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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
This series just keeps getting better, and bigger and more epic with every book. I don't want it to end!
CAWPILE rating added May 2022: This remains my absolute favourite of the series so far and I'm terrified to start Discord.
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
---
Full review live on my blog June 3rd: https://inkandplasma.com/2021/06/03/the-house-of-always/
Thanks to Tor UK for sending me a finished copy of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
Content Warnings: misogyny, murder, mentions of slavery, gore, cannibalism, violence, mentions of sexual assault.
With every new book in this series, I wonder how the format can be sustained throughout the developing story, and they keep getting more creative every time. I loved the way this book was set up, with our characters caught in close confinement and magic causing them to delve into their memories. I really liked the way the memories worked. It made sense within the narrative itself, allowed the characters and the readers to dive into embarrassing secrets that the characters would be unlikely to share, and I loved getting to see the characters react to each other's memories. The close quarters also let us explore more than just the usual main three characters. I loved seeing Senera have more page time, espeeeecially getting to see her stuck up close and personal with Thurvishar. The footnotes are one of my favourite parts of this entire series, and they're still incredible. I absolutely love them. This series it was Senera writing the footnotes, and I kind of hope that THE DISCORD OF GODS has both of them.
One of my notes for this review was just 'TERAETH, JANEL AND KIHRINNNNN', and I totally stand by that. I love the three of them, and their burgeoning polyamorous relationship from The Memory of Souls got explored in more depth in this series entry. I loved it. I love them. Their interactions are perfect in every way, and I am going to be absolutely devastated when I reach the end of this series and I don't have anymore content from my favourite throuple. Speaking of the next book.... Tor please give me THE DISCORD OF GODS immediately. I am absolutely terrified by that title and I literally cannot wait a second longer for the last part of this series. I couldn't have predicted anything that happened in this book. It was a spectacular build on the rest of the over-arching story, and the ending as solid as all of the rest of the books. Jenn Lyons has made explosive endings into an art form and THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS is no exception. When it's all over, I think I'll still keep up my yearly reread of the whole series because I simply refuse to be without my fantastical disaster queers.
Character - 10
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 10
Plot - 10
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 8
Enjoyment - 10
Rating: 9.43 / 5 stars
---
Full review live on my blog June 3rd: https://inkandplasma.com/2021/06/03/the-house-of-always/
Thanks to Tor UK for sending me a finished copy of this book. It has not affected my honest review.
Content Warnings: misogyny, murder, mentions of slavery, gore, cannibalism, violence, mentions of sexual assault.
With every new book in this series, I wonder how the format can be sustained throughout the developing story, and they keep getting more creative every time. I loved the way this book was set up, with our characters caught in close confinement and magic causing them to delve into their memories. I really liked the way the memories worked. It made sense within the narrative itself, allowed the characters and the readers to dive into embarrassing secrets that the characters would be unlikely to share, and I loved getting to see the characters react to each other's memories. The close quarters also let us explore more than just the usual main three characters. I loved seeing Senera have more page time, espeeeecially getting to see her stuck up close and personal with Thurvishar. The footnotes are one of my favourite parts of this entire series, and they're still incredible. I absolutely love them. This series it was Senera writing the footnotes, and I kind of hope that THE DISCORD OF GODS has both of them.
One of my notes for this review was just 'TERAETH, JANEL AND KIHRINNNNN', and I totally stand by that. I love the three of them, and their burgeoning polyamorous relationship from The Memory of Souls got explored in more depth in this series entry. I loved it. I love them. Their interactions are perfect in every way, and I am going to be absolutely devastated when I reach the end of this series and I don't have anymore content from my favourite throuple. Speaking of the next book.... Tor please give me THE DISCORD OF GODS immediately. I am absolutely terrified by that title and I literally cannot wait a second longer for the last part of this series. I couldn't have predicted anything that happened in this book. It was a spectacular build on the rest of the over-arching story, and the ending as solid as all of the rest of the books. Jenn Lyons has made explosive endings into an art form and THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS is no exception. When it's all over, I think I'll still keep up my yearly reread of the whole series because I simply refuse to be without my fantastical disaster queers.
You can find my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to Tor and JeanBookNerd for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
We’re on book fouuuuur, y’all! Book. Four. It has been a journey, and I’m pretty sure I’ve aged about twenty years fretting over these characters. And we’re still not done yet, thank goodness. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book from pretty much the moment I set down book three. Thankfully, it has a really convenient recap in the beginning, so I didn’t feel like I had to go back and re-read the others, since that caught me up pretty nicely and I remembered what had happened and could jump right into it! And boy did I ever.
The House of Always is the hit to the feels I expected from book four of A Chorus of Dragons … but not in the way I imagined! It’s about betrayal and secrets and falling apart and coming together and realizing that, despite what the world told you, you matter.
I figured this book was going to break my heart, given what’s happened in the other books and that this is book four of the series, but … this is not what I was expecting. It didn’t break my heart in the ways I had thought, but in so much worse ways. It took these strong, beautiful, utterly broken characters and shattered them over and over again, forcing them to either heal or break entirely, and I absolutely loved it.
My Thoughts:
- The House of Always needs trigger warnings for just about everything, because this is a no-holds-barred psychological war between Vol Karoth and our main antiheroes where everything is on the table and no memory is sacrosanct. In other words … fun! The story is actually told in a really unique way that, had you described it to me going in, I wouldn’t have thought it would work for a book. A film, sure, but not a book. The majority of the book is spent in one static location (the Lighthouse) with the rest of the story being told through the memories of the characters trapped there. The reader gets a flash of memory, then back to the lighthouse to see the reaction. Oh, and react they do, lovelies! In case you’ve forgotten, this world is all about secrets and betrayals, and these characters are the best of the best. What I think worked especially well about this story structure is the fact that the main cast at this point is all connected in somewhat tenuous ways they don’t always realize … and almost all of them would rather be with anyone else than with each other. It’s tense. It’s dramatic. Someone might get stabbed … or worse. Who knows?! That’s what makes it so thrilling! Enemies being forced to work together is one of my all-time favorite tropes, and it works so well here because there is so much between all these characters. Layers upon layers and lifetimes upon lifetimes of betrayal and heartache. The tragedy and drama this causes is just *chef’s kiss*
- So Kihrin’s plan at the end of book three may not have gone quiiiite as he’d anticipated. Surprise? This leads to what I can only describe as psychological warfare. You know, as opposed to the stabby, fiery, explody kind in the earlier books. Not quite in the way you might expect, though. I mean literal psychological warfare … as in they’re battling in Vol Karoth’s psyche. Sort of. It’s complicated. Also thrilling. How do you convince an ancient bundle of anger, regret, and vengeance that it’s wrong? That’s the trick, isn’t it? While there are still fight scenes in this book, The House of Always slightly diverges from the previous books in that most of the fight is emotional, where everyone’s memories, mistakes, and betrayals become the weapons Vol Karoth wields. Of course, they also become the ammo Kihrin uses to fight back, so there’s that. I absolutely loved this give and take. Okay, sure, stabbiness and magic and all-out war is thrilling, but there’s something even more satisfying about getting to see characters’ deepest, darkest memories and then watching how everyone reacts to them. Given how much I absolutely love these characters, I really enjoyed the chance to get to know them all better. This book delves so much more into each and every character. if I thought I was fretting over their well-being before? So much more now that I know them better.
- Remember how I mentioned broken feels? Yeah, this book does that. A lot. Exceedingly well. These characters are forced to rehash painful moments and come to some really difficult realizations about themselves. I know I’m probably not supposed to get so much pleasure out of these characters’ pain, but oh my gosh, you guys, this was just so perfect! We’ve spent three books seeing how strong and resourceful these characters are, how dedicated to survival through any means. Life has handed them shit, and they’ve thrown it right back. Well, now it’s time for that shit to hit the fan. My heart broke over and over again for these poor, precious characters. A lot of much-needed healing takes place in this book, but a lot of hurt did, too. It’s this constant roller coaster ride that’s bumpy and rickety and only being held up with duct tape and a prayer, but the harrowing ride will be worth it if it can just make it to the end. Don’t get me wrong, even though this book is more psychological than the others, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any action in it. There’s actually pretty much all the action, because the flashes of memory describe how the characters got to where they are and everything that’s happened in the interim. That’s part of what makes this structure work so well. There’s so much action in the memories and plotting and scheming that the reaction scenes in the “present” let the reader come up a little for air … while still utterly destroying their feels, of course. Can’t have readers getting too complacent, can we?
