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emilyredwood 's review for:
Red Tempest Brother
by H.M. Long
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I am so sad this series is over and for the most part, I found this to be a worthy conclusion. The world remains an endlessly fascinating, deeply layered place to be immersed in, and seeing the way all the various plots play out within it was exciting and (mostly) satisfying. I do wish I had reread book two before diving in (I had only revisited DWD) because I forgot how some key things had played out and there was very little recounting to cover everything. But the characters remain engaging and I especially loved seeing the return of some who were sorely missed in book two. Mary and Samuel in particular were so fun to read about and their various adventures and moments of peril and action had me gripped to the pages as ever. I hope the ending indicates that we may see more of them and their world in the future, because there is so much potential for more adventures for them and the rest of the cast.
I do have some qualms here, and most of them revolve around pacing. I found the end to be a little rushed and wished we had spent more time seeing how the various plot machinations played out and influenced the world. It all coalesces so quickly, including some things coming back from book two and being resolved within a matter of pages in the last few chapters, that I wish we'd spent more time savoring. In fact, many different plot threads from all three books wrap up in a short amount of time, some things with huge indications of consequences for the wider world, and they were breezed through a little too quickly. MINOR SPOILER: Additionally, Benedict's story here felt uneven, as he goes from being his anti-hero-bordering-on-villainous self for a good seventy percent of the book to kind of turning things around and then abruptly changes course right at the end in a way that again was not all that satisfying. I wanted more from him, to see him really reckon with his choices and how they affected Samuel and Mary, and it felt a bit glossed over and lacking in real closure. He could have experienced a lot more growth and reflection but his rehabilitation was somewhat shallow.
I also must report, after my ranting finishing Black Tide Son, I found another glaring editing issue with a bad line break and a clear error of Mary saying her own name as she's considering a scene during a Mary POV chapter. Better than the five obvious typos from book two at least, but it still took me out a little. Seriously Titan, hire a proofreader. I'm begging you.
Those things aside, I loved returning to this world. I'm so sad that this trilogy has concluded as it remains one of the best pieces of fantasy literature I have ever encountered. While Dark Water Daughter remains the series pinnacle, I am so glad we got to have one more exciting, tense, and immersive high seas adventure with a wonderful cast. I'll certainly be revisiting this series for years to come and hoping one day we'll get a return to the Winter Sea in some form.
I do have some qualms here, and most of them revolve around pacing. I found the end to be a little rushed and wished we had spent more time seeing how the various plot machinations played out and influenced the world. It all coalesces so quickly, including some things coming back from book two and being resolved within a matter of pages in the last few chapters, that I wish we'd spent more time savoring. In fact, many different plot threads from all three books wrap up in a short amount of time, some things with huge indications of consequences for the wider world, and they were breezed through a little too quickly. MINOR SPOILER: Additionally, Benedict's story here felt uneven, as he goes from being his anti-hero-bordering-on-villainous self for a good seventy percent of the book to kind of turning things around and then abruptly changes course right at the end in a way that again was not all that satisfying. I wanted more from him, to see him really reckon with his choices and how they affected Samuel and Mary, and it felt a bit glossed over and lacking in real closure. He could have experienced a lot more growth and reflection but his rehabilitation was somewhat shallow.
I also must report, after my ranting finishing Black Tide Son, I found another glaring editing issue with a bad line break and a clear error of Mary saying her own name as she's considering a scene during a Mary POV chapter. Better than the five obvious typos from book two at least, but it still took me out a little. Seriously Titan, hire a proofreader. I'm begging you.
Those things aside, I loved returning to this world. I'm so sad that this trilogy has concluded as it remains one of the best pieces of fantasy literature I have ever encountered. While Dark Water Daughter remains the series pinnacle, I am so glad we got to have one more exciting, tense, and immersive high seas adventure with a wonderful cast. I'll certainly be revisiting this series for years to come and hoping one day we'll get a return to the Winter Sea in some form.