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tani's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first two, but it was still really good. I really connected with almost all of the characters, and the T'En, with their gender politics and gifts, were really fascinating to me.
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
The problem with this book was the end. It was all good up to that, but, there was no conclusion. There was nothing that left me feeling good and that everything would turn out ok. It was more, they are fine for today, but hey today they might all die. And for me that is not a good feeling. I like conclusions, while this felt like more is coming. But is more coming? I think not.
Anyway it was still a good book even if it felt unfinished. There are lots of characters in it..yeah lots and all with names that I can't remember how to spell except for Imoshen. The woman who tries to lead her people into exile. Humans are bad, idiots most of them. The T'en are better, but only cos they do not kill humans, just each other. So yes in that aspect they are no better. But it's a fascinating society even with it's flaws. I would sure not like to be born into it. Men and women do not trust each other and the half bloods are just lessers.
A fascinating world as I said. A good thrilling story. I just wished for more of an ending.
Anyway it was still a good book even if it felt unfinished. There are lots of characters in it..yeah lots and all with names that I can't remember how to spell except for Imoshen. The woman who tries to lead her people into exile. Humans are bad, idiots most of them. The T'en are better, but only cos they do not kill humans, just each other. So yes in that aspect they are no better. But it's a fascinating society even with it's flaws. I would sure not like to be born into it. Men and women do not trust each other and the half bloods are just lessers.
A fascinating world as I said. A good thrilling story. I just wished for more of an ending.
tehani's review against another edition
5.0
As the final book of a trilogy, there's not much I specifically want to say. Generally though? I'm left as usual with the same problem I always am upon finishing one of Daniells' books - I WANT MORE! Fantastic series, gorgeous characters (when even the evil ones feel real and the good ones are necessarily completely on the straight and narrow), great action. I love the worldbuilding, and the writing is excellent. I now want to go back and read The Last T'En trilogy, which was the first Daniells' I read, a decade ago!
Oh, and THANK YOU publisher Solaris, for releasing this trilogy in short sequence - addicts like myself really do appreciate it!
Oh, and THANK YOU publisher Solaris, for releasing this trilogy in short sequence - addicts like myself really do appreciate it!
hanihoney's review against another edition
3.0
unsatisfactory. none of the plot hit the spot. plus side i had no expectations and it always lead me to a place i didnt expect
lete76's review against another edition
4.0
I LOVED the whole trilogy, but thought the ending was left a little 'up there'. Would read them again.
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
Katharine is a judge for the Sara Douglass 'Book Series' Award. This entry is the personal opinion of Katharine herself, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinator or the Aurealis Awards management team.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
I won't be recording my thoughts (if I choose to) here until after the AA are over.
g8girl's review against another edition
3.0
Sanctuary by Rowena Cory Daniells
***3.5***
***Minor spoilers for Besieged and Exile***
As a continuation of the Outcast story, the book was interesting enough. Imoshen and a large contingent of her people have made it to the docks and the boats heading to the Sagoras. They still have a few days before they are required to set sail and so they sit on the boats and wait to see if any more of their people will arrive, either on their own, or delivered for a reward by the Mieren (or True-Men).
The same themes that are present in the first two books are also present here, some growing in breadth and others waning. To be honest though, it was starting to get repetitive and boring. There are always those among the T'En who are not ready for change, both in the Sisterhoods and Brotherhoods. Thankfully, one of the more vicious T'En leaders is overthrown. However this is done through back channels and manipulations. Actions that go against the very fabric of the peoples. The T'En continue to challenge each other and to fight among themselves. While in a way this hold true to real life (it takes years for people to change their ways) I didn't pick up these books to read about real life and I wanted to see growth and change among the characters. Many of the characters were simply too stubborn and set in their ways to change and for the most part, those causing issue were simply killed.
Sorne is once again separataed from the T'En and thrust back into helping the Mieren hold their kingdom. This part of the story I was so disinterested in I actually skim read until those parts were over. Charald is barely even spoken of and rarely heard from. His departure from the story gets one paragraph of how Sorne is able to move on. Then, when this finally happens Sorne is once again taken prisoner and kept from the life he wants to live. This part too I found boring as it was just a repeat of the previous two books. Sorne is a good man, who is torn between wanting the love and acceptance of his father and hoping to find a place among his people, the T'En and Malajune. During the books he is repeatedly taken prisoner to be used in nefarious ways.
