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rankkaapina's review against another edition
3.0
Well, I liked this, but not quite as much as the first one. This provided some answers that were left out of the first book, but I really missed Emily & Dreadnought together. That really was the appeal and this book was so much more about Emily. Although, I did like her and even more I like Miss Jesczenka.
appalonia's review
3.0
Emily Edwards and Dreadnought Stanton are preparing both for marriage and the Investment ceremony that will formally make Mr. Stanton the Sophos of the Institute. A quick trip to visit her adopted father in Lost Pine results in Pap's confession that he performed magic on her as a child that removed her memories. He gives her a bottle containing her memories before the age of five, both the good and bad. Throughout the book Emily uncovers not only dark secrets about her fiancée, but also about Emily herself and her parents.
The first half of the novel was a bit disjointed, and I'll admit I missed Dreadnought horribly in this whole book. He hardly appeared, and the banter and relationship between he and Emily was what really made the first book enjoyable. But I have to admit the story flowed fairly well in this book and I really liked how it ended. I understand the author is preparing another in the series that will be set 30 years in the future and feature their children, and I am looking forward to reading the next book. Three and a half stars.
The first half of the novel was a bit disjointed, and I'll admit I missed Dreadnought horribly in this whole book. He hardly appeared, and the banter and relationship between he and Emily was what really made the first book enjoyable. But I have to admit the story flowed fairly well in this book and I really liked how it ended. I understand the author is preparing another in the series that will be set 30 years in the future and feature their children, and I am looking forward to reading the next book. Three and a half stars.
anywiebs's review
2.0
This book disappointed me more from the reading experience than the context. I enjoyed the first in this series mainly due to the fun atmosphere and light romance.
This book recreated this same feeling of joy whenever the two main characters were together. Unfortunately they rarely were.
The story itself was okay, but not captivating enough for me to keep reading, so it took me very long to finish.
This book recreated this same feeling of joy whenever the two main characters were together. Unfortunately they rarely were.
The story itself was okay, but not captivating enough for me to keep reading, so it took me very long to finish.
reginaexmachina's review
4.0
I thought this was an excellent sequel. I kinda had a complaint about how some things seem to resolve a little too quickly in the end and I wanted a little more Dreadnaught, but as a whole it was a really fun read.
krisis86's review
3.0
This one isn't as fun as The Native Star. Stanton and Emily aren't together very often this book, so much of the snark and wit is missing. I liked this book, but not nearly as much as the first one.
mackle13's review
4.0
This book was very frustrating. Or, rather, the people within the book were often frustrating and I was annoyed with them.
So, anyway, picking up pretty much directly where the first book lets off, we find Emily trying to make nice with Stanton's family and learn to pass in society. And, ya know, this part was kind of fun and I was enjoying it - not to mention expecting it, since it's mentioned on the book cover - but it doesn't really last that long until the adventure kicks and the story shifts gears entirely. I was disappointed that there wasn't more silliness with society and fabulous faux-pas, because I enjoy comedies of manners.
But, ah well.
But the really frustrating part is that Stanton wasn't really in the book very much, and I felt like a lot of it was manufactured to heighten the drama - and it does get a bit melodramatic, let me tell you - but it had all that irritated aspect of "things would be so much more easily resolved if people would just talk to each other instead of keeping secrets" thing which is just ever so annoying.
I also got irritated that a lot of the machinations to keep them apart were along the lines of treating Emily as either a) a delicate flower who needed to be protected or b) a distraction to Stanton, who needed to be strong. 'Cause, see, if Emily was distraught then Stanton would be distraught and, considering how credomancy works (which plays a big role in this book), we just can't have that.
But no one ever stops to think that a) Emily has proven herself rather capable, thankyouverymuch and b) the person you love can often be a source of strength in time of hardship!
My lord, but it was vexing.
That said, I couldn't stop reading. It was quite the little page-turner - one I thought about while I was at work, itching to get my fingers back on its pages.
Sometimes, when I'm reading a book I'm not hating but not particularly enjoying, I procrastinate. I find other things to do during my reading time... like browsing the internet, or petting the cats, or picking my nails...
But this was one where I wanted to skip things like lunch with my normal work crew so that I could read instead. And what a delight it is to have a book you long to get back to!
So, anyway, there's much melodrama and far too many attempts on people's live and people acting like children... but there's also intensity and action and excitement and tension.
