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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
The series up until book 4 has been interesting, but this book has the same narrative issues Book 2 had. See a flashback, characters spend time reacting to flashback, another flashback. It’s uninteresting and dull at points. Which is a shame since I like a lot of the characters but they aren’t enough to make me want to finish this book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so I last read The Memory of Souls in August of last year. So when I saw that The House of Always was already available on NetGalley... well, it's safe to say that I freaked the freak out. I also dropped basically everything around me to dive into this beautiful book as well. I mean, how could I not after the first three books??
I'm honestly amazing that this entire series has been addicting for me. It's a pretty rare thing because sometimes there's one book that I'm like.. meh, okay. So to say that this hasn't happened to me (yet) with 'A Chorus of Dragons' well let's just say Jenn deserves some snaps.
Besides all of that, each and every character was highly entertaining for me. Plus the amounts of betrayal, romance, and action kept this from being a dud. I couldn't put the book down even if I tried.
The only thing I'm intrigued about right now is the damn epilogue. Does this mean we are getting another book? If so, sign me up! I don't care if it's in this series or in a spin off. I am okay with any new book coming my way.
Okay, so I last read The Memory of Souls in August of last year. So when I saw that The House of Always was already available on NetGalley... well, it's safe to say that I freaked the freak out. I also dropped basically everything around me to dive into this beautiful book as well. I mean, how could I not after the first three books??
I'm honestly amazing that this entire series has been addicting for me. It's a pretty rare thing because sometimes there's one book that I'm like.. meh, okay. So to say that this hasn't happened to me (yet) with 'A Chorus of Dragons' well let's just say Jenn deserves some snaps.
Besides all of that, each and every character was highly entertaining for me. Plus the amounts of betrayal, romance, and action kept this from being a dud. I couldn't put the book down even if I tried.
The only thing I'm intrigued about right now is the damn epilogue. Does this mean we are getting another book? If so, sign me up! I don't care if it's in this series or in a spin off. I am okay with any new book coming my way.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The stakes were so high and yet it still found a way to be funny.
Now I really have a sense of who all these characters are and their relationships and how the world actually works, the actual events of the book really start to shine. This is definitely one of the more complicated fantasy worlds I've read but now I can really appreciate the complexity of the worldbuilding and how it makes a large-scale, high-stakes plot.
Also I appreciate the whole concept of taking all the main characters-- with all their various grudges and dramas-- and shutting them in a tower with a different concept of time along with the (almost) all-powerful villain. What a time.
Now I really have a sense of who all these characters are and their relationships and how the world actually works, the actual events of the book really start to shine. This is definitely one of the more complicated fantasy worlds I've read but now I can really appreciate the complexity of the worldbuilding and how it makes a large-scale, high-stakes plot.
Also I appreciate the whole concept of taking all the main characters-- with all their various grudges and dramas-- and shutting them in a tower with a different concept of time along with the (almost) all-powerful villain. What a time.
This is the penultimate book in the A Chorus of Dragons series, and it feels like it. There's a lot of positioning happening, pieces seeming to be laid ready for the final book. The downside of that is that it does feel less strong as a book in its own right than the rest of the series. I certainly enjoyed it, but it is my least favourite to date.
Every book in the series has been narrated in a different way by different people, and they generally tell the story across two or more time periods. The specific way the House of Always does this was at times a little frustrating for me - the constant changing between times and perspectives was a bit jarring especially early on. I was warned by a friend that the book can be quite repetitive and again I think that ties to the narration style. I don't dislike the way it is told but I don't think it works as well as the previous books.
The biggest strength of this volume is the characters. Four books into the arc I'm heavily invested in multiple characters, and many of them underwent key development in the course of the book.
The ending left me desperate to read the final book in the series, and I don't think I'm going to wait to do so.