Imoshen makes little headway among the Sisterhood itself, and often makes big movements as the Causare without consulting anyone about it. She is almost single handedly changing the ways of the T'En. In itself this should be impressive, but her sole struggle actually becomes tiresome. You wonder how non of these people can see things from her point of view and she has so little faith in them that she doesn't even consult them before implementing her changes, and everyone just follows suit so they can save face. If she has so little faith in them, why is she bothering to try and change them? To be fair there are enough T'En who think similarly to her, if not exactly the same, but the constant struggle is repetitive and tiresome. The T'En constantly trying to out do each other and overthrow each other has been done to death in the previous two books and I was hoping to see something more develop.
As a conclusion to the story I was a bit let down. Very little is actually changed or achieved by the end of the book. In fact, the story is left so wide open that I am half expecting another book. The book basically ends with the phrase "It's a start." A start to a whole other book because the story isn't even close to finished maybe. So many characters die because the T'En are unwilling to work together and save their people as a whole in exile. They would rather achieve stature for their respective Brotherhoods and rise in the ranks of the T'En. I don't think they realize the T'En will cease to exist unless they get their heads out of their own asses and work together.
Perhaps that is the point of the entire story however. In which case I raise my hat to Daniells because she has captured the infuriating reality of people presented with choices they'd rather not make and the stubbornness of a peoples unwilling to change to save themselves.
For me this was a repetitive and lackluster ending to the series with very little (if any) closure.
***3.5***
***Minor spoilers for Besieged and Exile***
As a continuation of the Outcast story, the book was interesting enough. Imoshen and a large contingent of her people have made it to the docks and the boats heading to the Sagoras. They still have a few days before they are required to set sail and so they sit on the boats and wait to see if any more of their people will arrive, either on their own, or delivered for a reward by the Mieren (or True-Men).
The same themes that are present in the first two books are also present here, some growing in breadth and others waning. To be honest though, it was starting to get repetitive and boring. There are always those among the T'En who are not ready for change, both in the Sisterhoods and Brotherhoods. Thankfully, one of the more vicious T'En leaders is overthrown. However this is done through back channels and manipulations. Actions that go against the very fabric of the peoples. The T'En continue to challenge each other and to fight among themselves. While in a way this hold true to real life (it takes years for people to change their ways) I didn't pick up these books to read about real life and I wanted to see growth and change among the characters. Many of the characters were simply too stubborn and set in their ways to change and for the most part, those causing issue were simply killed.
Sorne is once again separataed from the T'En and thrust back into helping the Mieren hold their kingdom. This part of the story I was so disinterested in I actually skim read until those parts were over. Charald is barely even spoken of and rarely heard from. His departure from the story gets one paragraph of how Sorne is able to move on. Then, when this finally happens Sorne is once again taken prisoner and kept from the life he wants to live. This part too I found boring as it was just a repeat of the previous two books. Sorne is a good man, who is torn between wanting the love and acceptance of his father and hoping to find a place among his people, the T'En and Malajune. During the books he is repeatedly taken prisoner to be used in nefarious ways.
Imoshen makes little headway among the Sisterhood itself, and often makes big movements as the Causare without consulting anyone about it. She is almost single handedly changing the ways of the T'En. In itself this should be impressive, but her sole struggle actually becomes tiresome. You wonder how non of these people can see things from her point of view and she has so little faith in them that she doesn't even consult them before implementing her changes, and everyone just follows suit so they can save face. If she has so little faith in them, why is she bothering to try and change them? To be fair there are enough T'En who think similarly to her, if not exactly the same, but the constant struggle is repetitive and tiresome. The T'En constantly trying to out do each other and overthrow each other has been done to death in the previous two books and I was hoping to see something more develop.
