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A review by mary_soon_lee
Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie
5.0
This is the opening book in the Bloodright Trilogy. I can't be objective about it. While I might grudgingly concede that it isn't Shakespeare, I wasn't looking for Shakespeare. I wanted a frothy cocktail with whipped cream and a little brightly-colored parasol. And "Bonds of Brass" delivered, complete with a maraschino cherry at the end.
For those wanting more specificity: this is galactic science fiction about two young cadets, Ettian and Gal, best friends at the Imperial Academy. Very quickly the plot barrels into full gear. Treachery, space battles, the legacy of war, conflicted pasts, and present yearning kept me racing from page to page. On occasion, I slowed down enough to admire how skilfully the author ensnared me, but most of the time I was swept along in the tide and the yearning.
I loved both Ettian and Gal. The story is narrated (perfectly!) by Ettian. It's improbable, but delighted me. My delight centered on the characters, Ettian and Gal foremost, but also the maverick wild force of Wen, introduced a third of the way through the book.
Four and a half out of five fluffy rainbow stars.
P.S. My thanks to Grace at TBR (Tailored Book Recommendations) for suggesting this book to me.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
For those wanting more specificity: this is galactic science fiction about two young cadets, Ettian and Gal, best friends at the Imperial Academy. Very quickly the plot barrels into full gear. Treachery, space battles, the legacy of war, conflicted pasts, and present yearning kept me racing from page to page. On occasion, I slowed down enough to admire how skilfully the author ensnared me, but most of the time I was swept along in the tide and the yearning.
I loved both Ettian and Gal. The story is narrated (perfectly!) by Ettian. It's improbable, but delighted me. My delight centered on the characters, Ettian and Gal foremost, but also the maverick wild force of Wen, introduced a third of the way through the book.
Four and a half out of five fluffy rainbow stars.
P.S. My thanks to Grace at TBR (Tailored Book Recommendations) for suggesting this book to me.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).