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mamap's review against another edition
3.0
Magiere, Leesil, Wynn, and Chap head to the Elven lands to rescue Leesil's mother and learn more about the nature of Magiere.
newfylady's review against another edition
4.0
I'm enjoying this series so much that I'm moving straight on to the last book. I'll be sad to say goodbye to these characters
elaeagnifolium's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.0
puppy_eyes's review against another edition
3.0
I confess, I thought this one would be more about Chap. And in a way, it was. He got the bigger reveal, but Leesil was kind of the star. In this arc, we get to see Leesil's homeland, and the interesting politics and cult-like authority of the "Most Aged Father." It was fun to get a new look at the classic take on elves, the mysticism of their ways and chap's special attachment to a newfound family.
But it did seem to drag on when the other characters were forced to stick around to move the plot, and at one point there was a long stretch of the book where the group is just WALKING through the forest. I know that's meant to show how deep and profound the magic of the woods are, but I even said out loud, "but how will they get back?" > BOOK PROCEEDS TO DETAIL THE SAME WALK, BUT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. "Oh."
There's way more positive than negative with the book, but the main plot gets sidelined with the side quest of finding Leesil's mother. Along the way, we get the internal conflict of 'what technically makes you part of where you belong.'
I don't know why people hate on Wynn, I still feel for her strongly. She has courage, and yes, curiosity, but experience is learning. So much has happened thanks to her, and they continue to chide her like a nosy child. She's part of the group, so they should just accept that already. Instead, she continues feeling alone and like an outcast. But the most amazing things happen because of Wynn. (And chap's support)
I wish I remembered more, but I didn't take notes, and only kept reading. I don't want to say too much without spoiling it, so I'm just glad that we are on to the main plot again.
But it did seem to drag on when the other characters were forced to stick around to move the plot, and at one point there was a long stretch of the book where the group is just WALKING through the forest. I know that's meant to show how deep and profound the magic of the woods are, but I even said out loud, "but how will they get back?" > BOOK PROCEEDS TO DETAIL THE SAME WALK, BUT IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. "Oh."
There's way more positive than negative with the book, but the main plot gets sidelined with the side quest of finding Leesil's mother. Along the way, we get the internal conflict of 'what technically makes you part of where you belong.'
I don't know why people hate on Wynn, I still feel for her strongly. She has courage, and yes, curiosity, but experience is learning. So much has happened thanks to her, and they continue to chide her like a nosy child. She's part of the group, so they should just accept that already. Instead, she continues feeling alone and like an outcast. But the most amazing things happen because of Wynn. (And chap's support)
I wish I remembered more, but I didn't take notes, and only kept reading. I don't want to say too much without spoiling it, so I'm just glad that we are on to the main plot again.
ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, look! It's the novel that WRECKED me. I basically finished this in a day. I read so late into the night that I had a headache, and I'd read so many hours on end that I'd lost track of time to begin with. Why? Because if I didn't figure out what happened, if I didn't make sure my precious characters were okay, then I would have died (dramatically speaking) in my wait to find out. And the ending still killed me, so there wasn't much relief. But it killed me in the best of ways? I think? I just know that when I finished reading this book, I went on tumblr (because that was still a thing back then), and wrote down that a book hadn't emotionally ravaged me like that since I'd read Christopher Paolini's Inheritance. And that book shattered me. So did this book, which I read immediately after book four. And it's not even the finale! The metal gods were not sparing me that summer, were they?
So. I have some thoughts. And all of them are wild and erratic and, ultimately, good. You have been warned.
The plot itself? Killed me. The dynamics between the characters? Murdered me. The shit I found out while reading it? Obliterated me. And I fucking loved every minute of it. I suppose I'm sadistic, that way. But (and spoiler alert, though not really if you've made it this far into the series, and the fact that it's in the book description), the fact that Leesil was trained to kill the very thing that Magiere is...and then Chap, the magical elven dog, intervened with fate and brought them together? I just...have no words? For how this made me feel? I mean, they love each other, so that's just an added dimension to their dilemma. And then, on top of that, there was so much tension between those two, and not the good kind like we had in book two. Sometimes I actually wondered if they were going to be okay. If the authors were going to break them up just to hurt us. Mercifully, they didn't, but that's a big reason why I just HAD to keep reading, to make sure they WERE okay. I'm pretty sure I even looked at the synopses (with guarded eyes) of future books to see if they referred to them still being a couple, and was very careful to avoid spoilers in the process. And Chap, of course, saves the day. Because why wouldn't? He's a magical elven dog, for god's sake. I love him. And yet, their fate is still uncertain.
Then we have the setting. Assassin elves? Count me IN. Even though they're all assholes to Leesil and Magiere, because they're protective of their lands and don't want any outsiders, least of all Magiere, of all people, to intrude. But man, the elven culture is rich. The Hendee's definitely know how to create a world and make their elves stand apart from everyone else's, even when certain common tropes are used. But I mean, you can't write a book that involves assassin elves and expect me NOT to love it. So that was kind of a given. Bonus stars for that.
Wasn't Magiere on trial in this one? I feel like she was, and Leesil had to do everything he could in his power to make sure she got out of that okay, because the verdict was uncertain at best. I had no idea what was going to happen. If there was going to be some kind of uprising, with Magiere slashing throats, or something more peaceable... But I was not disappointed. Also, the JEALOUSY. I'm pretty sure Magiere was worried that Leesil was falling for someone else? Another elf. And that hurt. It hurt her AND it hurt me. Of course, Leesil was doing no such thing. But this book knew how to hit me in all the right places, and I don't know if that's a good thing. Even though I enjoyed the hell out of this book, so I suppose it was.
But ouch. This one hurt. This one hurt so much. 10/10 would do it again.
Oh. And we get to see Leesil's mom. She's a bitch.
So. I have some thoughts. And all of them are wild and erratic and, ultimately, good. You have been warned.
The plot itself? Killed me. The dynamics between the characters? Murdered me. The shit I found out while reading it? Obliterated me. And I fucking loved every minute of it. I suppose I'm sadistic, that way. But (and spoiler alert, though not really if you've made it this far into the series, and the fact that it's in the book description), the fact that Leesil was trained to kill the very thing that Magiere is...and then Chap, the magical elven dog, intervened with fate and brought them together? I just...have no words? For how this made me feel? I mean, they love each other, so that's just an added dimension to their dilemma. And then, on top of that, there was so much tension between those two, and not the good kind like we had in book two. Sometimes I actually wondered if they were going to be okay. If the authors were going to break them up just to hurt us. Mercifully, they didn't, but that's a big reason why I just HAD to keep reading, to make sure they WERE okay. I'm pretty sure I even looked at the synopses (with guarded eyes) of future books to see if they referred to them still being a couple, and was very careful to avoid spoilers in the process. And Chap, of course, saves the day. Because why wouldn't? He's a magical elven dog, for god's sake. I love him. And yet, their fate is still uncertain.
Then we have the setting. Assassin elves? Count me IN. Even though they're all assholes to Leesil and Magiere, because they're protective of their lands and don't want any outsiders, least of all Magiere, of all people, to intrude. But man, the elven culture is rich. The Hendee's definitely know how to create a world and make their elves stand apart from everyone else's, even when certain common tropes are used. But I mean, you can't write a book that involves assassin elves and expect me NOT to love it. So that was kind of a given. Bonus stars for that.
Wasn't Magiere on trial in this one? I feel like she was, and Leesil had to do everything he could in his power to make sure she got out of that okay, because the verdict was uncertain at best. I had no idea what was going to happen. If there was going to be some kind of uprising, with Magiere slashing throats, or something more peaceable... But I was not disappointed. Also, the JEALOUSY. I'm pretty sure Magiere was worried that Leesil was falling for someone else? Another elf. And that hurt. It hurt her AND it hurt me. Of course, Leesil was doing no such thing. But this book knew how to hit me in all the right places, and I don't know if that's a good thing. Even though I enjoyed the hell out of this book, so I suppose it was.
But ouch. This one hurt. This one hurt so much. 10/10 would do it again.
Oh. And we get to see Leesil's mom. She's a bitch.
julieabe89's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book develops Leesil's backstory even more. Now we know why he was born and it may drive a wedge between he and Magiere as they are built to oppose one another. I can't wait to read the 6th and final novel in this segment of the Noble Dead Saga!!!
vittorioseg's review against another edition
1.0
I dislike this book because the characters are outstanding stupid. No other word. Stupid. They are in a xenophobic kingdom, surrounded by an expert assassin, many who equal or outclass Leesil and are trained to kill the undead for decades. Yet both of them continuously reprimand, demand, threat, and act so suicidal that it's only for the plot that they are not killed.
Yes, they should be angry, they should be distrustful; yes they must rebel. But telling the comparison of an insane warlord, the elf version of Darmouth in his fortress that he can go fuck himself is just... why? How do they think they can threaten the elves to let them leave with their prisoner or they would die when a fraction of them nearly killed them as it happened during the reunion? Where does the bravado come? How do they expect to force an entire nation, who hates them deeply, into an enchanted forest, when they are outgunned, unmanned, and out planned?
It was just so exasperating seeing them act with such temper tantrums and expect them to be heard. I guess they both are insane from grief and/or life, but it's so exasperating that I honestly just continued reading because I wanted to get to the next novel.
Yes, they should be angry, they should be distrustful; yes they must rebel. But telling the comparison of an insane warlord, the elf version of Darmouth in his fortress that he can go fuck himself is just... why? How do they think they can threaten the elves to let them leave with their prisoner or they would die when a fraction of them nearly killed them as it happened during the reunion? Where does the bravado come? How do they expect to force an entire nation, who hates them deeply, into an enchanted forest, when they are outgunned, unmanned, and out planned?
It was just so exasperating seeing them act with such temper tantrums and expect them to be heard. I guess they both are insane from grief and/or life, but it's so exasperating that I honestly just continued reading because I wanted to get to the next novel.
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