Reviews

The Inquisition by Taran Matharu

writings_of_a_reader's review against another edition

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4.0

With loyal friends Othello and Sylva by his side, Fletcher must battle his way to the heart of Orcdom and save Hominum from destruction…or die trying.

The Inquisition was a good follow up to The Novice. The book starts out a year after the last one left off with a trial soon following. Once we get through the trial and all that, Fletcher and his friends are sent on a mission deep into orc territory along with others who are not so friendly. They are divided up into four different teams. The teams get divided up pretty predictably, with each given a guide to lead them through the jungle. During the quest, to make things even more dangerous, there is a someone who keeps trying to kill Fletcher, obviously trying to frame the Dwarfs. There are a few revelations in this book that are not all that surprising. I predicted most of them, but maybe younger readers will not.

This as a simplified fantasy, that's definitely written for YA readers, but still quite enjoyable. The characters are pretty black and white and plot-wise, the story follows a traditional route with nothing really new added. I did like the addition of the gremlins. The idea of the goblins coming from a cross between gremlins and orcs was new to me. I loved poor Blue and wish we could have seen even more of him and his group. Once again my favorite aspect of the book are the demon pets that the mages have. Who doesn't love a Gryphon or an Alicorn or one of the many others?

Just like the last book, this one ends with a cliffhanger-like ending. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next. Review also posted at Writings of a Reader

ameliabriceno's review against another edition

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4.0

What a great sequel. Enjoyed this book thoroughly and loved the ending!

thereadingknight's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

leannecroft's review against another edition

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2.0

I wasn't totally taken with this book but the story was good. I just didn't get as attached to the characters as I did in 'Novice'.
I do want to read the next one but I won't rush to it. It was a cliff hanger so I do need to know what happens next just out of curiosity and to see if the story gets better again.

kerrycat's review against another edition

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4.0

more like 4.5
but THAT ENDING - so glad I have book three right here

thornsides's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

bluebeereads's review against another edition

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4.0

Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds

3.5 stars


Well now! Another cliffhanger. Who would've thought? I say that sarcastically because I totally expected it after the first book. I loved The Novice and I was sad when a lot of my friends didn't enjoy it as much. Still, it was one of my favorites that year so I was very happy when I got offered the chance to read the sequel. Did it disappoint? Maybe a tiny bit? But I still loved it?

I was very excited to dive back into this world and see Fletcher and Ignatius again. I was curious about what happened to them after that cliffhanger of the first book. I will not talk about any of that so that this review remains spoiler free for both books. I'll just say that this book starts about a year after the end of the first book. The first half was really slow for me. It was mostly court drama and council meetings and build up for what was to come. Even the second half of the story sometimes felt a bit slow to me. I think this is a common thing in the second book in a trilogy.

So for me, yes this one does suffer from Second Book Syndrome a little bit. But I didn't completely mind? Because I do like these characters and I'm excited to see where their story goes next all the time. I'm invested in their lives and I like this world. Yes, I've read better sequels, but I've also read a lot worse so all in all, this was still good. Because the last 100 or so pages really had me glued to the pages. And of course, the cliffhanger had me screaming in agony once again. I also appreciated that there was a bit of a recap in the first chapter because it has been a while since I read the first book and it was nice to have a reminder of what happened exactly. So even the court drama served a good purpose to me. I also appreciate the fact that there's not really a romance in this story. It's very refreshing!

Overall The Inquisition is a solid sequel that builds up the story and though slow at times, still leaves you wanting more in the end. If you enjoyed the first book, you should definitely continue reading this series. If not, you might want to give it a shot anyway to see if you enjoy the second book more.

redviktorija's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

elliez's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.5

hayleymorgan548's review against another edition

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5.0

The second book in The Summoner series starts off with Fletcher in the absolutely worst situation – imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. In a dark, dank cell with only Ignatius and two books to keep him sane for an entire year, he manages to keep his skills in tiptop shape. When he finally gets a trial, the Triumberant – an alliance of every noble family that hates him – has rigged the evidence. Yet thanks to some clever work by Artorius, he is able to prove Fletcher’s innocence only for Rook and the Inquisitors to come in and throw Fletcher in more trouble than he’s ever been!
I usually find court scenes incredibly dull, but after the first book I was so invested in the characters that I was enthralled in every comment and sneaky deal they did. Plus, we got to see all the characters from Pelt, even that jerk Didric who is looking worse for wear (thankfully). It was awesome.
Now Fletcher and his friends are on an insane mission into the heart of the orc lands. I was so intrigued to finally get to see the fearsome orcs and I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed, they were even more ferocious than I expected. It was great to see that the ‘orc’ lands weren’t just inhabited by orcs but other creatures like gremlins. It was fascinating to see the comparison between their cultures as well as that of the humans, dwarves and elves. This aspect became one of my favourites in this book.
This is an excellent series full of fantasy races, magical creatures and plenty of action (which I love). There were some really great twists and turns, with a major mystery, the book had quite a surprising reveal. I had the audiobook for both this and the previous book which was a lot of fun and the narrator really made the book come alive. I give it 5/5 and am excited to continue on with Taran Matharu’s great series.