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A review by vaguefizzle
The Teras Trials by Lucien Burr
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a book series I’ll be following closely. I adored the characters and the setting, but I think the pacing could certainly benefit from slowing down just a bit—it would be nice to be given more insight into other characters (if they look scared, amused, etc) rather than it being so heavily focused on the inner monologue of Cassius. As for the ending, which is the main reason I didn’t give this 5 stars, it felt extremely lackluster. The final battle was the worst in the book, which was incredibly disappointing when the previous two were a joy to read and kept me on the edge of my seat. Not to mention that killing off Silas in such a way felt very… lame? As if it were a last ditch effort to make the ending have the impact it frankly doesn’t. Silas was one of my favorites, but his death didn’t have any weight to me. It just seemed like an “oh yeah I was going to kill him off” moment. Somehow more unsatisfying is that A) the manticore died in book 1, and B) Cassius wasn’t even the one to slay it. It’s important to make clear the group are not graduates and didn’t stand a chance, I understand, but I think it would’ve been nicer if they’d been creative about it and perhaps escaped by a self-made hair… Or better yet, the fight should’ve been kept for later in the series altogether. That included the appearance of the You-Know-What.
All in all, I think it’s a good book and a series that I’m very interested in following along. However, I do think the ending could’ve been so much better. While yes, it is a series, I stand firm that each entry in a series should still complete itself nicely and satisfy the reader. This one made me feel like it should’ve had a few more chapters and more than once I thought to myself I should resume reading it, only to remember I had already finished it.
All in all, I think it’s a good book and a series that I’m very interested in following along. However, I do think the ending could’ve been so much better. While yes, it is a series, I stand firm that each entry in a series should still complete itself nicely and satisfy the reader. This one made me feel like it should’ve had a few more chapters and more than once I thought to myself I should resume reading it, only to remember I had already finished it.