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mhcovill's review against another edition
4.0
Continues the adventures of Heloise and her village as they seek out a life of freedom from the wicked Order. The stakes are much higher this time around and the combat has reached an epic scale. It’s easy for me to compare this middle chapter to something like The Two Towers with an epic siege battle and the unfortunate burden of being the middle chapter, but I was highly entertained. Im looking forward to the final book of this violent and exciting trilogy.
ktjawrites's review against another edition
5.0
The Armored Saint was an intimate introduction to Heloise; The Queen of Crows is an exhilarating continuation which I couldn’t get enough of.
wyrmdog's review against another edition
4.0
I want to say cool and awesome things about this short, engaging book. But they've fled. So...maybe this will suffice:
It's a bridging story, to be sure, but one that still feels whole. I have gushed about the things Cole does that I love in other reviews and they apply as much here as there. He's a rare voice in fantasy adventure fiction. We need more of him. He never lets his minor characters lack for motivation or emotional resonance, and he plays on that with relentless focus. At times I think he must not like Heloise much, given the way he abuses her with reckless abandon. But it's obvious that he does like her. He loves her, in fact. And you probably will, too.
It's a bridging story, to be sure, but one that still feels whole. I have gushed about the things Cole does that I love in other reviews and they apply as much here as there. He's a rare voice in fantasy adventure fiction. We need more of him. He never lets his minor characters lack for motivation or emotional resonance, and he plays on that with relentless focus. At times I think he must not like Heloise much, given the way he abuses her with reckless abandon. But it's obvious that he does like her. He loves her, in fact. And you probably will, too.
lighterthaneyre's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Less gore and violence in this than the first. There is more reflection of Heloise as a leader, not a young woman. The conflict between (somewhat naive) ideals and harsh realities. I'm honestly not sure how well I think it's been done. I think it will depend on how the last book plays out.
RE: Heloise's character developmentI think her actions towards the end of the book are very at odds with the black and white morality she's been espousing earlier. She cannot both be someone fighting only for freedom and justice, while also burning a man alive for betrayal, and craving vengeance in the form of a man's violent death. She stands by while her dad punches the turn coat into a pulp, and while they are right to be upset by the betrayal, they beat the man past speaking, past consciousness. That is not justice or self defense, that's the wet slap of meat, that's butchery.
RE: the plotThe ending was very out of left field, in my opinion. Not very well foreshadowed or earned. A classic deus ex machina that saps the momentum out of the story.
RE: Heloise's character development
RE: the plot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
susanatherly's review against another edition
3.0
Sometimes the middle book of a trilogy is the middle book of a trilogy. It did what is was supposed to but it wasn't as exciting as the first book. On to the final part...
jazin's review against another edition
5.0
Talk about and fantastic book. Not only did Myke Cole write a great book but surpassed his previous novel The Armored Saint. The world building was superb and built upon a world that was already rich in character but with the expanse of communities that are in this world and also a history.
I look forward to every novel release by Myke and is one of the few people that are a must buy no matter what.
I look forward to every novel release by Myke and is one of the few people that are a must buy no matter what.
joshgauthier's review against another edition
5.0
Small while still managing to be epic, brutal while not losing sight of beauty--Cole's sequel to The Armored Saint takes everything that worked about the first book and carries it further, deepens it, grows it beyond the bounds of the original to build on the foundation in all the ways a sequel should.
Cole tells a great story--with rich characters, visceral emotion, and historical influences that bolster the story every step of the way. This is not a happy series, but it is a delight to read.
Cole tells a great story--with rich characters, visceral emotion, and historical influences that bolster the story every step of the way. This is not a happy series, but it is a delight to read.
williamc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75