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grassangel 's review for:
Shadow Scale
by Rachel Hartman
I started this series/world rather back-to-front and inside-out, starting with [b:Tess of the Road|35046472|Tess of the Road (Tess of the Road, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503599285l/35046472._SY75_.jpg|53793345] before doubling back to start with [b:Seraphina|19549841|Seraphina (Seraphina, #1)|Rachel Hartman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387577872l/19549841._SY75_.jpg|17375239] and continuing to this book.
From TotR I wanted a few things from these earlier books: a better look and insight into ityasaari - their powers and personalities, how they approached being a bridge between two species, how the old saints and the new were connected; and how the happy royal threesome worked things out between them so they could be happy.
Finishing this book however, while the series has beautifully answered all that I wanted to know about the ityasaari - and introduced me to several I would dearly love to know more about their futures (Abdo and how his reconciliation goes with his mother and the temple, Ingar and Camba and their very sweet relationship) - it was less successful on delivering a satisfying resolution on the royal threesome. Though I will say Griselda's pining for Seraphina was obvious even in the first book.
Don't get me wrong, it's still nice to have a love triangle solved via non-monogamy, but it would've been nice to read the characters work it out for themselves. All I wanted was Seraphina to get what Comonot was talking about when he was talking about if Eskar would consider him as a partner (which implies dragons have a very open view on relationships) and apply that bit of dragon logic to her own situation.
Some other things I wish were explored more fully (or had answers in TotR): whether Orma's mind pearl is eventually found, if dragon's aren't restricted to their biological sex when manifesting a saarantrai (their lesser cousins quigutl change gender during various life stages and Imlann successfully fooled an entire court for over a decade). Also I'd just plain like to know more about human/dragon relationships - whether it's before, such as with the loving though secretive relationship between Claude and Linn, or after the revelation of the Saints and dismantling of the board of censors. Is there a little bit of a baby boom of sibling ityasaari afterwards with some dragons being a bit more curious about humans in that manner? (I can certainly see Comonot inadvertently finding himself being a father to one.) What about the prejudices that dragon/human couples face? Their potential children may well be revered as saints, but themselves? I doubt they'd be as highly revered.
So ultimately: satisfying plotwise, but not so much relationship wise nor has it fully explored the world it exists within.
From TotR I wanted a few things from these earlier books: a better look and insight into ityasaari - their powers and personalities, how they approached being a bridge between two species, how the old saints and the new were connected; and how the happy royal threesome worked things out between them so they could be happy.
Finishing this book however, while the series has beautifully answered all that I wanted to know about the ityasaari - and introduced me to several I would dearly love to know more about their futures (Abdo and how his reconciliation goes with his mother and the temple, Ingar and Camba and their very sweet relationship) - it was less successful on delivering a satisfying resolution on the royal threesome. Though I will say Griselda's pining for Seraphina was obvious even in the first book.
Don't get me wrong, it's still nice to have a love triangle solved via non-monogamy, but it would've been nice to read the characters work it out for themselves. All I wanted was Seraphina to get what Comonot was talking about when he was talking about if Eskar would consider him as a partner (which implies dragons have a very open view on relationships) and apply that bit of dragon logic to her own situation.
Some other things I wish were explored more fully (or had answers in TotR): whether Orma's mind pearl is eventually found, if dragon's aren't restricted to their biological sex when manifesting a saarantrai (their lesser cousins quigutl change gender during various life stages and Imlann successfully fooled an entire court for over a decade). Also I'd just plain like to know more about human/dragon relationships - whether it's before, such as with the loving though secretive relationship between Claude and Linn, or after the revelation of the Saints and dismantling of the board of censors. Is there a little bit of a baby boom of sibling ityasaari afterwards with some dragons being a bit more curious about humans in that manner? (I can certainly see Comonot inadvertently finding himself being a father to one.) What about the prejudices that dragon/human couples face? Their potential children may well be revered as saints, but themselves? I doubt they'd be as highly revered.
So ultimately: satisfying plotwise, but not so much relationship wise nor has it fully explored the world it exists within.