An expertly spun fantasy adventure featuring magic, combat, and art appreciation.
A band of rebels strikes a blow against the oppressive Empire in Hightower and Heim’s latest entry in the Spirit Song fantasy series.
Sixteen-year-old Alar thought being a rebel would be heroic. Unfortunately, he and the other members of the oss’stera resistance—dedicated to driving the hated Empire from their homeland of Argren, a magical fantasy realm —aren’t actually very good at killing imperial soldiers. Even when they manage to do so, more show up to take their places. As their seemingly futile rebellion wages on, Alar feels a strange power awakening inside of him—a cool, serene spot behind his eyes that seems to slow down time in moments of danger. Soon after, a witch appears in the rebels’ camp with an unusual offer: She will help Alar and his allies break into the Empire’s dreaded Inquisition prison to free several political prisoners, including a girl whom Alar feels responsible for. But why does this witch want to help them on this potentially suicidal mission? Meanwhile, novice inquisitor Harold Wolfe is sent to track down the rebel group only to get caught up in a scheme involving the corrupt imperial governor of Argren and a collection of stolen art. The authors’ prose is often painterly, appropriate given that Argren’s primary export to the rest of the Empire is its rare paint pigments: “It was the vibrant colors that attracted the artists to the valley. The surrounding hills were rich in the plants and minerals required to produce the vivid hues the Alle’oss loved. The inhabitants of the valley grew rich on pigments coveted throughout the Empire and beyond.” The world is vast and meticulously crafted, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously to have fun. The plot moves swiftly, and the characters, if familiar in type, play their roles well. Readers should find their appetites sufficiently whetted to seek out the other novels in the Spirit Song series.
An expertly spun fantasy adventure featuring magic, combat, and art appreciation.Pub Date: May 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781685131982
Page Count: 435
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.
A young Navarrian woman faces even greater challenges in her second year at dragon-riding school.
Violet Sorrengail did all the normal things one would do as a first-year student at Basgiath War College: made new friends, fell in love, and survived multiple assassination attempts. She was also the first rider to ever bond with two dragons: Tairn, a powerful black dragon with a distinguished battle history, and Andarna, a baby dragon too young to carry a rider. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground. Navarrians had always been told that these were monsters of legend and myth, not real creatures dangerously close to breaking through Navarre’s wards and attacking civilian populations. In this overly long sequel, Violet, Xaden, and their dragons are determined to find a way to protect Navarre, despite the fact that the army and government hid the truth about these creatures. Due to the machinations of several traitorous instructors at Basgiath, Xaden and Violet are separated for most of the book—he’s stationed at a distant outpost, leaving her to handle the treacherous, cutthroat world of the war college on her own. Violet is repeatedly threatened by her new vice commandant, a brutal man who wants to silence her. Although Violet and her dragons continue to model extreme bravery, the novel feels repetitive and more than a little sloppy, leaving obvious questions about the world unanswered. The book is full of action and just as full of plot holes, including scenes that are illogical or disconnected from the main narrative. Secondary characters are ignored until a scene requires them to assist Violet or to be killed in the endless violence that plagues their school.
Unrelenting, and not in a good way.Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374172
Page Count: 640
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
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