As a conclusion to the story I was a bit let down. Very little is actually changed or achieved by the end of the book. In fact, the story is left so wide open that I am half expecting another book. The book basically ends with the phrase "It's a start." A start to a whole other book because the story isn't even close to finished maybe. So many characters die because the T'En are unwilling to work together and save their people as a whole in exile. They would rather achieve stature for their respective Brotherhoods and rise in the ranks of the T'En. I don't think they realize the T'En will cease to exist unless they get their heads out of their own asses and work together.
Perhaps that is the point of the entire story however. In which case I raise my hat to Daniells because she has captured the infuriating reality of people presented with choices they'd rather not make and the stubbornness of a peoples unwilling to change to save themselves.
For me this was a repetitive and lackluster ending to the series with very little (if any) closure.
amari's review
3.0
it was a wonderful book. The battle scenes kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to put the book down because I needed to see what would happen next.
But it's only three stars because there are more than a few loose ends that weren't tied up. If the series is meant to continue and this is just a cliffhanger, it would have been nice to see a small excerpt from the next book.
But it's only three stars because there are more than a few loose ends that weren't tied up. If the series is meant to continue and this is just a cliffhanger, it would have been nice to see a small excerpt from the next book.
tsana's review
5.0
Sanctuary is the third and final volume in Rowena Cory Daniells's Outcast Chronicles. I have previously reviewed the first two volumes, Besieged and Exile. I suggest reading those for a bit of background on the setting of the world if you are unfamiliar with it. A copy of this book was provided by the author for review purposes.
I jumped into Sanctuary immediately after finishing Exile. Unlike Exile, I'm not sure that Sanctuary works as a potential starting point into the series. The story picks up immediately where Exile left off and, although there are some reminders of earlier events, it builds a lot more on the events of the previous book. Needless to say, this review will contain spoilers for the first two books in the series.
After co-ordinating the evacuation of the T'En from Chalcedonia, Imoshen finds herself having to deal with all the brotherhoods and sisterhoods crammed into too few ships. Unsurprisingly, tensions are high as the T'En find themselves living in close quarters and resenting their exile. I really loved the way Imoshen thought ahead and foresaw many of their problems. Some of my favourite parts were when she kept outsmarting one of the more annoying brotherhood all-fathers and making him look stupid (which he was). Through all the hardship they have to face, it's her leadership and compassion which holds the T'En together.
Sorn, the halfbreed who was raised to serve King Charald and now serves Imoshen and the T'En, continued to grow on me as a character. He's clever and has somehow ended up without human or T'En prejudices. In the end he always fights for the greater good (admittedly, less so at the start in Besieged). His quick thinking and, in particular the way this plays off other people, was entertaining. He was definitely my favourite character in this book.
I was a bit worried that the ending would be a little up in the air as the King Rolen's Kin trilogy was. Luckily, this was not the case. There's definitely room for sequels — and I hope Daniells decides to write more books with these characters — but all the pertinent plot lines are nicely tied up.
Overall, I really enjoyed Sanctuary and the Outcast Chronicles as a whole. I highly recommend them to fantasy fans, particularly those that might want something a little different to the medieval gender politics commonly found in fantasy.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
I jumped into Sanctuary immediately after finishing Exile. Unlike Exile, I'm not sure that Sanctuary works as a potential starting point into the series. The story picks up immediately where Exile left off and, although there are some reminders of earlier events, it builds a lot more on the events of the previous book. Needless to say, this review will contain spoilers for the first two books in the series.
Sorn, the halfbreed who was raised to serve King Charald and now serves Imoshen and the T'En, continued to grow on me as a character. He's clever and has somehow ended up without human or T'En prejudices. In the end he always fights for the greater good (admittedly, less so at the start in Besieged). His quick thinking and, in particular the way this plays off other people, was entertaining. He was definitely my favourite character in this book.
I was a bit worried that the ending would be a little up in the air as the King Rolen's Kin trilogy was. Luckily, this was not the case. There's definitely room for sequels — and I hope Daniells decides to write more books with these characters — but all the pertinent plot lines are nicely tied up.
Overall, I really enjoyed Sanctuary and the Outcast Chronicles as a whole. I highly recommend them to fantasy fans, particularly those that might want something a little different to the medieval gender politics commonly found in fantasy.
4.5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
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