- If you’ve been waiting for the will-they-won’t-they, three-way romance to heat up, the wait is over! The House of Always doubles down on this dynamic, while introducing another utterly adorable (and absolutely doomed) M/M romance. If I’m honest, I was a little hesitant about the Janel-Teraeth-Kihrin thing going in. But I also couldn’t decide which one I wanted Kihrin to end up with because decisions are hard and ships are even harder. You know what, though? I prefer this. I no longer have to choose, and the dynamic between the three of them is utterly perfect. Yes. This is definitely the best solution. Of course, their past lives complicate things a bit, but what sort of book would this be if that weren’t the case? There’s also the hint of a new romance brewing, one that is so freaking adorable and so tragically doomed and one I so desperately feel the need to root for that I don’t even know what to do with myself. Relationships are complicated. You know, as if these characters weren’t complicated enough as it is, nor the situation they’re in messed up enough. But these two? Ugh. I’m intentionally avoiding names to avoid spoilers, but they so deserve a happy ending and the more things develop between the two, the more I want them to have it. Regardless of how unlikely a happy ending seems.
Many thanks to Tor and JeanBookNerd for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
We’re on book fouuuuur, y’all! Book. Four. It has been a journey, and I’m pretty sure I’ve aged about twenty years fretting over these characters. And we’re still not done yet, thank goodness. I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book from pretty much the moment I set down book three. Thankfully, it has a really convenient recap in the beginning, so I didn’t feel like I had to go back and re-read the others, since that caught me up pretty nicely and I remembered what had happened and could jump right into it! And boy did I ever.
The House of Always is the hit to the feels I expected from book four of A Chorus of Dragons … but not in the way I imagined! It’s about betrayal and secrets and falling apart and coming together and realizing that, despite what the world told you, you matter.
I figured this book was going to break my heart, given what’s happened in the other books and that this is book four of the series, but … this is not what I was expecting. It didn’t break my heart in the ways I had thought, but in so much worse ways. It took these strong, beautiful, utterly broken characters and shattered them over and over again, forcing them to either heal or break entirely, and I absolutely loved it.
My Thoughts:
- The House of Always needs trigger warnings for just about everything, because this is a no-holds-barred psychological war between Vol Karoth and our main antiheroes where everything is on the table and no memory is sacrosanct. In other words … fun! The story is actually told in a really unique way that, had you described it to me going in, I wouldn’t have thought it would work for a book. A film, sure, but not a book. The majority of the book is spent in one static location (the Lighthouse) with the rest of the story being told through the memories of the characters trapped there. The reader gets a flash of memory, then back to the lighthouse to see the reaction. Oh, and react they do, lovelies! In case you’ve forgotten, this world is all about secrets and betrayals, and these characters are the best of the best. What I think worked especially well about this story structure is the fact that the main cast at this point is all connected in somewhat tenuous ways they don’t always realize … and almost all of them would rather be with anyone else than with each other. It’s tense. It’s dramatic. Someone might get stabbed … or worse. Who knows?! That’s what makes it so thrilling! Enemies being forced to work together is one of my all-time favorite tropes, and it works so well here because there is so much between all these characters. Layers upon layers and lifetimes upon lifetimes of betrayal and heartache. The tragedy and drama this causes is just *chef’s kiss*
Vol Karoth was a hollow place just under my sternum, like the gut twist of loss that scrapes one’s insides clean and leaves only stupefaction in its wake. He lurked in the back of my throat, in the unbidden sting of tears with no cause, in the creeping sour taste of malice under my tongue. Vol Karoth was empty and dark and endless. A bottomless cup that could never be filled.
Before I found him, he found me.
- So Kihrin’s plan at the end of book three may not have gone quiiiite as he’d anticipated. Surprise? This leads to what I can only describe as psychological warfare. You know, as opposed to the stabby, fiery, explody kind in the earlier books. Not quite in the way you might expect, though. I mean literal psychological warfare … as in they’re battling in Vol Karoth’s psyche. Sort of. It’s complicated. Also thrilling. How do you convince an ancient bundle of anger, regret, and vengeance that it’s wrong? That’s the trick, isn’t it? While there are still fight scenes in this book, The House of Always slightly diverges from the previous books in that most of the fight is emotional, where everyone’s memories, mistakes, and betrayals become the weapons Vol Karoth wields. Of course, they also become the ammo Kihrin uses to fight back, so there’s that. I absolutely loved this give and take. Okay, sure, stabbiness and magic and all-out war is thrilling, but there’s something even more satisfying about getting to see characters’ deepest, darkest memories and then watching how everyone reacts to them. Given how much I absolutely love these characters, I really enjoyed the chance to get to know them all better. This book delves so much more into each and every character. if I thought I was fretting over their well-being before? So much more now that I know them better.
Why do you keep hiding? If we’re truly not enemies . . .
“Why do you keep stabbing me, then?” I shouted. “I’ll stop hiding when you stop stabbing!”
- Remember how I mentioned broken feels? Yeah, this book does that. A lot. Exceedingly well. These characters are forced to rehash painful moments and come to some really difficult realizations about themselves. I know I’m probably not supposed to get so much pleasure out of these characters’ pain, but oh my gosh, you guys, this was just so perfect! We’ve spent three books seeing how strong and resourceful these characters are, how dedicated to survival through any means. Life has handed them shit, and they’ve thrown it right back. Well, now it’s time for that shit to hit the fan. My heart broke over and over again for these poor, precious characters. A lot of much-needed healing takes place in this book, but a lot of hurt did, too. It’s this constant roller coaster ride that’s bumpy and rickety and only being held up with duct tape and a prayer, but the harrowing ride will be worth it if it can just make it to the end. Don’t get me wrong, even though this book is more psychological than the others, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any action in it. There’s actually pretty much all the action, because the flashes of memory describe how the characters got to where they are and everything that’s happened in the interim. That’s part of what makes this structure work so well. There’s so much action in the memories and plotting and scheming that the reaction scenes in the “present” let the reader come up a little for air … while still utterly destroying their feels, of course. Can’t have readers getting too complacent, can we?
“You Vishai talk a lot about love and selflessness. How important it is to love others, sacrifice for others, put the happiness of others before your own. But do you know what I have learned in all my years? And don’t let my appearance fool you. I’m 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 a stranger. That someone deserves to be slapped quite hard.”
- If you’ve been waiting for the will-they-won’t-they, three-way romance to heat up, the wait is over! The House of Always doubles down on this dynamic, while introducing another utterly adorable (and absolutely doomed) M/M romance. If I’m honest, I was a little hesitant about the Janel-Teraeth-Kihrin thing going in. But I also couldn’t decide which one I wanted Kihrin to end up with because decisions are hard and ships are even harder. You know what, though? I prefer this. I no longer have to choose, and the dynamic between the three of them is utterly perfect. Yes. This is definitely the best solution. Of course, their past lives complicate things a bit, but what sort of book would this be if that weren’t the case? There’s also the hint of a new romance brewing, one that is so freaking adorable and so tragically doomed and one I so desperately feel the need to root for that I don’t even know what to do with myself. Relationships are complicated. You know, as if these characters weren’t complicated enough as it is, nor the situation they’re in messed up enough. But these two? Ugh. I’m intentionally avoiding names to avoid spoilers, but they so deserve a happy ending and the more things develop between the two, the more I want them to have it. Regardless of how unlikely a happy ending seems.
“Good luck with that,” Teraeth said.
“Asshole, you’re supposed to be supportive.” Ah, how I lamented a lack of anything to throw at him.
He pondered that before shaking his head. “No, you’ll have to find someone else for that. I’m not good at supportive. I’m more of a stabber.”
“Really? I never noticed.”
