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nekokat's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. The Deverry books are becoming more and more generic fantasy as the series progresses. The reincarnation continues to be more of a footnote than a main plot point (this book only had one other time period), and honestly the whole thing is starting to feel like a rehash of the earlier books. It's definitely an uninspired sequel. I want to stick with the series just to see what happens, but it's looking like it'll be a struggle to make it through.
lylah's review against another edition
4.0
The world building of this book is incredible, the dialogue and writing in general are wonderful and entertaining to read, and I love the whole reincarnation plot. In this book there are only really two main parts, which means we get a lot of time to focus on the characters, which i was a huge fan of even though I do enjoy going through lots of incarnations too.
I always have some issues with this series when it comes to gender politics. We have Jill, a strong female warrior who dresses in man’s clothes, and we have characters like Lovyan, a powerful and complex woman with a lot of social influence. Other times it feels like women are dismissed and the men’s ill treatment of women and calling them “sluts” not only the norm but completely uncriticized to the naked eye. Kerr goes a step further and makes some weird comments about abortion that seem to go between pro-choice and pro-life: Nevyn is upset that a man would deal in something as unsavory as abortions, but also states that (according to the rules of dweomer) a fetus does not contain life until the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. Why does a character like Nevyn, who we are supposed to see as wise, have this somewhat biased view that goes uncriticized? I guess my issue is that because of the third person voice, I don’t always know what message the author is bringing across—whether I’m supposed to think Jill is the only strong female character worth praising and other women are worthless.
Jill/Brangwen came back as a man in the single flashback section of this book—I thought that was incredibly interesting, but also a bit disappointing as the story already has so many men that it would have been nice to see a woman get more spotlight for those hundreds of pages. I think it would be cooler to see Rhodry or Cullyn’s characters in the past as women, or something that more strongly played with gender roles. Nevyn also seemed to think it was a sign from the gods that he wasn’t meant to be with male Brangwen this time around but that seemed like a good time to introduce a homosexual romance between Branoic and any of the male characters also involved in the reincarnations because in previous incarnations Brangwen has affairs with all of them. There’s an incest plot but not a Gay one? I’m not buying it. The story didn’t seem to finish so maybe it will continue but I have a feeling that plot line may be over with the realization that Brangwen came back male.
I also feel like the idea of the Bardek culture is a weird mixture of every single “eastern” stereotype and it sort of makes me uncomfortable that it isn’t as well-developed as the western culture.
I am however very interested in where the plot is going, and the next book promises to center around Jill again. This book was a significant improvement over the last, and while not super original in terms of actual plot, it kept me interested until the end.
I always have some issues with this series when it comes to gender politics. We have Jill, a strong female warrior who dresses in man’s clothes, and we have characters like Lovyan, a powerful and complex woman with a lot of social influence. Other times it feels like women are dismissed and the men’s ill treatment of women and calling them “sluts” not only the norm but completely uncriticized to the naked eye. Kerr goes a step further and makes some weird comments about abortion that seem to go between pro-choice and pro-life: Nevyn is upset that a man would deal in something as unsavory as abortions, but also states that (according to the rules of dweomer) a fetus does not contain life until the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. Why does a character like Nevyn, who we are supposed to see as wise, have this somewhat biased view that goes uncriticized? I guess my issue is that because of the third person voice, I don’t always know what message the author is bringing across—whether I’m supposed to think Jill is the only strong female character worth praising and other women are worthless.
Jill/Brangwen came back as a man in the single flashback section of this book—I thought that was incredibly interesting, but also a bit disappointing as the story already has so many men that it would have been nice to see a woman get more spotlight for those hundreds of pages. I think it would be cooler to see Rhodry or Cullyn’s characters in the past as women, or something that more strongly played with gender roles. Nevyn also seemed to think it was a sign from the gods that he wasn’t meant to be with male Brangwen this time around but that seemed like a good time to introduce a homosexual romance between Branoic and any of the male characters also involved in the reincarnations because in previous incarnations Brangwen has affairs with all of them. There’s an incest plot but not a Gay one? I’m not buying it. The story didn’t seem to finish so maybe it will continue but I have a feeling that plot line may be over with the realization that Brangwen came back male.
I also feel like the idea of the Bardek culture is a weird mixture of every single “eastern” stereotype and it sort of makes me uncomfortable that it isn’t as well-developed as the western culture.
I am however very interested in where the plot is going, and the next book promises to center around Jill again. This book was a significant improvement over the last, and while not super original in terms of actual plot, it kept me interested until the end.
adrienner's review against another edition
5.0
I am really enjoying these books!
For the three books, I'm disappointed when the past interjects into the present and disrupts the story, and then I'm disappointed when the past "ends" and the present resumes. I will say while I felt like the story Gweniver/Ricyn/Dannyn dragged a bit and kept going when it should have been cut off, I felt like the story of Maddyn/Owaen/Branoic did not wind down. It just stopped. I guess we can assume that the "one true King" was put on the throne based on the current dynamics of the world.
I'm looking forward to reading the fourth book. I just discovered, though, that there are actually 3 quartets to this series! Oh no! I've been looking at Katharine Kerr's site at http://www.deverry.com/index.html I printed off the list of Incarnations, because I'm becoming confused at this point.
