Reviews

Armistice by Lara Elena Donnelly

jbash_lo_fi's review against another edition

4.0

I love a book with a map of the fictional land in which it's set, but they printed a map for the wrong continent in this one - almost all of the story takes place far away from Amberlough and I had no idea how to make geographic sense of this expanded world. I also found it hard to keep track of all the new cities and countries and the geopolitics of it all. All that confusion aside this was a sharply paced book, with conveniently sized chapters to keep things moving. I was left eager for the next instalment which is always a good sign.

timinbc's review against another edition

2.0

This may be a five-star book but not for me. DNF.

This series was presented to me as a fantasy, and as a reader of SF/F I wanted that.
So my only beef is with the people who presented this as a fantasy series. It ain't.

Both books so far in this series are set in countries and cities that don't exist in our world but could have, and I don't recall noticing anything that couldn't happen in our world.

Amberlough was unusual enough that I accepted it, not really noticing that it's a spy thriller. In Armistice, you can't miss it. It's slow, and mannered, and not much has happened up to the point I gave up.

Perhaps it's an excellent spy novel, but there are many of those out there already, and I have read a few, and I prefer SF/F.

snarkyspice's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This was a very... saggy midpoint for the Amberlough Dossier trilogy. I was excited for the 3 year time jump in the beginning, but the story still felt stuck. I felt like there was a lot of buildup to a climax that never really happened. The ending felt a little like Casablanca but without the real stakes of Casablanca.

Similar to Amberlough, the motivations behind the political intrigue in Armistice are never sufficiently explored and readers are expected to fill in the blanks using their own real-world knowledge of various partisan resistance groups during World War II. I've read the first book of the trilogy 3 times and still couldn't explain to you why Cyril flipped since the book made clear that the Ospies were going to take the city anyway. I spent months with Armistice (other books demanded my attention, so it was very start-and-stop for me) and hand to god I would not be able to explain how this

double-crossing/kidnapping plot was meant to play out beyond "Lillian gets her son back and now she and Jinadh can be together." I'm still unclear as to why Mmediv was brought into it? The only part that made sense was Pulan's gunrunning plot.

I would have liked more of that and less of Ari's brooding, especially since we had absolutely zero moments of him actually being a filmmaker. I loved Aristide's character in Amberlough, but in Porachis he's a fish out of water... or in his case out of whiskey.

christyco125's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

syliu's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Things have taken a dark and more serious turn, and I imagine it’ll only get more intense as the series concludes. Cy’s absence loomed over the whole book while Lilian slotted better than I’d imagined into his old calculating place. I’m scared for what comes next. 

reliures's review against another edition

4.75

The second book in the The Amberlough Dossier trilogy, takes place a few years after the first book that saw a fascistic political party take power in a country reminiscent of the Weimar Republic in 1920’s/30’s Germany.  

I won’t delve into the plot to avoid spoilers but it was a joy to return into this Art Deco drenched political fantasy, full of twists,  intrigues, spies, revolutionaries, and smugglers. The diversity in this world, in terms of queer characters and POCs was truly the cherry on top. 

As with the previous book, the author describes the vivid scenes and glamorous settings with a lush and sharp prose. The action in this book takes place mostly in another part of this world, in a country more reminiscent of those in North Africa. 

It was great seeing two main characters from the previous book, Aristide and Cordelia, and a new one, Lillian (the sister of the main character from the first book, Cyril). The three points of view start separately, emphasising on the characters’ personal struggles in the aftermath of the previous book. Eventually their paths cross as their actions converge to similar goals.
It felt less twisty and plot heavy than the first book, with less urgency and fear, focusing more on personal relationships and the characters’s emotions.  
Despite being the middle book, I didn’t feel it dragged and reading it felt like a breeze. 

The ending definitely set up for the last book, so I’m looking forward to see how the trilogy ends. 

aliena_jackson's review against another edition

2.0

Probably should be a three for the writing alone, but it lacked the heart of Amberlough, and it took me two months to get through it. I’m more relieved than anything. I miss Cyril.

gatun's review against another edition

5.0

Armistice is a wonderful sequel to Amberlough. It picks up the story after the powder keg has blown and the characters have each run to where they thought was safe, if only for a moment. Although they are scattered, the thread that binds them is their wish to return to Amberlough City in Gedda. In order to do that they will have to oust the Fascist regime that has taken Gedda to add to its "One Nation". With this many characters in many locations getting the gang back together involves a lot of adventures and narrow escapes. Looking forward to the concluding volume of the series.

I received a copy of Armistice from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

elizas's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

kokiriforest0617's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0