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A review by filberthoneysac
Sins of Empire by Brian McClellan
2.0
2.5 // 5
‘The smell of the dead, the wind in his hair, the blood on his steel: it made him feel vibrant and alive like nothing in the world had ever done for him.’
Sins of Empire is Brian McClellan's re-entry into his beloved Powder Mage universe. With a somewhat new cast of characters, I found Sins of Empire unfortunately lacking comparatively. I like Vlora, Styke, and Michel as characters, but I simply found myself wanting more Taniel and Ka-poel. Hah!
The Mad Lancers were a fun group, but my least favorite part of these books is the fighting -- at least on a large scale. Personal fights like Styke vs. Fidelis Jes -- which concluded far too quickly for my tastes -- are the kind I particularly enjoy. Anyway, Styke's story was fun, reminded me of Kings of the Wyld, a bunch of battered, old, and crippled war veterans getting back together for one last job. We know that never ends well for 'em.
Michel was a somewhat intriguing point of view, but I found myself yearning for Taniel and Ka-poel more than him. I wasn't a big fan of how the double agency was handled... Michel compartmentalizing his traitor-self, then struggling with doing so after he meets with Taniel. Then he manages to down the city's greatest duelist and take over his post... huh. Not a fan, unfortunately, Michel. Give me more Taniel and Ka-poel!
On the whole, the story had some good buildup in the first half, exploded in the second half, but none of it was particularly exciting. We got barely a nibble of information on the godstones, which were the most interesting part of the story, and a lot of repeated information or thoughts for our characters. Vlora's politicking might have been my favorite part of the book, especially with her confrontation in the Depths. Hmm!
I will probably read the next entry, but when will that be? I've no idea.
‘The smell of the dead, the wind in his hair, the blood on his steel: it made him feel vibrant and alive like nothing in the world had ever done for him.’
Sins of Empire is Brian McClellan's re-entry into his beloved Powder Mage universe. With a somewhat new cast of characters, I found Sins of Empire unfortunately lacking comparatively. I like Vlora, Styke, and Michel as characters, but I simply found myself wanting more Taniel and Ka-poel. Hah!
The Mad Lancers were a fun group, but my least favorite part of these books is the fighting -- at least on a large scale. Personal fights like Styke vs. Fidelis Jes -- which concluded far too quickly for my tastes -- are the kind I particularly enjoy. Anyway, Styke's story was fun, reminded me of Kings of the Wyld, a bunch of battered, old, and crippled war veterans getting back together for one last job. We know that never ends well for 'em.
Michel was a somewhat intriguing point of view, but I found myself yearning for Taniel and Ka-poel more than him. I wasn't a big fan of how the double agency was handled... Michel compartmentalizing his traitor-self, then struggling with doing so after he meets with Taniel. Then he manages to down the city's greatest duelist and take over his post... huh. Not a fan, unfortunately, Michel. Give me more Taniel and Ka-poel!
On the whole, the story had some good buildup in the first half, exploded in the second half, but none of it was particularly exciting. We got barely a nibble of information on the godstones, which were the most interesting part of the story, and a lot of repeated information or thoughts for our characters. Vlora's politicking might have been my favorite part of the book, especially with her confrontation in the Depths. Hmm!
I will probably read the next entry, but when will that be? I've no idea.