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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
the entire time khirin was running away from vol karoth, i could only think of this meme:
on a more serious note, this was a rly rly rly good book simply because i love the concept of a bunch of insane ppl getting stuck inside a place they cant escape from and are forced to talk about their Feelings ....
the only thing i disliked was janel being [redacted] and galen & [redacted] getting together.....................leave my boy galen alone!
on a more serious note, this was a rly rly rly good book simply because i love the concept of a bunch of insane ppl getting stuck inside a place they cant escape from and are forced to talk about their Feelings ....
the only thing i disliked was janel being [redacted] and galen & [redacted] getting together.....................leave my boy galen alone!
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
I've loved this series since the first book, and was delighted to receive an ARC a few months ago of this, the fourth book in the series. Longtime fans like myself will find plenty to adore about this installment, as the series stays as funny, charming and diverse as ever while continuing to lead up to a dramatic conclusion of the final novel.
The main plot of this book takes place within the Lighthouse of Shadrag Gor - everyone is stuck inside trying to figure out a way to rescue Kihrin from within the mind of a god. Consequently, this feels very much like a quarantine novel - our heroes are literally not going anywhere. The focus on flashbacks tells the story of how our secondary set of heroes managed to arrive at Shadrag Gor. My only complaint is that the majority of the story - the major movements, the big moments of adventure - were almost entirely focused on this secondary set of characters. Our big four - Kihrin, Janel, Teraeth and Thurvishar - were stuck playing hide and seek in the angry god's mind.
It's a testament to Lyons' writing abilities that I wound up loving the secondary characters as much as I did, even if I missed the primary ones. This book feels a little bit filler, but the conclusion it sets up for the fifth novel is WILD. Can't wait to continue this series, and recommend it to anyone who wants a snappy, fun, diverse fantasy novel.
The main plot of this book takes place within the Lighthouse of Shadrag Gor - everyone is stuck inside trying to figure out a way to rescue Kihrin from within the mind of a god. Consequently, this feels very much like a quarantine novel - our heroes are literally not going anywhere. The focus on flashbacks tells the story of how our secondary set of heroes managed to arrive at Shadrag Gor. My only complaint is that the majority of the story - the major movements, the big moments of adventure - were almost entirely focused on this secondary set of characters. Our big four - Kihrin, Janel, Teraeth and Thurvishar - were stuck playing hide and seek in the angry god's mind.
It's a testament to Lyons' writing abilities that I wound up loving the secondary characters as much as I did, even if I missed the primary ones. This book feels a little bit filler, but the conclusion it sets up for the fifth novel is WILD. Can't wait to continue this series, and recommend it to anyone who wants a snappy, fun, diverse fantasy novel.
That was excellent.
Loved most of the characters
especially Sheloran. That girl is fierce.
Really loved Janel and the boys. Tereath my poor baby.
Thurvy is still adorable.
Khirin.... Khirin you mofo i still love you
Im still lukewarm on Talea. She feels like a very clunky, *very* convenient plot device.
All around very exciting. Some POVs were certainly a bore ~~looks at Talea~~
There's still some plot points that don't make sense yet and im hoping it will be wrapped up nicely in the next book.
I liked that each of our heroes (or the ones who needed it) were given an opportunity to work through their trauma.
Loved most of the characters
especially Sheloran. That girl is fierce.
Really loved Janel and the boys. Tereath my poor baby.
Thurvy is still adorable.
Khirin.... Khirin you mofo i still love you
Im still lukewarm on Talea. She feels like a very clunky, *very* convenient plot device.
All around very exciting. Some POVs were certainly a bore ~~looks at Talea~~
There's still some plot points that don't make sense yet and im hoping it will be wrapped up nicely in the next book.