I did miss Miss Pendennis, who was one of my favorite characters from the first book. She's off on some book tour, and Emily is left with Miss Jeniczek (must check on spelling) who is, herself, a credomancer and teacher at the school, and who acts as Emily's escort and guide in society. (She is one of two people we meet in this book that I found myself wondering where they were in the first book.)
I did come to like her, though, and she was much more relevant to the plot than Miss Pendennis really had been in the first, and it was nice to see another strong female character in the series, even if she did have the dreaded trope. Though
And I liked the ending. The climax was a bit rushed, but the denouement moments were nice. But, then, I am a sucker for HEA.
So, anyway, picking up pretty much directly where the first book lets off, we find Emily trying to make nice with Stanton's family and learn to pass in society. And, ya know, this part was kind of fun and I was enjoying it - not to mention expecting it, since it's mentioned on the book cover - but it doesn't really last that long until the adventure kicks and the story shifts gears entirely. I was disappointed that there wasn't more silliness with society and fabulous faux-pas, because I enjoy comedies of manners.
But, ah well.
But the really frustrating part is that Stanton wasn't really in the book very much, and I felt like a lot of it was manufactured to heighten the drama - and it does get a bit melodramatic, let me tell you - but it had all that irritated aspect of "things would be so much more easily resolved if people would just talk to each other instead of keeping secrets" thing which is just ever so annoying.
I also got irritated that a lot of the machinations to keep them apart were along the lines of treating Emily as either a) a delicate flower who needed to be protected or b) a distraction to Stanton, who needed to be strong. 'Cause, see, if Emily was distraught then Stanton would be distraught and, considering how credomancy works (which plays a big role in this book), we just can't have that.
But no one ever stops to think that a) Emily has proven herself rather capable, thankyouverymuch and b) the person you love can often be a source of strength in time of hardship!
My lord, but it was vexing.
That said, I couldn't stop reading. It was quite the little page-turner - one I thought about while I was at work, itching to get my fingers back on its pages.
Sometimes, when I'm reading a book I'm not hating but not particularly enjoying, I procrastinate. I find other things to do during my reading time... like browsing the internet, or petting the cats, or picking my nails...
But this was one where I wanted to skip things like lunch with my normal work crew so that I could read instead. And what a delight it is to have a book you long to get back to!
So, anyway, there's much melodrama and far too many attempts on people's live and people acting like children... but there's also intensity and action and excitement and tension.
I did miss Miss Pendennis, who was one of my favorite characters from the first book. She's off on some book tour, and Emily is left with Miss Jeniczek (must check on spelling) who is, herself, a credomancer and teacher at the school, and who acts as Emily's escort and guide in society. (She is one of two people we meet in this book that I found myself wondering where they were in the first book.)
I did come to like her, though, and she was much more relevant to the plot than Miss Pendennis really had been in the first, and it was nice to see another strong female character in the series, even if she did have the dreaded
Spoiler
rape as backstorySpoiler
I liked how it was handled here more than elsewhere - she, mostly, learned to overcome it but it also gave her motivations for some things that happened in the book. It was relevant, at least, to the plotline, which it often isn't.And I liked the ending. The climax was a bit rushed, but the denouement moments were nice. But, then, I am a sucker for HEA.
lyndagabby's review
3.0
Don't let the back of the book fool you, Mrs. Stanton does not have very much to do in this book. I keep expecting her to be behind something based on the back of the book's description, but nope.
We get a bit less Dreadnought in this installment but what we do see of him (which isn't insubstantial don't get me wrong) is pretty damn good.
I feel like there were times when M.K. Hobson was able to be a bit more subtle and take things a bit deeper. But some spots were still a bit pulpy, let's not play. I feel like this book might have gotten more attention if it had vampires, or steamy sex scenes or both. So it was kind of refreshing that there weren't any of those things.
For the added subtlety there is also equal amounts of hammering it home. But I am a-ok with that. Also really Hobson, did you go out of your way to add the hardest to pronounce names of things?
Characters with real flaws, exciting plot and magic abound. And I approve.
We get a bit less Dreadnought in this installment but what we do see of him (which isn't insubstantial don't get me wrong) is pretty damn good.
I feel like there were times when M.K. Hobson was able to be a bit more subtle and take things a bit deeper. But some spots were still a bit pulpy, let's not play. I feel like this book might have gotten more attention if it had vampires, or steamy sex scenes or both. So it was kind of refreshing that there weren't any of those things.
