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vespix's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
books_with_benghis_kahn's review against another edition
4.0
These short stories were strong from start to finish, and even though short stories really aren't my thing, reading through these never felt like a drag. Most of them dealt with pretty dark themes surrounding war, and they often had emotional poignance that caught me by surprise.
This is really only for veteran readers of Shadows of the Apt due to all the worldbuilding that wouldn't make sense to readers coming to this first before any of the novels, even though all the stories are set chronologically before the start of the series. It's best read as a companion book to bk 7 Heirs of the Blade, as it introduces that book's main setting and many of the important side characters that pop up in that one. I'd recommend reading it before bk 7 to enrich your experience with the main novel.
Special props to the story Ironclads, which I felt was particularly compelling on its own and also provides important context for Varmen in bk 7 that adds a lot of heft to his character there.
This is really only for veteran readers of Shadows of the Apt due to all the worldbuilding that wouldn't make sense to readers coming to this first before any of the novels, even though all the stories are set chronologically before the start of the series. It's best read as a companion book to bk 7 Heirs of the Blade, as it introduces that book's main setting and many of the important side characters that pop up in that one. I'd recommend reading it before bk 7 to enrich your experience with the main novel.
Special props to the story Ironclads, which I felt was particularly compelling on its own and also provides important context for Varmen in bk 7 that adds a lot of heft to his character there.
sina_tavousi's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
tomlloyd's review
4.0
An excellent companion collection from one of the best and most versatile authors in the genre today. There were no weak stories to be found and it was all highly entertaining. They're pretty much all focused on the 12 year war and the aftermath, but while that makes sense it did mean there wasn't quite the same variety of races etc that you find in the series - that's really not a big complaint though and I'm keen to read the next collection.
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