Every book in the series has been narrated in a different way by different people, and they generally tell the story across two or more time periods. The specific way the House of Always does this was at times a little frustrating for me - the constant changing between times and perspectives was a bit jarring especially early on. I was warned by a friend that the book can be quite repetitive and again I think that ties to the narration style. I don't dislike the way it is told but I don't think it works as well as the previous books.
The biggest strength of this volume is the characters. Four books into the arc I'm heavily invested in multiple characters, and many of them underwent key development in the course of the book.
The ending left me desperate to read the final book in the series, and I don't think I'm going to wait to do so.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Jenn Lyons is the author of the Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings back in 2019. Now only three years later, Lyons has put out her fourth book in the series. It is refreshing to see a fantasy author who consistently outputs great work on a timely schedule. The new book by Jenn Lyons is The House of Always, which follows up on the dramatic battle between gods that occurred at the end of the last book. Like the other books in the series, The House of Always is an action-packed adventure. But this time Lyons slows down for some dramatic emotional and philosophical moments. Let's take a look at The House of Always by Jenn Lyons, the fourth book in her Chorus of Dragons series.
The book picks up shortly after a climactic battle that saw the deaths of many gods and goddesses of the world. Many of the main characters in the series took part in that battle. It commenced after a failed ritual that should have strengthened the prison of the mad god Vol Karoth. While also stripping immortality from the last race who (seemingly) was still blessed with it.
The story starts in media res with another battle. All of our characters are in the midst of an assault that involves both a dragon and an undead kraken. Other books in the series were laid out in an oral storytelling format, with one of the main characters writing the story as they go. And each book so far has largely focused in on one of the main characters and their perspective. But The House of Always takes a slightly different approach. Here Lyons draws from the memories of the characters to form the story.
The House of Always finds the majority of the main characters in the series stuck together in a house that exists outside of time. In this place, time is supposed to move far more slowly than in the outside world. After Senera casts a spell to tie the house to the prison of the mad god Vol Karoth, the rules of time start fluctuating wildly. In another desperate move, Senera also brings many of Kihrin's friends into this realm for protection. Only they soon discover there is a grave danger in staying there, but they cannot leave.
They have been pulled in by Vol Karoth in attempt to torment our protagonist - Kihrin. Readers of the books know that Kihrin is the reincarnation of a sliver of Vol Karoth's soul. He represents most of the fallen god's lost goodness. Kihrin made a dramatic decision at the end of the last book - The Memory of Souls - sacrificing himself in attempt to reunite the pieces of Vol Karoth's soul and bring an end to the darkness threatening to swallow the world.
This is a world where people can come back from the dead in a variety of ways. So, Kihrin didn't seem too concerned about dying at the end of the last book. But he is concerned about his companions suffering from perma-death. So when his friends and lovers are pulled into Vol Karoth's prison, the two begin a battle deeply rooted in emotion and philosophy. They start pulling memories from the minds of those trapped in the house.
These memories are experienced by every character in the house, and makes up the bulk of the narrative action. Kihrin is trying to prove that there is still goodness in the world, that love can prevail. His grand plan is to reach Vol Karoth's lost humanity. Meanwhile the dark god is trying to pull out all of the deepest secrets and horrors in everyone's memory. He wants nothing more than to break Kihrin, and subsume his soul.
Over the course of the novel we get POV chapters from pretty much every main character left standing. Teraeth is dealing with some serious trauma after killing his own mother - the goddess of Death - in the last book. Janel is furious with Kihrin for running off and not telling anyone his plans. But she is also harboring a new secret. One that could change everything for the throuple of Kihrin, Janel, and Teraeth. We get to see more interaction between Janel and Teraeth in this book as well. It is nice to see how they love one another as much as they both love Kihrin.
There is also the wizard Thurvishar, who actually doesn't get much memory on display in this book. He is too busy keeping everything together, and helping Kihrin keep Vol Karoth at bay. But we do get memories from Senera, who recently turned on her mentor Relos Var and switched sides. With her traumatic history and complicated motivations, Senera remains one of the most intriguing characters in a series full of them.
