Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
medium-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
inspiring
sad
medium-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
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
touraine pissed me off so bad, she doesn’t even deserve a generous 3.
medium-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
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
After some debate on 3 or 4 stars, I've decided on 3 stars because this book just didn't come together for me.
Good stuff: fantastic worldbuilding, interesting magic system, nuanced discussion of how colonialism actually functions which is clearly informed by a lot of real-world research, at the same time it never felt to me like Clark was justifying the colonisers' actions or villainising the rebels. The characters and set up were just fizzing with potential, and I really liked a few of the side characters.
Bad stuff: The plot got increasingly tangled as the book went on, with one character defecting what seemed like multiple times, being captured, escaping, etc... it felt unnecessarily repetitive and events just didn't proceed in the most logical way. I do enjoy a complex, twisting plot, but I think the best authors can bring all those different threads together in an elegant way, which Clark failed to do.
The romance was somewhere between unconvincing and non-existent, which was probably for the best given Luca's choices by the end of the book. And both of the main characters had so much wasted potential! I started the book aware that Luca was at best a morally grey character (what with the being a coloniser and all) but that her character arc had the potential to be interesting, either for the better or the worse. By the end of the book, not only had she become a much worse person but she did so in a way that wasn't remotely interesting. It felt less of a corruption arc focused on the seductive pull of doing immoral acts for power, and more "Huh, yeah, I probably should have expected that from you." Touraine was obviously a lot more sympathetic, but her string of bad choices and poor communication skills also became grating by the end of the book.
As for the ending, it was deeply unsatisfying.
Good stuff: fantastic worldbuilding, interesting magic system, nuanced discussion of how colonialism actually functions which is clearly informed by a lot of real-world research, at the same time it never felt to me like Clark was justifying the colonisers' actions or villainising the rebels. The characters and set up were just fizzing with potential, and I really liked a few of the side characters.
Bad stuff: The plot got increasingly tangled as the book went on, with one character
Spoiler
TouraineThe romance was somewhere between unconvincing and non-existent, which was probably for the best given Luca's choices by the end of the book. And both of the main characters had so much wasted potential! I started the book aware that Luca was at best a morally grey character (what with the being a coloniser and all) but that her character arc had the potential to be interesting, either for the better or the worse. By the end of the book, not only had she become a much worse person but she did so in a way that wasn't remotely interesting. It felt less of a corruption arc focused on the seductive pull of doing immoral acts for power, and more "Huh, yeah, I probably should have expected that from you." Touraine was obviously a lot more sympathetic, but her string of bad choices and poor communication skills also became grating by the end of the book.
As for the ending, it was deeply unsatisfying.
Spoiler
There's absolutely no way decolonising Qazal would be that simple or easy, or that Luca - since she's not the actual monarch of Balladaire - would have the authority to just do all of that. And while I understand that the struggle for the throne against her uncle will be picked up in the next book, I wanted a little more resolution on that aspect here too.
damn. for most of this read, i was really caught up in the power dynamics (imbalance) between touraine and luca + touraine as a character, her loyalites and motivations as tied to her decisions/choices, both things really had me confused but thinking. immediately drawing so many ties to other media in this - the caitvi dynamics (+ “i choose wrong everytime” fr), that one campaign three desert location w the race and then the ending alabasta rain of it all. luca maybe felt underdeveloped? or i felt myself hearing her saying yadah yadah the throne the throne but i didnt feel for her motivations or decisions? i think this might sort of be the point - something something the justifications for colonization are not deserving of sympathy? (esp in contrast with the title referring to the qazali people? or touraine - who certainly submitted to the system/the empire at a point but ultimately was not broken by it and was able to stand for herself and her people of origin by the end.) tbh i dont know if i processed all this book was trying to tell me. the decision to leave the colony because.. well why did luca do that tbh. because of all the rebels sacrifice? or in pleading to aranen for forgiveness in something something tied to luca's perspective on faith? also touraine's unexpected decision-making throughout lowkey. what was that girl? but but i did really enjoy the mental visuals of the world, the many legged people i am so so interested in and the development of magic that i expect'll come w touraine's new developments. the pacing of it held my attention beautifully. also the cover is batshit, my god.