For the three books, I'm disappointed when the past interjects into the present and disrupts the story, and then I'm disappointed when the past "ends" and the present resumes. I will say while I felt like the story Gweniver/Ricyn/Dannyn dragged a bit and kept going when it should have been cut off, I felt like the story of Maddyn/Owaen/Branoic did not wind down. It just stopped. I guess we can assume that the "one true King" was put on the throne based on the current dynamics of the world.
I'm looking forward to reading the fourth book. I just discovered, though, that there are actually 3 quartets to this series! Oh no! I've been looking at Katharine Kerr's site at http://www.deverry.com/index.html I printed off the list of Incarnations, because I'm becoming confused at this point.
mal_eficent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There's a pretty horrible depiction of rape in this story that I wasn't expecting and shocked me – and I usually have no issues reading that type of content. While I don't think the experience of the woman was handled ignorantly (as in, it wasn't done purely for shock value, to 'progress' her character, or to 'punish' her) it's still pretty vile. There's magical drugging involved; it was only done as a device to advance the plot; and is described/viewed by characters as cheating. It only happens in the 'current' timeline, so you could read the flash backs and then a summary of the end if that type of content really isn't for you.
Apart from that, I think this was my favourite of the series so far. There's a lot more political manoeuvring going on in both timelines, and a lot of work done to explain the current way Deverry works as a country.
(There's also a lot less head tossing!)
Apart from that, I think this was my favourite of the series so far. There's a lot more political manoeuvring going on in both timelines, and a lot of work done to explain the current way Deverry works as a country.
(There's also a lot less head tossing!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Kidnapping
evakristin's review
4.0
It is a pleasure to see how Kerr's characters and world is being fleshed out in this third book of the series. While the second book had male homosexuality depicted in a truly horrendus way, this one just showed a somewhat dated view on abortion, which is to be expected since it was written thirty years ago.
bearsister's review
Still not sure how I feel about sex and the role it plays in this magic system. I'm gonna keep reading tho, I'm gonna keep reading tho lmao
imyril's review
4.0
Dawnspell is a bridge book: the flashback (which begins one of my favourite sequences within sequences) is a set-up, the modern day is a set-up and nothing gets resolved before the cliffhanger at the end. It's a bit flabby, and hilariously the bad guys literally have a conversation over the fire about how the plot is absurdly convoluted.
This killed me when it first came out - the prospect of YEARS to find out what was going to happen - but rereading with Dragonspell safely on my shelf I can just sit back and appreciate the good bits. This is where we first glimpse the full sweep of the history of Annwn, with hints of a fourth race and the stark realisation of just how many apple carts were upset when that Gallic tribe sailed into the mists and found Deverry. We also get a whole lot more insight into the unpleasant and self-interested web of politics that holds Deverry together - and keeps parts of it as poor and unsupported. It's also the start of the multi-book flashback sequence detailing the end of the Time of Troubles, which gives us one of Rhodry's most interesting incarnations and eventually (although not in Dawnspell) explains why Jill is so scared of dweomer. Last but not least, we get to hang out with Salamander ap Devaberiel, who is the extravagantly iced cinnamon roll of the Deverry saga (I'm sure his elaborate way of speaking and fecklessness irritate some readers, but I adore him).
On the flip side, this is the least feminist of the novels to date: there's a heap of Nevyn having horrors at women who sleep around and/or sleep around for money, and Jill is stripped of her agency for Plot Reasons.
Knowing how relevant almost everything will become in the future, I can appreciate Dawnspell more. But it was my least favourite of the first four (six?) for a reason on first reading, and I can see why. That's not a huge criticism, though - it's still an engaging read, and left me (leaves me) desperate to get on to the final volume of this first sequence within the saga.
Content warning: rape
3.5 stars
This killed me when it first came out - the prospect of YEARS to find out what was going to happen - but rereading with Dragonspell safely on my shelf I can just sit back and appreciate the good bits. This is where we first glimpse the full sweep of the history of Annwn, with hints of a fourth race and the stark realisation of just how many apple carts were upset when that Gallic tribe sailed into the mists and found Deverry. We also get a whole lot more insight into the unpleasant and self-interested web of politics that holds Deverry together - and keeps parts of it as poor and unsupported. It's also the start of the multi-book flashback sequence detailing the end of the Time of Troubles, which gives us one of Rhodry's most interesting incarnations and eventually (although not in Dawnspell) explains why Jill is so scared of dweomer. Last but not least, we get to hang out with Salamander ap Devaberiel, who is the extravagantly iced cinnamon roll of the Deverry saga (I'm sure his elaborate way of speaking and fecklessness irritate some readers, but I adore him).
On the flip side, this is the least feminist of the novels to date: there's a heap of Nevyn having horrors at women who sleep around and/or sleep around for money, and Jill is stripped of her agency for Plot Reasons.
Knowing how relevant almost everything will become in the future, I can appreciate Dawnspell more. But it was my least favourite of the first four (six?) for a reason on first reading, and I can see why. That's not a huge criticism, though - it's still an engaging read, and left me (leaves me) desperate to get on to the final volume of this first sequence within the saga.
Content warning: rape
3.5 stars
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