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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Pros:
The cat is hilarious
Narrator had a nice voice
Interesting characters
Cons:
I'm a romance fan... This had nothing
Steampunk, not my thing
This is my partners favorite author, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was having to FORCE myself to get through this book.
The cat is hilarious
Narrator had a nice voice
Interesting characters
Cons:
I'm a romance fan... This had nothing
Steampunk, not my thing
This is my partners favorite author, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was having to FORCE myself to get through this book.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Steampunk.
Talking cats.
Technology and magic centered around crystals.
Steam-powered airships.
AND MORE TALKING CATS!
The Aeronaut Windlass is set in a post-apoclyptic world that features a steampunk heavy setting with aristocratic houses, airships powered by steam and crystals, and these “Spires” the humans live in.
It has everything a Final Fantasy fan would love, especially the older Final Fantasy entries. It has a wide range of characters that range from the arrogantly stubborn Gwen, the Han Solo-esque Captain Grimm, the underdog duo of Bridget and Benedict. It has the most arrogant and self-absorbed cat of Rowl (who is the best character!!!!) and a conflict between two Spires.
Jim Butcher set up his world perfectly with this one. Every character goes through their own growth and have specific arcs that help them achieve that growth. It’s long but a satisfying read.
Also THE TALKING CATS RULE! THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SOCIETY AND IT’S AMAZING!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Aeronaut's Windlass needs to be shorter and with fewer characters. A stronger variety of locations would help too. The plot drags for some time before things pick up around the middle. A number of early scenes could've been dropped or rewritten to explain the world better. The large cast means many more scenes to evenly showcase them all and the characters are a mixed bag. I enjoyed Bridget, Rowl, Folly and Ferus, but Bridget is captured multiple times for as much attention is given to her throughout the novel while I wanted more of Folly and Ferus, the latter not receiving much focus. Grimm and Gwendolyn didn't interest me much and I kept forgetting Benedict entirely. The antagonists are more fun, mainly Cavendish and Ransom, but Ransom barely figures into the action. The ultimate evil should've either gotten a little more explanation, such as a name or not been brought up at all and saved for the sequels; it's unsatisfying the way it is. No one appears to be LGBT and everyone seems to be White unless minor character Brother Vincent's Asian and the narration didn't bother explaining he looks different from the rest of the Albions.
The Hable of Spire Albion has the potential to be a great setting but it lacks a sense of adventure and quickly grew dull. I was left hoping Grimm would get the Predator repaired so the cast would begin their mission outside Albion but it never reaches that point. Finally, the prose is rather bland; nothing stood out much except the lack of swearing and that just felt silly after a while.
This is all just set up for the next novel, and while The Aeronaut's Windlass does a better job than some of the series beginners I've read, it still feels incomplete. Novels need to work as stand-alone stories even when part of a series. I'm interested to see where the sequel goes but there's much room for improvement.
The Hable of Spire Albion has the potential to be a great setting but it lacks a sense of adventure and quickly grew dull. I was left hoping Grimm would get the Predator repaired so the cast would begin their mission outside Albion but it never reaches that point. Finally, the prose is rather bland; nothing stood out much except the lack of swearing and that just felt silly after a while.
This is all just set up for the next novel, and while The Aeronaut's Windlass does a better job than some of the series beginners I've read, it still feels incomplete. Novels need to work as stand-alone stories even when part of a series. I'm interested to see where the sequel goes but there's much room for improvement.