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hkraftcheck's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
heabooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
I was really excited to learn more about Leesil in TRAITOR TO THE BLOOD and while I enjoyed the development of his history, I didn't like this one as much as the first books. A lot of that stems from the repetition of events that we've seen in each of the previous books. Magiere and Leesil are still working to uncover their pasts, Wynn is still butting heads with Magiere (though they're better in this one), Welstiel and Chane are still quietly following behind the group, manipulating actions, and Magiere is once again called on to kill a vampire ravaging the city.
Outside of that I did enjoy a more steady Magiere as she works to remain the rock for Leesil's troubled mind and emotions. Being back in the Warlands is really taking a toll on Leesil as he's forced to confront his past as a Warlord's assassin. He's also filled with guilt over running away as a teenager when he knew that it was essentially signing his parent's death warrant. As his mental state deteriorates, Magiere is there to try to offer comfort and understand the parts of Leesil that she's never really known.
I'm curious to see how this series continues but I'm hesitant over the obvious increase in Wynn's role as a lead character and the possible development between her and Chane. I'm not really invested in either of these characters, and in Chane's case, I actively dislike him, so we'll see how things go.
Outside of that I did enjoy a more steady Magiere as she works to remain the rock for Leesil's troubled mind and emotions. Being back in the Warlands is really taking a toll on Leesil as he's forced to confront his past as a Warlord's assassin. He's also filled with guilt over running away as a teenager when he knew that it was essentially signing his parent's death warrant. As his mental state deteriorates, Magiere is there to try to offer comfort and understand the parts of Leesil that she's never really known.
I'm curious to see how this series continues but I'm hesitant over the obvious increase in Wynn's role as a lead character and the possible development between her and Chane. I'm not really invested in either of these characters, and in Chane's case, I actively dislike him, so we'll see how things go.
mamap's review against another edition
3.0
book 4 ... this is where magiere and leesil travel to lord darmouth's .. the guy lessil's parents used to kill for to find information ... some intrigue, drags a little
newfylady's review against another edition
4.0
I am completely hooked on this series. I've just picked up the last 2 books. I'm sad to know it'll end but I'm glad to see there is a second series out there
elaeagnifolium's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
lisareadsthings's review against another edition
3.0
Like the first three in the series it's entertaining. But it's not particularly well written or full of surprises.
puppy_eyes's review against another edition
2.0
I've been looking forward to getting to Leesil's past, but this one kind of dragged out. The elves are all about secrecy and deception, and most of the side characters are using the same tactics to walk on eggshells because they're all under the oppression of Lord Darmouth.
The past ones seemed like a stop-through on the journey, it answered questions about where they were headed. This one is more like a whole diversion, and Leesil kind of angsts around the whole time. It put Magiere and Wynn in the backseat, and I'm getting tired of Chane and Westiel just following them around and reminding us about it.
The twist revealed at the end was nice, and it's easy to feel genuine pain for what Leesil feels. But that whole second half of the book ended up being unnecessary, because what happened should have been what happened from the start, anyway.
There wasn't a legit hunt in this one. :/ Though it helped to con them into getting in, that ultimately didn't make a huge impact on the plot. Why would they risk being revealed to come up with that? I enjoyed it, but as a series that was so used to action-driven plots, the slow pace of this one was strange. But it was to explain Leesil's past, so I understand it.
Still a fun book, just some things were wrapped up too quickly. Like
Onto the next one!!
The past ones seemed like a stop-through on the journey, it answered questions about where they were headed. This one is more like a whole diversion, and Leesil kind of angsts around the whole time. It put Magiere and Wynn in the backseat, and I'm getting tired of Chane and Westiel just following them around and reminding us about it.
The twist revealed at the end was nice, and it's easy to feel genuine pain for what Leesil feels. But that whole second half of the book ended up being unnecessary, because what happened should have been what happened from the start, anyway.
There wasn't a legit hunt in this one. :/ Though it helped to con them into getting in, that ultimately didn't make a huge impact on the plot. Why would they risk being revealed to come up with that? I enjoyed it, but as a series that was so used to action-driven plots, the slow pace of this one was strange. But it was to explain Leesil's past, so I understand it.
Still a fun book, just some things were wrapped up too quickly. Like
Spoiler
I thought Wynn revealing she'd been spying on Magiere would have a bigger impact, especially after the whole Chane drama. And Hedi was calmed way too quickly for someone who was obsessed with Leesil having killed her parents.Onto the next one!!
gotoboston's review against another edition
3.0
Edit: Years later and I still can't bring myself to read the rest of this series. Looking back at this series, I just remember growing so bored after the second book and my re-reading of the series last year didn't spark any interest to read beyond this book. So, I'm just going to call it quits. I have other series to tackle.
ghostlydreamer's review against another edition
5.0
Did I not say I'd be gushing about Leesil when I got around to reviewing this one? Because I'm absolutely going to.
Look, I don't know what it is about Leesil (actually, that's a lie - I totally do; long blond hair, tall, has a sense of humor while also not being afraid to kill someone), but I absolutely adore him. So when we finally get to learn more about this half-elf's mysterious past, I was floored with excitement. We'd just gotten Magiere's, so it was about time we worked more on Leesil. After all, while Magiere is technically the lead, Leesil is still a main character.
Its been ages since I read this, but I still remember quite a bit. Such as how fiercely protective Magiere was of Leesil, threatening to kill or maim anything that got between them. She was hellbent on protecting him, given the fact that they were entering territory where Leesil would not be welcome, and I loved that. They're so protective of one another. I also recall Leesil being a bit testier here. He's usually good-humored, but he can be sulky sometimes, and his mood dips a few times here. That caused a bit of tension between him and Magiere, and every time it did, I had to stop myself from groaning aloud. It definitely kept me reading, because I HAD to be sure that they were okay. And they were, fortunately.
Similarly to Sister of the Dead, this one does a good job of spreading Leesil's backstory throughout the book. We don't get an unnecessary info-dump. Again, we discover many things at the same time as Magiere, which puts us all on equal footing. Only Leesil knows a bit more than he's letting on. His upbringing intrigued me, and it made me desperate to learn more. Given this worlds history and culture surrounding elves and half-elves (despite their horribly difficult to pronounce names - and there's not even a pronunciation guide! that's my only complaint), and also given my own affinity towards elves...I simply couldn't rest until I finished this book. It took me two days, which was pretty average for me back then. And I was absorbed in every minute of it.
Additionally, we learn more about the world itself, the elves, and the mysteries still stalking Magiere. While my focus was mostly on Leesil's part of this, Magiere's was no less crucial, and certainly no less entertaining.
Easily five stars. Catch me NEVER rating a Noble Dead book less than five stars. I dare you.
Look, I don't know what it is about Leesil (actually, that's a lie - I totally do; long blond hair, tall, has a sense of humor while also not being afraid to kill someone), but I absolutely adore him. So when we finally get to learn more about this half-elf's mysterious past, I was floored with excitement. We'd just gotten Magiere's, so it was about time we worked more on Leesil. After all, while Magiere is technically the lead, Leesil is still a main character.
Its been ages since I read this, but I still remember quite a bit. Such as how fiercely protective Magiere was of Leesil, threatening to kill or maim anything that got between them. She was hellbent on protecting him, given the fact that they were entering territory where Leesil would not be welcome, and I loved that. They're so protective of one another. I also recall Leesil being a bit testier here. He's usually good-humored, but he can be sulky sometimes, and his mood dips a few times here. That caused a bit of tension between him and Magiere, and every time it did, I had to stop myself from groaning aloud. It definitely kept me reading, because I HAD to be sure that they were okay. And they were, fortunately.
Similarly to Sister of the Dead, this one does a good job of spreading Leesil's backstory throughout the book. We don't get an unnecessary info-dump. Again, we discover many things at the same time as Magiere, which puts us all on equal footing. Only Leesil knows a bit more than he's letting on. His upbringing intrigued me, and it made me desperate to learn more. Given this worlds history and culture surrounding elves and half-elves (despite their horribly difficult to pronounce names - and there's not even a pronunciation guide! that's my only complaint), and also given my own affinity towards elves...I simply couldn't rest until I finished this book. It took me two days, which was pretty average for me back then. And I was absorbed in every minute of it.
Additionally, we learn more about the world itself, the elves, and the mysteries still stalking Magiere. While my focus was mostly on Leesil's part of this, Magiere's was no less crucial, and certainly no less entertaining.
Easily five stars. Catch me NEVER rating a Noble Dead book less than five stars. I dare you.
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish