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A review by mal_eficent
Aerie by Mercedes Lackey
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As the final instalment in the series I'm a little torn.
On the one hand: dragons, there's still the characters that I love and enjoy reading about, and the setting is expanded on even more with more exposition on how the new settlements are being run and how their borders work. The writing kept me engaged even when I wasn't that interested in what was happening and I liked getting a 'beyond the war' look at things function rather than the sudden end of the third book. There's more exploration of how two cultures (one of whom has been enslaving the other for a while now) could get along, how they differ and move on, and how individuals have to deal with the trauma of such a long war.
On the other hand: there's more perspectives (which I'm not a fan of), the characters feel like they're not fitting within the world correctly much like at the beginning of the second book (Kirion is somehow both in charge of everyone and barely talking to them or planning things, for example), and the ending is incredibly rushed. The last quarter of the book feels like it contains all of the magi plots promised on the blurb, and the first quarter doesn't go all in on world building like I wanted. Single, lonely Kirion with nothing to do makes for a very boring narrator when I wanted to hear more about how the Jousters are fitting into this new society, or how his job works, or why Aket-ten can just side step him entirely.
If you're this far into the series and just looking to see if you can avoid reading this one, then I don't think you'll enjoy it enough to pick up. If you're looking to see if the whole series is worth getting – I do still wholeheartedly recommend it!
On the one hand: dragons, there's still the characters that I love and enjoy reading about, and the setting is expanded on even more with more exposition on how the new settlements are being run and how their borders work. The writing kept me engaged even when I wasn't that interested in what was happening and I liked getting a 'beyond the war' look at things function rather than the sudden end of the third book. There's more exploration of how two cultures (one of whom has been enslaving the other for a while now) could get along, how they differ and move on, and how individuals have to deal with the trauma of such a long war.
On the other hand: there's more perspectives (which I'm not a fan of), the characters feel like they're not fitting within the world correctly much like at the beginning of the second book (Kirion is somehow both in charge of everyone and barely talking to them or planning things, for example), and the ending is incredibly rushed. The last quarter of the book feels like it contains all of the magi plots promised on the blurb, and the first quarter doesn't go all in on world building like I wanted. Single, lonely Kirion with nothing to do makes for a very boring narrator when I wanted to hear more about how the Jousters are fitting into this new society, or how his job works, or why Aket-ten can just side step him entirely.
If you're this far into the series and just looking to see if you can avoid reading this one, then I don't think you'll enjoy it enough to pick up. If you're looking to see if the whole series is worth getting – I do still wholeheartedly recommend it!