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camilliant's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
mushroomlibraries's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
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
3.25
soupylove's review against another edition
4.0
God I love the paladins of the saint of steel! Istvhan and Clara were cute while being almost perfectly matched physically and seeing eye to eye for once in a romance (let's hear it for the tall girlies). I'm glad it was acknowledged that every time they tried, canoodling, something else came up lol! Hehe Doc Mason and Brindle were positively the best side characters.
Kinda darker than the first book, and the final boss fight was wrapped up almost too quick. Still, I adored Galen and Istvhan's banter so I'm happy to read his book next. :)
Kinda darker than the first book, and the final boss fight was wrapped up almost too quick. Still, I adored Galen and Istvhan's banter so I'm happy to read his book next. :)
sazzyrazzy's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
thebunbun's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-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
4.0
mwalkerelders's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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
4.25
dhsidbdhe837's review against another edition
4.0
It's a sequel in an intriguing series about an order of berserker paladins who lose their god. This one follows a similar rhythm and outline to the first. I'd consider this book romance focused with engaging worldbuilding that takes a penetrating look into the struggles - emotional, physical, and mental - of characters within this world.
Prose
It's written in a simple, accessible style, narrated in a modern tone and with modern sensibilities. Kingfisher uses a closed third-person POV, switching between the two lead characters. It's much the same as the first book. I very rarely had to look up words, and the writing was easy to read even when I was tired or distracted.
The simple style has its drawbacks. It's not a long book by fantasy standards, but the wording can get repetitive and sometimes I found the dialogue and description almost gratingly straightforward. There's a lot of emotion here and the characters are likable and have depth, but the writing itself does not have a lot of nuance or subtlety. I think this is, as always, going to be a matter of personal preference and opinion, though. I think the simpler style is going to be ideal for some, and it's going to fall short for others.
Story
This follows the main mystery of the first book. We spend a good amount of time on the road with the main characters and then end up in a new city. The leads have clear goals that drive them forward and force them to team up and work together. This storyline is compelling and satisfying to read.
The other storyline followed is one of romance, similar to the first book. The two leads spend a significant amount of time (1) thinking about how much they desire the other one and (2) feeling really bad about those desires and assuming the other one doesn't feel the same way. This is a lot of the repetitiveness in the prose, and a central tension of the plot is a will-they won't-they dynamic where their attempts to make love to each other are repeatedly interrupted. Is it a spoiler to answer if this dynamic is satisfactorily resolved? If you understand the romance genre, you know the formula. I don't think I need to say anything else.
Tone
I've read Kingfisher before, so it's about what I expect - she employs horror elements and does not shy away from gore and death. The primary mystery involves a fair deal of body horror, and although the reading level is not too complicated, the subject matter would prevent me from recommending this to any middle schoolers.
Same with the sexual content, though I wouldn't necessarily call this smut. The sex scenes are semi-open door but it's not super explicit. Medium spicy? Probably my main complaint is that the male lead spends a significant amount of brain power contemplating (and trying very hard not to contemplate) the "spectacular breasts" of the female lead. I get it, what you resist persists, but this same thing almost turned me off from finishing the first book, too. The male lead in that one also spent a good amount of time contemplating the breasts of the female lead. I get that I don't have the benefit of real life testosterone soaked experience with obsession for the feminine form, so I can only assume this is an accurate assessment of what sexual tension is like from the point of view of a man and I'm willing to overlook it for the strength of the story and likeability of the characters.
Characterization
I just called these characters likeable, and I'll stand by that. Breast obsession aside, they're fully realized people with their own foibles and quirks. I won't spoil it, but their powers are super cool and they're real adults. These leads are in their mid / late 30s, which is refreshing given the amount of fantasy and young adult fantasy I read that features...well, young adults, barely out of their teenage years, if that. They do spend a good amount of time complaining about how old they are and how their bones hurt. Which, fair enough. I guess those of us in our 30s in the real world also often do this.
Conclusion
A satisfying continuation of a fun series that I intend to keep reading. If you care about genre labeling, I'd put it more on the side of romance than fantasy, but it is very staunchly both. Recommend.
Prose
It's written in a simple, accessible style, narrated in a modern tone and with modern sensibilities. Kingfisher uses a closed third-person POV, switching between the two lead characters. It's much the same as the first book. I very rarely had to look up words, and the writing was easy to read even when I was tired or distracted.
The simple style has its drawbacks. It's not a long book by fantasy standards, but the wording can get repetitive and sometimes I found the dialogue and description almost gratingly straightforward. There's a lot of emotion here and the characters are likable and have depth, but the writing itself does not have a lot of nuance or subtlety. I think this is, as always, going to be a matter of personal preference and opinion, though. I think the simpler style is going to be ideal for some, and it's going to fall short for others.
Story
This follows
Spoiler
and, I think, resolves?The other storyline followed is one of romance, similar to the first book. The two leads spend a significant amount of time (1) thinking about how much they desire the other one and (2) feeling really bad about those desires and assuming the other one doesn't feel the same way. This is a lot of the repetitiveness in the prose, and a central tension of the plot is a will-they won't-they dynamic where their attempts to make love to each other are repeatedly interrupted. Is it a spoiler to answer if this dynamic is satisfactorily resolved? If you understand the romance genre, you know the formula. I don't think I need to say anything else.
Tone
I've read Kingfisher before, so it's about what I expect - she employs horror elements and does not shy away from gore and death. The primary mystery involves a fair deal of body horror, and although the reading level is not too complicated, the subject matter would prevent me from recommending this to any middle schoolers.
Same with the sexual content, though I wouldn't necessarily call this smut. The sex scenes are semi-open door but it's not super explicit. Medium spicy? Probably my main complaint is that the male lead spends a significant amount of brain power contemplating (and trying very hard not to contemplate) the "spectacular breasts" of the female lead. I get it, what you resist persists, but this same thing almost turned me off from finishing the first book, too. The male lead in that one also spent a good amount of time contemplating the breasts of the female lead. I get that I don't have the benefit of real life testosterone soaked experience with obsession for the feminine form, so I can only assume this is an accurate assessment of what sexual tension is like from the point of view of a man and I'm willing to overlook it for the strength of the story and likeability of the characters.
Characterization
I just called these characters likeable, and I'll stand by that. Breast obsession aside, they're fully realized people with their own foibles and quirks. I won't spoil it, but their powers are super cool and they're real adults. These leads are in their mid / late 30s, which is refreshing given the amount of fantasy and young adult fantasy I read that features...well, young adults, barely out of their teenage years, if that. They do spend a good amount of time complaining about how old they are and how their bones hurt. Which, fair enough. I guess those of us in our 30s in the real world also often do this.
Conclusion
A satisfying continuation of a fun series that I intend to keep reading. If you care about genre labeling, I'd put it more on the side of romance than fantasy, but it is very staunchly both. Recommend.