Then there is the unlikely couple of Talea and Xivan, whose December/May romance is surprisingly sweet and effective in this installment. Talea is the former sex slave who is slowly becoming the new Goddess of Luck. Xivan is an undead duchess who finds life returning to her unexpectedly in the titular house of always, as she slowly becomes the next Goddess of Death.
Alongside Senera is another former servant of the villainous Relos Var (who surprisingly doesn't show up in this book, despite being the main antagonist for the series thus far). The priest Qown is deeply uncomfortable with his memories on display for everyone to experience. Because they reveal a deeper truth about his sexuality that he has been trying to avoid.
Many of the characters in Lyon's books are extremely queer. But that doesn't mean homosexuality is widely accepted in the world. Qown's grappling with his sexuality, and his clear attraction to Kihrin's cousin Galen D'mon is handled with thoughtfulness and care. Their growing relationship contains many of the sweet moments in the book, but it is a difficult journey for them both to accept their feelings for one another.
Galen himself and his wife Sheloran are somewhat of a surprise addition to the book's sprawling cast of characters. Their marriage is one of convenience, because they are both secretly gay. But it is clear that they care deeply for one another, and they make a great team. Sheloran herself is a figure of some interest, as she finds out that her own mother is secretly a goddess (a lot of secrets coming to light in this book). They are relatively new characters in this ensemble cast, but they are a worthwhile addition.
Somewhat murkier is the addition of the character Kalindra - a spy and priestess who was once one of "Thaena's Angels". She is the former lover of both Kihrin and Teraeth (who are now lovers themselves) and she is also the wife of the now deceased Jarith Milligreest... whose shade is still hanging out trying to protect his wife and infant son as he struggles against becoming a demon. I'm not sure if Kalindra's story was wholly necessary for this book, but it is clear that the demon shade of Jarith will have some serious ramifications for the world.
The House of Always is the penultimate book in the Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons. And it expertly sets up the pieces for the endgame. By weaving the stories of each character together, we start to see the ways each character's journey has impacted the others. Every action has consequences not just for themselves, but also for the fate of the entire world. It's a heavy weight to bear, and Lyons does an excellent job delving into each character's emotional and mental state. Most books approaching the end of a series would jump straight into the action, having already set up the character journeys. But Lyons takes the time to investigate each character. She breathes life into them (sometimes literally). And ensures that every complicated character is fully explored, and necessary to the story.
The book picks up shortly after a climactic battle that saw the deaths of many gods and goddesses of the world. Many of the main characters in the series took part in that battle. It commenced after a failed ritual that should have strengthened the prison of the mad god Vol Karoth. While also stripping immortality from the last race who (seemingly) was still blessed with it.
The story starts in media res with another battle. All of our characters are in the midst of an assault that involves both a dragon and an undead kraken. Other books in the series were laid out in an oral storytelling format, with one of the main characters writing the story as they go. And each book so far has largely focused in on one of the main characters and their perspective. But The House of Always takes a slightly different approach. Here Lyons draws from the memories of the characters to form the story.
The House of Always finds the majority of the main characters in the series stuck together in a house that exists outside of time. In this place, time is supposed to move far more slowly than in the outside world. After Senera casts a spell to tie the house to the prison of the mad god Vol Karoth, the rules of time start fluctuating wildly. In another desperate move, Senera also brings many of Kihrin's friends into this realm for protection. Only they soon discover there is a grave danger in staying there, but they cannot leave.
They have been pulled in by Vol Karoth in attempt to torment our protagonist - Kihrin. Readers of the books know that Kihrin is the reincarnation of a sliver of Vol Karoth's soul. He represents most of the fallen god's lost goodness. Kihrin made a dramatic decision at the end of the last book - The Memory of Souls - sacrificing himself in attempt to reunite the pieces of Vol Karoth's soul and bring an end to the darkness threatening to swallow the world.
This is a world where people can come back from the dead in a variety of ways. So, Kihrin didn't seem too concerned about dying at the end of the last book. But he is concerned about his companions suffering from perma-death. So when his friends and lovers are pulled into Vol Karoth's prison, the two begin a battle deeply rooted in emotion and philosophy. They start pulling memories from the minds of those trapped in the house.
These memories are experienced by every character in the house, and makes up the bulk of the narrative action. Kihrin is trying to prove that there is still goodness in the world, that love can prevail. His grand plan is to reach Vol Karoth's lost humanity. Meanwhile the dark god is trying to pull out all of the deepest secrets and horrors in everyone's memory. He wants nothing more than to break Kihrin, and subsume his soul.
Over the course of the novel we get POV chapters from pretty much every main character left standing. Teraeth is dealing with some serious trauma after killing his own mother - the goddess of Death - in the last book. Janel is furious with Kihrin for running off and not telling anyone his plans. But she is also harboring a new secret. One that could change everything for the throuple of Kihrin, Janel, and Teraeth. We get to see more interaction between Janel and Teraeth in this book as well. It is nice to see how they love one another as much as they both love Kihrin.
There is also the wizard Thurvishar, who actually doesn't get much memory on display in this book. He is too busy keeping everything together, and helping Kihrin keep Vol Karoth at bay. But we do get memories from Senera, who recently turned on her mentor Relos Var and switched sides. With her traumatic history and complicated motivations, Senera remains one of the most intriguing characters in a series full of them.
Then there is the unlikely couple of Talea and Xivan, whose December/May romance is surprisingly sweet and effective in this installment. Talea is the former sex slave who is slowly becoming the new Goddess of Luck. Xivan is an undead duchess who finds life returning to her unexpectedly in the titular house of always, as she slowly becomes the next Goddess of Death.
Alongside Senera is another former servant of the villainous Relos Var (who surprisingly doesn't show up in this book, despite being the main antagonist for the series thus far). The priest Qown is deeply uncomfortable with his memories on display for everyone to experience. Because they reveal a deeper truth about his sexuality that he has been trying to avoid.
Many of the characters in Lyon's books are extremely queer. But that doesn't mean homosexuality is widely accepted in the world. Qown's grappling with his sexuality, and his clear attraction to Kihrin's cousin Galen D'mon is handled with thoughtfulness and care. Their growing relationship contains many of the sweet moments in the book, but it is a difficult journey for them both to accept their feelings for one another.
Galen himself and his wife Sheloran are somewhat of a surprise addition to the book's sprawling cast of characters. Their marriage is one of convenience, because they are both secretly gay. But it is clear that they care deeply for one another, and they make a great team. Sheloran herself is a figure of some interest, as she finds out that her own mother is secretly a goddess (a lot of secrets coming to light in this book). They are relatively new characters in this ensemble cast, but they are a worthwhile addition.
Somewhat murkier is the addition of the character Kalindra - a spy and priestess who was once one of "Thaena's Angels". She is the former lover of both Kihrin and Teraeth (who are now lovers themselves) and she is also the wife of the now deceased Jarith Milligreest... whose shade is still hanging out trying to protect his wife and infant son as he struggles against becoming a demon. I'm not sure if Kalindra's story was wholly necessary for this book, but it is clear that the demon shade of Jarith will have some serious ramifications for the world.
The House of Always is the penultimate book in the Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons. And it expertly sets up the pieces for the endgame. By weaving the stories of each character together, we start to see the ways each character's journey has impacted the others. Every action has consequences not just for themselves, but also for the fate of the entire world. It's a heavy weight to bear, and Lyons does an excellent job delving into each character's emotional and mental state. Most books approaching the end of a series would jump straight into the action, having already set up the character journeys. But Lyons takes the time to investigate each character. She breathes life into them (sometimes literally). And ensures that every complicated character is fully explored, and necessary to the story.
Honestly, where do I start with this.
This review is coming after my second time reading the book and I can’t really remember why I forgot about writing it the first time around. It might well be that I was very much confused about what had happened and was trying to sort my thoughts before writing a review, which I now know is futile. Any time you think you know the world this series is set in, Jenn Lyons pulls off another layer of cloth hiding a much deeper universe.
I don’t think I need to say anything further about the worldbuilding. I’ve already gushed about it in my reviews for the other books, and Lyons continues to impress here.
The attention to detail is just astounding.
From here on out I have to be spoilery. There is a lot that I want to say, but because everything constantly changes in this book, it’s hard to say anything without spoiling one of the many plot-twists. So, you’ve been warned. It will heavily spoil the previous three books as well as this one.
SPOILERS
While this book made me very happy with the amount of triad-content we got, it also gave impressive insight to the minor characters.
For example Qown. Yes, that story was technically about Galen and Qown, but the emotional focus was clearly on Qown.
After what happened in Atrine, I’d honestly not been happy with the monk. I couldn’t exactly be angry with him, because he was just too lovable, but still, what he did hurt.
Even then, though, I knew it wasn’t his fault, as much as it was Relos Var’s fault. He’d been manipulating the poor guy from an early age and presented himself as a father-figure. So when he said he was going to save the world and gave Qown a cornerstone as a sign of his trust, of course he believed him. The manipulation ran deep.
A quote, by Caless of all people comes to mind:
I can tell you exactly why and I can tell you exactly who twisted him, but dear Qown hasn’t realised just how terrible the stuff was, that he went through.
Following Qown on his journey with Galen and Sheloran, seeing him grapple with his allegiance to Var and seeing him be even more oblivious than Kihrin, was strangely emotional. Hearing people mention again and again, just how starved he was after his time with Var made me want to personally strangle the man.
But the real kicker was seeing him deal with those memories in the lighthouse afterwards. That scene in chapter 32, after Galen has been taken and Sheloran confronts him and finally breaks down the walls of denial he’s wrapped around himself was heart-breaking to read.
I also adore the relationship of Galen and Sheloran. Seeing that deep platonic love and the safety they provide to each other while laughing in the face of what Quur tells them is proper, is just beautiful.
Of course the book, having Kihrin and Tereath as characters (as well as Talon being reasonable???), has a lot of funny quips, and scenes that made me laugh outright.
More than the other three books, though, I’ve noticed a number of profound quotes in here.
The first of my three favourites was somehow delivered by a god-queen in that same conversation with Qown, which I’ve already quoted earlier:
This pretty much sums up my feelings towards Relos Var in regards to Qown.
The second quote is also from an unlikely source: Xivan, our favourite vengeful bitch.
Now, I don’t know shit about parenting, but somehow this feels very accurate and very applicable to the real world. Even if none of my parents are immortal god-queen-daughters of baby-murdering Demons.
The third quote is still from an unlikely source, maybe the most unlikely of them all: Vol Karoth.
Now, while this is nihilistic and pessimistic and maybe not the kindest way to approach life, it’s poetic and beautiful in a terrifying way.
I would love to talk about the plot, which was of course great, if only I understood it better. If we leave out all the memories uncovered in this book what remains is so convoluted and metaphorical and complicated that I can’t even begin to explain it. I did, kind of, understand the ending though and though it of course left us hanging above the chasm again, yearning for more, it’s also kind of funny.
Essentially, the reason everyone was so upset with Kihrin in the beginning, was because he (and I’m going to quote Janel here) committed suicide by mimic and wanted Talon to impersonate her, which is basically what they are now back to doing.
I look forward to seeing exactly how Kihrin/S’arric/Vol Karoth is going to fuck with Var’s plans and can already see how much could go wrong.
Talon is essential for this plan and I’ve always liked her, because she was so unapologetically bad, without being mean about it the way Suless was.
As she’s eaten Kihrin, there is technically nothing she can’t fake about him, so she’s (astonishingly) not the one I am worried about here, I am actually worried about the others giving it away. Because they know she’s not actually Kihrin. While Relos Var can no longer use The Name Of All Things, he is still very smart. And Kihrin held an undeniably special position in this Group of people. Not only did they all care for him, they also all followed him literally into the mind of a god of destruction. So if they suddenly change their behaviour around him, if they don’t look up to him the way they all did (yes they all did, even Senera did, though she’d definitely deny it if asked), Var is going to realise something is off. I’m betting on that being the thing that brings the house of cards down. Talon can fake the mannerisms and even the love Kihrin has for the others, but Thirteen people faking their emotions towards one person? Especially when the difference in their emotional connections to Kihrin and Talon couldn’t be bigger?
Somethings got to give.
After my first time reading the first book, I remember thinking: “This feels like the prelude to an epic fantasy series like nothing I’ve read before.” And boy, was I right.
So yeah, that’s about my thoughts on the book, sorry if it turned into more of a rant, but I can’t currently reach the one person who’s also read the book, so there’s that.
5/5 stars Brilliant. I need more of this.
PS. If you’ve finished the book, I recommend you go back and reread that letter Senera wrote to Thurvishar that Talon put right in the beginning of Thurvishars copy of this book. It makes more sense afterwards.
PPS. How old is Qown? Lyons has made it purposefully ambiguous, but I really wanna know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just finished for the second time and this time, a review truly is to come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review to come
This review is coming after my second time reading the book and I can’t really remember why I forgot about writing it the first time around. It might well be that I was very much confused about what had happened and was trying to sort my thoughts before writing a review, which I now know is futile. Any time you think you know the world this series is set in, Jenn Lyons pulls off another layer of cloth hiding a much deeper universe.
I don’t think I need to say anything further about the worldbuilding. I’ve already gushed about it in my reviews for the other books, and Lyons continues to impress here.
The attention to detail is just astounding.
From here on out I have to be spoilery. There is a lot that I want to say, but because everything constantly changes in this book, it’s hard to say anything without spoiling one of the many plot-twists. So, you’ve been warned. It will heavily spoil the previous three books as well as this one.
SPOILERS
Spoiler
While this book made me very happy with the amount of triad-content we got, it also gave impressive insight to the minor characters.
For example Qown. Yes, that story was technically about Galen and Qown, but the emotional focus was clearly on Qown.
After what happened in Atrine, I’d honestly not been happy with the monk. I couldn’t exactly be angry with him, because he was just too lovable, but still, what he did hurt.
Even then, though, I knew it wasn’t his fault, as much as it was Relos Var’s fault. He’d been manipulating the poor guy from an early age and presented himself as a father-figure. So when he said he was going to save the world and gave Qown a cornerstone as a sign of his trust, of course he believed him. The manipulation ran deep.
A quote, by Caless of all people comes to mind:
“Who’s done this to you, Qown? Who twisted you like this? […] You should be telling me to go fuck myself.[…] You shouldn’t be meekly submitting to treatment like this from anyone. You should be walking out that door and saying ‘I quit,’ because no one has the right to do this to you against your will. But you’re not. Why?”
I can tell you exactly why and I can tell you exactly who twisted him, but dear Qown hasn’t realised just how terrible the stuff was, that he went through.
Following Qown on his journey with Galen and Sheloran, seeing him grapple with his allegiance to Var and seeing him be even more oblivious than Kihrin, was strangely emotional. Hearing people mention again and again, just how starved he was after his time with Var made me want to personally strangle the man.
But the real kicker was seeing him deal with those memories in the lighthouse afterwards. That scene in chapter 32, after Galen has been taken and Sheloran confronts him and finally breaks down the walls of denial he’s wrapped around himself was heart-breaking to read.
I also adore the relationship of Galen and Sheloran. Seeing that deep platonic love and the safety they provide to each other while laughing in the face of what Quur tells them is proper, is just beautiful.
Of course the book, having Kihrin and Tereath as characters (as well as Talon being reasonable???), has a lot of funny quips, and scenes that made me laugh outright.
More than the other three books, though, I’ve noticed a number of profound quotes in here.
The first of my three favourites was somehow delivered by a god-queen in that same conversation with Qown, which I’ve already quoted earlier:
You Vishai talk a lot about love and selflessness. How important it is to love others, sacrifice for others, put the happiness of others begore your own. But do you know what I have learned in all my years? And don’t let my appearance fool you. I am older than I look. I’ve learned that all that sounds sweet but means very little if you’ve never learned to love yourself. You are allowed—no, you are entitled—to think of your own health and safety first. Someone has taught you that you aren’t worth the same love you would give to a stronger. That someone deserves to be slapped quite hard.”
This pretty much sums up my feelings towards Relos Var in regards to Qown.
The second quote is also from an unlikely source: Xivan, our favourite vengeful bitch.
“We want our children to be a reflection of what we wish we were, not what we really are, so we lie about our weaknesses and out sins in the hopes that they’ll emulate our example. We don’t want our children making the mistakes that we made, and sometimes that means pretending we’ve never made any.”
Now, I don’t know shit about parenting, but somehow this feels very accurate and very applicable to the real world. Even if none of my parents are immortal god-queen-daughters of baby-murdering Demons.
The third quote is still from an unlikely source, maybe the most unlikely of them all: Vol Karoth.
“Love is a mortar too weak to hold when the foundations of our lives crumble.”
Now, while this is nihilistic and pessimistic and maybe not the kindest way to approach life, it’s poetic and beautiful in a terrifying way.
I would love to talk about the plot, which was of course great, if only I understood it better. If we leave out all the memories uncovered in this book what remains is so convoluted and metaphorical and complicated that I can’t even begin to explain it. I did, kind of, understand the ending though and though it of course left us hanging above the chasm again, yearning for more, it’s also kind of funny.
Essentially, the reason everyone was so upset with Kihrin in the beginning, was because he (and I’m going to quote Janel here) committed suicide by mimic and wanted Talon to impersonate her, which is basically what they are now back to doing.
I look forward to seeing exactly how Kihrin/S’arric/Vol Karoth is going to fuck with Var’s plans and can already see how much could go wrong.
Talon is essential for this plan and I’ve always liked her, because she was so unapologetically bad, without being mean about it the way Suless was.
As she’s eaten Kihrin, there is technically nothing she can’t fake about him, so she’s (astonishingly) not the one I am worried about here, I am actually worried about the others giving it away. Because they know she’s not actually Kihrin. While Relos Var can no longer use The Name Of All Things, he is still very smart. And Kihrin held an undeniably special position in this Group of people. Not only did they all care for him, they also all followed him literally into the mind of a god of destruction. So if they suddenly change their behaviour around him, if they don’t look up to him the way they all did (yes they all did, even Senera did, though she’d definitely deny it if asked), Var is going to realise something is off. I’m betting on that being the thing that brings the house of cards down. Talon can fake the mannerisms and even the love Kihrin has for the others, but Thirteen people faking their emotions towards one person? Especially when the difference in their emotional connections to Kihrin and Talon couldn’t be bigger?
Somethings got to give.
After my first time reading the first book, I remember thinking: “This feels like the prelude to an epic fantasy series like nothing I’ve read before.” And boy, was I right.
So yeah, that’s about my thoughts on the book, sorry if it turned into more of a rant, but I can’t currently reach the one person who’s also read the book, so there’s that.
5/5 stars Brilliant. I need more of this.
PS. If you’ve finished the book, I recommend you go back and reread that letter Senera wrote to Thurvishar that Talon put right in the beginning of Thurvishars copy of this book. It makes more sense afterwards.
PPS. How old is Qown? Lyons has made it purposefully ambiguous, but I really wanna know.
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I just finished for the second time and this time, a review truly is to come.
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Review to come
Amazing. Every time I think these books can’t get any more fantastic, they somehow find a way! On the edge of my seat, and immediately began the next.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes