Scan barcode
A review by leahkarge
Lying with Scorpions by Aleksandr Voinov
5.0
4.5 stars
Praise:
1. Character Development: Kendras and Adrastes have come a long way since the end of Scorpion. We see Adrastes go from the selfless, dutiful Officer to the unforgiving king, willing to do anything to get what he wants. In turn, the veil over Kendras' eyes is slowly lifted, and he reaches a level of maturity not previously met, due to the new responsibilities that are thrust upon him in his new role as Officer. He begins to abandon his blind faith in Adrastes, and his trust and loyalty begins to shift to others.
Watching their relationship change over the course of the novel was both thrilling and bittersweet. Thrilling because it was so beautifully written and constantly left me in anticipation of what would happen next. Bittersweet because I can't help but miss the Adrastes of the first novel.
2. New Characters: There are several new players introduced in Lying with Scorpions, and four in particular struck my fancy: Runner, Nhala, Shadow, and Graukar.
Nhala and Runner are both strong female characters who are respected and admired for their skills, and not looked down upon simply because they were born women or for also having softer sides. Granted, majority of the Scorpions don't know yet that Runner is a woman (Or do they?), but I hold out hope that they would treat her the same when they are enlightened, and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
I immediately liked Shadow because of his straight-forward manner and humor. Graukar, though, was a little harder for me to decide on. Part of me resisted liking him because I was still trying to cling to the hope that Adrastes wouldn't change so drastically, and because I was unsure who Kendras and I could trust. But that didn't last very long and I started to like him despite myself. Once I accepted this, every time he was on page, I got the warm and fuzzies and I would find myself smiling. When he left, I missed him immediately and wished Kendras and the Scorpions had gone with so we could have more of him.
3. Familiar Characters: WIDOW. Yes, all the yeses. He's intelligent, snarky, loyal to his lady, and manipulation is one of his many skills. If you don't love Widow, you are wrong.
4. Varied Representation: One of my absolute favorite things about the Memory of Scorpions books is the variety. More than one race and ethnicity is represented. Several different sexualities are explored. The characters are not thrust into one stereotype and forced to stay there. Identities are fluid and multifaceted.
5. Emotional Response: If there is one thing I can stay about Aleksandr Voinov's writing, it's that it consistently elicits strong, emotional reactions from me while I read. I connect with the characters, feel for them. I respond to events as if it were my friends I was watching, reacting with happiness, anxiety about their circumstances (which was the predominant response with LwS), scolding when they do something foolish, or any other manner of response. There are only two or three authors who, without fail, bring this out in me, and he is counted among them.
Complaints:
I actually have none. I mean, I wish I had the next book already to read, but I am more than willing to wait as long as necessary if that means it will be just as amazing as Scorpion and Lying with Scorpions.
Favorite Quotes:
Kendras touched his lips to Graukar’s, and that killed all other thoughts. He couldn’t remember wanting another man so desperately, so tenderly, so completely. He wouldn’t have stepped back from this if it destroyed him, or Graukar, or both of them. It felt rather like two fires uniting and eating into each other—they ceased to exist, yet flared higher and brighter than they would have on their own.
And there was glory in burning.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3384-3387)
“You’ll have to show me one day.”
“I’d give a lot to be able to take you along. There are sights up in the Shoulders that change a man’s heart.”
“You don’t like my heart as it is?” Kendras pushed the blankets away. “What about the rest of me?”
Graukar dropped the saddlebags. “The rest of you? What are you, Kendras, if not all heart?” He leaned down over the bed, kissing Kendras, tenderly, thoroughly.
(Kendras & Graukar, Kindle Locations 3752-3756)
He hadn’t lost himself so completely with any other man, didn’t mind it with Graukar, because the way the man was embracing him, feet to feet, legs to legs, back to chest, they felt almost like one body, and it was like trusting part of your body to not give in, not fail you now.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3788-3790)
Praise:
1. Character Development: Kendras and Adrastes have come a long way since the end of Scorpion. We see Adrastes go from the selfless, dutiful Officer to the unforgiving king, willing to do anything to get what he wants. In turn, the veil over Kendras' eyes is slowly lifted, and he reaches a level of maturity not previously met, due to the new responsibilities that are thrust upon him in his new role as Officer. He begins to abandon his blind faith in Adrastes, and his trust and loyalty begins to shift to others.
Watching their relationship change over the course of the novel was both thrilling and bittersweet. Thrilling because it was so beautifully written and constantly left me in anticipation of what would happen next. Bittersweet because I can't help but miss the Adrastes of the first novel.
2. New Characters: There are several new players introduced in Lying with Scorpions, and four in particular struck my fancy: Runner, Nhala, Shadow, and Graukar.
Nhala and Runner are both strong female characters who are respected and admired for their skills, and not looked down upon simply because they were born women or for also having softer sides. Granted, majority of the Scorpions don't know yet that Runner is a woman (Or do they?), but I hold out hope that they would treat her the same when they are enlightened, and I look forward to seeing how that turns out.
I immediately liked Shadow because of his straight-forward manner and humor. Graukar, though, was a little harder for me to decide on. Part of me resisted liking him because I was still trying to cling to the hope that Adrastes wouldn't change so drastically, and because I was unsure who Kendras and I could trust. But that didn't last very long and I started to like him despite myself. Once I accepted this, every time he was on page, I got the warm and fuzzies and I would find myself smiling. When he left, I missed him immediately and wished Kendras and the Scorpions had gone with so we could have more of him.
3. Familiar Characters: WIDOW. Yes, all the yeses. He's intelligent, snarky, loyal to his lady, and manipulation is one of his many skills. If you don't love Widow, you are wrong.
4. Varied Representation: One of my absolute favorite things about the Memory of Scorpions books is the variety. More than one race and ethnicity is represented. Several different sexualities are explored. The characters are not thrust into one stereotype and forced to stay there. Identities are fluid and multifaceted.
5. Emotional Response: If there is one thing I can stay about Aleksandr Voinov's writing, it's that it consistently elicits strong, emotional reactions from me while I read. I connect with the characters, feel for them. I respond to events as if it were my friends I was watching, reacting with happiness, anxiety about their circumstances (which was the predominant response with LwS), scolding when they do something foolish, or any other manner of response. There are only two or three authors who, without fail, bring this out in me, and he is counted among them.
Complaints:
I actually have none. I mean, I wish I had the next book already to read, but I am more than willing to wait as long as necessary if that means it will be just as amazing as Scorpion and Lying with Scorpions.
Favorite Quotes:
Kendras touched his lips to Graukar’s, and that killed all other thoughts. He couldn’t remember wanting another man so desperately, so tenderly, so completely. He wouldn’t have stepped back from this if it destroyed him, or Graukar, or both of them. It felt rather like two fires uniting and eating into each other—they ceased to exist, yet flared higher and brighter than they would have on their own.
And there was glory in burning.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3384-3387)
“You’ll have to show me one day.”
“I’d give a lot to be able to take you along. There are sights up in the Shoulders that change a man’s heart.”
“You don’t like my heart as it is?” Kendras pushed the blankets away. “What about the rest of me?”
Graukar dropped the saddlebags. “The rest of you? What are you, Kendras, if not all heart?” He leaned down over the bed, kissing Kendras, tenderly, thoroughly.
(Kendras & Graukar, Kindle Locations 3752-3756)
He hadn’t lost himself so completely with any other man, didn’t mind it with Graukar, because the way the man was embracing him, feet to feet, legs to legs, back to chest, they felt almost like one body, and it was like trusting part of your body to not give in, not fail you now.
(Kendras, Kindle Locations 3788-3790)