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A review by blove0312
Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Reread ending 8/9/24:
This is perhaps my favorite one. There is a lot going on, a lot of ground to cover as our crew was split up, but I love having a POV from Khalila who may be my most favorite of them all (Thomas and Jess of course being about even, or just below). Khalila has the ability to remain calm and level-headed in so far every shit show she’s been part of; she uses logic and reason instead of acting or speaking rashly. As opposite as I am, I love this. I love that she’s a woman, that she’s Muslim. It’s important to have diversity, but it’s more important to have real, fleshed out diversity. Though as I am not a religious person, let alone of her faith, I cannot swear that it’s an altogether accurate representation. But to have her be their collective voice of reason (though sometimes shared with Thomas), to put her in places of leadership (several times), it lends weight to real people of her various backgrounds, helps give the often voiceless a voice. All in my personal opinion, of course.
Well shit, and Wolfe of course; he is an Elder Emo and A Gay, and I love his dry sense of humor, his inability to stop plodding along (which is notably different than “his ability to continue plodding along” as there are many times he wishes he could just stop, be done), his wit, his unfaltering love and devotion to Santi. His POV are heart-breaking at times, back in the clutches of the people who’ve been trying to kill him for years, and without his mother to have his back. But he continues plodding along; he doesn’t give into the despair, the fear. But more than that, he lends his strength to his fellow prisoners, while they get the layout of the place and the names of others in there, so that they can be ready. For what, he doesn’t know, but he does know Jess, Santi, and he knows something is going to happen. And so he does what he can, because what else can he do?
Jess spends most of this book balanced on a precarious ledge, and without any of his people. But damn if he doesn’t still make shit happen. I won’t spend much raving about him, though I am awfully fond of him, because we’ve mostly seen things from his POV already. You already know he’s clever, willing to make sacrifices if and when they’re needed. You already know he’s come to view his friends as his family, despite not really having anything to compare up to this point. Just know Jess shows up, as Brendan, because he’s ready to see this to the end. Whatever it takes.
The tides are turning on the Archivist. The scholars aren’t stupid (hence being… ya know, scholars), they see people with opposing views being imprisoned, they see him tightening the reigns and seizing more control than his station typically allows, they see the monstrosity he unleashes… but will he realize before it’s too late?
Morgan… is playing her role inside the Tower, trying to make contact with Eskander, trying to gain allies, using her rebellious ways which I of course respect and encourage. She just doesn’t do it for me as much as she did on my first read, maybe even my second.
Long story short, I love this series. And when I love a series, and the characters within, I will always rate a 5. Not that this book is possibly less, I might’ve said that for book 2 but it still gets all 5 of them babies.
This is perhaps my favorite one. There is a lot going on, a lot of ground to cover as our crew was split up, but I love having a POV from Khalila who may be my most favorite of them all (Thomas and Jess of course being about even, or just below). Khalila has the ability to remain calm and level-headed in so far every shit show she’s been part of; she uses logic and reason instead of acting or speaking rashly. As opposite as I am, I love this. I love that she’s a woman, that she’s Muslim. It’s important to have diversity, but it’s more important to have real, fleshed out diversity. Though as I am not a religious person, let alone of her faith, I cannot swear that it’s an altogether accurate representation. But to have her be their collective voice of reason (though sometimes shared with Thomas), to put her in places of leadership (several times), it lends weight to real people of her various backgrounds, helps give the often voiceless a voice. All in my personal opinion, of course.
Well shit, and Wolfe of course; he is an Elder Emo and A Gay, and I love his dry sense of humor, his inability to stop plodding along (which is notably different than “his ability to continue plodding along” as there are many times he wishes he could just stop, be done), his wit, his unfaltering love and devotion to Santi. His POV are heart-breaking at times, back in the clutches of the people who’ve been trying to kill him for years, and without his mother to have his back. But he continues plodding along; he doesn’t give into the despair, the fear. But more than that, he lends his strength to his fellow prisoners, while they get the layout of the place and the names of others in there, so that they can be ready. For what, he doesn’t know, but he does know Jess, Santi, and he knows something is going to happen. And so he does what he can, because what else can he do?
Jess spends most of this book balanced on a precarious ledge, and without any of his people. But damn if he doesn’t still make shit happen. I won’t spend much raving about him, though I am awfully fond of him, because we’ve mostly seen things from his POV already. You already know he’s clever, willing to make sacrifices if and when they’re needed. You already know he’s come to view his friends as his family, despite not really having anything to compare up to this point. Just know Jess shows up, as Brendan, because he’s ready to see this to the end. Whatever it takes.
The tides are turning on the Archivist. The scholars aren’t stupid (hence being… ya know, scholars), they see people with opposing views being imprisoned, they see him tightening the reigns and seizing more control than his station typically allows, they see the monstrosity he unleashes… but will he realize before it’s too late?
Morgan… is playing her role inside the Tower, trying to make contact with Eskander, trying to gain allies, using her rebellious ways which I of course respect and encourage. She just doesn’t do it for me as much as she did on my first read, maybe even my second.
Long story short, I love this series. And when I love a series, and the characters within, I will always rate a 5. Not that this book is possibly less, I might’ve said that for book 2 but it still gets all 5 of them babies.