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4.41 AVERAGE
4.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is probably the best series I've ever read. This book did an incredible job at moving Hadrian as far from his early exuberant self as possible, but I did feel that he was telling me about that just a wee bit too much; especially when compared to Demon in White's style.
But it doesn't really matter because this book still slapped. The ending battle was incredible as always.
The tell tale "you have the luxury of foresight - I will go on alone" at the end of this book hit harder than any of the others š„²
His old life is truly gone. Valka dying .. I knew it was over for her once she admitted to wanting a child. Especially when Hadrian said "just one step away" before the cave in, but I hoped he was just being his melodramatic self. I'll miss you Valka.
Lorian sacrificing himself (love of the person of office!!!) and choosing Hadrian over the empire is an amazing thing to see, from especially. I hope he isn't executed
But it doesn't really matter because this book still slapped. The ending battle was incredible as always.
The tell tale "you have the luxury of foresight - I will go on alone" at the end of this book hit harder than any of the others š„²
Lorian sacrificing himself (love of the person of office!!!) and choosing Hadrian over the empire is an amazing thing to see, from especially. I hope he isn't executed
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
dark
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
This world just gets better and better.
Iāll be honest, this one started off a little slow, felt I was kind of back in the beginning of the series, but now I had trust for things to come.
I love this series because each book is not just one thing. Itās never just ONE massively exciting, page flipping, climax thatās built up and then ends. You never know when Christopher is going to bring out the big guns and keep you up late.
But at the same time, Christopherā¦ how dare you.
Last few chapters of this book were unbelievable, and I LOVE where I feel this series is heading to book 6. I still canāt get over how enthralled I am on a series where the main, central, huge plot climax, was told to the reader in like, the first chapter of the first book.
9.1/10āļø
Iāll be honest, this one started off a little slow, felt I was kind of back in the beginning of the series, but now I had trust for things to come.
I love this series because each book is not just one thing. Itās never just ONE massively exciting, page flipping, climax thatās built up and then ends. You never know when Christopher is going to bring out the big guns and keep you up late.
But at the same time, Christopherā¦ how dare you.
Last few chapters of this book were unbelievable, and I LOVE where I feel this series is heading to book 6. I still canāt get over how enthralled I am on a series where the main, central, huge plot climax, was told to the reader in like, the first chapter of the first book.
9.1/10āļø
Overall I think this book was mostly boring and somewhat bloated. You can tell how last book and this book could have been combined to form one epic book, but instead we got two split books with extra amounts of padding to fill them out, and this one was more egregious with it. The parts that were good (especially the last 100 pages or so) were really good, to the point that I was almost tearing up at the end.
I don't like how it seems Valka has been relegated to the dead spouse trope, her death felt less earned and more like she was fridged by the author so Hadrian could plausibly lash out and be exiled in contention with the throne. Alexander will probably become the next emperor soon, or Hadrian becomes emperor and rules until he blows up the sun and then Alexander becomes emperor after Hadrian steps down.
I also don't like how Cielcin are basically just space orcs now and I feel their uniqueness has been stripped from them as they became more of an allegory for demons who are serving "Cthulu esq creatures" to literally destroy their universe. Idk, on one hand seeing Hadrians naivete diminish as he grew old and realized his boyhood dream of making peace with them is not just misguided but basically impossible has been cool. But it came at the cost of the Cielcin as a whole and how they are now relegated to be the "real devils", they went from potentially multi faceted to exactly what they had originally seemed at surface level. Compared to book one, they feel like they were regressed in order for this Hadrian chosen one story to be told better.
I also don't like how Cielcin are basically just space orcs now and I feel their uniqueness has been stripped from them as they became more of an allegory for demons who are serving "Cthulu esq creatures" to literally destroy their universe. Idk, on one hand seeing Hadrians naivete diminish as he grew old and realized his boyhood dream of making peace with them is not just misguided but basically impossible has been cool. But it came at the cost of the Cielcin as a whole and how they are now relegated to be the "real devils", they went from potentially multi faceted to exactly what they had originally seemed at surface level. Compared to book one, they feel like they were regressed in order for this Hadrian chosen one story to be told better.
I would put this book on par with book 1 for me, maybe slightly above just cause at least it's not derivative of Dune (tho this book felt sooooo Star Wars influenced, Hadrian really is Anakin)