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wasauthor's review
5.0
I received an advance reader copy of Apprentice for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Apprentice continues the story originated in [b:Librarian|18047526|Librarian|Brian Fence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1370707972l/18047526._SY75_.jpg|25277129], telling the tale of Lenna Faircloth and her trevails with the psychic artefact ("Godjewel") in her possession. Picking up shortly after Librarian, it opens with a letter from Lenna, now living with the Freewomen, to her father, and her concern about his lack of response. This immediate mystery serves as an enticing throughline for the book.
As I read this, I was struck by how much more self-assured it felt than Librarian, and how it picks up its plot and runs with it. Assuming readers have read Librarian, it does away with reintroducing readers to Lenna and her world, and gets moving.
Apprentice is noticeably shorter than Librarian, and it makes the world of difference. Without sacrificing any story or plot (this actually has more going on in it), author Brian Fence has been more economical with his words, resulting in a product that isn't overwritten. The writing style remains recognisable to readers of the first book, but feels more focused on progressing its story.
This book expands upon its world in interesting ways and works from a larger canvass. The plot moves at a steady pace (it still isn't fast, but it doesn't get lost along the way), introducing more characters and adding more plot elements along with some political intrigue. This all builds to a satisfying conclusion, noting that as the middle entry in a trilogy, there is still more to come.
The prose throughout is skillfully written, with some wonderful turns of phrase. With more dialogue than Librarian, the author has been able to provide a more nuanced examination of the characters. The characters Apprentice reintroduces us to are more nuanced than the first book, thanks in part to simply being a continuation of the story, but also thanks to an added effort to have them shine through. The new characters the reader is introduced to are also expanded upon nicely. They're a joy to read, aside from those who aren't thanks to their antagonistic nature; all are crafted well.
Apprentice builds upon the fantasy elements in fun ways, and fantasy fans will appreciate the way this world has been built. The fantasy elements all feel natural and as though they belong, and don't require much suspension of disbelief to follow. The steampunk aspects in Apprentice are stronger than in Librarian, but they still form a relatively minor part of the book.
The feminist themes in Apprentice are just as strong as they were in Librarian as Lenna constantly comes up against a world underestimating her thanks to her gender. The clash of ideals between the Freewomen and the Brotherhood highlights how backwards our society's misogynistic views are. I'm also pleased that at no point did I have any issues with this being undercut by off-the-cuff remarks like Librarian.
Apprentice takes everything that worked well in Librarian and doubles down on it, while successfully remedying every issue that held its predecessor back from greatness. While the original book is "good," this is "great." I'm excited to see how this trilogy ends.
My full review will be available on my website from Wednesday, 27 April 2022. To read this, my thoughts about the original book, Librarian (available two days earlier on 25 April), and a host of other reviews, click here.
Apprentice continues the story originated in [b:Librarian|18047526|Librarian|Brian Fence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1370707972l/18047526._SY75_.jpg|25277129], telling the tale of Lenna Faircloth and her trevails with the psychic artefact ("Godjewel") in her possession. Picking up shortly after Librarian, it opens with a letter from Lenna, now living with the Freewomen, to her father, and her concern about his lack of response. This immediate mystery serves as an enticing throughline for the book.
As I read this, I was struck by how much more self-assured it felt than Librarian, and how it picks up its plot and runs with it. Assuming readers have read Librarian, it does away with reintroducing readers to Lenna and her world, and gets moving.
Apprentice is noticeably shorter than Librarian, and it makes the world of difference. Without sacrificing any story or plot (this actually has more going on in it), author Brian Fence has been more economical with his words, resulting in a product that isn't overwritten. The writing style remains recognisable to readers of the first book, but feels more focused on progressing its story.
This book expands upon its world in interesting ways and works from a larger canvass. The plot moves at a steady pace (it still isn't fast, but it doesn't get lost along the way), introducing more characters and adding more plot elements along with some political intrigue. This all builds to a satisfying conclusion, noting that as the middle entry in a trilogy, there is still more to come.
The prose throughout is skillfully written, with some wonderful turns of phrase. With more dialogue than Librarian, the author has been able to provide a more nuanced examination of the characters. The characters Apprentice reintroduces us to are more nuanced than the first book, thanks in part to simply being a continuation of the story, but also thanks to an added effort to have them shine through. The new characters the reader is introduced to are also expanded upon nicely. They're a joy to read, aside from those who aren't thanks to their antagonistic nature; all are crafted well.
Apprentice builds upon the fantasy elements in fun ways, and fantasy fans will appreciate the way this world has been built. The fantasy elements all feel natural and as though they belong, and don't require much suspension of disbelief to follow. The steampunk aspects in Apprentice are stronger than in Librarian, but they still form a relatively minor part of the book.
The feminist themes in Apprentice are just as strong as they were in Librarian as Lenna constantly comes up against a world underestimating her thanks to her gender. The clash of ideals between the Freewomen and the Brotherhood highlights how backwards our society's misogynistic views are. I'm also pleased that at no point did I have any issues with this being undercut by off-the-cuff remarks like Librarian.
Apprentice takes everything that worked well in Librarian and doubles down on it, while successfully remedying every issue that held its predecessor back from greatness. While the original book is "good," this is "great." I'm excited to see how this trilogy ends.
My full review will be available on my website from Wednesday, 27 April 2022. To read this, my thoughts about the original book, Librarian (available two days earlier on 25 April), and a host of other reviews, click here.
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