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leafandlore's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, and Torture
daffodilcherry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A satisfying end to an amazing trilogy with spectacular world building and character development. I loved the world building around the gullaime, of course, absolute favourite creatures in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as well as the overall trilogy, but I think book 2 would have to be my favourite, and book 3 possibly my least favourite which is not saying much given how much I adored this trilogy!
Book 3's tone shift is much darker from the get go, and while there are some good action scenes, the tension is more of a slowburn than the punchy action of book 2. I know part of the themes of book 3 is about the solitude of command, but it did make me miss the moments of book 1 & 2 which were centred more around the politics of the crew. In this book, the overall crew of the Tide Child feels tame and placid compared to the tumultuous politics of the previous books. Overall, these books have been about Joron's maturation, and his relationship with Meas. In book 1 he went from petulant and anti-aurhoritarian to hero worshipping Meas. In book 2 he became more able to work collaboratively with Meas. In book 3 he learns what it is like to have her control, and that she is not as put together as it seems.
Now for some spoiler heavy thoughts:I do wish there had been more tension or something been Meas and Joron when she returned to the ship. There were almost hints about this being a bigger issue, with Joron complaining that Meas didn't take supplies from the enemy ship; I think thematically the book could have done more with Joron continuing to "grow up" and to realise that Meas was fallible and able to make mistakes and that he could challenge her with his own skill and thoughts and have them have a more co-shipwife relationship.
That being said, the twist of Karrad trying to organise their downfall since book 1 to fight the matriarchy was very enjoyable and such a good, good twist. The character deaths were shocking but not disappointing.
As to the ending, when I was 50 pages from the end I didn't know how they were going to wrap it up, and the actual finale was relatively sudden and adrupt. The bit where Meas gives Joron the two tail and calls him Shipwife made me cry, as did the flame ghosts. But as for tension and pay off I think given the slowburn nature of the final chase (which lasted about 1/3 of the book) it wasn't as exciting or dramatic as some other scenes that Baker has pulled off.
That being said, I loved my time with the Tide Child, this world sucked me right into it and I'll be looking out for other books Baker writes.
Book 3's tone shift is much darker from the get go, and while there are some good action scenes, the tension is more of a slowburn than the punchy action of book 2. I know part of the themes of book 3 is about the solitude of command, but it did make me miss the moments of book 1 & 2 which were centred more around the politics of the crew. In this book, the overall crew of the Tide Child feels tame and placid compared to the tumultuous politics of the previous books. Overall, these books have been about Joron's maturation, and his relationship with Meas. In book 1 he went from petulant and anti-aurhoritarian to hero worshipping Meas. In book 2 he became more able to work collaboratively with Meas. In book 3 he learns what it is like to have her control, and that she is not as put together as it seems.
Now for some spoiler heavy thoughts:
That being said, the twist of Karrad trying to organise their downfall since book 1 to fight the matriarchy was very enjoyable and such a good, good twist. The character deaths were shocking but not disappointing.
As to the ending, when I was 50 pages from the end I didn't know how they were going to wrap it up, and the actual finale was relatively sudden and adrupt. The bit where Meas gives Joron the two tail and calls him Shipwife made me cry, as did the flame ghosts. But as for tension and pay off I think given the slowburn nature of the final chase (which lasted about 1/3 of the book) it wasn't as exciting or dramatic as some other scenes that Baker has pulled off.
That being said, I loved my time with the Tide Child, this world sucked me right into it and I'll be looking out for other books Baker writes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Suicide, Murder, and Violence
saltycoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, War, Ableism, Blood, Murder, Confinement, Violence, Terminal illness, Slavery, Pregnancy, Death, Genocide, Bullying, Trafficking, Classism, Suicide, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death
adancewithbooks's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
You know when I first started reading this series when The Bone Ship came out I was incredibly unsure about this series. It was a naval series and so very out there with the bone ships, its criminal and flawed characters. But somewhere at the end of the first book the characters started growing on me and by the second book (last year) I was very happy to be reading on. Now I'm sad that this series has come to an ending. For now.
This book completely upsurped me in ways that I didn't think it would. I was never Joron's biggest fan but his fight and struggle to get back Meas was so completely sold on me and I was right there with him, trying to get his shipwife back. Balding my fists when they were being chased my other ships, hoping they wouldn't catch up, but ready to fight if they did.
Despite my e copy being over 500 pages, it was a very captivating read. I never did expect that of me with naval fights like we get in this book. And boy do we get some nice ones. I was also wholy on board for the continued relationships we got with Joron, Garriya, Cwell, Gullaime, Mevans, Brekir, Meas and some other minor characters. I cared about every single one of them.
And then there are the keyshans, this dragon like creatures that are waking up. I'm so happy that Joron doesn't actually have that much power over them. He can just wake them up and that is it basically. It would have given everything such a different feel if these huge and magnificent and quite frankly terrifying creatures could be controlled my one man.
All in all this felt like such a good ending to this story of Joron and Meas. But at the same time I want more. More about their new world. About Garriya and who she really is. More about the gulliame society etc. So hopefully R.J. Barker will grant my wishes some day.
You know when I first started reading this series when The Bone Ship came out I was incredibly unsure about this series. It was a naval series and so very out there with the bone ships, its criminal and flawed characters. But somewhere at the end of the first book the characters started growing on me and by the second book (last year) I was very happy to be reading on. Now I'm sad that this series has come to an ending. For now.
This book completely upsurped me in ways that I didn't think it would. I was never Joron's biggest fan but his fight and struggle to get back Meas was so completely sold on me and I was right there with him, trying to get his shipwife back. Balding my fists when they were being chased my other ships, hoping they wouldn't catch up, but ready to fight if they did.
Despite my e copy being over 500 pages, it was a very captivating read. I never did expect that of me with naval fights like we get in this book. And boy do we get some nice ones. I was also wholy on board for the continued relationships we got with Joron, Garriya, Cwell, Gullaime, Mevans, Brekir, Meas and some other minor characters. I cared about every single one of them.
And then there are the keyshans, this dragon like creatures that are waking up. I'm so happy that Joron doesn't actually have that much power over them. He can just wake them up and that is it basically. It would have given everything such a different feel if these huge and magnificent and quite frankly terrifying creatures could be controlled my one man.
All in all this felt like such a good ending to this story of Joron and Meas. But at the same time I want more. More about their new world. About Garriya and who she really is. More about the gulliame society etc. So hopefully R.J. Barker will grant my wishes some day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse and Kidnapping
Loss of Limb | Plague
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