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bookshelfsos's review
5.0
I was initially hesitant to read this, because I though that [b:Dragon's Winter|23455|Dragon's Winter|Elizabeth A. Lynn|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1167410047s/23455.jpg|1136433] ended in an odd and unsatisfying way. Well, I have never been happier to be wrong.
You should take this book as a partner to Dragon's Winter, and don't treat it as a standalone. As a pair, this is a really lovely set. Granted, it's pretty clear that there is meant to be at least one more book in this series which is probably never going to be released. Normally, I wouldn't read a series that I knew was abandoned but sometimes it's just so good that it's worth it. This is one of those times!
This book had a lot more politics and world-building than the first. We get to see places beyond Ippa, which was really fun. I liked the new characters that were introduced, especially Azil's protege, Juni.
If anyone else is in the same boat that I was and wondering about how the relationship between Azil and Karadur is dealt with (especially after the epilogue of the previous book and the summary of this book being all about Karadur transformed by love for Maia)... let me reassure you that this book features their relationship *prominently*. In my opinion, it's more prominent here than it was in Dragon's Winter. There is explicit acknowledgment of their relationship from multiple characters, and a scene from Azil's POV where he is lying in bed with Karadur and thinking about their relationship. Like the first book, this is all dealt with subtly and, in my opinion, with a perfect amount of balance. Honestly, the whole plot of the book could basically be boiled down to "how can Karadur balance his love for Azil with his need to have children (and necessarily find a female lover)".
I can't get over the way that Lynn writes. Her prose is so sparse, but she manages to convey a TON of emotion and nuance. She is clearly a virtuoso of the "show, don't tell" philosophy. If nothing else, this book could be part of a course on how to convey meaning and atmosphere without the need for adverbs, which is something you should definitely study if you're a writer.
I love this book. I wish Lynn had finished the series, but I'll take what I can get.
You should take this book as a partner to Dragon's Winter, and don't treat it as a standalone. As a pair, this is a really lovely set. Granted, it's pretty clear that there is meant to be at least one more book in this series which is probably never going to be released. Normally, I wouldn't read a series that I knew was abandoned but sometimes it's just so good that it's worth it. This is one of those times!
This book had a lot more politics and world-building than the first. We get to see places beyond Ippa, which was really fun. I liked the new characters that were introduced, especially Azil's protege, Juni.
If anyone else is in the same boat that I was and wondering about how the relationship between Azil and Karadur is dealt with (especially after the epilogue of the previous book and the summary of this book being all about Karadur transformed by love for Maia)... let me reassure you that this book features their relationship *prominently*. In my opinion, it's more prominent here than it was in Dragon's Winter. There is explicit acknowledgment of their relationship from multiple characters, and a scene from Azil's POV where he is lying in bed with Karadur and thinking about their relationship. Like the first book, this is all dealt with subtly and, in my opinion, with a perfect amount of balance. Honestly, the whole plot of the book could basically be boiled down to "how can Karadur balance his love for Azil with his need to have children (and necessarily find a female lover)".
I can't get over the way that Lynn writes. Her prose is so sparse, but she manages to convey a TON of emotion and nuance. She is clearly a virtuoso of the "show, don't tell" philosophy. If nothing else, this book could be part of a course on how to convey meaning and atmosphere without the need for adverbs, which is something you should definitely study if you're a writer.
I love this book. I wish Lynn had finished the series, but I'll take what I can get.
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