Reviews

Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky

brightwatcher's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

chanelchapters's review against another edition

3.0

I loved this right until the ending
Her choice at the end made no fkn sense and it was infuriating that she chose that before even checking with the other person - to end her story that way was an affront to the woman she grew to be

lskywalker918's review against another edition

5.0

"I killed my first man today..." The first sentence drew me in immediately. I did not think that I would be done with a 600-page book in 2 weeks. Each chapter flew by quickly as the action continued. The flashback scenes connect with the present seamlessly (I'll have to take note of this for my future writing projects). It is a bonus that this book is not part of a series. I know the story will end here.

I have been looking for flintlock fantasy ever since I started reading the Powder Mage series. Did not hear about this book until not too long ago. The fantasy element is very minimal so this book might not be for you if you enjoy more of the fantasy side. I always love the Napoleonic warfare: soldiers fighting with muskets on the battlefield. This book has that aspect down.

If someone were to write an English essay on this, they might say that the overarching question of the book is "Is war justified?" I was reminded of All Quiet of the Western Front. Who are we really fighting for?

olurin's review against another edition

adventurous reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

pauloleary's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

4.5

selenajean's review against another edition

5.0

This was such a great book. It's a very detailed war story with just a bit of fantasy thrown in. I would never normally be interested in a book so wrapped up in the gritty details of war but this book was so interesting. It follows the single POV of a woman who goes from being a lady in an 1800s British type society to bring drafted in a war after they run out of men to fight. I loved it.

quietforrest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny slow-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

4.0

desolation73's review against another edition

5.0

Never read an Adrian Tchaikovsky novel and I think ill be dipping my toes into some more of his back catalogue. He appeals to be an author that you cant put in a box as he has written both sci fi and a ten part fantasy called Shadows of the apt. I know very little about his other books except that this is flintlock fantasy and finds our heroine drafted off to war, where she shows great bravery on the frontline and imagines how serving in a war would change us man or woman if we were luckier enough to survive.

If you like military fantasy with plenty of emotion and action, then please give this a SHOT!

peterkeep's review against another edition

5.0

Set during an Industrial Revolution type era, two neighboring countries find themselves suddenly at odds when one's government evolves from a monarchy to a parliamentary republic.

This seems to be a common enough theme in flintlock fantasies - as technology progresses, so does the government. The unique part here, though, is that we're on the opposite side of progress. The story follows characters fighting against the invading republic, valiantly defending their king and country against the new Parliament. That was enough to hook me in.

The cast of characters was well written and interesting...Emily's siblings and household not as much as her allies and villains through the war. They weren't super unique, and followed some common military fantasy tropes, but they felt familiar (as opposed to forced) and helped show off the real strengths of the book.

Setting and action. This book has a lot of things, but the swampy battleground and its quirks was a fantastic setting. And the action. Great fight scenes, larger scale battles, and even the quiet parts in between were filled with real tension. I loved the scenes in camp, with Emily slowly losing her innocence and becoming as jaded as her companions (the self-dubbed Survivors Club). She transforms from a high-society noble woman to a cynical soldier and it's just fascinating to read. The chaos of each battle in the swamp eroded her idealistic illusions of what war was.

I really enjoy pretty much anything set in this time period - Brian McClellan and Django Wexler have been pumping out some amazing flintlock fantasies that have really made this one of my favorite sub-genres of fantasy. This book is a great middle point between those two.

mdiffer's review

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75