I liked that each of our heroes (or the ones who needed it) were given an opportunity to work through their trauma.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
I was going to give this 3.5 stars just based on the fact that I felt like there were too many povs and the flashbacks were a little too confusing for me but towards the last 3rd of the book everything started to come together for me and the end of this book was 👌🏼 so I had to give it 4 stars. This was definitely the weakest of the 4 books so far but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good! I still enjoyed it a lot but much like the first book there was a lot of going back and forth between the present and past; in this book it was more flashbacks.
The difference was the first book was only Kihrin and Talons povs, while this book had at least 7-8 different POVs. This is something I normally like but the way this series is told,from a written account of what’s happened and the footnotes and the story being told being one of the characters POVs also, (in this case Senera; it was a bit confusing at times and I had to go back and read entire chapters just to remember what was going on in a specific characters flashbacks. For example there would be a flashback Qown’s memory and then we would get his flashback for like 6 more POVs. A lot would happened for each persons own story, so it was very difficult to keep the stories straight. But I still ended up enjoying it.
The difference was the first book was only Kihrin and Talons povs, while this book had at least 7-8 different POVs. This is something I normally like but the way this series is told,from a written account of what’s happened and the footnotes and the story being told being one of the characters POVs also, (in this case Senera; it was a bit confusing at times and I had to go back and read entire chapters just to remember what was going on in a specific characters flashbacks. For example there would be a flashback Qown’s memory and then we would get his flashback for like 6 more POVs. A lot would happened for each persons own story, so it was very difficult to keep the stories straight. But I still ended up enjoying it.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love this series so much. And I normally listen to them, because they’re chonkers but also because the audio production is great. There are so many characters yet they all come to life so well!
It’s hard to review this without spoilers - especially as this is a book with lots of back story and gap filling around the events of previous books. By putting all the characters in the same place we get so much depth of information, it’s fantastic! Plus I love any time I get to see them all interact around each other.
My only criticism is for a chonky book, it is one where you don’t end up miles away from where you started. It’s the book equivalent of a tv backstory episode. There is one MAJOR concession to this though, and it’s a good one. And honestly everyone loves a backstory episode for minor characters. So it’s hardly a criticism at all.
Honestly if you like your fantasy with:
- complex and multithreaded storylines
- lots of characters
- dragons
- gods and goddesses
- morally grey characters
- seriously they have hearts of gold but they kill a lot of people
- fun magic stones with awesome powers
Then I can’t recommend the A Chorus of Dragons series enough.
4.5 stars
I love this series so much. And I normally listen to them, because they’re chonkers but also because the audio production is great. There are so many characters yet they all come to life so well!
It’s hard to review this without spoilers - especially as this is a book with lots of back story and gap filling around the events of previous books. By putting all the characters in the same place we get so much depth of information, it’s fantastic! Plus I love any time I get to see them all interact around each other.
My only criticism is for a chonky book, it is one where you don’t end up miles away from where you started. It’s the book equivalent of a tv backstory episode. There is one MAJOR concession to this though, and it’s a good one. And honestly everyone loves a backstory episode for minor characters. So it’s hardly a criticism at all.
Honestly if you like your fantasy with:
- complex and multithreaded storylines
- lots of characters
- dragons
- gods and goddesses
- morally grey characters
- seriously they have hearts of gold but they kill a lot of people
- fun magic stones with awesome powers
Then I can’t recommend the A Chorus of Dragons series enough.
4.5 stars
4.5
E-ARC provided by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The House of Always is the fourth book in Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons and picks up a few weeks after the previous book left off. Kihrin has sacrificed himself in order to stop Vol Karoth and save the world, only to realize he might have bitten off more than he can chew as he and the corrupted God lock into an endless battle.
I’m going to get this out of the way: this very much felt like a transitional book—which makes sense considering it’s the second-to-last. And it definitely seems to be building up to one heck of a finale. But this one felt a little repetitive, especially when it came to the sections that focused on the present time.
