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flyingleaps's review against another edition
3.0
This edition of the Collegium Chronicles is the sort of book that only a Lackey fan will have the patience to sit through. The first 200 pages of the 330 page book meander along, complete with long descriptions of nightmares that are given little, if any context. Being a Valdemar fan, I didn't much mind. I like learning more about this world I keep returning to, but for someone only getting acquainted with Valdemar, I can see how it would feel interminable.
The last third is where the book shines. Lackey picked it up from the second and third installments in Mags' story, giving us a novel that feels more like previous Valdemar novels in tone and in style. The action moves, and one critical question we've been waiting for the answer to is finally resolved...kinda.
All told, the strongest book about Mags since the first one. If you can stick it out this long, it's worth getting to.
Critique (and potential spoilers) after the break.
The other major continuity point is one we've struggled with the whole series: Mags' age when his parents were killed and he went to the mine. Here, he is at once too young to crawl (so, less than a year) and 3 years old. In the same book.
C'mon now, Misty.
The basic editorial issues that were so wretched in the last book in particular are much improved, but still present--particularly when a major character's name is misspelled within a line or two of a previous mention. Spellcheck much?
Thus far, in four books (okay, the fifth one came out Tuesday, but I haven't read it yet) we've have the plot equivalent of two decently paced stories. I like detail, but unless it's actively contributing to the movement of the plot, it's only so much dross, scumming up the story. A lot of these things--like the elaborate wedding celebrations here or the Midwinter festivities in the first book--belong as fan extras, short stories, or entries in the Companion book.
We're reaching a point where readers will only have so much patience for this game. Talia was excellent because we had three tightly wound books with beats of levity. Elspeth, Vanyel...hell, she managed Kerowyn in one and Alberich (my personal favorite) in two. Here we have five books with no confirmed end in sight and significantly less action to show for it. Even for a loyal reader, the ice is growing thin.
I will read [b:Bastion|17707672|Bastion (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #5)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378101270s/17707672.jpg|24757202] and hope that it continues to emulate the earlier Valdemar books. Another [b:Intrigues|7884898|Intrigues (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #2)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388378668s/7884898.jpg|11097541] or [b:Changes|10724628|Changes (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #3)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362693426s/10724628.jpg|15635353] experience, though, and I'll have to throw in the towel.
The last third is where the book shines. Lackey picked it up from the second and third installments in Mags' story, giving us a novel that feels more like previous Valdemar novels in tone and in style. The action moves, and one critical question we've been waiting for the answer to is finally resolved...kinda.
All told, the strongest book about Mags since the first one. If you can stick it out this long, it's worth getting to.
Critique (and potential spoilers) after the break.
Spoiler
While she listened to the criticism about Mags' highly irritating patois and cut back on it, there we have the first of the many continuity issues that plague this book. The change in Mags' speech is not consistent. He goes from being perfectly understandable with a dropped ending or rusticated pronunciation here and there to having lines littered with apostrophes again and back. It's leaps and bounds ahead of where we've been, but this is something that I hope improves in the next book.The other major continuity point is one we've struggled with the whole series: Mags' age when his parents were killed and he went to the mine. Here, he is at once too young to crawl (so, less than a year) and 3 years old. In the same book.
C'mon now, Misty.
The basic editorial issues that were so wretched in the last book in particular are much improved, but still present--particularly when a major character's name is misspelled within a line or two of a previous mention. Spellcheck much?
Thus far, in four books (okay, the fifth one came out Tuesday, but I haven't read it yet) we've have the plot equivalent of two decently paced stories. I like detail, but unless it's actively contributing to the movement of the plot, it's only so much dross, scumming up the story. A lot of these things--like the elaborate wedding celebrations here or the Midwinter festivities in the first book--belong as fan extras, short stories, or entries in the Companion book.
We're reaching a point where readers will only have so much patience for this game. Talia was excellent because we had three tightly wound books with beats of levity. Elspeth, Vanyel...hell, she managed Kerowyn in one and Alberich (my personal favorite) in two. Here we have five books with no confirmed end in sight and significantly less action to show for it. Even for a loyal reader, the ice is growing thin.
I will read [b:Bastion|17707672|Bastion (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #5)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1378101270s/17707672.jpg|24757202] and hope that it continues to emulate the earlier Valdemar books. Another [b:Intrigues|7884898|Intrigues (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #2)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388378668s/7884898.jpg|11097541] or [b:Changes|10724628|Changes (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles, #3)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362693426s/10724628.jpg|15635353] experience, though, and I'll have to throw in the towel.
kesnit's review against another edition
3.0
I put off reading this book for several years because the previous books in this series were getting worse in my opinion. (I had planned to just skip this series until I realized Ms. Lackey was continuing on and if I wanted to keep reading her books, I had to pick these back up.)
This book is better than book 3 of this series. However, it is still juvenile. Also, Mags's kidnapping and escape goes on way too long. It also comes out of nowhere, which was a bother when I was reading and suddenly did not know what had happened.
I'm glad I finally picked up this book, and hope this series continues along like this.
This book is better than book 3 of this series. However, it is still juvenile. Also, Mags's kidnapping and escape goes on way too long. It also comes out of nowhere, which was a bother when I was reading and suddenly did not know what had happened.
I'm glad I finally picked up this book, and hope this series continues along like this.
mleckie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
vkorval's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
inferiorwit's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Death, and Confinement
Minor: Child death, Medical content, Gore, and Death of parent
kiraly's review against another edition
3.0
This was definitely better than the previous book in the series, but it still leaves things hanging in a way that makes me think there is a fifth book on the horizon. The conclusion is a little more satisfying and less rushed than in the previous book. I still wouldn't recommend anyone read this series unless they have read other work by this author first ([b:By the Sword|28735|By the Sword (Heralds of Valdemar, #4)|Mercedes Lackey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348225596s/28735.jpg|29234], [b:Arrows of the Queen|13986|Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1296358547s/13986.jpg|834071] and its sequels, [b:Winds of Fate|13995|Winds of Fate (Valdemar Mage Winds, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348306174s/13995.jpg|1040567] and its sequels...there are plenty of trilogies set in this same world with overlapping characters, and a number of other series like the Elemental Masters or Five Hundred Kingdoms, so take your pick). I feel bad telling people not to start with this one because I love Mags as a character, but the middle two books were pretty rough.
One of the things that I've seen unfortunately often in Lackey's recent books is a lack of refinement. I appreciate how fast her books come out (and how many different series she has), but I wouldn't mind waiting longer to read a more polished product. One of my biggest pet peeves (and I've complained about this before) is characters' names should be written consistently. There wasn't any blatant name-changing this time, (see my review of [b:Home From the Sea|12974280|Home From the Sea (Elemental Masters, #8)|Mercedes Lackey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348660781s/12974280.jpg|18132839] for the Siarl/Niarl fiasco) but at this point in the series, someone besides me should be noticing when one of the main characters' names is written "Dalen" instead of "Dallen". In fact, I shouldn't be noticing because it should have been fixed before this was published. I don't think this is necessarily the author's fault, but since things like this keep happening in her books I am losing respect for her editor.
On a final critical note, the title of this book makes no sense. I looked it up, and "Redoubt" is a word for a fortification or defensive structure. It doesn't seem to connect to the book or the previous titles in the series, which don't have much to do with each other anyway but at least sounded all right together. Foundation, Intrigues, Changes, Redoubt...they just don't seem to fit.
With all of that off my chest, I did appreciate this book. It wrapped up some things (the Bear and Lena subplot was well done) and opened up some others.For instance, the connection Mags now has with the Sunlord and Karse. Although I could have sworn that what this book calls "Suncats" were called "Firecats" in the Mage Storms trilogy...maybe in the centuries between this book and those the name changed. Yeah, let's go with that. I am looking forward to the next one (if there is going to be a next one) with much more enthusiasm than I had before I read this.
One of the things that I've seen unfortunately often in Lackey's recent books is a lack of refinement. I appreciate how fast her books come out (and how many different series she has), but I wouldn't mind waiting longer to read a more polished product. One of my biggest pet peeves (and I've complained about this before) is characters' names should be written consistently. There wasn't any blatant name-changing this time, (see my review of [b:Home From the Sea|12974280|Home From the Sea (Elemental Masters, #8)|Mercedes Lackey|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348660781s/12974280.jpg|18132839] for the Siarl/Niarl fiasco) but at this point in the series, someone besides me should be noticing when one of the main characters' names is written "Dalen" instead of "Dallen". In fact, I shouldn't be noticing because it should have been fixed before this was published. I don't think this is necessarily the author's fault, but since things like this keep happening in her books I am losing respect for her editor.
On a final critical note, the title of this book makes no sense. I looked it up, and "Redoubt" is a word for a fortification or defensive structure. It doesn't seem to connect to the book or the previous titles in the series, which don't have much to do with each other anyway but at least sounded all right together. Foundation, Intrigues, Changes, Redoubt...they just don't seem to fit.
With all of that off my chest, I did appreciate this book. It wrapped up some things (the Bear and Lena subplot was well done) and opened up some others.
awpatton's review against another edition
3.0
The first 175 pages were horrible. Then you start a new chapter and BAM! Action starts.
melanie_page's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Other than the aggravating ablest side plot about Amily, I enjoyed Redoubt because Mags ends up in a survivalist adventure. Kidnapped and drugged, he’s taken around two weeks away from Valdemar into enemy Karse. There, he learns more about the power-hungry priests who pervert the religion to keep citizens in line, sending demons into the night to kill those who disobey. If you’ve read previous books, you’re familiar with what happened to the Karse religion and who these priests are and how it resolves.
Check out the full review at https://grabthelapels.com/2021/04/29/redoubt/
traveling_in_books's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
2.75