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A review by henrymarlene
The House of Sundering Flames by Aliette de Bodard
4.0
The great magic houses of Paris have just been torn apart. And once again I enter a fabulous story without reading the previous books! What a fascinating read: magic and lives torn apart, alliances tested, power growing all things mysterious and scary.
I will try to not give away spoilers here: I was so taken by Thuan, the Dragon head of House Hawthorn, and the descriptions of his scaly body and magical aura. It took a lot of concentration to stay focused in the middle of characters protecting each other, and trying to understand how everything was being ripped apart and by whom. I really, really should have read the first two books; I kicked myself as each relationship was tested in 'The House of Sundering Flames' as I just didn't know enough of their back story, but dearly wanted to! It was also emotional to read how far some of the characters were pushed to their limits, not protected, and in some ways sacrificed for the story.
The magic in this book was exceptional. The fact that so many were having to learn about how to use the khi elements (of which I was enthralled by) was a stroke of genius by #aliettedebodard. I loved the Vietnamese and French influences throughout the magic, the culture, the names and the magical houses. I wondered about how deliberate the author was in describing the conflicts between the Houses and, as the themes akin to the involvement of the French in Vietnamese culture. What a surprising book!
I will try to not give away spoilers here: I was so taken by Thuan, the Dragon head of House Hawthorn, and the descriptions of his scaly body and magical aura. It took a lot of concentration to stay focused in the middle of characters protecting each other, and trying to understand how everything was being ripped apart and by whom. I really, really should have read the first two books; I kicked myself as each relationship was tested in 'The House of Sundering Flames' as I just didn't know enough of their back story, but dearly wanted to! It was also emotional to read how far some of the characters were pushed to their limits, not protected, and in some ways sacrificed for the story.
The magic in this book was exceptional. The fact that so many were having to learn about how to use the khi elements (of which I was enthralled by) was a stroke of genius by #aliettedebodard. I loved the Vietnamese and French influences throughout the magic, the culture, the names and the magical houses. I wondered about how deliberate the author was in describing the conflicts between the Houses and, as the themes akin to the involvement of the French in Vietnamese culture. What a surprising book!