For the added subtlety there is also equal amounts of hammering it home. But I am a-ok with that. Also really Hobson, did you go out of your way to add the hardest to pronounce names of things?
Characters with real flaws, exciting plot and magic abound. And I approve.
pantsyreads's review
4.0
(review originally posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com)
***WARNING: This is a review of a sequel, so spoilers for the first book may crop up here. Read with caution. :)***
While I didn't like this book quite as much as the first, it's still a very awesome sequel and I'm very glad I picked it up.
The first thing I noticed is how differently this book reads from its predecessor. TNS had a little more tension going on because Stanton and Emily were being pursued through the whole thing, so they were always on the run. In this installment, there's no immediate danger (well, not right away anyway), so it feels a little more leisurely. I have to say that I really liked the fast paced feeling in the first novel, but it wasn't detrimental to this book that it wasn't; it's just felt different. Reading about Emily's obstacles as she tries to fit into high society was really entertaining though.
Also worth noting; if you really loved Stanton in the first one, don't be too upset but his absence in this sequel. He is around of course, but not all the time like he was in the first. I loved seeing him and Emily together in this one. They still bicker a little bit (how could they not?) but their relationship was pretty touching, even when Stanton was a jerk and kept all kinds of secrets from Emily.
And Emily! How I love that lady. If she were real, I would want to be her friend, because she's kind of awesome. Emily doesn't quite fit in society because she can't seem to conform to the standards that is expected of one who is 'high-class'. I think I relate to that because I'm really one of the most ungraceful people I know (not for a lack of trying). Not that Emily is ungraceful herself, but she doesn't fit into the norms of high-class femininity despite her efforts, and I can sympathize with that, to a certain degree. Like TNS, Emily is head-strong, resourceful and is not afraid to stick her neck out to get stuff done.
Stanton, on the other hand, wasn't quite as awesome. After everything that Emily did in TNS, I was frustrated that he didn't want her around more often to help out; he, and pretty much everyone working for him, kept whisking Emily off because she was a 'distraction', when she's proven (especially to him!) that she's quite capable of taking care of herself and helping out. I was frustrated with all the secrets he kept from her as well, but I eased a bit on that later on. I mean, what was he supposed to say, really? "Oh yeah, Emily, by the way, I totally had an affair with a crazy blood-thirsty sangrimancer, thought you should know." Or "I could have been cured from being burned, but I *haven't* because I'm actually this super-ultra weapon person in case of the end of the world." So while he secret-keeping frustrated me a bit at first, I was more than able to forgive him. So he was still kind of awesome, even if he bugged me sometimes.
In TNS, we didn't get to see how magic was used by others all too much. We mostly just got to see Emily and Stanton use animancy and credomancy (and a little bit of sangrimancy on Stanton's part). In THG, we see a lot more of how magic works in society, which was really neat.
The supporting characters were quite strong in this installment as well, especially Ms. Jecsiezka (is that how you spell her name? I can't remember.) At the beginning of the novel, I thought she was going to be a total bore, but she ended up being really sweet and caring towards Emily, and really did want the best for her and Stanton.
One other little thing that bothered me... what was with the whole Dmitri kissing Emily thing? I thought it was totally unnecessary. I am glad that it didn't devolve into some huge misunderstanding, or melodrama though. It happened, but I felt like there was no point to it.
To my knowledge, The Native Star was meant to be a duology, and I really got that sense from the ending presented here as well. This saddens me a bit because I really like these books. They're not DEEP or anything, but they're so much fun and I really enjoy them. I really hope that Hobson writes other books in this universe or something. Even if she doesn't though, I'll more than likely check out whatever she puts out next. :)
Final Verdict: This is a really great sequel. It's quite a bit of a different feel to it than The Native Star because there's no running from constant danger, but it's still a lot of fun watching Emily navigate in high class society. Emily is an extremely likable heroine, which makes her following her journey all the more enjoyable. Stanton is a lot less present in this installment than the first, and he did a lot of things that irked me, but by the end he completely redeemed himself. Watching him and Emily be in a loving relationship (but still remaining true to themselves) was really sweet. The minor characters were well done, especially Ms. Jecsieka, who I especially liked. :) We get to learn all about Emily's past in this installment, as well as her relationship with the Sina Mira, which was only touched on briefly in the first novel. The way the book ends and from what I've heard around the web tells me that this is the last book in the Native Star series, which makes me sad because I've really enjoyed these. I can just hope that Ms. Hobson comes out with more books in this alternate history universe. However, I'll take a look at whatever she comes out with next. :)
***WARNING: This is a review of a sequel, so spoilers for the first book may crop up here. Read with caution. :)***
While I didn't like this book quite as much as the first, it's still a very awesome sequel and I'm very glad I picked it up.
