catherine_t's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
jafeyrer's review against another edition
3.0
So I'm going to take the time to use this space to rant a bit about this book. First off, the narrative style drove me nuts at the beginning - huge blocks of straight narrative, little dialogue, (well, lots of internal dialogue as the characters mused for pages about what might be happening in this serial killer mystery). I gradually got over that though, or maybe just dealt with it better. Then Lackey introduces a romantic subplot, which of course made things more interesting for me. It wasn't the main thrust of the book, which I was fine with, but she managed to get me emotionally invested in these characters and what would happen to them. A bishop falling for her bodyguard and having to decide whether to break/renounce her vows? AWESOME!! I thought. Nice bit of tension weaved throughout, etc. etc. So then they solve the serial killer case and the bishop realizes, no, she really wasn't in love with him. And it's like a switch flips and they continue to work together, be friends, etc. And I'm left spinning. How DARE Lackey get me emotionally invested in these two ending up together as all good romance plots must do and then leave me hanging? Oh sure, Ardis and Tal are just peachy about the nature of their relationship but I was walking around shell-shocked for about a day. One thing I liked about that portion of the story was that it was realistic - not everyone you're attracted to ends up being your all-great love. The body never lies, and when Ardis touched Tal when he was wounded, she realized she wasn't in love with him. Maybe it was just the stress of the case that made them attracted to each other, whatever. I can deal with and accept that. But for gods sake, don't twist me around inside the whole time just for that. I don't see what point it served the story to do that to the poor reader.
xeni's review against another edition
5.0
The last of the Bardic Voices, I loved the whole meld of priesthood and music and government and law and order that ML wrote into this work.
The characters are deep, once more, not surprising at all since it's ML, to a point that they even question their own characters! It was truly amazing to read about the personal problems that they all went through. And all throughout that a wonderful plot that just kept everything tied together.
The characters are deep, once more, not surprising at all since it's ML, to a point that they even question their own characters! It was truly amazing to read about the personal problems that they all went through. And all throughout that a wonderful plot that just kept everything tied together.
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