woahno 's review for:

The Philosopher Kings by Jo Walton

5.0

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The Philosopher Kings is my fifth Jo Walton book. At this point can I claim fanboy status? I'm thinking that the true fanboy status will have to wait as her back catalog is long enough that five novels is but a small portion of her collected works. Nonetheless, this is another brilliant novel by my estimation. This series is a bit heady, some of the conversations and dialogue go over my head but I'm able to grasp enough of it to be invested in these characters and their goals and their success. I did not see the main plot of this book coming. It is a clear continuation of a major theme in the first book but there are some viewpoints I did not consider that are explored here. The climatic scene was clever and intense and packed with layers that get unfolded in the falling action. It was immensely satisfying. The set up for the third novel in the series was an intriguing scene as well. As the stakes continue to increase and these characters continue to grow, I am even more invested in their fates and goals. I enjoyed Maia’s chapters the most so I hope she gets more page time in the next installment. On to book three!