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maryconnors6's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
I loved this book and I loved this series. It was executed so well and there were so many impactful callbacks to the colonization and destruction of the "new world". It read like literary fantasy and brought so many interesting conversations to the table. It was such a fun series to read and I would recommend!
Age Considerations: 18+, violence, a very bizarre and (modern?) relationship
My favorite part of the series was the eerie atmosphere and the analogy of the plague people to the European colonizer. The true people were synonymous with indigenous people and their animal spirits represented the indigenous ties to nature and land. Also, for a hot minute I was convinced the plague people were robots. RIP that theory. There was a passage that I loved so much because I was seeing the plague people's weapons through the eyes of the true people that I didn't even realize they were referring to a gun. "They had long rods for weapons... she saw a handful of them lift and point there rods and-- snap-- a half-dozen horse were tumbling, rearing, dying..."
I also loved Shyri's storyline and she so deserved better! I loved the passage where she decided to disobey Effey: " Each time she bowed to Effey, she gave up more of the hyena into the woman's keeping: each time her god became more Effey' god, defined as she wished."
I loved this book and I loved this series. It was executed so well and there were so many impactful callbacks to the colonization and destruction of the "new world". It read like literary fantasy and brought so many interesting conversations to the table. It was such a fun series to read and I would recommend!
Age Considerations: 18+, violence, a very bizarre and (modern?) relationship
Spoiler
I wanted to give this book 5 stars but Asman's storyline really pulled me out-- he didn't really play a pivotal role in the over arching scheme of things and his choices-- and lack thereof were frustrating. He was also in love with EVERYONE, which was super weird. Along those lines, Venat's character also became less defined, and he changed so much, even from the second book, that considering he was hardly in the third, it didn't make sense. Also, what was up with him and Venat? The Loud Thunder relationship was also strange. The romantic relationships were not were it was at in this series. That came out of nowhere! The ending was also little rushed and a bit too mystical, but I still thought it was a solid wrap up.My favorite part of the series was the eerie atmosphere and the analogy of the plague people to the European colonizer. The true people were synonymous with indigenous people and their animal spirits represented the indigenous ties to nature and land. Also, for a hot minute I was convinced the plague people were robots. RIP that theory. There was a passage that I loved so much because I was seeing the plague people's weapons through the eyes of the true people that I didn't even realize they were referring to a gun. "They had long rods for weapons... she saw a handful of them lift and point there rods and-- snap-- a half-dozen horse were tumbling, rearing, dying..."
I also loved Shyri's storyline and she so deserved better! I loved the passage where she decided to disobey Effey: " Each time she bowed to Effey, she gave up more of the hyena into the woman's keeping: each time her god became more Effey' god, defined as she wished."
gregg's review against another edition
3.0
Yes I liked but wanted to like it even though it was not as satisfying to read as some of other books. The Tiger and The Wolf was the best of this series. Never made it clear for me who the Plague People were and were they the Wasps from the APT series. I thought this was a whole other world from that one but left thinking maybe it is not. Now I suppose it leaves room to continue in this same world somewhere in the future if he writes anymore in this story.
littleshelfofkate's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed by the end of this book and series.
Throughout this book there was a big build of tension, to the point where I had to put the book down for several minutes after certain chapters. And I feel like nothing was done with that, there was all this building for nothing. Just disappointing.
Throughout this book there was a big build of tension, to the point where I had to put the book down for several minutes after certain chapters. And I feel like nothing was done with that, there was all this building for nothing. Just disappointing.
kirstycreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bricin's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars for world building. I absolutely love that characters can Step into their animal totems. There is no real discussion about the mechanics of this which is refreshing; sometimes magic is just magic. The parallels between colonizers (e.g. Pilgrims and Native Americans) are intriguing, there is enough language to relate the River People to history along the Nile as well. All wonderful.
There are also some wonderful characters. Loud Thunder is complex and well written as are many others. But in the end... it just doesn't quite hold up. Why are the Plague People that way? We get hints about this but in the end, no, we don't know and are left hanging.
I saw one reader ask if this is a similar world alongside Shadows of the Apt. *That* would be intriguing and would make some sense.
There are also some wonderful characters. Loud Thunder is complex and well written as are many others. But in the end... it just doesn't quite hold up. Why are the Plague People that way? We get hints about this but in the end, no, we don't know and are left hanging.
I saw one reader ask if this is a similar world alongside Shadows of the Apt. *That* would be intriguing and would make some sense.
schneefink's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 The grand finale! And it was. Several of my favorite characters survived who I didn't think would, that was a very nice surprise, and yet it (barely) felt like they had plot armor. Several times I thought I knew where the story was going and then something unexpected happened, that was also nice. The villains were great.
