A review by rosie_khan
On This Unworthy Scaffold by Heidi Heilig
4.0
THIS BOOK...
As usual, beautiful writing and setting, clever plot, funny characters, and lovely ephemera between chapters.
I got answers to a lot of questions from A Kingdom for a Stage, but god damn, the ending of this book sort of ruined the amazing arc of the trilogy. I'd still recommend reading all three books, because they're fantastic and unique, but prepare to have your heart deflated at the end. I'm going to pretend everything from Chapter Twenty-One is a suggestion and not canon.
I'm also going to learn some of the songs on the piano with the sheet music included between chapters, because truly, these books are so full of heart.
SPOILER 1:
SPOILER 2:
SPOILER 3:
IT. DOES. NOT. MAKE. SENSE.
I know that Jetta hates how she brought Akra back and now has to obey her orders, but they're still making it work! He still has free will 98% of the time and he's still ALIVE. So why not bring Leo back???? She literally said she could! Everyone -- Theodora, Cheeky, Tia -- would want her to! RIP to Jetta but I'm different, I would rather Leo be reanimated and suffer the consequences than simply be gone forever. And, with Jetta's malheur, I would have expected her to rashly bring him back because she couldn't bear to see him gone and didn't even think twice. UGH. I mean, reading the last chapter where Jetta is blanketed in grief and has no interest in making puppets or doing anything--what the HELL why didn't she BRING HIM BACK.
Of course, I should have seen this coming because Leo had been writing a song for her al this time. But they could have had a happy ending rather than this pointless tragedy. It is NOT the case that it couldn't have happened any other way.
I'm going to pretend what actually happened is that Jetta brought Leo back and everyone lived happily ever after.
As usual, beautiful writing and setting, clever plot, funny characters, and lovely ephemera between chapters.
I got answers to a lot of questions from A Kingdom for a Stage, but god damn, the ending of this book sort of ruined the amazing arc of the trilogy. I'd still recommend reading all three books, because they're fantastic and unique, but prepare to have your heart deflated at the end. I'm going to pretend everything from Chapter Twenty-One is a suggestion and not canon.
I'm also going to learn some of the songs on the piano with the sheet music included between chapters, because truly, these books are so full of heart.
SPOILER 1:
Spoiler
Raik's death was so sudden and didn't feel earned!!! I don't really know what else could have happened to him but I think his death made me realize that his character was very flat all along. And I wanted more angst or more reaction from Camreon. I feel like he was so vivid, mysterious, charismatic, and magnetic in A Kingdom for a Stage but in this book, he's sort of just...there.SPOILER 2:
Spoiler
The way the shadow play performance went for the King was super underwhelming. The King interrupted partway through and then he and Jetta just went off on the griffin to go get Theodora, like....there was no FIGHT? There was no FIRE? No blood? I was expecting an absolute catastrophe and mayhem and I was disappointed by how easily Jetta succeeded at getting away.SPOILER 3:
Spoiler
WHY DID LEO HAVE TO DIE AND WHY DID JETTA NOT BRING HIM BACK?!IT. DOES. NOT. MAKE. SENSE.
I know that Jetta hates how she brought Akra back and now has to obey her orders, but they're still making it work! He still has free will 98% of the time and he's still ALIVE. So why not bring Leo back???? She literally said she could! Everyone -- Theodora, Cheeky, Tia -- would want her to! RIP to Jetta but I'm different, I would rather Leo be reanimated and suffer the consequences than simply be gone forever. And, with Jetta's malheur, I would have expected her to rashly bring him back because she couldn't bear to see him gone and didn't even think twice. UGH. I mean, reading the last chapter where Jetta is blanketed in grief and has no interest in making puppets or doing anything--what the HELL why didn't she BRING HIM BACK.
Of course, I should have seen this coming because Leo had been writing a song for her al this time. But they could have had a happy ending rather than this pointless tragedy. It is NOT the case that it couldn't have happened any other way.
I'm going to pretend what actually happened is that Jetta brought Leo back and everyone lived happily ever after.