The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
tani's review against another edition
4.0
Seriously, major spoilers here. Don't read this if you don't want to be spoiled. That said...
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the action and the fast pace. The characters were great: interesting and fun to read about. The plot was intriguing. In general, the book did a great job of keeping me focused and reading.
However, I wasn't really too thrilled with the ending. It felt a little rushed, especially the battle for Celebre. Maybe I was losing my concentration at that point, but it definitely felt a little too sudden in starting and a little too quick in ending.
I wasn't pleased by Waels's death. At all. Yes, part of that was my emotional reaction to the whole thing. I liked Waels. I didn't want him to die. Also, I hate to say it, but the fact that the gay guy, faced with a horribly life-threatening situation, dies, while the straight guys all pull through when faced with similarly horribly situations, is a little suspect to me. Yes, Marno ends up mauled and deformed, but he's still alive. Would it really have hurt to let Waels have a similarly miraculous recovery? A year or two ago, I probably wouldn't have noticed that kind of disparity, but now...Well, I do, and I don't like it.
Marno was the other thing I didn't really like. I just wasn't convinced that he's secretly this sweet, sensitive guy. Sure, it was said a couple times, although not exactly in those words, but his actions all went in the other direction. We saw Marno be ruthless. We saw him show very little regret for his ruthlessness. The only time we might have seen this other side of him was when he was talking to Fabia after they were married, with the art and the goblets and whatnot. It just wasn't enough to convince that Fabia falling for him was believable, you know? Maybe if we'd seen some of the conversations they had in the chariot, I wouldn't be having such a hard time, but since we didn't...I guess I think that there was a little too much telling and not enough showing where Marno was involved. I know I'll sound superficial when I say this, but it's not that easy to get past physical deformities like Marno's, and I'm just not convinced by Fabia's swift acceptance of him as a husband.
Also, the complete refusal to even consider Fabia as dogaressa kind of irked me. I'd have been fine with her age and lack of experience being cited as the reason she couldn't be dogaressa, but the focus on her gender was annoying. Oh, and this line: "Dogaressa Oliva had done her best, no doubt, but it was good to have a doge in charge again." Yeah, I know it's an in-character comment, not necessarily a reflection on the author or anything like that, but grr. Way to hit my buttons!
Still, my quibbles don't change the fact that I did enjoy the book a great deal. The ending really is the only thing that I'm dissatisfied with. I'll definitely be seeking out more Dave Duncan in the future.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I liked the action and the fast pace. The characters were great: interesting and fun to read about. The plot was intriguing. In general, the book did a great job of keeping me focused and reading.
However, I wasn't really too thrilled with the ending. It felt a little rushed, especially the battle for Celebre. Maybe I was losing my concentration at that point, but it definitely felt a little too sudden in starting and a little too quick in ending.
I wasn't pleased by Waels's death. At all. Yes, part of that was my emotional reaction to the whole thing. I liked Waels. I didn't want him to die. Also, I hate to say it, but the fact that the gay guy, faced with a horribly life-threatening situation, dies, while the straight guys all pull through when faced with similarly horribly situations, is a little suspect to me. Yes, Marno ends up mauled and deformed, but he's still alive. Would it really have hurt to let Waels have a similarly miraculous recovery? A year or two ago, I probably wouldn't have noticed that kind of disparity, but now...Well, I do, and I don't like it.
Marno was the other thing I didn't really like. I just wasn't convinced that he's secretly this sweet, sensitive guy. Sure, it was said a couple times, although not exactly in those words, but his actions all went in the other direction. We saw Marno be ruthless. We saw him show very little regret for his ruthlessness. The only time we might have seen this other side of him was when he was talking to Fabia after they were married, with the art and the goblets and whatnot. It just wasn't enough to convince that Fabia falling for him was believable, you know? Maybe if we'd seen some of the conversations they had in the chariot, I wouldn't be having such a hard time, but since we didn't...I guess I think that there was a little too much telling and not enough showing where Marno was involved. I know I'll sound superficial when I say this, but it's not that easy to get past physical deformities like Marno's, and I'm just not convinced by Fabia's swift acceptance of him as a husband.
Also, the complete refusal to even consider Fabia as dogaressa kind of irked me. I'd have been fine with her age and lack of experience being cited as the reason she couldn't be dogaressa, but the focus on her gender was annoying. Oh, and this line: "Dogaressa Oliva had done her best, no doubt, but it was good to have a doge in charge again." Yeah, I know it's an in-character comment, not necessarily a reflection on the author or anything like that, but grr. Way to hit my buttons!
Still, my quibbles don't change the fact that I did enjoy the book a great deal. The ending really is the only thing that I'm dissatisfied with. I'll definitely be seeking out more Dave Duncan in the future.
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