Sean

The Alloy of Law was a fun switch-up from Brando. There’s nothing happening on a universe-scale, or world shattering events going on in the background. It’s really just about meeting new characters, seeing how Scadrial has changed since era 1, and a little bit of cops and robbers action to keep things interesting. I liked the dynamic between the three main characters a lot and am excited to keep exploring their stories.

Cabin has instantly become one of my favorite books ever. It’s equal parts funny, inspirational, and emotional. I loved reading about Patrick growing as a craftsman in a way that shows me it might be possible for me to do something similar. Each chapter is its own cabin-related anecdote which combine to convey a deep sense of place and emotional connection to the tiny cabin at Wits End. Everyone would be lucky to find their own version of Patrick’s Cabin.

This was disappointing, considering how great the other two Priory books are. Samantha Shannon might not be cut out for the shorter format. When books are this short I expect every page to pack a punch and for it to have a defined goal. This did neither of those things. Rather, it was like a full-length novel packed into a quarter of the pages, with a quarter of the impact. It’s still worth the read if you loved Priory because it adds some context to what’s going on at that time, but is definitely the weakest of the bunch.

I was first gifted The Blade Itself about five years ago, but hadn’t picked it up until last week. Boy was I missing out. I can’t remember the last book that grabbed hold of me this quickly. This book has the most eclectic cast of characters. Each of them is extremely flawed, with colorful backgrounds that are revealed piece by piece through the book, and yet by the end of the book I couldn’t help but root for(or vehemently against) every one of them.

I only gave it 4.5⭐️ because this book, ultimately, felt like a long prologue without a true payoff. A lot of my favorite series also start that way, and the groundwork laid in The Blade Itself was spectacular, so I can’t wait to say Abercrombies second act.

Tress is a whimsical and lighthearted, joy of a read. There was nothing groundbreaking in here, and that’s ok. Sometimes it’s nice to read a story about (mostly) good people going on a quest and learning more about who they are.

Bonus: I love a good cosmere connection and this one had plenty of fun ones.

Blood Over Bright Haven was an enjoyable read, with fast-pacing, an interesting magic system, and some important themes, but lacked some of the nuance and character work that could have really elevated it. The ending of this book carried it by making some early moral debates tangible through Sciona’s actions.

Sciona is one of the most frustrating main characters I’ve read. Despite being a brilliant mage, she doesn’t have any sense of logic or emotional intelligence. At times she had me wanting to rip my hair out. I know her naïveté was necessary to enable her journey and it pays off in the end, I just didn’t enjoy the experience of reading about it. Thomil on the other hand, was a very solid side character, mostly because of the way he would argue with Sciona. I even found myself rooting for them to have a romance in a way I rarely do.

This may not be ML Wangs best work (it’s hard to live up to sword of kaigen), but it solidified her as an author I’ll be eagerly awaiting more from, and is a book I would definitely recommend.