flyingryndeer's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dja777's review against another edition
4.0
Not the best of the series, but it's Stirling, which means it's still a really fun way to spend a few hours. It doesn't feel like it moves the story forward all that much, and it's shorter than a lot of the other books in the Emberverse series. I'm hoping the next (though hopefully not last) book of the series will have a little more happening.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
And here I was expecting an enormous book filled with war-war-war. Instead I found a nice sized somewhat balanced tale which really ended the series on a high point. And I think this one really is the end and a good one. Does it tie up all the loose ends? Well not really but I'm not sure it needs to. Oh and there was still plenty of war - but a lot of the close combat was just plain skipped - which I think an interesting strategy that worked out pretty well. And damn I guess I have to make it to Lost Lake now to continue punching my Changed world triptik.
jaxboiler's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe it is because it has been a couple of years since I had read the previous books in this series but I struggled with this one in terms of keeping track of who was related to who and how. Felt sort of like Game of Thrones with the way the characters are related by marriage, birth or capture. Still a fun easy read.
tortacular's review against another edition
3.0
Good but felt very abrupt compared to the rest of the series. Seems likely it was split in half to get to 10 books...
sergejglockner's review against another edition
2.0
All filler, no killer. Literally. Could have been three chapters. I only read this because I'm stubborn and I just want this to end.
larisa2021's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Back on track, solid pace, excellent hints of things to come with subtle references to past books. Appreciate the deft touch working the Other Wordliness, along with religious tolerance, viewpoints and perspectives.
Accepting the final trilogy is going to be shorter books, with a focus on state craft, war craft, topped with solid pieces of Other.
Back on track, solid pace, excellent hints of things to come with subtle references to past books. Appreciate the deft touch working the Other Wordliness, along with religious tolerance, viewpoints and perspectives.
Accepting the final trilogy is going to be shorter books, with a focus on state craft, war craft, topped with solid pieces of Other.
ineffablebob's review against another edition
3.0
If you've read the prior books in the Sunrise Lands and Montival series (and to a lesser extend, the Change series), then you definitely want to read this one, as the last quarter of the book will finally wrap up some of the stuff started across those previous novels. (I say "wrap up" although of course he leaves plenty unresolved for another book or three.) If you haven't read at least the prior two Montival books, and preferably all those mentioned above, don't bother with this one until you have. There's just way too many threads going to try to catch up with the small amount of back-story that Stirling manages to include.
Unfortunately, to get to the last quarter of Lord of Mountains, you have to get through the first three quarters, which is boring as all get-out. It's a description of a big battle, which under normal circumstances might be interesting. But in this case, nothing really interesting happens. It's no spoiler to say that the good guys win, that should be obvious to anyone following the overall arc of the story. But the way it happens just didn't hold any interest for me. Maybe I'm just jaded after some of the prior books, where interesting and unexpected things happen regularly, to be satisfied with a couple hundred pages of things going pretty much according to plan.
Stirling fans will want to read the book to see what happens to all their favorite characters. Others...don't start with this one, go back to the original Change novels. If the story and world grip you enough that you make it to Lord of Mountains, it'll be worth reading then.
Unfortunately, to get to the last quarter of Lord of Mountains, you have to get through the first three quarters, which is boring as all get-out. It's a description of a big battle, which under normal circumstances might be interesting. But in this case, nothing really interesting happens. It's no spoiler to say that the good guys win, that should be obvious to anyone following the overall arc of the story. But the way it happens just didn't hold any interest for me. Maybe I'm just jaded after some of the prior books, where interesting and unexpected things happen regularly, to be satisfied with a couple hundred pages of things going pretty much according to plan.
Stirling fans will want to read the book to see what happens to all their favorite characters. Others...don't start with this one, go back to the original Change novels. If the story and world grip you enough that you make it to Lord of Mountains, it'll be worth reading then.
jkh107's review against another edition
3.0
This is the series that never ends
It goes on and on my friends
Fortunately it's still moderately entertaining...but nothing like the first 6 or so books. The denouement keeps on going and going and going.
It goes on and on my friends
Fortunately it's still moderately entertaining...but nothing like the first 6 or so books. The denouement keeps on going and going and going.
leons1701's review against another edition
3.0
You know how a football game lasts 3 hours and then all the post game coverage is even longer sometimes? That's a bit how this book feels, the first half is a "murthering great battle". Just one battle, mind you. The second half is post-battle reactions. I don't want to say nothing happens in the second half of the book, because some of the revelations are quite significant in setting up further books in the series, but it almost feels that way at times. Fortunately, Stirling is constitutionally incapable of producing 800 page doorstops that fail to either advance the plot or reveal anything new about the characters, this book is blessedly short and does move things along. Still, the book ends up rather oddly paced, something of an inversion of how such books are normally constructed and that keeps it out of four star territory.