You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
claire 's review for:
Bonds of Brass
by Emily Skrutskie
i went into this not expecting much but holy shit did this blow me away. i've had three days to think about what exactly to write in this review, and i still haven't figured it out. this is the best articulation of the screaming thoughts in my head that go "[WEN] [ETTIAN] [GAL]!!!!!!!"
first, this book never left me wanting. the pacing was great and the storyline never let you get complacent. as soon as you thought you knew what was going on, emily skrutskie inserts a plot-line that changes the whole game. i'm usually wary of first-person POVs but the way this book was written was great (because ettian is the best character and it's just fun to be in his mind). for the plot alone, this book is commendable but, much like the way the story progresses, there's a lot more to this book that makes it such a good read.
...which leads me to the characters and their relationships. i genuinely loved every single one of the characters that was introduced. they're all complex and the way they bond with each other is something so fun to read.
under a cut because i talked waaaaay too much about them....also spoilers ahead
i'm an ettian supremacist first, human second. he is a GREAT character. ettian is someone who’s compassionate and willing to protect those in his care within an inch of his life. he’s strategic, talented, intelligent, and adaptive. he's fiercely loyal, conflicted between his past and present. i'm so excited for ettian's journey in the second book as ettian emp-archon. he has the advantage of birthright and sympathy from his people, but he has to back that up. we've seen glimpses of his leadership skills and i'm particularly interested in the way he grows in his role as the emperor of a people he's originally abandoned. let his sacrifice be bigger than gal's life and explore the ways he reconnects with a culture and past that he's long buried.
gal was Too Much. he's clearly meant to be the more charismatic and likable one, but the book delves into a more serious and haunted version of him. the book isn't afraid of showing his uglier side as the umber heir. i think portraying relationships between the colonizer and the colonized is always iffy to me but there's no attempt to sugarcoat how complicit gal is in the flawed system. yes, he's not a bad guy--he's been indoctrinated to believe that umber has saved people--but he's not a radical either. gal genuinely believes that he can make a difference but is equally firm in his belief that it's something he can do as the umber heir. gal has a lot of growing to do and considering that this book isn't from his perspective, i know his mind is swirling with millions of thoughts about his situation.
WEN IS AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE. the moment she was introduced, i knew i immediately loved her. she's feral, smart, and fearless. she shares so many traits with ettian, which is why i think their friendship is made so much more special. wen was the breath of fresh air that i didn't know i needed in bonds of brass. wen had me laughing with her antics but her observant nature, past, and intelligence had me loving her with all my heart. it's easy to paint her as the comic relief but she's multi-faceted and vital to the story and ettian's development.
gal and ettian....whew......i loved their banter and how early on they acknowledged their feelings for each other. their will they, won't they? had me dyinggggg. what kills me about their relationship now is the complete and utter change in power dynamics. a relationship previously founded on trust is now upended, which complicates the whole thing. i'm not sure how they move forward from the betrayals, but i know that they genuinely love each other. ettian revealing himself was borne out of a need to protect gal (at least he hasn't lied about how he'll always be on gal's side. just that it's a different story now) along with coming to terms with his past. ettian's internal struggle with his past or his future and the fact that he would have to choose is perfectly encapsulated in his relationship with gal. the ending of bonds of brass really changed the game for them.
[deep breath] wen and ettian. they've joined my best friendships hall of fame. the way they went from reluctant allies to "i would kill or die for you. that is a fact" was so wonderful to see. i loved the way they mirror each other but are still so different. they're integral to each other's development--ettian is able to understand himself more as he learns more about wen's past and wen finds a way to fight through him. their belief in each other's capabilities warms my heart. ettian is fully confident he can find a way to make her useful for the archon resistance, and wen is so completely supportive of ettian. wen and ettian's friendship was my favorite part of the book because of how they've opened up to each other and let themselves move forward to healing. ettian starting off confused and guilty for having traded his archon past to survive and then meeting wen who manages to survive precisely because she nurses anger and ideas of revenge? perfect. her presence allows ettian to get to a point where he's willing enough to reveal he's emp-archon. ettian offers wen a chance to reclaim what is hers and in the process learning what it means to have friends and a family. [sigh] i just love them.
overall, this review was basically me rambling about how much i love these characters and the way they interact with each other. this is one of my favorite books of this year despite some of the twists and turns being somewhat predictable. the way the story unfolded was a thing of beauty. highly, highly recommend this.
first, this book never left me wanting. the pacing was great and the storyline never let you get complacent. as soon as you thought you knew what was going on, emily skrutskie inserts a plot-line that changes the whole game. i'm usually wary of first-person POVs but the way this book was written was great (because ettian is the best character and it's just fun to be in his mind). for the plot alone, this book is commendable but, much like the way the story progresses, there's a lot more to this book that makes it such a good read.
