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rmpiano's review
5.0
Wow, what a way to end a trilogy. Amazing! So powerful, the way the themes wove together, a very satisfying conclusion to a brilliantly unique series. I would happily spend many more books in this imaginative IP. I am almost as happy to sit and brood over the complex implications of what has been already written.
fortunesdear's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, not a bad ending to a trilogy. But I definitely enjoyed the second book the best out of the series.
carnisht's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really loved this underappreciated series. It was so unique and so interesting and definitely took me out of my reading comfort zone. In particular, I really enjoyed this conclusion to the Mapmakers trilogy. I will admit, I frequently struggled to remember specifics about the stories and would have difficulty recalling information as the books went on. In that sense, reading this book reminded me of a movie I had walked into halfway through. Did I always know exactly what was happening and why? No. Did I still enjoy the story? Yes.
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out
https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/the-crimson-skew-by-s-e-grove/
To read more of my thoughts on this book, check out
https://yalitreader.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/the-crimson-skew-by-s-e-grove/
mbomersheim's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot. While I do think that [b:The Glass Sentence|18668056|The Glass Sentence (The Mapmakers Trilogy, #1)|S.E. Grove|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1417983088l/18668056._SX50_.jpg|26330735] was my favorite of The Mapmakers Trilogy, I think that this book wrapped things up in a very nice way. It was an easy read as I read the entire novel in one afternoon, and I believe that the themes and morals that S.E. Grove is trying to impart in it came across very well. [b:The Crimson Skew|27240779|The Crimson Skew (The Mapmakers Trilogy, #3)|S.E. Grove|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449234490l/27240779._SY75_.jpg|47289180] was a great ending to a wonderful, and underrated, trilogy.
willowshelter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katelynv234's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
4.25
mbhoppe13's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
kiramke's review against another edition
5.0
I found this series captivating from the start, and I'm so pleased to see it end well. Often enough a new author with fascinating ideas can't quite realize them fully in the end, can't wrap them up, so you enjoy 2/3 and then it all fizzles out. But not this time! The author follows through on the themes in a wonderful message on memory, nature, community, and respect. I will be delighted to give these on to my nephew when he's ready for books this length.
livy22's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
There were certain aspects about this series that I loved and some that I didn't. In the last two books, we get a lot more expansion of the world and magic system, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The world S.E. Grove created is truly fascinating. However, the focus on the mechanics of the world sometimes crowded out other important aspects of the story, such as character development. This is where I was let down. I am a character-driven reader at heart. My favorite part of reading is delving inside the minds' of the characters and seeing how they interact with one another. I love to watch how relationships evolve over time, and the two main protagonists, Sophia and Theo, had such a great dynamic in the first book. I was excited to see how it would progress in the later installments; I was imagining them going off on adventures together, exploring the rest of the ages and growing in their friendship. So I was terribly disappointed when I realized that they spent a majority of the other books apart, almost with separate story arcs. I missed all the character interactions from the first book, which I feel got pushed aside for the sake of world development. I still enjoyed the story, but my excitement for it dimmed once I realized that my two favorite characters barely shared one meaningful conversation after the end of book one. In order for me to care about the story itself, I need to actually see the characters develop and interact with each other. Otherwise, their relationships will just sit stagnant and undeveloped. For instance, Sophia's trust in Theo was tried multiple times in The Glass Sentence, which progressed both of their character arcs. There were few, if any, examples of this in the later books. We barely get any substantial scenes with the other prominent characters from TGS either, like Mrs. Clay, Shadrack, and the pirates. Even characters that are introduced later on in the trilogy - who I liked! - get left by the wayside without any real resolution. I can't care about characters if they're never fleshed out, or if their only purpose is to serve the plot. I need character reveals as well as plot reveals.
If characters are not your primary concern, then you may not find this bothersome. I just personally wish there had been a better balance of world-building and character development.
There were certain aspects about this series that I loved and some that I didn't. In the last two books, we get a lot more expansion of the world and magic system, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The world S.E. Grove created is truly fascinating. However, the focus on the mechanics of the world sometimes crowded out other important aspects of the story, such as character development. This is where I was let down. I am a character-driven reader at heart. My favorite part of reading is delving inside the minds' of the characters and seeing how they interact with one another. I love to watch how relationships evolve over time, and the two main protagonists, Sophia and Theo, had such a great dynamic in the first book. I was excited to see how it would progress in the later installments; I was imagining them going off on adventures together, exploring the rest of the ages and growing in their friendship. So I was terribly disappointed when I realized that they spent a majority of the other books apart, almost with separate story arcs. I missed all the character interactions from the first book, which I feel got pushed aside for the sake of world development. I still enjoyed the story, but my excitement for it dimmed once I realized that my two favorite characters barely shared one meaningful conversation after the end of book one. In order for me to care about the story itself, I need to actually see the characters develop and interact with each other. Otherwise, their relationships will just sit stagnant and undeveloped. For instance, Sophia's trust in Theo was tried multiple times in The Glass Sentence, which progressed both of their character arcs. There were few, if any, examples of this in the later books. We barely get any substantial scenes with the other prominent characters from TGS either, like Mrs. Clay, Shadrack, and the pirates. Even characters that are introduced later on in the trilogy - who I liked! - get left by the wayside without any real resolution. I can't care about characters if they're never fleshed out, or if their only purpose is to serve the plot. I need character reveals as well as plot reveals.
If characters are not your primary concern, then you may not find this bothersome. I just personally wish there had been a better balance of world-building and character development.