Just like in the previous installments, this book is told through a series of flashbacks detailing what Kihrin’s friends have been up to between this book and the previous. Unlike the previous books, the present time also had a fairly large focus. In fact, I’d say the past and present had a pretty equal focus here! And, of course, I won’t go into detail, but I think the reason for the flashbacks felt a lot smoother this time around. In previous installments (especially in books one and three), the framing for this seemed a little odd and forced.
Also like the previous book, the flashbacks were shared among multiple characters rather than just two. And they focused on characters that might have seemed minor earlier on in the series. I really enjoyed getting to know them more, and now possibly have a new favorite character!
However, the main reason I read this series is for the main trio: Kihrin, Janel, and Teraeth. I love their relationship and how Lyons writes their relationship, and they are no exception here. In fact, this might be my favorite in those terms. They are just so raw and soft and it is so evident here how much they love each other. Their sections were, of course, my favorite.
Speaking of love, however, there was a strong theme of “Power of Friendship” in this book that I felt was a little heavy-handed. Again, can’t really go into detail because of spoilers, but I did sometimes feel like I was reading the script for Yugioh or whatever other corny anime from my childhood had a “Love Conquers All!” motif.
However, I kind of like this series for its corniness and over-all light-hearted tone (even if they actual story isn’t all that light). I often compare this series to a video game like Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts, where the plot is kind of ridiculous and hard to follow but the characters are so lovable that you can’t help but push through, anyway. It’s why I love the series despite the many flaws it has.
All-in-all, this was a solid installment. If you’re like me and here for the characters, you won’t be disappointed. There is a lot to love here, and it sets up promising things for the conclusion (which I can’t wait for!). This series is a favorite of mine and The House of Always only added to my joy of it.
E-ARC provided by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The House of Always is the fourth book in Jenn Lyons’ A Chorus of Dragons and picks up a few weeks after the previous book left off. Kihrin has sacrificed himself in order to stop Vol Karoth and save the world, only to realize he might have bitten off more than he can chew as he and the corrupted God lock into an endless battle.
I’m going to get this out of the way: this very much felt like a transitional book—which makes sense considering it’s the second-to-last. And it definitely seems to be building up to one heck of a finale. But this one felt a little repetitive, especially when it came to the sections that focused on the present time.
Just like in the previous installments, this book is told through a series of flashbacks detailing what Kihrin’s friends have been up to between this book and the previous. Unlike the previous books, the present time also had a fairly large focus. In fact, I’d say the past and present had a pretty equal focus here! And, of course, I won’t go into detail, but I think the reason for the flashbacks felt a lot smoother this time around. In previous installments (especially in books one and three), the framing for this seemed a little odd and forced.
Also like the previous book, the flashbacks were shared among multiple characters rather than just two. And they focused on characters that might have seemed minor earlier on in the series. I really enjoyed getting to know them more, and now possibly have a new favorite character!
However, the main reason I read this series is for the main trio: Kihrin, Janel, and Teraeth. I love their relationship and how Lyons writes their relationship, and they are no exception here. In fact, this might be my favorite in those terms. They are just so raw and soft and it is so evident here how much they love each other. Their sections were, of course, my favorite.
Speaking of love, however, there was a strong theme of “Power of Friendship” in this book that I felt was a little heavy-handed. Again, can’t really go into detail because of spoilers, but I did sometimes feel like I was reading the script for Yugioh or whatever other corny anime from my childhood had a “Love Conquers All!” motif.
However, I kind of like this series for its corniness and over-all light-hearted tone (even if they actual story isn’t all that light). I often compare this series to a video game like Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts, where the plot is kind of ridiculous and hard to follow but the characters are so lovable that you can’t help but push through, anyway. It’s why I love the series despite the many flaws it has.
All-in-all, this was a solid installment. If you’re like me and here for the characters, you won’t be disappointed. There is a lot to love here, and it sets up promising things for the conclusion (which I can’t wait for!). This series is a favorite of mine and The House of Always only added to my joy of it.
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes