hexe_19's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
vae's review
4.0
Fabulous world building and politics complex enough to need to think about the implications of each and every character interaction. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
aishoka's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
krilves's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
fun little mystery. I think my favourite part about this book (besides everyone teasing Rathe about Eslingen) is that we get more worldbuilding! It becomes clearer in this book that this society leans matriarchal rather than patriarchal, with women in key positions of power and the concept of 'motherless child' being somewhat equivalent to our 'fatherless child', i.e. instead of the father being unknown or having abandoned the family, and that being a source of shame, it's the other way around. It's not 1:1 though - the worldbuilding here is so deeply satisfying because it's not just patriarchy, but mirrored - it's matriarchy, with its own sets of problems. The classic issues we are familiar with from our reality, misogyny and sexism, aren't present at all. That's not to say that the society in the Astreiant books is perfect, but it's just so refreshing to have personal relationships and personal frictions that *aren't* rooted in misogyny or sexism in any way.
hyacinths's review
4.0
I LOVE FANTASY RENAISSANCE CSI. now with added romo!
this series continues to be EVERYTHING. i know that this novella was written after the first two books but takes place between them, so that's the order i chose to read it in, and i'm so happy it was written! rathe and eslingen are charming together - they have easy, natural chemistry, and they're so much fun to read about. their understated but obvious affection for each other is just lovely. the mystery in this one was super fun - nothing very complex, but it was a novella after all, and i enjoyed it! and it (however briefly) had pirates!!!! it felt too short, not because the story suffered from the length, but because i liked it so much that i just wanted more. delightful.
random side-note: i really, really want a map of astreiant, and i'm not even normally a huge fan of maps in fantasy novels! but astreiant is such a large and interesting and well-realized city that i would love to have one. @ melissa scott hook a girl up please!!!!
this series continues to be EVERYTHING. i know that this novella was written after the first two books but takes place between them, so that's the order i chose to read it in, and i'm so happy it was written! rathe and eslingen are charming together - they have easy, natural chemistry, and they're so much fun to read about. their understated but obvious affection for each other is just lovely. the mystery in this one was super fun - nothing very complex, but it was a novella after all, and i enjoyed it! and it (however briefly) had pirates!!!! it felt too short, not because the story suffered from the length, but because i liked it so much that i just wanted more. delightful.
random side-note: i really, really want a map of astreiant, and i'm not even normally a huge fan of maps in fantasy novels! but astreiant is such a large and interesting and well-realized city that i would love to have one. @ melissa scott hook a girl up please!!!!
rhodered's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The best part of this book was when our heroes encounter someone in a wheelchair, which happens practically never in fantasy. Also, we get several delightful brief mentions of what a more matriarchal society is like, in the world building.
The heroes and story were just ok otherwise. The mystery wasn’t terribly intriguing. The author noted this was written to plug a hole in the series showing when they got together romantically. However, she’s not a romance genre writer and it shows. We miss first kisses, etc, as we are told they already happened off stage. And nobody ever admits out loud to the other that they want an HEA. So you have this middling part where they are racing around trying to solve the mystery together, some closed door sex, and a few yearning thoughts and that’s it. I don’t even know what one of the heroes looks like aside from wiry and unfashionably dressed.
Fans of the series may love it, but I was mostly a meh.
The heroes and story were just ok otherwise. The mystery wasn’t terribly intriguing. The author noted this was written to plug a hole in the series showing when they got together romantically. However, she’s not a romance genre writer and it shows. We miss first kisses, etc, as we are told they already happened off stage. And nobody ever admits out loud to the other that they want an HEA. So you have this middling part where they are racing around trying to solve the mystery together, some closed door sex, and a few yearning thoughts and that’s it. I don’t even know what one of the heroes looks like aside from wiry and unfashionably dressed.
Fans of the series may love it, but I was mostly a meh.
joule's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
dee2799d's review
5.0
I keep on giving these books three stars, and I keep on coming back to edit them. /o\
A novella set between Hopes and Dreams, where I first expected Ms Scott to talk about how Rathe and Eslingen got together, but which didn't (they were mostly together at this time. Ms Scott describes Knives as 'a courtship interrupted by murder' which I think is very apt). BUT FEAR NOT MY FRIEND. Ms Scott has written such a story, which you can find here.
This one has more police procedural than the others (they actually have more scenes at the morgue than the Dreams novel). And some activities of grey legality at work. Funny, political, and sexy.
A novella set between Hopes and Dreams, where I first expected Ms Scott to talk about how Rathe and Eslingen got together, but which didn't (they were mostly together at this time. Ms Scott describes Knives as 'a courtship interrupted by murder' which I think is very apt). BUT FEAR NOT MY FRIEND. Ms Scott has written such a story, which you can find here.
This one has more police procedural than the others (they actually have more scenes at the morgue than the Dreams novel). And some activities of grey legality at work. Funny, political, and sexy.