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4.63 AVERAGE
4.63 AVERAGE
dark
hopeful
informative
slow-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
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
It really does feel like the previous book and this one are just one book, which makes me really glad I waited until I had my hands on both to give them a go. As far as maximalist fantasy works go, this is one of the very, very few successful ones. Sanderson’s longer works just read like very long YA novels, not literary endeavours. Whereas this particular duology in the quadilogy feels like a more accessible actually maximalist effort.
Thematically especially complex, the diaspora of the former two books ruminate on what it means to be a conquered people vs aggressive, expansionist, militaristic culture. As the two are forced to cohabitate post war, ideas around self expression and self determination feed into the larger, macro plot beats that would probably, in most other novels, make up the entirety of a fantasy epic.
Within them, though, is the much needed (and often lacking) specificity of a people breathing life into the world building. A substantial section of the first book is ostensibly a cook off between two competing chefs/cuisines/ethics/restaurants. The simple idea kicking off an examination of nearly every facet of the peoples examined throughout, but also serving as a kind of foreshadowing for what is to come in this book, here.
Probably the only reason I wouldn’t particularly classify this as literary fantasy is because it is specifically written to be commercial and accessible, as well as have some of the trappings of genre fiction—even if they are mostly there to be subverted. Fantastic stuff.
Thematically especially complex, the diaspora of the former two books ruminate on what it means to be a conquered people vs aggressive, expansionist, militaristic culture. As the two are forced to cohabitate post war, ideas around self expression and self determination feed into the larger, macro plot beats that would probably, in most other novels, make up the entirety of a fantasy epic.
Within them, though, is the much needed (and often lacking) specificity of a people breathing life into the world building. A substantial section of the first book is ostensibly a cook off between two competing chefs/cuisines/ethics/restaurants. The simple idea kicking off an examination of nearly every facet of the peoples examined throughout, but also serving as a kind of foreshadowing for what is to come in this book, here.
Probably the only reason I wouldn’t particularly classify this as literary fantasy is because it is specifically written to be commercial and accessible, as well as have some of the trappings of genre fiction—even if they are mostly there to be subverted. Fantastic stuff.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
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
Actual rating: 4,5 stars
Speaking Bones marks the spectacular end of one of the most ambitious and unique epic fantasy series I’ve read. It perfectly concluded the monumental journey we began in The Grace of Kings and even made me teared up a bit at the end.
In my opinion, there is no better way for an author to create compelling characters than to let the reader follow them over the years and Ken Liu has mastered this technique perfectly. Seeing each of these characters, and their children and their children's children after them, grow up made them incredibly endearing.
As I said in my review of The Veiled Throne, Ken Liu told his story the way he wanted, and despite scenes that were much too long and could have been cut during editing, this story was still a pleasure to read and to discover. The Dandelion Dynasty is a series that deserves its place among the best Epic Fantasy book series ever written.
Speaking Bones marks the spectacular end of one of the most ambitious and unique epic fantasy series I’ve read. It perfectly concluded the monumental journey we began in The Grace of Kings and even made me teared up a bit at the end.
In my opinion, there is no better way for an author to create compelling characters than to let the reader follow them over the years and Ken Liu has mastered this technique perfectly. Seeing each of these characters, and their children and their children's children after them, grow up made them incredibly endearing.
As I said in my review of The Veiled Throne, Ken Liu told his story the way he wanted, and despite scenes that were much too long and could have been cut during editing, this story was still a pleasure to read and to discover. The Dandelion Dynasty is a series that deserves its place among the best Epic Fantasy book series ever written.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes