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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
At first I was like “I love every trope as long as it’s queer” as a joke. But bro… I don’t think it’s a joke anymore.
Like, this book did the thing where the power of love saves the world which has ruined movies, books and shows for me before. Like Wonder Woman or even [b:Queen of Air and Darkness|13541056|Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices, #3)|Cassandra Clare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510447136l/13541056._SY75_.jpg|19104298].
So explain to me why I was literally SOBBING while also SMILING LIKE A DORK when they pulled it here or in She-Ra? My best guess is that both are queer as fuck and I will die on that hill. But I also think it’s because of what having queer stories implies theme wise more often than not. And also because of what both of these stories are dealing with, which is accepting you deserve love and you deserve to heal and love YOURSELF and to live happily and fully. Also, dealing with past trauma without it over taking the story and ignoring all the good things that happen without over doing that either. It’s a hard balance, but one I think both She-Ra and this do overly well.
I know that’s not inherently queer, but I do think those are themes and narratives very present in queer stories, and I love to see it.
So fuck yeah, this book is amazing and full of character and relationship development, which is exactly MY shit. I respect the fuck out of Jenn Lyons for what she’s pulling off with this series, and cannot wait to see how she ends it.
In nine months. NINE. MONTHS. Having to wait for [b:The Discord of Gods|57693290|The Discord of Gods (A Chorus of Dragons, #5)|Jenn Lyons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623081306l/57693290._SY75_.jpg|90371526] is my villain origin story.
Like, this book did the thing where the power of love saves the world which has ruined movies, books and shows for me before. Like Wonder Woman or even [b:Queen of Air and Darkness|13541056|Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices, #3)|Cassandra Clare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1510447136l/13541056._SY75_.jpg|19104298].
So explain to me why I was literally SOBBING while also SMILING LIKE A DORK when they pulled it here or in She-Ra? My best guess is that both are queer as fuck and I will die on that hill. But I also think it’s because of what having queer stories implies theme wise more often than not. And also because of what both of these stories are dealing with, which is accepting you deserve love and you deserve to heal and love YOURSELF and to live happily and fully. Also, dealing with past trauma without it over taking the story and ignoring all the good things that happen without over doing that either. It’s a hard balance, but one I think both She-Ra and this do overly well.
I know that’s not inherently queer, but I do think those are themes and narratives very present in queer stories, and I love to see it.
So fuck yeah, this book is amazing and full of character and relationship development, which is exactly MY shit. I respect the fuck out of Jenn Lyons for what she’s pulling off with this series, and cannot wait to see how she ends it.
In nine months. NINE. MONTHS. Having to wait for [b:The Discord of Gods|57693290|The Discord of Gods (A Chorus of Dragons, #5)|Jenn Lyons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1623081306l/57693290._SY75_.jpg|90371526] is my villain origin story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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:
Yes
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
"You will wait.
Until there is no more waiting possible. And then you will choose whether we live or die.
But know this-even though I have lived a life as full of thin, small regrets as a cherry tree full of petals in the spring, this will be my largest: that I could not be there with you, right then, to share the space between never and always while waiting for the sun to rise."
Each and every book in this series has just captivated me. How is it that Jenn just keeps subverting expectations for how you think this book will be structured or how will things transpire and then....oh, it's so not that but it's so much MORE!! The way all the threads of all the characters twist and mold and eventually all come together for yet another ending that just sends everything in a different direction. Honestly, I marvel at her ability to do this book after book and am so excited to know all the answers are in the next book and yet incredibly sad that the journey with these characters will end.
Mild spoilers for Memory of Souls:
The House of Always picks up essentially right after the events with Kihrin and Talon that ended with Kihrin in Kharas Gulgoth with Vol Karoth. All of the various characters that were left in Quuros and the Manol all somehow end up together in the lighthouse at Shadrag Gor, trying to figure out how to understand and navigate what Kihrin has done. Twelve people who honestly don't at all like each other, want to be around each other or want to depend on each other for survival. It's a remarkable way to tell such a complex story with so many moving pieces. And yes, it is still just as complex and wonderful as all the other books. I love how the relationship between Kihrin, Teraeth and Janel continues to grow, as does Senera's and Thurvishar's. But the standout characters for me in this book are Galen, Qown and Sheloran, they are wonderful together. Can't really get into any more detail as that would be spoilery. This series does not get nearly enough attention that it needs, it's truly marvelous fantasy, with some of the best LGBTQ rep I have read throughout all five books. Do you need all your brain cells turned on when you read it, yes, but the rewards are well worth it!!
