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ellelainey's review against another edition
3.0
** This review is word-for-word as that contained within the Blessed Epoch, Vol. 1 review **
Book 3: Iron and Ether
Length: 46-72%
POV: Yarrow, Duncan, Sasha, Garith, Sai, Thalil
Star rating: ★★★☆☆
I'm beginning to see a definite pattern to this series and how I feel about it. Each one, this included, could have been a 5 star read if not for the silly inconsistencies and niggles that get in the way.
There are added POV's here, again. First we begin with Thalil, within both the Prologue and the main story, which I actually liked because he's a very interesting character and I like him. But we also had Garith's POV which got a little tiresome after a while. We also had Sai's POV, which was interesting, but it took a long time, almost halfway through, for him to pop up and he appeared so unexpectedly. The whole addition of Garith and Sai's POV's felt really inconsistent and not well thought out, as they both appeared out of nowhere and didn't fit into the timeline. I can see that the author was trying to use them as a distraction when really huge things were happening to Yarrow, Duncan and Sasha, but they were used more to delay showing us the outcome of a huge event and it felt more like filler, at first.
This story focused on the build up to and the actual war against Johmatra, however it failed to captivate me in that way, because there was a huge build up, between the last book and this one, which was resolved in a paragraph. Each time they had to defeat or fight a new wave of Johmatra, it was resolved within a paragraph or two, while the war councils and the preparations took pages and pages. It would have been far more interesting the other way around.
The story began intriguingly, with Yarrow confronting the Goddesses and adamant to expose them. However, I can't help but feel that he needs someone on his side, in a physical way, who knows all of his secrets. Hale or Thalil, or even Fane or his Creature inside his head, would be better than nothing. Though I did like to see him finally getting to see his son, who could be an intriguing assistant to him. I still find it sad that his creature has been lost to time. He's a heathen God older and more powerful than any they know, but only Yarrow knows or acknowledges that he ever existed. The fact that the Goddesses don't know about him or just who Yarrow is and what's inside him is intriguing, but it also makes me wonder just how stupid and blind they really are, not to know or at least recognise the signs that are so obvious.
I love Yarrow, as always, and Sasha gets to shine a little more here, but I still think Duncan is obsolete, an absolute moron who is blind to the obvious and pointless. He adds nothing to the story but doubt, he's always obtuse about the most obvious things and his only real purpose is to provide the 'control' aspect of an experiment: Goddess fearing, true born knight, well respected by nobles and caring what people think. Which is fine, but I don't get why we need him when we're being given all the same things in Garith and Sander. We don't need both. I wasn't surprised in the least, either, that Sasha needed only a sideways glance at Yarrow to know the secret of his son, while Duncan remains oblivious even unto the end of the book.
Again, the ratio of sex is inconsistent. In places there are really big build ups to it with no follow through and in other places we see copious pages of sex that really aren't needed, important or even logical, considering all these character are going through.
Similarly, the story has an inconsistency of detail. Sometimes we're shown scenes in full detail that aren't needed and sometimes we're not shown something that is skimmed over, which I want to know more about. The war with Johmatra is a prime example. We saw more detail of Sai rescuing Emiri from the land of Johmatra than we did of his heroic battle to beat them in battle.
Overall, I loved Thalil and his plotting, Yarrow was still a brilliant character not used to his full potential and his grieving made me cry. The plot was a lot better than that of book 2, but it returned to the problems of book 1, by having too many sub-plots all apparently winding together to make up a larger plot, by adding in Garith, Sai and Thalil's plot arcs haphazardly and without POV consistency. I did love that we got to see a little more of Denna, who is vicious, brilliant, ruthless and cunning. But it still took until the second half for the story to become more consistent, more interesting and connect all the dots.
~
Favourite Quote
““Then I will lead the Crimson Scythe, you will rule Windwake, and Yarrow can...do whatever it is he feels destined to do.”
“Ride the great wyrm asleep in Estrella Lake,” the mage said, looking up at the ceiling, eyes far away. “Raise a great white fortress atop Starmont and look down over all the world. Make a war against...against those who would keep mankind on its knees. Liberate the world from tyranny and champion truth.”
“Not much, then,” Duncan said. “Accomplished before lunchtime.””
~
Book 3: Iron and Ether
Length: 46-72%
POV: Yarrow, Duncan, Sasha, Garith, Sai, Thalil
Star rating: ★★★☆☆
I'm beginning to see a definite pattern to this series and how I feel about it. Each one, this included, could have been a 5 star read if not for the silly inconsistencies and niggles that get in the way.
There are added POV's here, again. First we begin with Thalil, within both the Prologue and the main story, which I actually liked because he's a very interesting character and I like him. But we also had Garith's POV which got a little tiresome after a while. We also had Sai's POV, which was interesting, but it took a long time, almost halfway through, for him to pop up and he appeared so unexpectedly. The whole addition of Garith and Sai's POV's felt really inconsistent and not well thought out, as they both appeared out of nowhere and didn't fit into the timeline. I can see that the author was trying to use them as a distraction when really huge things were happening to Yarrow, Duncan and Sasha, but they were used more to delay showing us the outcome of a huge event and it felt more like filler, at first.
This story focused on the build up to and the actual war against Johmatra, however it failed to captivate me in that way, because there was a huge build up, between the last book and this one, which was resolved in a paragraph. Each time they had to defeat or fight a new wave of Johmatra, it was resolved within a paragraph or two, while the war councils and the preparations took pages and pages. It would have been far more interesting the other way around.
The story began intriguingly, with Yarrow confronting the Goddesses and adamant to expose them. However, I can't help but feel that he needs someone on his side, in a physical way, who knows all of his secrets. Hale or Thalil, or even Fane or his Creature inside his head, would be better than nothing. Though I did like to see him finally getting to see his son, who could be an intriguing assistant to him. I still find it sad that his creature has been lost to time. He's a heathen God older and more powerful than any they know, but only Yarrow knows or acknowledges that he ever existed. The fact that the Goddesses don't know about him or just who Yarrow is and what's inside him is intriguing, but it also makes me wonder just how stupid and blind they really are, not to know or at least recognise the signs that are so obvious.
I love Yarrow, as always, and Sasha gets to shine a little more here, but I still think Duncan is obsolete, an absolute moron who is blind to the obvious and pointless. He adds nothing to the story but doubt, he's always obtuse about the most obvious things and his only real purpose is to provide the 'control' aspect of an experiment: Goddess fearing, true born knight, well respected by nobles and caring what people think. Which is fine, but I don't get why we need him when we're being given all the same things in Garith and Sander. We don't need both. I wasn't surprised in the least, either, that Sasha needed only a sideways glance at Yarrow to know the secret of his son, while Duncan remains oblivious even unto the end of the book.
Again, the ratio of sex is inconsistent. In places there are really big build ups to it with no follow through and in other places we see copious pages of sex that really aren't needed, important or even logical, considering all these character are going through.
Similarly, the story has an inconsistency of detail. Sometimes we're shown scenes in full detail that aren't needed and sometimes we're not shown something that is skimmed over, which I want to know more about. The war with Johmatra is a prime example. We saw more detail of Sai rescuing Emiri from the land of Johmatra than we did of his heroic battle to beat them in battle.
Overall, I loved Thalil and his plotting, Yarrow was still a brilliant character not used to his full potential and his grieving made me cry. The plot was a lot better than that of book 2, but it returned to the problems of book 1, by having too many sub-plots all apparently winding together to make up a larger plot, by adding in Garith, Sai and Thalil's plot arcs haphazardly and without POV consistency. I did love that we got to see a little more of Denna, who is vicious, brilliant, ruthless and cunning. But it still took until the second half for the story to become more consistent, more interesting and connect all the dots.
~
Favourite Quote
““Then I will lead the Crimson Scythe, you will rule Windwake, and Yarrow can...do whatever it is he feels destined to do.”
“Ride the great wyrm asleep in Estrella Lake,” the mage said, looking up at the ceiling, eyes far away. “Raise a great white fortress atop Starmont and look down over all the world. Make a war against...against those who would keep mankind on its knees. Liberate the world from tyranny and champion truth.”
“Not much, then,” Duncan said. “Accomplished before lunchtime.””
~
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