...which leads me to the characters and their relationships. i genuinely loved every single one of the characters that was introduced. they're all complex and the way they bond with each other is something so fun to read.
under a cut because i talked waaaaay too much about them....also spoilers ahead
Spoiler
i'm an ettian supremacist first, human second. he is a GREAT character. ettian is someone who’s compassionate and willing to protect those in his care within an inch of his life. he’s strategic, talented, intelligent, and adaptive. he's fiercely loyal, conflicted between his past and present. i'm so excited for ettian's journey in the second book as ettian emp-archon. he has the advantage of birthright and sympathy from his people, but he has to back that up. we've seen glimpses of his leadership skills and i'm particularly interested in the way he grows in his role as the emperor of a people he's originally abandoned. let his sacrifice be bigger than gal's life and explore the ways he reconnects with a culture and past that he's long buried.
gal was Too Much. he's clearly meant to be the more charismatic and likable one, but the book delves into a more serious and haunted version of him. the book isn't afraid of showing his uglier side as the umber heir. i think portraying relationships between the colonizer and the colonized is always iffy to me but there's no attempt to sugarcoat how complicit gal is in the flawed system. yes, he's not a bad guy--he's been indoctrinated to believe that umber has saved people--but he's not a radical either. gal genuinely believes that he can make a difference but is equally firm in his belief that it's something he can do as the umber heir. gal has a lot of growing to do and considering that this book isn't from his perspective, i know his mind is swirling with millions of thoughts about his situation.
WEN IS AN ABSOLUTE TREASURE. the moment she was introduced, i knew i immediately loved her. she's feral, smart, and fearless. she shares so many traits with ettian, which is why i think their friendship is made so much more special. wen was the breath of fresh air that i didn't know i needed in bonds of brass. wen had me laughing with her antics but her observant nature, past, and intelligence had me loving her with all my heart. it's easy to paint her as the comic relief but she's multi-faceted and vital to the story and ettian's development.
gal and ettian....whew......i loved their banter and how early on they acknowledged their feelings for each other. their will they, won't they? had me dyinggggg. what kills me about their relationship now is the complete and utter change in power dynamics. a relationship previously founded on trust is now upended, which complicates the whole thing. i'm not sure how they move forward from the betrayals, but i know that they genuinely love each other. ettian revealing himself was borne out of a need to protect gal (at least he hasn't lied about how he'll always be on gal's side. just that it's a different story now) along with coming to terms with his past. ettian's internal struggle with his past or his future and the fact that he would have to choose is perfectly encapsulated in his relationship with gal. the ending of bonds of brass really changed the game for them.
[deep breath] wen and ettian. they've joined my best friendships hall of fame. the way they went from reluctant allies to "i would kill or die for you. that is a fact" was so wonderful to see. i loved the way they mirror each other but are still so different. they're integral to each other's development--ettian is able to understand himself more as he learns more about wen's past and wen finds a way to fight through him. their belief in each other's capabilities warms my heart. ettian is fully confident he can find a way to make her useful for the archon resistance, and wen is so completely supportive of ettian. wen and ettian's friendship was my favorite part of the book because of how they've opened up to each other and let themselves move forward to healing. ettian starting off confused and guilty for having traded his archon past to survive and then meeting wen who manages to survive precisely because she nurses anger and ideas of revenge? perfect. her presence allows ettian to get to a point where he's willing enough to reveal he's emp-archon. ettian offers wen a chance to reclaim what is hers and in the process learning what it means to have friends and a family. [sigh] i just love them.
overall, this review was basically me rambling about how much i love these characters and the way they interact with each other. this is one of my favorite books of this year despite some of the twists and turns being somewhat predictable. the way the story unfolded was a thing of beauty. highly, highly recommend this.