malloreigh's review
5.0
Enjoyed this one much more than the last. A more diverse cast, more queer content, and a more varied setting kept me interested throughout.
nwilliams96's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
beorn_101's review
4.0
It took me a while to get fully invested in this story. Our main cast is all back, but we are now in the capital city, and the central conflicts are all very cloak and dagger and political in nature. Compared to the more sweeping military focus of book one this was a bit of an adjustment.
However, once I started to get hooked the slower and tenser pacing of this book really began to work for me.
The Shadow Throne focuses on the swirling mass of various factions vying for power or safety during a period of political upheaval. The conflicts and events, while dangerous, are smaller in scope, if larger in effect for our characters. This creates some nice ways for our characters from book one to shine in different light, as different traits are what is needed for their success.
I don't love every character in this book. Compared to the similar Powder Mage trilogy these characters don't all pull me in. I think Winter's story was really well done and interesting, and the addition of the soon to be queen Raesinia was also great, but our other main perspective, Marcus, I just find a bit underwhelming. He isn't a bad character, but he, and even to an extent Winter, are far too passive to be engaging. They are really reliant on Count Janus to make things happen.
I missed some of the great side characters book 1 spent developing, like our friends back with the colonial army. We do get some interesting people in their place, but after growing attached to book 1 characters, having to learn an entire new cast was a bit off putting.
Shout out to some of my favorite new characters though, including pretty much all the Leatherbacks and Raesina's bodyguard Soth.
Probably one of the biggest strengths of book one was the sweeping battles and how well the tactics and moments were described. Shadow Throne, because it is more a political intrigue story, doesn't really have any of this, except for in one part, which is just as well done as book 1.
I do think, despite eventually winning me over, this book suffers a bit from some pacing issues. It feels almost like a first book, with book 1 feeling more like a prologue. This means Wexler spends a lot of time introducing the city, the factions in the city, the people in charge of the faction, and even partially reintroducing our main characters while pseudo summarizing what they did in book 1.
Many hooks that are partially explored but left hanging for future books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it did take a while to really grab me and pull me in. But once I was invested it was well worth the time.
However, once I started to get hooked the slower and tenser pacing of this book really began to work for me.
The Shadow Throne focuses on the swirling mass of various factions vying for power or safety during a period of political upheaval. The conflicts and events, while dangerous, are smaller in scope, if larger in effect for our characters. This creates some nice ways for our characters from book one to shine in different light, as different traits are what is needed for their success.
I don't love every character in this book. Compared to the similar Powder Mage trilogy these characters don't all pull me in. I think Winter's story was really well done and interesting, and the addition of the soon to be queen Raesinia was also great, but our other main perspective, Marcus, I just find a bit underwhelming. He isn't a bad character, but he, and even to an extent Winter, are far too passive to be engaging. They are really reliant on Count Janus to make things happen.
I missed some of the great side characters book 1 spent developing, like our friends back with the colonial army. We do get some interesting people in their place, but after growing attached to book 1 characters, having to learn an entire new cast was a bit off putting.
Shout out to some of my favorite new characters though, including pretty much all the Leatherbacks and Raesina's bodyguard Soth.
Probably one of the biggest strengths of book one was the sweeping battles and how well the tactics and moments were described. Shadow Throne, because it is more a political intrigue story, doesn't really have any of this, except for in one part, which is just as well done as book 1.
I do think, despite eventually winning me over, this book suffers a bit from some pacing issues. It feels almost like a first book, with book 1 feeling more like a prologue. This means Wexler spends a lot of time introducing the city, the factions in the city, the people in charge of the faction, and even partially reintroducing our main characters while pseudo summarizing what they did in book 1.
Many hooks that are partially explored but left hanging for future books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it did take a while to really grab me and pull me in. But once I was invested it was well worth the time.
mythical_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
pvbobrien's review
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
catbooking's review
3.0
This is a much weaker sequel to the first book. It started out strong, but fell apart when the author did not have a clear picture of how to pull everything together. The magic took a backseat, although new supernatural elements were introduced. The bad guy was lackluster and not scary. The female protagonists dissolved into emotional drama. The male protagonists lacked authority and inner determination showed in the first book.
It wasn't until I looked up reviews for this book, after I finished reading, that I realized that the author writes YA. And while this book is not listed as YA, it certainly has a lot of the tropes that are usually found in YA books. Young protagonists finding their place in the world. Relationship drama straight from a soap opera. Worst of all, for me, was the 'feminism light' aspects, which are commonly found in YA books. The female characters are faced with constraints placed on them by their gender, but those constraints feel shallow and insubstantial. The solutions to those constraints feel equally shallow and insubstantial, they just go away because the female protagonists for once decide not to back down.
With all that said the book isn't bad, it just could be better. And I am hoping the sequels find their way back to the magic that book 1 had. Although, looking at the ratings for book 3 probably not.
PS: I do hope that we will begin to see the narrative turn away from “military gets things done, while debate wastes time”. I get that the main characters are military men and would have such views, it is just becoming annoying to see those fighting for reforms reduced to caricatures.
It wasn't until I looked up reviews for this book, after I finished reading, that I realized that the author writes YA. And while this book is not listed as YA, it certainly has a lot of the tropes that are usually found in YA books. Young protagonists finding their place in the world. Relationship drama straight from a soap opera. Worst of all, for me, was the 'feminism light' aspects, which are commonly found in YA books. The female characters are faced with constraints placed on them by their gender, but those constraints feel shallow and insubstantial. The solutions to those constraints feel equally shallow and insubstantial, they just go away because the female protagonists for once decide not to back down.
With all that said the book isn't bad, it just could be better. And I am hoping the sequels find their way back to the magic that book 1 had. Although, looking at the ratings for book 3 probably not.
PS: I do hope that we will begin to see the narrative turn away from “military gets things done, while debate wastes time”. I get that the main characters are military men and would have such views, it is just becoming annoying to see those fighting for reforms reduced to caricatures.
haahu's review
4.0
One of the best fantasy books I've read in a while. I like how after a bunch of epic stuff, it leaves room for even more epic stuff in the next book(s).
sherbetmango's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0