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
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
This is def my 2nd least fave in the series, miles ahead of The Name of All Things, but still, I loved Ruin of Kings and the Memory of Souls a lot more. That being said this is still a five star book for me because basically any book with these characters is bound to get five stars out of me. At least three of these characters (specifically, Kihrin, Teraeth, and Thurshivar) are on my list of top 5 favorite characters of all time. It’s not a joke when I say I’m obsessed with everyone in this series.
Tropes for this book: merpeople, dragons, time magic, dreamscapes, gods, lgbtqia+ (specifically, lesbians, gays, & ace characters), and polyamory!
Tropes for this book: merpeople, dragons, time magic, dreamscapes, gods, lgbtqia+ (specifically, lesbians, gays, & ace characters), and polyamory!
Each book in the Chorus of Dragons leaves me wondering how I am meant to just simply wait around for the next book in the series, its just torturous and I think this time it’’s even more heartbreaking knowing the next book is the last. The House of Always is amazing,enthralling, addictive and intense. As always there is plenty of action to be found, but the soul of this book,the real selling point to me in The House of Always are its characters. Jenn gives us so much more in-depth knowledge and insight to who they are and so much more detail on the experiences that shaped them.
I have got a bone to pick with Ms. Lyons and it’s this, that ending! I am shook ! There is so much rep in these books, they are just perfection, I don’t think I could love them more and there is nothing to criticise in this book at all, nada, nothing. Perfection.
Thanks to Tor Books and Black Crow PR for a free copy for my honest opinion.
I have got a bone to pick with Ms. Lyons and it’s this, that ending! I am shook ! There is so much rep in these books, they are just perfection, I don’t think I could love them more and there is nothing to criticise in this book at all, nada, nothing. Perfection.
Thanks to Tor Books and Black Crow PR for a free copy for my honest opinion.
“The vast majority of us refuse to accept the idea that we might be the villains of the story—even if that’s demonstrably true.”
Damn, this series keeps blowing my mind. It’s such an amazing fantasy adventure and it feels like the more I read, the more I love the complexity.
The House of Always went back to a similar structure as the first book - and by that I mean it jumps between past and present timelines. In addition there were frequent POV changes throughout the story. I think this worked really well.
The main plot was quite different from previous books but I found it very intriguing. The fact that all the different characters were stuck inside a lighthouse without the option to leave was something that felt eerily familiar somehow. I feel like there were more great character moments in this one as well. The way the main characters love and protect each other is just the best. And I love how every character has importance in their own way.
I can’t say much more since I don’t want to spoil it but I will encourage you to try this series if you like:
⚔️Complex fantasy advetures
🐉Dragons
🖤Unconventional relationships
🏳️🌈Brilliant LGBTQ+ characters
🖋Snarky footnotes
I’m so excited to see what happens in the final book!
As has become tradition, some favourite quotes:
“It turned out choices could linger like a wound, reminding a person every waking second of their consequences. Choices were ghosts; they haunted.”
“Everyone needs to be seen, at least a little.”
“But I will tell you the same thing that I’ve had to learn: you’re not a victim. You can have bad things happen to you and refuse to let those bad things win.”
Damn, this series keeps blowing my mind. It’s such an amazing fantasy adventure and it feels like the more I read, the more I love the complexity.
The House of Always went back to a similar structure as the first book - and by that I mean it jumps between past and present timelines. In addition there were frequent POV changes throughout the story. I think this worked really well.
The main plot was quite different from previous books but I found it very intriguing. The fact that all the different characters were stuck inside a lighthouse without the option to leave was something that felt eerily familiar somehow. I feel like there were more great character moments in this one as well. The way the main characters love and protect each other is just the best. And I love how every character has importance in their own way.
I can’t say much more since I don’t want to spoil it but I will encourage you to try this series if you like:
⚔️Complex fantasy advetures
🐉Dragons
🖤Unconventional relationships
🏳️🌈Brilliant LGBTQ+ characters
🖋Snarky footnotes
I’m so excited to see what happens in the final book!
As has become tradition, some favourite quotes:
“It turned out choices could linger like a wound, reminding a person every waking second of their consequences. Choices were ghosts; they haunted.”
“Everyone needs to be seen, at least a little.”
“But I will tell you the same thing that I’ve had to learn: you’re not a victim. You can have bad things happen to you and refuse to let those bad things win.”
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-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