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A review by emmacatereads
Cry of Metal & Bone by L. Penelope
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cry of Metal and Bone was a fun expansion of a world I have come to enjoy, but it felt somewhat less robust in comparison to Song of Blood and Stone. I feel like some of my experience was affected by my inability to read the second book before reading the third. but due the structure of the series and ample explanation I was able to understand fully what was happening and was not lost.
My favorite storyline was once again Ella and Benn's--I enjoyed Ella's investigations into the Hand of the Reaper and their experience of creating a nontraditional family amidst the tensions in Elsria. Plus, their adopted daughters were super cute. Kyara and her story were my second favorite, and I enjoyed her friendship with Jasminda's family. However, I felt Darvyn's character, as well as Tai's to some extent, were bogged down by the focus on their relationship with their significant others as opposed to actual character development. Lizvette's redemption was interesting but once again I felt she was cheated by how much of her storyline was taken up by her enemies-to-lovers romance with Tai. Two of my favorite characters were actually Vanesse and Clove--their relationship was adorable and I could have read a whole book about them and Clove's escapades as a pilot in the race.
Overall I thought the novel was a solid follow-up, though I was more excited by the world-budiling than the characters. I could have used a little more focus on individual development as opposed to relationships, but it didn't detract too strongly from my experience.
Cry of Metal and Bone was a fun expansion of a world I have come to enjoy, but it felt somewhat less robust in comparison to Song of Blood and Stone. I feel like some of my experience was affected by my inability to read the second book before reading the third. but due the structure of the series and ample explanation I was able to understand fully what was happening and was not lost.
My favorite storyline was once again Ella and Benn's--I enjoyed Ella's investigations into the Hand of the Reaper and their experience of creating a nontraditional family amidst the tensions in Elsria. Plus, their adopted daughters were super cute. Kyara and her story were my second favorite, and I enjoyed her friendship with Jasminda's family. However, I felt Darvyn's character, as well as Tai's to some extent, were bogged down by the focus on their relationship with their significant others as opposed to actual character development. Lizvette's redemption was interesting but once again I felt she was cheated by how much of her storyline was taken up by her enemies-to-lovers romance with Tai. Two of my favorite characters were actually Vanesse and Clove--their relationship was adorable and I could have read a whole book about them and Clove's escapades as a pilot in the race.
Overall I thought the novel was a solid follow-up, though I was more excited by the world-budiling than the characters. I could have used a little more focus on individual development as opposed to relationships, but it didn't detract too strongly from my experience.