The first thing I noticed is how differently this book reads from its predecessor. TNS had a little more tension going on because Stanton and Emily were being pursued through the whole thing, so they were always on the run. In this installment, there's no immediate danger (well, not right away anyway), so it feels a little more leisurely. I have to say that I really liked the fast paced feeling in the first novel, but it wasn't detrimental to this book that it wasn't; it's just felt different. Reading about Emily's obstacles as she tries to fit into high society was really entertaining though.
Also worth noting; if you really loved Stanton in the first one, don't be too upset but his absence in this sequel. He is around of course, but not all the time like he was in the first. I loved seeing him and Emily together in this one. They still bicker a little bit (how could they not?) but their relationship was pretty touching, even when Stanton was a jerk and kept all kinds of secrets from Emily.
And Emily! How I love that lady. If she were real, I would want to be her friend, because she's kind of awesome. Emily doesn't quite fit in society because she can't seem to conform to the standards that is expected of one who is 'high-class'. I think I relate to that because I'm really one of the most ungraceful people I know (not for a lack of trying). Not that Emily is ungraceful herself, but she doesn't fit into the norms of high-class femininity despite her efforts, and I can sympathize with that, to a certain degree. Like TNS, Emily is head-strong, resourceful and is not afraid to stick her neck out to get stuff done.
Stanton, on the other hand, wasn't quite as awesome. After everything that Emily did in TNS, I was frustrated that he didn't want her around more often to help out; he, and pretty much everyone working for him, kept whisking Emily off because she was a 'distraction', when she's proven (especially to him!) that she's quite capable of taking care of herself and helping out. I was frustrated with all the secrets he kept from her as well, but I eased a bit on that later on. I mean, what was he supposed to say, really? "Oh yeah, Emily, by the way, I totally had an affair with a crazy blood-thirsty sangrimancer, thought you should know." Or "I could have been cured from being burned, but I *haven't* because I'm actually this super-ultra weapon person in case of the end of the world." So while he secret-keeping frustrated me a bit at first, I was more than able to forgive him. So he was still kind of awesome, even if he bugged me sometimes.
In TNS, we didn't get to see how magic was used by others all too much. We mostly just got to see Emily and Stanton use animancy and credomancy (and a little bit of sangrimancy on Stanton's part). In THG, we see a lot more of how magic works in society, which was really neat.
The supporting characters were quite strong in this installment as well, especially Ms. Jecsiezka (is that how you spell her name? I can't remember.) At the beginning of the novel, I thought she was going to be a total bore, but she ended up being really sweet and caring towards Emily, and really did want the best for her and Stanton.
One other little thing that bothered me... what was with the whole Dmitri kissing Emily thing? I thought it was totally unnecessary. I am glad that it didn't devolve into some huge misunderstanding, or melodrama though. It happened, but I felt like there was no point to it.
To my knowledge, The Native Star was meant to be a duology, and I really got that sense from the ending presented here as well. This saddens me a bit because I really like these books. They're not DEEP or anything, but they're so much fun and I really enjoy them. I really hope that Hobson writes other books in this universe or something. Even if she doesn't though, I'll more than likely check out whatever she puts out next. :)
Final Verdict: This is a really great sequel. It's quite a bit of a different feel to it than The Native Star because there's no running from constant danger, but it's still a lot of fun watching Emily navigate in high class society. Emily is an extremely likable heroine, which makes her following her journey all the more enjoyable. Stanton is a lot less present in this installment than the first, and he did a lot of things that irked me, but by the end he completely redeemed himself. Watching him and Emily be in a loving relationship (but still remaining true to themselves) was really sweet. The minor characters were well done, especially Ms. Jecsieka, who I especially liked. :) We get to learn all about Emily's past in this installment, as well as her relationship with the Sina Mira, which was only touched on briefly in the first novel. The way the book ends and from what I've heard around the web tells me that this is the last book in the Native Star series, which makes me sad because I've really enjoyed these. I can just hope that Ms. Hobson comes out with more books in this alternate history universe. However, I'll take a look at whatever she comes out with next. :)