The only reason I don't give this 5 stars was because this is basically a book about fighting colonizers, which is impossible to do without real-world parallels, and some of them made me uncomfortable, like the colonizers thinking the natives are literal animals and then actually turning them into mindless beasts. I generally liked how it was resolved, but I'll have to think on it a bit more.
The only reason I don't give this 5 stars was because this is basically a book about fighting colonizers, which is impossible to do without real-world parallels, and some of them made me uncomfortable, like the colonizers thinking the natives are literal animals and then actually turning them into mindless beasts. I generally liked how it was resolved, but I'll have to think on it a bit more.
noreen's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.5
luanam's review against another edition
5.0
**Edited**
This was such a welcome return to form and an utterly satisfying conclusion to the Echoes of the Fall trilogy. I went into it with fingers crossed after the second novel fell a bit flat with me, it was still good but did not have the vigour, excitement and emotional pull of the first, as a result I was slightly worried when I went into 'Hyena and Hawk'. I needn't have been. It was riveting right from the beginning and both the action and emotional investment was maintained right to the end. The ending was also a fantastic wee twist - not the straightforward battle resolution that I was expecting and much better for it.
There are major story lines that keep things moving forward, such as the build up towards the many confrontations, small and greater, between the tribes of Tchaikovky's world and the invading 'hollow' plague people, who demonstrate a certain unstoppable sweeping wave of destruction both targeted and more horrifyingly, casual and indiscriminate, because the tribes are not recognised as people by the invaders, while the encounters are well spaced keeping tensions tight. And tensions were pretty tight throughout this book as for the most part the author did a very good job of making the Plague People into a truly overwhelming foe. Fortunately, there were just enough moments of optimism or space for characters to connect to relieve the building sense of foreboding...before you are then thrown back into the next point of adventure.
At the same time the book also has a number of more side stories that end up entwining with and enriching the main story line. I was particularly drawn to the way more minor characters from earlier books were given greater space for development, especially Kailovela, the Hawk Woman, who in book two we mainly got to know through other's lens. Here we get to see more of her own viewpoint and more of her gift. It is a double edged gift, one that caused everyone to welcome her, to like her, and as she had no way to control how it would impact on its target's psyche, beyond her control, to want her. Similarly, Shryi, the Laughing Girl of the Hyena tribe, also comes into her own in this book and as one of my favourite characters I was utterly happy.
One of the main character's turning points, is when she decides to stand up for herself, to question, is a compelling inception point for later events:
'Something kicked inside her then: the knowledge of how this would look to her new friends. Even to my own people surely? We were never like this. ..We tell ourselves we were wronged and it gives us the right to take our vengeance however we want , and on everyone.
Effey stopped laughing and skewered the child on her spear. Moments later the only sound was the Boar woman's keening cry of grief and loss.
....
....
There were words in Shryi's throat, word the Hyena would not have owned to. She wanted them to stop. But if she so much as spoke, they would hunt her along with the Boar. Effey was right about her. She was a poor daughter of the Hyena.
....
....Effey was curious....Or she had chosen to make an end to her captives in a way that would torment their souls instead of just their bodies.
Something twisted in Shryi that had been lodged in there a long time. To her surprise it felt like Hyena speaking to her after all. Not Save the innocents, but Take no more of this.
P163-4
I also thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of the Rat god cult in detail in this book 'a nasty little cult of despair and picked bones' p230. I may not fully agree with the representation of rats here as I quite like the furry little things but I do appreciate how sensationally effective their introduction was.
Through all of these strands 'Hyena and Hawk' offers not just and exciting tale of of a people in dire peril but thoughts to explore; how an aging society can isolate itself - sickening from within; the nature of dreams and the impact we have on them and vice versa; and questions of humanity and how one group will blind itself to another groups humanity to justify actions taken.
Edit: The spoilerific tale of how my too clever partner guessed the details of the ending - assisted by my very much opposite of a poker face.
Me: So babu how is the book I gave you going?
N: Oh, its going very good, the pace is much more brutal :) but hey they do win right? They do kick plague people butt? (Or general concerned words to this effect)
Me after checking that light spoilers were ok: Yeah, nah they win, in a sort of manner, not kicking butt as such but they win through. The plague people do not come out of this happy conquerors.
N:....
N: ...
N:....Dooo.. the plague people get their souls?
Me at this point naively unaware things were going to get even worse: *splutter* What? Um? How the hell did you guess?
N:...So what sort of animal do they turn into?
Me very indignantly: I am not telling you!
N: Is it a spider? .... Me (both gloaty and cautious): NooOOo
N: Insects?
Me: *fumes* yes
N: Who gets it for them? Is it Maniye Many Tracks??
Me:....
N: Does she ask the gods?
Me defeated: Yes, yes. yes you have guessed the whole thing, goddammit, the thing that took me surprise all guessed. But you are still reading the book!! It is too good and the details - the pleasure is in the details. You have all the big bits but not all the little bits and those you have to read!
N finally: .....
This was such a welcome return to form and an utterly satisfying conclusion to the Echoes of the Fall trilogy. I went into it with fingers crossed after the second novel fell a bit flat with me, it was still good but did not have the vigour, excitement and emotional pull of the first, as a result I was slightly worried when I went into 'Hyena and Hawk'. I needn't have been. It was riveting right from the beginning and both the action and emotional investment was maintained right to the end. The ending was also a fantastic wee twist - not the straightforward battle resolution that I was expecting and much better for it.
There are major story lines that keep things moving forward, such as the build up towards the many confrontations, small and greater, between the tribes of Tchaikovky's world and the invading 'hollow' plague people, who demonstrate a certain unstoppable sweeping wave of destruction both targeted and more horrifyingly, casual and indiscriminate, because the tribes are not recognised as people by the invaders, while the encounters are well spaced keeping tensions tight. And tensions were pretty tight throughout this book as for the most part the author did a very good job of making the Plague People into a truly overwhelming foe. Fortunately, there were just enough moments of optimism or space for characters to connect to relieve the building sense of foreboding...before you are then thrown back into the next point of adventure.
At the same time the book also has a number of more side stories that end up entwining with and enriching the main story line. I was particularly drawn to the way more minor characters from earlier books were given greater space for development, especially Kailovela, the Hawk Woman, who in book two we mainly got to know through other's lens. Here we get to see more of her own viewpoint and more of her gift. It is a double edged gift, one that caused everyone to welcome her, to like her, and as she had no way to control how it would impact on its target's psyche, beyond her control, to want her. Similarly, Shryi, the Laughing Girl of the Hyena tribe, also comes into her own in this book and as one of my favourite characters I was utterly happy.
'Something kicked inside her then: the knowledge of how this would look to her new friends. Even to my own people surely? We were never like this. ..We tell ourselves we were wronged and it gives us the right to take our vengeance however we want , and on everyone.
Effey stopped laughing and skewered the child on her spear. Moments later the only sound was the Boar woman's keening cry of grief and loss.
....
....
There were words in Shryi's throat, word the Hyena would not have owned to. She wanted them to stop. But if she so much as spoke, they would hunt her along with the Boar. Effey was right about her. She was a poor daughter of the Hyena.
....
....Effey was curious....Or she had chosen to make an end to her captives in a way that would torment their souls instead of just their bodies.
Something twisted in Shryi that had been lodged in there a long time. To her surprise it felt like Hyena speaking to her after all. Not Save the innocents, but Take no more of this.
P163-4
I also thoroughly enjoyed the introduction of the Rat god cult in detail in this book 'a nasty little cult of despair and picked bones' p230. I may not fully agree with the representation of rats here as I quite like the furry little things but I do appreciate how sensationally effective their introduction was.
Through all of these strands 'Hyena and Hawk' offers not just and exciting tale of of a people in dire peril but thoughts to explore; how an aging society can isolate itself - sickening from within; the nature of dreams and the impact we have on them and vice versa; and questions of humanity and how one group will blind itself to another groups humanity to justify actions taken.
Edit: The spoilerific tale of how my too clever partner guessed the details of the ending - assisted by my very much opposite of a poker face.
Me: So babu how is the book I gave you going?
N: Oh, its going very good, the pace is much more brutal :) but hey they do win right? They do kick plague people butt? (Or general concerned words to this effect)
Me after checking that light spoilers were ok: Yeah, nah they win, in a sort of manner, not kicking butt as such but they win through. The plague people do not come out of this happy conquerors.
N:....
N: ...
N:....Dooo.. the plague people get their souls?
Me at this point naively unaware things were going to get even worse: *splutter* What? Um? How the hell did you guess?
N:...So what sort of animal do they turn into?
Me very indignantly: I am not telling you!
N: Is it a spider? .... Me (both gloaty and cautious): NooOOo
N: Insects?
Me: *fumes* yes
N: Who gets it for them? Is it Maniye Many Tracks??
Me:....
N: Does she ask the gods?
Me defeated: Yes, yes. yes you have guessed the whole thing, goddammit, the thing that took me surprise all guessed. But you are still reading the book!! It is too good and the details - the pleasure is in the details. You have all the big bits but not all the little bits and those you have to read!
N finally: .....
gotossmycausticsalad's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0