Scan barcode
crazycatgeek's review against another edition
5.0
Again, I remember not entirely grasping what everything meant when I read The Rebel Prince the first time. The plot is so intricate at times, as are the characters' plans, that as a teenager, I sometimes found myself slightly confused - and yet I still loved this book. As a 25-year-old, all the confusion is gone and I love it even more. This trilogy just gets better as I grow older, because I keep discovering new things I didn't notice or understand the first - or second, or third - time I read these books.
The way everything is resolved in the end, as well as the plans Razi, Wynter, Alberon, and the others make to work things out, are just brilliant. There's so much going on and yet everything neatly ties together. Personally, I would have loved to see a little bit more of the direct aftermath of the main story; we get a wonderfully written epilogue that makes it clear where everyone stands and what must have happened (in general terms, anyway), but I just really want to know exactly how everything came to pass and what happened to bring all the characters to where they are in the epilogue. (Maybe a novella? Oh, I would love that!)
All in all, I can't even say how happy I am that I picked up this trilogy again, since as I mentioned, it just gets better with every re-read. It made me giggle and tear up, and I've felt frustrated, angry, sad, and hopeful, often within only a few pages. Sometimes I wanted to yell at characters and at other times I wanted to hug them. Bloody brilliant, these books - not nearly well-known enough and terribly underrated, if you ask me. They deserve infinitely many more readers!
The way everything is resolved in the end, as well as the plans Razi, Wynter, Alberon, and the others make to work things out, are just brilliant. There's so much going on and yet everything neatly ties together. Personally, I would have loved to see a little bit more of the direct aftermath of the main story; we get a wonderfully written epilogue that makes it clear where everyone stands and what must have happened (in general terms, anyway), but I just really want to know exactly how everything came to pass and what happened to bring all the characters to where they are in the epilogue. (Maybe a novella? Oh, I would love that!)
All in all, I can't even say how happy I am that I picked up this trilogy again, since as I mentioned, it just gets better with every re-read. It made me giggle and tear up, and I've felt frustrated, angry, sad, and hopeful, often within only a few pages. Sometimes I wanted to yell at characters and at other times I wanted to hug them. Bloody brilliant, these books - not nearly well-known enough and terribly underrated, if you ask me. They deserve infinitely many more readers!
barboraz0's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I enjoyed it. It answered most if not all of the questions that were left unanswered by the previous two books.
Although I wish the talking cats and ghosts and any other magical elements played more of a role. It didn't really feel integrated into the story. There were plot points certainly that utilised them, but it only felt like methods not exactly part of the world. But that could be more to do with the fact that it sometimes felt like a 'fun' historical book instead not including all the stuff that definitely cannot be described as fun.
It was a really nice series though. The camaraderie between the friends was really enjoyable.
I'm glad I read this series, so thank you.
Although I wish the talking cats and ghosts and any other magical elements played more of a role. It didn't really feel integrated into the story. There were plot points certainly that utilised them, but it only felt like methods not exactly part of the world. But that could be more to do with the fact that it sometimes felt like a 'fun' historical book instead not including all the stuff that definitely cannot be described as fun.
It was a really nice series though. The camaraderie between the friends was really enjoyable.
I'm glad I read this series, so thank you.
prationality's review
5.0
There was, without a doubt, many moments during this novel that I wanted to take Alberon aside and smack him upside the head. Between him and his father I'm honestly not certain who has less sense. If Razi hadn't already said that he didn't want to be King (and proved as much time and again) I'd urge him to stay far away because it appears the royal family loses all sense once given power.
I, like probably most of the readers, had been looking forward to when Razi, Albi and Wynter would be reunited. It was obvious that neither Razi nor Wynter accounted for the changes in their childhood playmate, but Razi was realistic. Wynter wasn't. Despite everything to the contrary she kept fast to the idealistic belief that once they were together again things would be back to the way they were before. Any wrongs would be corrected, any misunderstandings cleared up.
Kiernan juggled a lot of developmental things in this book. Before Razi, Wynter and Chris treated each other as more or less equals while traveling. They accepted each other and ignored the rest. Once with Alberon however those differences in station and treatment became very apparent. Razi was still a Prince, Wynter was still a Lady of the Court and Chris was...nothing. Almost worst then nothing. Alberon held to the station differences, but I think he also felt like Chris was intruding on something. He was as much an idealist as Wynter, though in a different manner.
Its not strictly true to say that there's a climatic showdown between Alberon and his father. Kiernan stuck to what she wrote best--character driven plot with a little bit of action. You can almost feel when 'childhood' falls away for the last time from the three friends, when they realize that no one is perfect and their parents lest of all.
The ending was amusing and fun. It gave the reader a chance to see what everybody could be like in peace. Its an uplifting one, if a trifle sad when you think of what it cost to bring about. As a conclusion to a historical fantasy such as The Moorehwake Trilogy was, it fit perfectly.
I, like probably most of the readers, had been looking forward to when Razi, Albi and Wynter would be reunited. It was obvious that neither Razi nor Wynter accounted for the changes in their childhood playmate, but Razi was realistic. Wynter wasn't. Despite everything to the contrary she kept fast to the idealistic belief that once they were together again things would be back to the way they were before. Any wrongs would be corrected, any misunderstandings cleared up.
Kiernan juggled a lot of developmental things in this book. Before Razi, Wynter and Chris treated each other as more or less equals while traveling. They accepted each other and ignored the rest. Once with Alberon however those differences in station and treatment became very apparent. Razi was still a Prince, Wynter was still a Lady of the Court and Chris was...nothing. Almost worst then nothing. Alberon held to the station differences, but I think he also felt like Chris was intruding on something. He was as much an idealist as Wynter, though in a different manner.
Its not strictly true to say that there's a climatic showdown between Alberon and his father. Kiernan stuck to what she wrote best--character driven plot with a little bit of action. You can almost feel when 'childhood' falls away for the last time from the three friends, when they realize that no one is perfect and their parents lest of all.
The ending was amusing and fun. It gave the reader a chance to see what everybody could be like in peace. Its an uplifting one, if a trifle sad when you think of what it cost to bring about. As a conclusion to a historical fantasy such as The Moorehwake Trilogy was, it fit perfectly.