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A review by disreputable_cog
Blood of the Mantis by Adrian Tchaikovsky
3.0
It’s inevitable I guess that in a 10-book series, some of the books are going to be a bit weaker. I didn’t find this one as engaging as the first two, and this was in large part because the various plotlines felt too independent from each other. The Salarno plotline especially felt like a sideshow that didn’t go anywhere, even if it did serve to expand the world of the series closer to the intriguing Spiderlands (though not really into them, I guess that’s coming in future books).
This book felt like its main purpose was to position a bunch of the plot threads for the next book, which I suppose it did. It didn’t really do much in the way or character development, with the possible exceptions of the two wasps involved in the heist plotline. I would have liked to learn more about the Skater kinden and the mysteries going on in their lakes (though maybe this will be explored in future books).
Not much more was revealed about the way magic works or why everyone has bug magic, so count me unsatisfied about that. The Apt/Inapt distinction was explored in greater detail but not the cause of it. I want answers and I’m willing to forgive a weak installment after how strong the first two were, so I will probably read on.
This book felt like its main purpose was to position a bunch of the plot threads for the next book, which I suppose it did. It didn’t really do much in the way or character development, with the possible exceptions of the two wasps involved in the heist plotline. I would have liked to learn more about the Skater kinden and the mysteries going on in their lakes (though maybe this will be explored in future books).
Not much more was revealed about the way magic works or why everyone has bug magic, so count me unsatisfied about that. The Apt/Inapt distinction was explored in greater detail but not the cause of it. I want answers and I’m willing to forgive a weak installment after how strong the first two were, so I will probably read on.