studycat's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rnorvegicus's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
thebookrefuge's review
5.0
The build up of this series was amazing. I enjoyed myself so much! I cannot wait for more in this world and to see what happens with my babies.
Siv, Dara, Sel, and Sora are in my favs for life!
A little more in depth:
I was very impressed with how this series build up. The difference in what I thought the plot was going to be in book 1 compared to where we ended up was so different! I have to say that, although I have enjoyed myself through the whole series. (Giving it an average of 4.5 per book!) I thought it would be pretty predictable where everything went. That was not the case!
I loved the magic system. How we expand into all the elements and I thought how it was used was very well expanded upon. Dara became a little too good in my opinion, but that is something that happens in YA Fantasy and not so much a sin against this novel particularly.
I loved the relationships! The romances are all adorable but they by no means take over any of the books. The characters all have clear motivations to save their country and although there are moments of swoon, it never overpowers the story.
I loved the Dragons!!!!! I am a big old softy for dragons in any story. I loved that these ones had unclear motivations and had personalities and goals. I won't say too much more because the dragons have a large part to do with the final plot.
All up, this series is one of my favorites I have read lately. I think I will always have a soft spot for them in the future.
5 stars for me!
Siv, Dara, Sel, and Sora are in my favs for life!
A little more in depth:
I was very impressed with how this series build up. The difference in what I thought the plot was going to be in book 1 compared to where we ended up was so different! I have to say that, although I have enjoyed myself through the whole series. (Giving it an average of 4.5 per book!) I thought it would be pretty predictable where everything went. That was not the case!
I loved the magic system. How we expand into all the elements and I thought how it was used was very well expanded upon. Dara became a little too good in my opinion, but that is something that happens in YA Fantasy and not so much a sin against this novel particularly.
I loved the relationships! The romances are all adorable but they by no means take over any of the books. The characters all have clear motivations to save their country and although there are moments of swoon, it never overpowers the story.
I loved the Dragons!!!!! I am a big old softy for dragons in any story. I loved that these ones had unclear motivations and had personalities and goals. I won't say too much more because the dragons have a large part to do with the final plot.
All up, this series is one of my favorites I have read lately. I think I will always have a soft spot for them in the future.
5 stars for me!
morj's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
littlebookterror's review
fast-paced
3.0
Overall, this was a disappointment.
It's not bad in any sense but since the middle of book 3, I was not a fan of where the story was going. I don't feel the groundwork was laid in the first two books to explain the focus on magic in the final battle. And there were many battles and few downtimes to breathe with the characters.
I knew I would love the ending (and I did) but it did not make up for the 300+ pages to get there.
It's not bad in any sense but since the middle of book 3, I was not a fan of where the story was going. I don't feel the groundwork was laid in the first two books to explain the focus on magic in the final battle. And there were many battles and few downtimes to breathe with the characters.
I knew I would love the ending (and I did) but it did not make up for the 300+ pages to get there.
emskeelscaldwell's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have loved reading this series and in fact, for the most part really enjoyed reading the conclusion to this adventure. I love the POVs from Siv, Sora, Sel and the side characters like Latch, Berg, and others. Getting to know more of Berg's backstory and what his life was like before he became Dara's Mentor was so good! Not to mention all the relationships between the various characters from the series as they meet each other in this book was so good to see! I still love this world (lacking in diversity that it is) because there is so much that can be explored with it and it really has so much potential. I even really enjoy the magic system and all the fights (magical or not). But overall this final installment fell flat for me in several areas.
Pacing and Plot
They were both fully all over the place in this book. There was too much happening at one time for any person to understand what was going on and when. I appreciate that the author was trying to explore how hostile and on-a-knife-edge everything was but it really just made for a story that was constantly chopping and changing and rarely coming to a satisfying end.
Dara
Dara's POVs had started to become less enjoyable and slightly more irritating than in previous installments.
Vine Deus Ex Machina Siltine
Nothing more needs to be said. I've mentioned it before but it comes to a head multiple times in this book. I really enjoyed Vine as a character when we first met her, but as the series progressed she went from being a character to a tool. (I also still hate the her an Vex thing!)
True Dragons and Dara's Father
The true dragons plotline while thoroughly interesting, ultimately felt rushed and haphazardly concluded in a series that had so often taken its time. A lot of the first half of this book could have been removed to give room for the plotline that ultimately became the biggest "enemy" for Dara to defeat. Also, I understand that the true dragons are intended to be more fearsome than Dara's father, but given we have literally spent 4 books building up to him as the main bad guy only for him to be beaten not once, but twice and then for the big bad to now be the dragons who we have spent a hot second with and really don't have any understanding of them compared to her father... it just felt a bit like a cop out. It really felt like Rivet thought "Oh S***. Dara is obviously too powerful for her father so lets just really ram this dragons plotline in even if a less is more approach would have been better! And I'm not saying that the dragons plotline couldn't have worked because it could, it definitely and a lot of potential and a lot of aspects of it did work for me... But it was just too rushed for me to really care.
Character Deaths
Now there have been a lot throughout this series, some good, some not so good. But one thing I have come to notice and be really irritated by is the way that Rivet treats characters she can no longer manage or does see being relevant to the main cast/storyline, because every time without fail she kills them off.. Its lazy. I get this is a large cast series, but some of these side characters are treated so poorly!
Rating: 2.5/5 or 5/5
Reviews:
Duel of Fire (Steel and Fire #1) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.5
King of Mist (Steel and Fire #2) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dance of Steel (Steel and Fire #3) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
City of Wind (Steel and Fire #4) ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spoiler
I LOVED seeing Sel meet Latch and I cannot wait to see what happens to their relationship in the follow on series.Pacing and Plot
They were both fully all over the place in this book. There was too much happening at one time for any person to understand what was going on and when. I appreciate that the author was trying to explore how hostile and on-a-knife-edge everything was but it really just made for a story that was constantly chopping and changing and rarely coming to a satisfying end.
Dara
Dara's POVs had started to become less enjoyable and slightly more irritating than in previous installments.
Vine Deus Ex Machina Siltine
Nothing more needs to be said. I've mentioned it before but it comes to a head multiple times in this book. I really enjoyed Vine as a character when we first met her, but as the series progressed she went from being a character to a tool. (I also still hate the her an Vex thing!)
True Dragons and Dara's Father
The true dragons plotline while thoroughly interesting, ultimately felt rushed and haphazardly concluded in a series that had so often taken its time. A lot of the first half of this book could have been removed to give room for the plotline that ultimately became the biggest "enemy" for Dara to defeat. Also, I understand that the true dragons are intended to be more fearsome than Dara's father, but given we have literally spent 4 books building up to him as the main bad guy only for him to be beaten not once, but twice and then for the big bad to now be the dragons who we have spent a hot second with and really don't have any understanding of them compared to her father... it just felt a bit like a cop out. It really felt like Rivet thought "Oh S***. Dara is obviously too powerful for her father so lets just really ram this dragons plotline in even if a less is more approach would have been better! And I'm not saying that the dragons plotline couldn't have worked because it could, it definitely and a lot of potential and a lot of aspects of it did work for me... But it was just too rushed for me to really care.
Spoiler
And dont get me started on Dara just letting her father go and get the Fire as if he wouldn't try something! ABSOLUTE MORON!!Character Deaths
Now there have been a lot throughout this series, some good, some not so good. But one thing I have come to notice and be really irritated by is the way that Rivet treats characters she can no longer manage or does see being relevant to the main cast/storyline, because every time without fail she kills them off.
Spoiler
This is no better see than in Rid's case, a character we really barely saw mention of in this book and then all of a sudden Dara sees his dead body. She doesn't even really care. I get she has other things going on but come on if she doesn't care I'm hardly likely to and then what was the point in him even being in the story because we really could have left him in book 3 after Vine and Dara ended up loosing him and noone would have cared.Rating: 2.5/5 or 5/5
Reviews:
Duel of Fire (Steel and Fire #1) ⭐ ⭐ ⭐.5
King of Mist (Steel and Fire #2) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dance of Steel (Steel and Fire #3) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
City of Wind (Steel and Fire #4) ⭐⭐⭐.5
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