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4.51 AVERAGE
4.51 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-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
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Now, that was a freaking fantastic finale! I don't mind being one of the newer fans to this series and not having to endure the seven year wait though. This has moved to the top of one of my all time favorite fantasy series.
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
an excellent ending to an excellent series it 1000% still holds up mwt's skill at subtlety and foreshadowing is ultimate slay
Some books you look forward to for so long and are afraid of reading just in case it does not live up to the hype. This book lived up to it. Nothing will quite have my heart like the King of Attolia, but this is a close second. Pheris could have been boring and overwritten but he was compelling, had growth, and had a wise childlike charm that made the perspective fresh from the other books. The king was as unruly and lovable as ever, and the cast of characters were so fleshed out. My heart ached a thousand times for even side characters I’ll never get to see again. As always, the twists kept me guessing. MWT has a way of writing that makes you not take everything at face value but to read into what characters are doing to understand if they are laughing or crying or angry etc. The setting, the story, the characters, the writing—everything was perfect. Can’t recommend this series more. I don’t know what I’ll do with myself that this is the conclusion to a 30 year long story?!
I forever love this book. This is not so much a review as it is a record of all of my notes on all of the references and tie ins. This is really just for my own convenience in tracking down details and won't be particularly interesting to anyone who hasn't read the books. Notes are made chapter by chapter. Spoilers ahead.
Exordium - pheris mentions someone leaving notes in margins, most likely Gen, mocking pheris's portrayal of the king.
Ch 1 - pheris says "though I was born to the house of Susa, I am Erondite." Which sounds as though he is affiliating himself with Baron Erondite, by the end of the book, Erondite is dead and pheris is Erondite.
Ch 2 - Pheris sees 2 eggs in a nest and 2 threshes on gen and irenes clothes, foreshadowing the twins. Gen is aware of the effects of lethium and shows up with water for Pheris. Pheris loves bees, bees were sacred in ancient Rome and Greece, honey is eaten by the gods and symbolizes a connection to the supernatural, thus indicating pheris has had previously communicated with the gods, has a thinner veil, and is unsurprised when he interacts with Moira.
Ch 3 - hunting bows are an offensive gift both because gen cant use them and because he was hunted in Attolia.
Heiro gives gen earrings. The earrings are extremely similar to the ones Gen returned to Alyta, and she told him she would give him his hearts desire (this is the short story found at the end of Queen of Attolia), both sets of earrings are small amphorae with tiny flowers in them. The goddess at the end of Queen of Attolia asks gen if he knows who she is and says he sacrificed once to her and she has interceded for him, and calls him little Thief. The appearance of the goddess in queen of attolia is simultaneous with a gentle rain. Alyta is the goddess of the mountain rain. There is gentle rain mentioned just before Irene leaves the megaron in QoA and gets engaged, and again when gen comes into irenes tent to kiss her before going into battle in, and again when Irene sees him chained and goes to talk to him.
In the short story, the god Eudgenides adjusts 2 threads and says it looks better. The fates say it was supposed to be later. At the end of the short story gen is reminded that he was offered his hearts desire and is worried that Irene does not truly love him but was forced to by the gods. Moira tells him it was merely the crossing of 2 threads, all the gods did was arrange them meeting and asks why gen chose the orange tree where he first saw Irene and the tamarisk bush he hid behind when he first realized he loved her. In RoT, gen sacrifices the imitations of Alyta's earrings to save Irenes life, because that is his hearts desire.
Ch 4 - pheris has a close connection to the gods, can see them where many other people cannot, has a thinner veil.
Ch 5 - Cenna's play about gen as empoplietus. Cenna is likely close to gen based on the interaction they have, at least a cousin, unlikely but possibly his sister. Possibly eddis's sister.
The play is possibly less to point out gen is a fool, but more to point out that he is playing one.
Gen sings the Kings wedding night - did he do it to reduce tension?? Gen and irene both care a lot about pheris at this point. I'm not certain why sophos and gen wrestling brought up pheris's betrayal, possibly because he sees a brotherly interaction + sees the people he betrayed as people.
Gen notices pheris's behavior, and assumes he's bored in the meetings. If pheris were as airheaded as he pretends to be, he likely wouldn't be bored.
The pent kisses the Queen. Attolia saying run reminds me of Run by AWOLNATION.
I'm gonna post this and include the rest of the chapters in the comments so I don't risk deleting any of it.
Exordium - pheris mentions someone leaving notes in margins, most likely Gen, mocking pheris's portrayal of the king.
Ch 1 - pheris says "though I was born to the house of Susa, I am Erondite." Which sounds as though he is affiliating himself with Baron Erondite, by the end of the book, Erondite is dead and pheris is Erondite.
Ch 2 - Pheris sees 2 eggs in a nest and 2 threshes on gen and irenes clothes, foreshadowing the twins. Gen is aware of the effects of lethium and shows up with water for Pheris. Pheris loves bees, bees were sacred in ancient Rome and Greece, honey is eaten by the gods and symbolizes a connection to the supernatural, thus indicating pheris has had previously communicated with the gods, has a thinner veil, and is unsurprised when he interacts with Moira.
Ch 3 - hunting bows are an offensive gift both because gen cant use them and because he was hunted in Attolia.
Heiro gives gen earrings. The earrings are extremely similar to the ones Gen returned to Alyta, and she told him she would give him his hearts desire (this is the short story found at the end of Queen of Attolia), both sets of earrings are small amphorae with tiny flowers in them. The goddess at the end of Queen of Attolia asks gen if he knows who she is and says he sacrificed once to her and she has interceded for him, and calls him little Thief. The appearance of the goddess in queen of attolia is simultaneous with a gentle rain. Alyta is the goddess of the mountain rain. There is gentle rain mentioned just before Irene leaves the megaron in QoA and gets engaged, and again when gen comes into irenes tent to kiss her before going into battle in, and again when Irene sees him chained and goes to talk to him.
In the short story, the god Eudgenides adjusts 2 threads and says it looks better. The fates say it was supposed to be later. At the end of the short story gen is reminded that he was offered his hearts desire and is worried that Irene does not truly love him but was forced to by the gods. Moira tells him it was merely the crossing of 2 threads, all the gods did was arrange them meeting and asks why gen chose the orange tree where he first saw Irene and the tamarisk bush he hid behind when he first realized he loved her. In RoT, gen sacrifices the imitations of Alyta's earrings to save Irenes life, because that is his hearts desire.
Ch 4 - pheris has a close connection to the gods, can see them where many other people cannot, has a thinner veil.
Ch 5 - Cenna's play about gen as empoplietus. Cenna is likely close to gen based on the interaction they have, at least a cousin, unlikely but possibly his sister. Possibly eddis's sister.
The play is possibly less to point out gen is a fool, but more to point out that he is playing one.
Gen sings the Kings wedding night - did he do it to reduce tension?? Gen and irene both care a lot about pheris at this point. I'm not certain why sophos and gen wrestling brought up pheris's betrayal, possibly because he sees a brotherly interaction + sees the people he betrayed as people.
Gen notices pheris's behavior, and assumes he's bored in the meetings. If pheris were as airheaded as he pretends to be, he likely wouldn't be bored.
The pent kisses the Queen. Attolia saying run reminds me of Run by AWOLNATION.
I'm gonna post this and include the rest of the chapters in the comments so I don't risk deleting any of it.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes