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ladydisdain's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is the perfect series for any inquisitive young mind who wants to know what's happening in the town below the castle in all those high fantasy epics. While temple life is still relatively genteel, the opportunity to spend some times outside of courts and quests is welcome. An almost definitive take on found family, Pierce weaves in (get it?) a sampler of fantasy background characters and pairs them with People with Real Jobs. And it works. The kind of magic explored here feels real and spiritual in a way that resonates out here in our otherwise tawdry world. My wife is a knitter, a spinner, a gardener, and has vowed to take up smithing as soon as we have a house. Of course there's magic in crafting and caring for the earth. Of course there's power in the storm.
Poor Sandry does get a bit shafted in her own book as this is more a vehicle to introduce and bind our cast of characters than a novel centered on a personal journey for Sandry. As usual, Pierce is spending the first book in the quartet setting up the pieces for the rest- we've got 80% character introduction and world building, 20% THIS book's plot points, but the characters and world are charming enough to let it slide. Definitely not the strongest of the series, but a vital introduction to some of the most beloved characters I have ever spent an afternoon with.
Poor Sandry does get a bit shafted in her own book as this is more a vehicle to introduce and bind our cast of characters than a novel centered on a personal journey for Sandry. As usual, Pierce is spending the first book in the quartet setting up the pieces for the rest- we've got 80% character introduction and world building, 20% THIS book's plot points, but the characters and world are charming enough to let it slide. Definitely not the strongest of the series, but a vital introduction to some of the most beloved characters I have ever spent an afternoon with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, and Trafficking