, I don't know how much Albert added to how the kroot operate, but it was very interesting to read about how their kinband is structured, what the different roles are what their culture is when it comes to war.
What I did not like is that in spite of the name, this book is not really about kasrkin. Only the officers get more time and dialogue in the story and therefore when the simple squad members are beginning to drop, I failed to feel its impact, which was very underwhelming (the expetion is Gunsur but here are 4-5 others besides). Other than that, they are not depicted as elites among the elites as kasrkin should be among cadians. Aside from a couple of badass moments, they could be average soldiers with better equipment and bigger ego as the text is concerned. I really would have liked some flashbacks or information regarding the kasrkin's training or selection etc. but that wasn't provided either. Finally, it was weird how captain Obeysekera was more well-versed in the imperial dogma than the average scholar of the Ecclesiarchy, but at the same time the non-officer kasrkin had been dumber than a rock in many scenes.
Overall, I think this was a good story, a shame for the characters that were neglected but it was great to get to know this desert planet a little and the officers we actually spent more time with.

peachy_'s review

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adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

majorrawne's review

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adventurous dark tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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