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A review by alina_leonova
Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Devi’s adventures continue. She keeps serving on the Glorious Fool after all her memories involving Rupert and the crew’s secrets have been wiped out. She focuses on her job until the day when everything changes, and she has to fight for her freedom, making unexpected alliances.
The book was quite slow to start. For about a third of it, not much was happening, and I considered abandoning it several times. Then, it suddenly picked up pace, there was an unexpected turn of events, and Devi plunged into action. Everyone seemed to have their own agenda, and Devi was their key to reaching their contradictory goals.
In this book we learn more about Maat and her ‘daughters’, the Fool’s mission and phantoms. We also have a glimpse into the xith’cal culture, and get a few encounters with the lelgis.
The author explores the moral dilemma of ‘greater good’: how ethical is it to sacrifice a few innocent lives in order to save the many? We also see that there are no good guys and bad guys, everyone is rather morally grey, though some of them see themselves as righteous, and Devi is caught in between them all, trying to do the right thing.
Devi seemed more likable to me in this book. Her range of emotions expanded, she became more complex, and I started perceiving her as a real person instead of a set of stereotypes.
The romance is still present, but it doesn’t take as much space as in the first book. It mostly just made me feel uncomfortable and confused, especially when some truths about Rupert were revealed.
The book is also still filled with action, alien battle scenes and unexpected turns of events, and it provides good and easy entertainment. I suspect most people who liked ‘Fortune’s Pawn’ will like ‘Honor’s Knight’ as well. If you didn’t like the first book though, there is nothing for you here. It ends with a cliffhanger, too, so most of the questions will have to be answered in the last book. I don’t know if I’m going to read it. I’m curious, but not really involved and don’t mind not knowing. Maybe, the time for it will come one day, when I’m in the mood for something light and adventurous.
I've got a website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors, so check it out if that's something you are interested in.
The book was quite slow to start. For about a third of it, not much was happening, and I considered abandoning it several times.
Spoiler
I was also quite disappointed by aeons driving trucks. Birds using human technology to ship goods? Wouldn't they think of something else because they are beings who move through space differently? But that's unimportant.In this book we learn more about Maat and her ‘daughters’, the Fool’s mission and phantoms. We also have a glimpse into the xith’cal culture, and get a few encounters with the lelgis.
The author explores the moral dilemma of ‘greater good’: how ethical is it to sacrifice a few innocent lives in order to save the many? We also see that there are no good guys and bad guys, everyone is rather morally grey, though some of them see themselves as righteous, and Devi is caught in between them all, trying to do the right thing.
Devi seemed more likable to me in this book. Her range of emotions expanded, she became more complex, and I started perceiving her as a real person instead of a set of stereotypes.
The romance is still present, but it doesn’t take as much space as in the first book. It mostly just made me feel uncomfortable and confused, especially when some truths about Rupert were revealed.
Spoiler
Rupert's feelings for Devi were questionable in the first book, but when I learned he was over 70, his behavior felt quite creepy to me. His reckless actions could be somewhat understandable for a young man, but shouldn't an older person be wiser and more reasonable? And his obsession with Devi became even more disturbing. So, he's in love for the first time because, of course, in his 70+ years traveling all over the universe he has never met anyone like her. He is stronger than her, but he submits to her completely, he's on her knees in front of her, yet he kisses her without asking after he pretty much betrayed her. And Devi forgives him too easily and quickly and never questions his possessiveness, the fact that he makes important decisions about her life without asking her or that he was ready to kill her and pulled the trigger. I don't know, nothing about this romance sits right with me. It seems toxic? Reminds me of vampire romance like Twilight, only instead of vampires we've got a symbiont here. I'm sure there are a lot of people who enjoy stuff like that, but it's not for me.The book is also still filled with action, alien battle scenes and unexpected turns of events, and it provides good and easy entertainment. I suspect most people who liked ‘Fortune’s Pawn’ will like ‘Honor’s Knight’ as well. If you didn’t like the first book though, there is nothing for you here. It ends with a cliffhanger, too, so most of the questions will have to be answered in the last book. I don’t know if I’m going to read it. I’m curious, but not really involved and don’t mind not knowing. Maybe, the time for it will come one day, when I’m in the mood for something light and adventurous.
I've got a website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors, so check it out if that's something you are interested in.