Until there is no more waiting possible. And then you will choose whether we live or die.
But know this-even though I have lived a life as full of thin, small regrets as a cherry tree full of petals in the spring, this will be my largest: that I could not be there with you, right then, to share the space between never and always while waiting for the sun to rise."
Each and every book in this series has just captivated me. How is it that Jenn just keeps subverting expectations for how you think this book will be structured or how will things transpire and then....oh, it's so not that but it's so much MORE!! The way all the threads of all the characters twist and mold and eventually all come together for yet another ending that just sends everything in a different direction. Honestly, I marvel at her ability to do this book after book and am so excited to know all the answers are in the next book and yet incredibly sad that the journey with these characters will end.
Mild spoilers for Memory of Souls:
The House of Always picks up essentially right after the events with Kihrin and Talon that ended with Kihrin in Kharas Gulgoth with Vol Karoth. All of the various characters that were left in Quuros and the Manol all somehow end up together in the lighthouse at Shadrag Gor, trying to figure out how to understand and navigate what Kihrin has done. Twelve people who honestly don't at all like each other, want to be around each other or want to depend on each other for survival. It's a remarkable way to tell such a complex story with so many moving pieces. And yes, it is still just as complex and wonderful as all the other books. I love how the relationship between Kihrin, Teraeth and Janel continues to grow, as does Senera's and Thurvishar's. But the standout characters for me in this book are Galen, Qown and Sheloran, they are wonderful together. Can't really get into any more detail as that would be spoilery. This series does not get nearly enough attention that it needs, it's truly marvelous fantasy, with some of the best LGBTQ rep I have read throughout all five books. Do you need all your brain cells turned on when you read it, yes, but the rewards are well worth it!!
Vol Karoth, the King of Demons, is breaking free. The Eight Immortals have failed in their attempt to reseal his prison, and now Kihirin alone is all that holds Vol Karoth in his magical prison. With time running out, the wizard Senera takes Kihirin’s allies to the one place where they have all the time in the world: the Lighthouse of Shadrag Gor. Here, where months can pass while only minutes go by in the outside world, a handful of people must find a way to seal the Demon King away once and for all. But as Vol Karoth grows in power, he gains the ability to steal a person’s darkest secrets and share them with everyone. And just because those fighting against Vol Karoth are allies, doesn’t mean they don’t have things to hide from each other.
It will never cease to amaze me how I find the A CHORUS OF DRAGONS series so utterly confusing and yet so utterly compelling at the same time. Author Jenn Lyons always keeps me on my toes, continuously finding new frameworks to tell her story. For those new to the series, A CHORUS OF DRAGONS is a complex epic fantasy, where the story is often told out of order, and characters have convoluted relationships with each other due to the fact that souls can reincarnate. Trying to keep track of who was married to who in a past life or which people are related to each other and how is an exercise in futility. Those of you with a finished copy of the book will have a leg up from a handy family tree and timeline of past events; those of us with eARCs had to go without that material and floundered about trying to remember details from the last few books.
Thankfully, I have long given up trying to track all this information. A CHORUS OF DRAGONS is a wild ride that keeps me hooked moment to moment, even if I don’t always understand how the pieces fit into the big picture. In this particular outing, several characters from the previous books (some who have previously met and some who haven’t) have been rounded up and are essentially trapped inside one house until they can find a solution to the problem of Vol Karoth. That means when secrets start coming out through the visions Vol Karoth is sending to everyone, the characters have no choice but to immediately deal with the fallout of the secret being shared. It’s a pressure cooker of character drama and was the part I enjoyed most.
Many secondary characters get a chance to shine in THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS, adding some fresh perspectives to the storyline. Happy-go-lucky Talea was a character I enjoyed spending time with, as well as Galen D’Mon, Kihirin’s nephew who has somehow managed to remain a fairly decent person while being brought up by the worst father imaginable. I also loved Galen’s wife, Sheloran, a character I don’t remember particularly well from earlier books (if she was in them at all?) but who I adored as a prominent character in this outing. As with earlier books in the story, the narrative does a fair bit of jumping around in the timeline until events catch up with each other, and while I wasn’t always sure WHEN things were happening relative to each other, I enjoyed the individual storylines themselves.
