Scan barcode
A review by katybug25
The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear
5.0
This book was so good! The Lotus Kingdom was beautifully imagined. The religions, cultures, languages, and peoples were are so cool! The imagery of the physical world were descriptive and really set the scene. The magic and creatures in this world are interesting as well (wyrms, wizards, godmades, automatons (gages), beardogs, dragons (in myths), phoenixes, huge vultures, and tiger people. The pacing was nice (a lot of action).
I loved most of the characters. The friendship between the Gage and the Dead Man was entertaining. Their differences in opinions and world views was fun to read (I loved the bickering). The Gage is an automaton created by a wizard, who has outlived his creator and purpose. The Dead Man is one of the survivors of a caliphate’s downfall. The parallels between these two characters was interesting. I loved the philosophy that came up in their conversations. The character Nizhvashiti was intriguing and mischievous. They were also a Godmade, which was a cool concept (it mirrored the Gage being wizard made). Sayeh was one of my favorites. She is a regent ruler, and a strong character. I hope to see more of her in the sequel.
The part I didn’t really like was the hurried romance between Mrithuri and the Dead Man, or the Gage and Chaeri. I know that the author most likely added the relationships as an incentive for the Dead Man and the Gage to stay. Maybe their relationships will grow in the sequel. I did not think the Dead Man’s instant dedication and care for Mrithuri was reasonable, but maybe other people do that? I also felt that Chaeri’s attraction to the Gage was pretty sudden. (Is she a spy? I feel like something is up with her).
I rounded up my rating to 5 stars, but I would really give it 4.5 (the weird sudden romance detracted the rating a little bit). This book was really good, and I am looking forward to reading its sequel The Red Stained Wings.
I loved most of the characters. The friendship between the Gage and the Dead Man was entertaining. Their differences in opinions and world views was fun to read (I loved the bickering). The Gage is an automaton created by a wizard, who has outlived his creator and purpose. The Dead Man is one of the survivors of a caliphate’s downfall. The parallels between these two characters was interesting. I loved the philosophy that came up in their conversations. The character Nizhvashiti was intriguing and mischievous. They were also a Godmade, which was a cool concept (it mirrored the Gage being wizard made). Sayeh was one of my favorites. She is a regent ruler, and a strong character. I hope to see more of her in the sequel.
The part I didn’t really like was the hurried romance between Mrithuri and the Dead Man, or the Gage and Chaeri. I know that the author most likely added the relationships as an incentive for the Dead Man and the Gage to stay. Maybe their relationships will grow in the sequel. I did not think the Dead Man’s instant dedication and care for Mrithuri was reasonable, but maybe other people do that? I also felt that Chaeri’s attraction to the Gage was pretty sudden. (Is she a spy? I feel like something is up with her).
I rounded up my rating to 5 stars, but I would really give it 4.5 (the weird sudden romance detracted the rating a little bit). This book was really good, and I am looking forward to reading its sequel The Red Stained Wings.