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timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
Hmm, fantasy or science fiction? That's the first hurdle. Somehow it seems to matter more after this third volume. I don't seem to have reviewed #2, but I recall its events.
In this book Tregillis spins out the consequences of his setup in a consistent way. He has interesting characters, human and otherwise. But in the end, I feel let down. Not sure why.
Perhaps it's that all the handwaving of the first two books (trust me, it's alchemical!) seems to be insufficient as the stakes get higher. More and more often I kept wondering why, for example, they use Clakker-powered rowboats instead of producing an alchemical 40,000-horsepower motor? If a world can produce clakkers that have super speed and super strength and super hearing, why can't we have airplanes and autodocs? I think this book could have been done with weaker Clakkers, and would have been better for it.
Not to mention the Forge, which is the biggest handwave since the adeledicnander drive. It's really big, and has armillary spheres! Tregillis teases us near the end by appearing to hint that he's going to tell us what the spheres do ... but no. I suspect it is actually a large glowing ball of Narrativium, with which you can produce whatever your plot needs.
The whole sigils thing is an OK extension of basic golem theory, but the pineal gland/glass thing, glowing and non-glowing etc., is over the top. And I'm not at all sure about the suggestion that Mab and company were going to do geas implants on humans. Might have some 'splainin' to do on how that would work. Which brings me back to the Clakkers again. How did they get programmed with superb vocabulary and diction, remarkable strength and grace, marvellous fighting skills, and much, much more? Skills they ALL have. Is there some sort of Internet, with a Khan Academy they all log into while the humans slept? When and where do they practise to develop these skills?
And where's the missing chapter, in which Anastasia's glowing hand is explained? That one bothers me because it wasn't that long ago I read M.K. Hobson's The Native Star, which does pretty much the same thing with a magic stone in a hand. (No accusation here, I'm just observing that it happened, and I'm sure there are three other books out there that did it too).
OK, OK, lots of nits to pick. I didn't really enjoy this volume, but it is a respectable conclusion to a well-reasoned story about some challenging concepts and interesting characters. My only beefs are about the world-building, really. Oh, and maybe we could vary up the "shitcakes!" occasionally. Reminded me of Thomas "Hellfire" Covenant.
In this book Tregillis spins out the consequences of his setup in a consistent way. He has interesting characters, human and otherwise. But in the end, I feel let down. Not sure why.
Perhaps it's that all the handwaving of the first two books (trust me, it's alchemical!) seems to be insufficient as the stakes get higher. More and more often I kept wondering why, for example, they use Clakker-powered rowboats instead of producing an alchemical 40,000-horsepower motor? If a world can produce clakkers that have super speed and super strength and super hearing, why can't we have airplanes and autodocs? I think this book could have been done with weaker Clakkers, and would have been better for it.
Not to mention the Forge, which is the biggest handwave since the adeledicnander drive. It's really big, and has armillary spheres! Tregillis teases us near the end by appearing to hint that he's going to tell us what the spheres do ... but no. I suspect it is actually a large glowing ball of Narrativium, with which you can produce whatever your plot needs.
The whole sigils thing is an OK extension of basic golem theory, but the pineal gland/glass thing, glowing and non-glowing etc., is over the top. And I'm not at all sure about the suggestion that Mab and company were going to do geas implants on humans. Might have some 'splainin' to do on how that would work. Which brings me back to the Clakkers again. How did they get programmed with superb vocabulary and diction, remarkable strength and grace, marvellous fighting skills, and much, much more? Skills they ALL have. Is there some sort of Internet, with a Khan Academy they all log into while the humans slept? When and where do they practise to develop these skills?
And where's the missing chapter, in which Anastasia's glowing hand is explained? That one bothers me because it wasn't that long ago I read M.K. Hobson's The Native Star, which does pretty much the same thing with a magic stone in a hand. (No accusation here, I'm just observing that it happened, and I'm sure there are three other books out there that did it too).
OK, OK, lots of nits to pick. I didn't really enjoy this volume, but it is a respectable conclusion to a well-reasoned story about some challenging concepts and interesting characters. My only beefs are about the world-building, really. Oh, and maybe we could vary up the "shitcakes!" occasionally. Reminded me of Thomas "Hellfire" Covenant.
willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
Not the greatest ending, but a pretty good one.
Review to come.
