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catapocalypse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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
3.25
This third installment of The Dandelion Dynasty was originally conceived as a single book with the fourth, but for length had to be split. I personally feel this tome should've been split further. Around the halfway point, the pacing between POVs began to suffer a lot, as a very high-stakes plotline got short sections interspersed with long chunks of a newer plotline that had a very different vibe. While a lighter mood helps break up heavy parts, this ended up more frustrating than relieving for me.
Still, the worldbuilding throughout remains incredible, the characters endearing, and the tech very clever. Even though it was tougher to get through at times than the first two volumes, I wouldn't dream of quitting the series, and am eager to see it to its conclusion in the next.
Still, the worldbuilding throughout remains incredible, the characters endearing, and the tech very clever. Even though it was tougher to get through at times than the first two volumes, I wouldn't dream of quitting the series, and am eager to see it to its conclusion in the next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Animal death, Ableism, Xenophobia, and Slavery
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Rape
aardwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
The best of dense political saga and fantastical adventure, all wrapped up in a defiance of pat tropes and easy answers. Maybe take notes, though. The first two books came out a few years ago and damned if I could remember who everyone was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Sexual violence, Blood, Ableism, Animal death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and War
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE VEILED THRONE is a masterful continuation of The Dandelion Dynasty, centering on characters new and old as the next promised opening in the wall of storms approaches.
I enjoyed Zomi’s returning presence, and I’m understanding Jia more and more as this series continues. The worldbuilding once again is expanded through an interesting avenue: a cooking contest. Through this there’s even more new viewpoints, but funneled through just a couple of perspectives to help keep it manageable (and to maintain certain mysteries as not everyone’s past is relevant and open).
This picks up Princess Théra’s story where THE WALL OF STORMS left off, as well as introducing some new characters and focusing in on some previously present but minor ones. There’s at least one major thing both introduced and resolved here. It specifically leaves something for later since a lot of the politics involve moves the various factions are making in anticipation of the wall of storms opening in a few short years, but the book ends with that clock still running. Empress Jia and Princess Théra are returning narrators along with some new perspectives. Their ways of thinking are pretty easily distinguishable from each other, and I pretty easily kept track of what was going on. It could make sense to start here, it would be an enjoyable story with its own central conflict within a larger context. I don’t recommend using it as a starting point, but once again in this series it’s a pretty self-contained story featuring a mix of returning and new characters, with backstory for at least one character given from years before the main events. This means in some ways it’s a jumping-in point for a few important characters, which helps it be accessible both to new readers and to anyone who waited a while since reading the previous book.
There are various sub plots and side plots, as well as a bunch of details about Princess Théra’s life hiding out in a new land, but the heart of the plot revolves around a cooking contest to save a restaurant’s reputation, and it’s delightful. The author uses the discussions of cooking, the small-town intrigue, and the wit of the participants as a venue for discourse on so much more than that. The heroes solve problems with engineering and ingenuity, with the underlying belief that the universe is knowable. Just as Zomi’s discussions with her teacher in THE WALL OF STORMS allowed for a different view of Dara, the cooking contest brings together so many wonderful things (plus a few dastardly ones) to the betterment of almost everyone involved. It has taken up so much of my recollections that I’m aware there were some other plotlines which I appreciated while in the middle of reading, but once I reached the end I was left with the impression of the story of the contest, and the stress of the ending scenes in the archives.
I enjoyed Zomi’s returning presence, and I’m understanding Jia more and more as this series continues. The worldbuilding once again is expanded through an interesting avenue: a cooking contest. Through this there’s even more new viewpoints, but funneled through just a couple of perspectives to help keep it manageable (and to maintain certain mysteries as not everyone’s past is relevant and open).
This picks up Princess Théra’s story where THE WALL OF STORMS left off, as well as introducing some new characters and focusing in on some previously present but minor ones. There’s at least one major thing both introduced and resolved here. It specifically leaves something for later since a lot of the politics involve moves the various factions are making in anticipation of the wall of storms opening in a few short years, but the book ends with that clock still running. Empress Jia and Princess Théra are returning narrators along with some new perspectives. Their ways of thinking are pretty easily distinguishable from each other, and I pretty easily kept track of what was going on. It could make sense to start here, it would be an enjoyable story with its own central conflict within a larger context. I don’t recommend using it as a starting point, but once again in this series it’s a pretty self-contained story featuring a mix of returning and new characters, with backstory for at least one character given from years before the main events. This means in some ways it’s a jumping-in point for a few important characters, which helps it be accessible both to new readers and to anyone who waited a while since reading the previous book.
There are various sub plots and side plots, as well as a bunch of details about Princess Théra’s life hiding out in a new land, but the heart of the plot revolves around a cooking contest to save a restaurant’s reputation, and it’s delightful. The author uses the discussions of cooking, the small-town intrigue, and the wit of the participants as a venue for discourse on so much more than that. The heroes solve problems with engineering and ingenuity, with the underlying belief that the universe is knowable. Just as Zomi’s discussions with her teacher in THE WALL OF STORMS allowed for a different view of Dara, the cooking contest brings together so many wonderful things (plus a few dastardly ones) to the betterment of almost everyone involved. It has taken up so much of my recollections that I’m aware there were some other plotlines which I appreciated while in the middle of reading, but once I reached the end I was left with the impression of the story of the contest, and the stress of the ending scenes in the archives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Excrement, Violence, Torture, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Child death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, and Ableism
Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Abortion
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