Finally got through the LA Public Library queue for this one. It's good epic fantasy as that goes. I say that because I'm much more Laser than Sword, but this has been pretty good reading material. And this one's quite a doorstopper so it makes for a good insomnia read.
Am now done with Book V (first in this two book set) and on to VI.
(view spoiler)[Nice to see the Empress finally step into her own and take charge in a most unexpected fashion. The dungeon scenes were so realistic as to be disturbing.
One thing bothers me about that though. We've been talking about representation and agency a lot. The main characters didn't do a thing to free themselves from the dungeon. To some extent it's amusing to know that one of the characters has a literal lucky charm and will get out of the most ludicrously dangerous situation. But after a while the extended deus ex machina becomes wearing. We got it at the end of the last book as well. Two dungeon saves in two books? It gets a little far fetched.
And here's my problem You have a sorceress, unable to work magic due to runes set all over the dungeon. Okay fine, you wouldn't expect prisoners to be able to affect that. But then Royce comes in with what amounts to a magic dagger. Why can't he scratch some of them out? Wouldn't have to be all of them, just enough so that Arista can work some magic. Perhaps all she'd have to do is create a small hole so Alric can get in. This is a major lost moment.
I'm otherwise not convinced that Gwen is actually dead, or that Royce would have set the building afire if he had known Modina was in it.
So overall some good fantasy world universe building, good use of politics, but some characters did things I didn't think they would do. And having the MCs be helpless and saved by others breaks narrative trust. The main characters have to solve it, or else they're just narrators in someone else's tale. (hide spoiler)]
Am now done with Book V (first in this two book set) and on to VI.
(view spoiler)[Nice to see the Empress finally step into her own and take charge in a most unexpected fashion. The dungeon scenes were so realistic as to be disturbing.
One thing bothers me about that though. We've been talking about representation and agency a lot. The main characters didn't do a thing to free themselves from the dungeon. To some extent it's amusing to know that one of the characters has a literal lucky charm and will get out of the most ludicrously dangerous situation. But after a while the extended deus ex machina becomes wearing. We got it at the end of the last book as well. Two dungeon saves in two books? It gets a little far fetched.
And here's my problem You have a sorceress, unable to work magic due to runes set all over the dungeon. Okay fine, you wouldn't expect prisoners to be able to affect that. But then Royce comes in with what amounts to a magic dagger. Why can't he scratch some of them out? Wouldn't have to be all of them, just enough so that Arista can work some magic. Perhaps all she'd have to do is create a small hole so Alric can get in. This is a major lost moment.
I'm otherwise not convinced that Gwen is actually dead, or that Royce would have set the building afire if he had known Modina was in it.
So overall some good fantasy world universe building, good use of politics, but some characters did things I didn't think they would do. And having the MCs be helpless and saved by others breaks narrative trust. The main characters have to solve it, or else they're just narrators in someone else's tale. (hide spoiler)]