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A review by omnificer
The Ace of Skulls by Chris Wooding
4.0
Protagonist Breakdown: Ensemble Anti-heroes
As an endcap to the series I'm quite pleased with this book.
What we have is a character driven series with a pulp action narrative. At the beginning of the series, the characters are at their worst. They are driven by their flaws and are frankly unlikable. But each book has had the characters develop, deal with the demons of their past, and overcome their flaws. At least partially (except Pinn).
Basically you start with a group of assholes who can't really stand each other and you end with friends and family, who despite going their own way at the finish are closer than ever before. On its own it is perhaps a bit saccharine how the characters are driving themselves forward for lofty ideals of love, freedom, and friendship. However, I was invested in the character arcs where I was cheering them on as they complete their metamorphosis from selfish pirates into Big Damn Heroes.
I also appreciate the action scenes of the series. They're dynamic. Have explosions. Cool set pieces. Basically everything you want from a kind of diesel-punk sky-pirate series. In this final book it even comes to a head with a massive battle in the sky.
Overall the books tend to run a little long for their subject matter but I'm convinced that helps the camaraderie and victories at the end of each book feel well earned. It's hard to see that halfway through the first book but I think it's well worth it by the end of the first and just gets better each book after.
As an endcap to the series I'm quite pleased with this book.
What we have is a character driven series with a pulp action narrative. At the beginning of the series, the characters are at their worst. They are driven by their flaws and are frankly unlikable. But each book has had the characters develop, deal with the demons of their past, and overcome their flaws. At least partially (except Pinn).
Basically you start with a group of assholes who can't really stand each other and you end with friends and family, who despite going their own way at the finish are closer than ever before. On its own it is perhaps a bit saccharine how the characters are driving themselves forward for lofty ideals of love, freedom, and friendship. However, I was invested in the character arcs where I was cheering them on as they complete their metamorphosis from selfish pirates into Big Damn Heroes.
I also appreciate the action scenes of the series. They're dynamic. Have explosions. Cool set pieces. Basically everything you want from a kind of diesel-punk sky-pirate series. In this final book it even comes to a head with a massive battle in the sky.
Overall the books tend to run a little long for their subject matter but I'm convinced that helps the camaraderie and victories at the end of each book feel well earned. It's hard to see that halfway through the first book but I think it's well worth it by the end of the first and just gets better each book after.