This was a compelling read and a beautifully well engineered and plotted denouement to a really enjoyable series. It is ostensibly an alternate timeline fantasy but there are so many more themes explored here: the notion of family, loyalty, personal freedom at what price, and always against a backdrop of war and espionage. The prose is evocative and immersive. There were several times while reading that I looked up to find that I had been completely unaware of the passing of time and an hour had slid by unawares.
It had been a while since I read the other books in this series and I didn't have any trouble following the plot. I suspect it would work fine as a standalone (but I strongly recommend the author's other works, so read them all).
I like the intelligence and fearlessness of the twin protagonists. This is quite a personal story, set against a background of politics and war.
Definitely one of my best reads this year. Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
No comments:
Post a Comment