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A review by lisyda
Locklands by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? No
4.0
The final book in the trilogy goes down a very different road than the first two. Which is a direct result of everything that happens in the first two and I understand that, but darn, I missed those heist vibes that were especially strong in "Foundryside" but still continued in to "Shorefall" as well. While there is a huge mission in this one, it's no longer as heisty as in the previous books, it was definitely done more in the vein of "the big final mission of a final instalment in a series".
Nevertheless, the concepts explored in "Locklands" were definitely intriguing. The way the technology of this world has evolved is memorable and provided an interesting exploration into how human society could theoretically function under such conditions (read the trilogy if you want to find out, no spoilers here).
The relationships between the characters were, in some ways, so much deeper in this book, due to the nature of how people communicate by this point and the effects of the technology they use. And since this book starts after a big time jump, their relationships also show a maturation that comes with time, though I guess it was kind of sad to miss out on seeing that growth as well.
The pacing and the overall vibe of "Locklands" felt a bit different to the previous books – at times, everything dragged a bit more than I would have liked. But those moments are made up for with the action and battle scenes, which have reached a whole new level of complexity in terms of the scriving Sancia and her crew use to get out of tough situations against a world-threatening enemy.
And then there was the ending. If you likehappy and very clearly wrapped up endings , then this trilogy gets it. For me, I liked the little twists in the ending, so even despite the nature of the ending, it's not perhaps exactly what you're expecting either.
Overall, I liked the trilogy as a whole. I won't forget the scriving technology anytime soon and as far as fantasy series go, this is a good, solid and fascinating one.
Nevertheless, the concepts explored in "Locklands" were definitely intriguing. The way the technology of this world has evolved is memorable and provided an interesting exploration into how human society could theoretically function under such conditions (read the trilogy if you want to find out, no spoilers here).
The relationships between the characters were, in some ways, so much deeper in this book, due to the nature of how people communicate by this point and the effects of the technology they use. And since this book starts after a big time jump, their relationships also show a maturation that comes with time, though I guess it was kind of sad to miss out on seeing that growth as well.
The pacing and the overall vibe of "Locklands" felt a bit different to the previous books – at times, everything dragged a bit more than I would have liked. But those moments are made up for with the action and battle scenes, which have reached a whole new level of complexity in terms of the scriving Sancia and her crew use to get out of tough situations against a world-threatening enemy.
And then there was the ending. If you like
Overall, I liked the trilogy as a whole. I won't forget the scriving technology anytime soon and as far as fantasy series go, this is a good, solid and fascinating one.