Review to come.
crimsoncor's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic conclusion to the trilogy. Stands on the shoulders of the first two books to raise numerous thought-provoking questions about the nature of consciousness, identity, and clan identification.
p3tt1tt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
adamrbrooks's review against another edition
5.0
This book shattered my lukewarm feelings about this series (compared to Milkweed). As my as I dislike series, this really rewarded me for sticking around, for seeing all the threads come together, for seeing characters’ bad actions — and even their good ones — come back to haunt them.
There’s interesting stuff about what true freedom means (and if it even exists), our duty to others, if technology will be our ruin, how humans are always responding to multiple compulsions and many other topics.
For example, when seeing bird poop on statues: “It was as if the achievements of the past quarter millennium had spackled only the thinnest veneer of sophistication over the heat of the empire. And then, with a single swipe of the brush, the attackers had stripped away the illusion of modern civilization”
“Daniel carries the worst affliction of any thinking being. He’s got a heavy conscience, the poor son of a bitch”
(See... Daniel is the MOST human)
“The worst, the very worst, was being forced to accept that she had committed evil.”
There’s interesting stuff about what true freedom means (and if it even exists), our duty to others, if technology will be our ruin, how humans are always responding to multiple compulsions and many other topics.
For example, when seeing bird poop on statues: “It was as if the achievements of the past quarter millennium had spackled only the thinnest veneer of sophistication over the heat of the empire. And then, with a single swipe of the brush, the attackers had stripped away the illusion of modern civilization”
“Daniel carries the worst affliction of any thinking being. He’s got a heavy conscience, the poor son of a bitch”
(See... Daniel is the MOST human)
“The worst, the very worst, was being forced to accept that she had committed evil.”
mlore95's review against another edition
3.0
A conclusion that, while well-written, leaves too many plot threads unfinished and mysteries unexplained to be truly great. The Liberation feels rushed, and I came away with more questions than answers.Tregillis has great command over the language, that's without question. He's also created an interesting world. What he hasn't done is answer any of the questions raised in the previous two books, and the result is an unsatisfying final novel. What is quintessence? Why was it made a huge major plot point in books 2 and 3 and then never once explained? The series teases answers on the question of the Clakkers perpetual motion and the nature of the Forge and leaves the reader in the dark while implying the characters have learned the answers. Why are there suddenly a bunch of objects that can rewrite the Clakkers' metagesa? Objects treated as holy grails in the preceding novels are now throwaway baubles. Why do 'alchemical bandages' suddenly exist with no explanation?
We finally get a look into the inner workings of the Guild, and every single member is painted as ineffectual and delusional. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, and it seems impossible to me that not a single Guild member had taken an interest in the individuality of these machines in the 3 centuries since they were created, yet Berenice was able to figure out their language and alchemical grammar without even living among them?
All in all a disappointing conclusion that feels rushed and lacks internal consistency.
We finally get a look into the inner workings of the Guild, and every single member is painted as ineffectual and delusional. Suspension of disbelief can only go so far, and it seems impossible to me that not a single Guild member had taken an interest in the individuality of these machines in the 3 centuries since they were created, yet Berenice was able to figure out their language and alchemical grammar without even living among them?
All in all a disappointing conclusion that feels rushed and lacks internal consistency.
aminabeee's review against another edition
4.0
This was an amazing end to the trilogy of the Alchemy Wars. The victory was hard-fought and gruelling but they got there and it was a hell of a ride to read.
The only reason I wouldn't give it a full five stars is because I'm left wanting to know a lot more about the actual Alchemy that created the mechanicals! Especially with Berenice figuring out the grammar etc in the last book, I was very intrigued to know more about it and read the whole damn trilogy in the hopes of more. I truly wished it was explored but it's an amazing book regardless.
The only reason I wouldn't give it a full five stars is because I'm left wanting to know a lot more about the actual Alchemy that created the mechanicals! Especially with Berenice figuring out the grammar etc in the last book, I was very intrigued to know more about it and read the whole damn trilogy in the hopes of more. I truly wished it was explored but it's an amazing book regardless.
skybalon's review against another edition
4.0
Overall I recommend the series. The last book is a little disappointing. It wraps up the story fine, but all of the bigger questions are left hanging. And given the artful way they were brought up in the first two parts of this series, it is a little disappointing. Still well worth the read.
indigooryx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0