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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
I don't really have any big criticisms of this, aside from the fact that I didn't want it to end. The story is a return to the first book in the series, in a lot of ways, and a smaller scope than the previous two (mostly because Rowan doesn't travel much in this one, and the book is much shorter). It didn't blow my mind the way the previous book did, and one of the action-y parts got a bit repetitive, but these are minor complaints. The story was still riveting, the characters delightful, and the relationships rich. Plus, lots of very good food descriptions in this one. I hope Kirstein hurries up and finishes this series. I love it so much.
adventurous
medium-paced
The crew is back together and we discover even more about the nature of magic and how it works.
This one ends in a definite cliffhanger and book #5 is nowhere in sight. Don't let that dissuade you from reading the series though, it's well worth the slight pain of having another unfinished fantasy book series in your head.
This one ends in a definite cliffhanger and book #5 is nowhere in sight. Don't let that dissuade you from reading the series though, it's well worth the slight pain of having another unfinished fantasy book series in your head.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The hold this series has on me oof
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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:
No
I swear to all that's unholy that I cannot believe writing is not Rosemary Kirstein's full-time job. I think I may have hit the end of the road of her published works. If that's the case, I'm going to be very, very sad.
This will certainly be percolating through my brain in however long the wait is for the next book. Like before, however many questions are answered lead to more questions by the end of the book. Like before, details and encounters in past books come into play, making the world feel real and complicated and genuine.
For the first time, Slado, the mysterious, shadowy figure behind so much of the previous books, is brought more into focus, as Rowan and Bell focus on piercing together what they can about him. Uncovering his past footsteps.
Sometimes small almost throwaway seeming comments seem significant, especially to the larger puzzle of the origins of people existing on this world, which I think is more a reader pondering and not something Rowan is aware of at all. The ability for Kirstein to have these two connected but separate mysteries, that are different for Rowan and the reader while intimately intertwined.
The questions now seem to be: Kieran, the most senior Wizard in his day, saw something in the stars that profoundly affected him, to cause an overnight change in his view of life. At some point during Slado's apprenticeship Kieran showed him what he had discovered and it caused Slado to choose to kill Kieran and destroy the Guidestar that saw it, so make sure no one else could find or see it again and lead to him actively beginning to kill the human populations.
It was also something so important that Kieran wanted to share it with the Steerswomen so everyone would have the knowledge.
The images are in Rowan hands but like us, we lack the right context to understand the answer that seems to be in her hands. Now the house in Donner is destroyed, the only two places that can provide answers is Farside, which seems to be on the other side of the planet and where it is that Slado is now operating from.
It's as satisfying a place to pause as is possible for now, not exactly hanging on a cliffhanger, so the wait begins.
I'm sure that the more I think about it and later reread it, the more details, hints and clues will be waiting to be discovered. This series is superb world building, character and study of human beings. Even with the wait for whenever the next book comes, what's been created so far is well worth investing the time to enjoy.
Sometimes small almost throwaway seeming comments seem significant, especially to the larger puzzle of the origins of people existing on this world, which I think is more a reader pondering and not something Rowan is aware of at all. The ability for Kirstein to have these two connected but separate mysteries, that are different for Rowan and the reader while intimately intertwined.
The questions now seem to be: Kieran, the most senior Wizard in his day, saw something in the stars that profoundly affected him, to cause an overnight change in his view of life. At some point during Slado's apprenticeship Kieran showed him what he had discovered and it caused Slado to choose to kill Kieran and destroy the Guidestar that saw it, so make sure no one else could find or see it again and lead to him actively beginning to kill the human populations.
It was also something so important that Kieran wanted to share it with the Steerswomen so everyone would have the knowledge.
The images are in Rowan hands but like us, we lack the right context to understand the answer that seems to be in her hands. Now the house in Donner is destroyed, the only two places that can provide answers is Farside, which seems to be on the other side of the planet and where it is that Slado is now operating from.
It's as satisfying a place to pause as is possible for now, not exactly hanging on a cliffhanger, so the wait begins.
I'm sure that the more I think about it and later reread it, the more details, hints and clues will be waiting to be discovered. This series is superb world building, character and study of human beings. Even with the wait for whenever the next book comes, what's been created so far is well worth investing the time to enjoy.
I'm half tempted to say I didn't like this book, just because I have realized that this series is not yet over...and the last book is nowhere to be found! So now I must wait and find out if the author ever decides to finish this series, as there are multiple(!!) unanswered questions and I simply must know more. But in and of itself, this was a solid volume of the series, full of thrills and new discoveries. There is much more that has been unveiled, but I will still refrain from putting spoilers in this review as half the fun is discovering the true nature of the world along with Rowan and team! This book did feel a bit slower and less dramatic, after the thrill ride that was the last book. This book feels like we spent the majority of the time in one town? We've done that already before, haven't we, and to better effect? But I still enjoy reading about Rowan and Bel and (spoiler!) Willam and just reading their adventures is richly satisfying. I have many ideas on how I think this series might or should conclude, but for the now I will just sit and attempt to wait patiently for the next volume. Please write quickly? Oh wait. This one was published in 2004. So perhaps an ending is never coming. Even if so, I am glad I read these books. Very unique, entirely imaginative and some of the most creative novels I've read in the last few years.
These books remind me a lot of the Earthsea series, but with a sci-fi twist. Kirstein lacks Le Guin's arresting depth, but the books are a lot of fun to read. It's a good game to look for the breadcrumbs of space travel that Kirstein leaves behind. The cheesy cover art does the work a disservice, but thankfully on Kindle you don't have to look at it.