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allisonwonderlandreads 's review for:
The Quicksilver Court
by Melissa Caruso
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Oh, you don't have to convince me. Certain doom, nine o'clock, wear a nice dress. I'll be there."
In the Rookery's second outing, demons are on the loose, human enemies are plotting with great ambition, and our merry band will face internal tensions and tests unlike anything in the first book. It will take all their myriad skills as a group, standing tall and cohesive despite the challenges to their very survival. Trapped in a castle with demons and their human agents, and hundreds of innocent hostages in the crossfire, the stakes are high. Our rooks will face their deepest, darkest nightmares before the story is through. There are all kinds of action and drama, so even though it's a long book, it's in near-constant motion. The settings range from mesmerizing to gaudy since the castle is dedicated to the Grace of Beauty. So every high-tension moment has an eye-catching locale to cinematic effect.
In terms of characters, Ryx still strikes me as an outstanding protagonist. Already, she was complicated and haunted by her power. That only escalates in this sequel. I enjoy her friendships, her enmities, her romance, and her familial bonds-- all layered and strained in different ways. We see her struggle with loyalties to home vs friends and new information that causes her to question what home and friendship even mean to her. Ryx still isn't used to the care of others, a heart-wrenching state of affairs. And her sense of duty causes her to make some decisions that set more roadblocks in the way of her burgeoning relationships. All these problems don't stop strong moments from shining through to put hope and kindness in her orbit.
The world-building continues to astound me (in a good way) on several levels. This book dives into the story of demons as the Rookery squares off with them. As an aside, Foxglove's religious rhetoric on some points of demonry can go fuck themselves. And I can't say more on that without spoilers. I also appreciate how each of Caruso's revelations about this world only serves to make space for more kinds of overlooked people to feel welcomed. She introduces a committed poly relationship through Foxglove's throuple to expand the queer representation in the series. She also gives a bit of background on alchemy, noting its uses for gender-affirming and mental health care. On that note, I appreciate that Kessa, the cheeriest member of the Rookery, is the one suffering from depression. It's a good reminder that it doesn't look the same on everyone, and assumptions can be faulty. Only Ryx sees through Kessa's days of surface-level light-heartedness to support her friends. Ryx gives her space to let out her darker emotions and set down her emotional management burdens to air her own struggles. It's a heartwarming moment in their friendship.
My only frustration was that some of the drama and strategies were recycled throughout the book, making big moments feel tedious because of their familiarity. I think the intention was to prevent any discord from blowing over too easily, but perhaps the narrow setting and cast list prevented a lot of momentum. You can only intentionally trip so many traps, create so many distractions, or enter so many negotiations with power imbalance and subterfuge before it all feels like the same thing. I anticipate that this problem will dissipate in the next installment now that certain wounds are on their way to healing and new players and alliances enter into the equation.
Despite the slow turmoil of this second book, I appreciate the characters' journeys and several important reveals. I am also pleased that between reading The Obsidian Tower and this sequel, I read the original series from which this is a spinoff, making a couple of final-hour cameos so much sweeter. I am enthusiastic about where the series might go next, and I demand more Ardeth in the final book.
In the Rookery's second outing, demons are on the loose, human enemies are plotting with great ambition, and our merry band will face internal tensions and tests unlike anything in the first book. It will take all their myriad skills as a group, standing tall and cohesive despite the challenges to their very survival. Trapped in a castle with demons and their human agents, and hundreds of innocent hostages in the crossfire, the stakes are high. Our rooks will face their deepest, darkest nightmares before the story is through. There are all kinds of action and drama, so even though it's a long book, it's in near-constant motion. The settings range from mesmerizing to gaudy since the castle is dedicated to the Grace of Beauty. So every high-tension moment has an eye-catching locale to cinematic effect.
In terms of characters, Ryx still strikes me as an outstanding protagonist. Already, she was complicated and haunted by her power. That only escalates in this sequel. I enjoy her friendships, her enmities, her romance, and her familial bonds-- all layered and strained in different ways. We see her struggle with loyalties to home vs friends and new information that causes her to question what home and friendship even mean to her. Ryx still isn't used to the care of others, a heart-wrenching state of affairs. And her sense of duty causes her to make some decisions that set more roadblocks in the way of her burgeoning relationships. All these problems don't stop strong moments from shining through to put hope and kindness in her orbit.
The world-building continues to astound me (in a good way) on several levels. This book dives into the story of demons as the Rookery squares off with them. As an aside, Foxglove's religious rhetoric on some points of demonry can go fuck themselves. And I can't say more on that without spoilers. I also appreciate how each of Caruso's revelations about this world only serves to make space for more kinds of overlooked people to feel welcomed. She introduces a committed poly relationship through Foxglove's throuple to expand the queer representation in the series. She also gives a bit of background on alchemy, noting its uses for gender-affirming and mental health care. On that note, I appreciate that Kessa, the cheeriest member of the Rookery, is the one suffering from depression. It's a good reminder that it doesn't look the same on everyone, and assumptions can be faulty. Only Ryx sees through Kessa's days of surface-level light-heartedness to support her friends. Ryx gives her space to let out her darker emotions and set down her emotional management burdens to air her own struggles. It's a heartwarming moment in their friendship.
My only frustration was that some of the drama and strategies were recycled throughout the book, making big moments feel tedious because of their familiarity. I think the intention was to prevent any discord from blowing over too easily, but perhaps the narrow setting and cast list prevented a lot of momentum. You can only intentionally trip so many traps, create so many distractions, or enter so many negotiations with power imbalance and subterfuge before it all feels like the same thing. I anticipate that this problem will dissipate in the next installment now that certain wounds are on their way to healing and new players and alliances enter into the equation.
Despite the slow turmoil of this second book, I appreciate the characters' journeys and several important reveals. I am also pleased that between reading The Obsidian Tower and this sequel, I read the original series from which this is a spinoff, making a couple of final-hour cameos so much sweeter. I am enthusiastic about where the series might go next, and I demand more Ardeth in the final book.