That enjoyment is partially from enjoying spending time with the characters, and partially from the series of borderline over-the-top moments that launch readers from one beat to the next. The book starts with an honest-to-god battle between a kraken and a dragon and an undead pirate army, and fills out the rest of its pages with carriage chases, assassination attempts, battles on a psychic landscape, and more. Perhaps the fact that this book is so stuffed is what led to one of my few complaints, that a few somewhat key moments towards the end of the book happen “off screen.” THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS clocks in at a fairly dense 544 pages already, but towards the end it felt like the author just jumped over a couple plot points with a handwaving “yeah that happened and now we’re here.”
If you’ve made it to book four of A CHORUS OF DRAGONS, then you’ve already bought into the author’s brand of fantasy writing. So if you’re here looking for assurances that the book holds up the rest of the series, rest assured that it does. This is probably my second-favorite so far, but only because THE NAME OF ALL THINGS was Janel’s story, and she will always be my favorite character. THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS is a momentum-filled story, for all that it is largely about a bunch of people trapped in a house, and a worthy entry. There’s just one book left in the A CHORUS OF DRAGONS series, and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
It will never cease to amaze me how I find the A CHORUS OF DRAGONS series so utterly confusing and yet so utterly compelling at the same time. Author Jenn Lyons always keeps me on my toes, continuously finding new frameworks to tell her story. For those new to the series, A CHORUS OF DRAGONS is a complex epic fantasy, where the story is often told out of order, and characters have convoluted relationships with each other due to the fact that souls can reincarnate. Trying to keep track of who was married to who in a past life or which people are related to each other and how is an exercise in futility. Those of you with a finished copy of the book will have a leg up from a handy family tree and timeline of past events; those of us with eARCs had to go without that material and floundered about trying to remember details from the last few books.
Thankfully, I have long given up trying to track all this information. A CHORUS OF DRAGONS is a wild ride that keeps me hooked moment to moment, even if I don’t always understand how the pieces fit into the big picture. In this particular outing, several characters from the previous books (some who have previously met and some who haven’t) have been rounded up and are essentially trapped inside one house until they can find a solution to the problem of Vol Karoth. That means when secrets start coming out through the visions Vol Karoth is sending to everyone, the characters have no choice but to immediately deal with the fallout of the secret being shared. It’s a pressure cooker of character drama and was the part I enjoyed most.
Many secondary characters get a chance to shine in THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS, adding some fresh perspectives to the storyline. Happy-go-lucky Talea was a character I enjoyed spending time with, as well as Galen D’Mon, Kihirin’s nephew who has somehow managed to remain a fairly decent person while being brought up by the worst father imaginable. I also loved Galen’s wife, Sheloran, a character I don’t remember particularly well from earlier books (if she was in them at all?) but who I adored as a prominent character in this outing. As with earlier books in the story, the narrative does a fair bit of jumping around in the timeline until events catch up with each other, and while I wasn’t always sure WHEN things were happening relative to each other, I enjoyed the individual storylines themselves.
That enjoyment is partially from enjoying spending time with the characters, and partially from the series of borderline over-the-top moments that launch readers from one beat to the next. The book starts with an honest-to-god battle between a kraken and a dragon and an undead pirate army, and fills out the rest of its pages with carriage chases, assassination attempts, battles on a psychic landscape, and more. Perhaps the fact that this book is so stuffed is what led to one of my few complaints, that a few somewhat key moments towards the end of the book happen “off screen.” THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS clocks in at a fairly dense 544 pages already, but towards the end it felt like the author just jumped over a couple plot points with a handwaving “yeah that happened and now we’re here.”
If you’ve made it to book four of A CHORUS OF DRAGONS, then you’ve already bought into the author’s brand of fantasy writing. So if you’re here looking for assurances that the book holds up the rest of the series, rest assured that it does. This is probably my second-favorite so far, but only because THE NAME OF ALL THINGS was Janel’s story, and she will always be my favorite character. THE HOUSE OF ALWAYS is a momentum-filled story, for all that it is largely about a bunch of people trapped in a house, and a worthy entry. There’s just one book left in the A CHORUS OF DRAGONS series, and I cannot wait to see how everything turns out.
Note: I was provided a free ARC by the publisher in exchange for my fair and honest review.
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
inspiring
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual violence