Other Jimness > Cinder Spires Spoilers

Is it just me?

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MilknCookies:
I've lurk around for years and am an enormous fan. I've gotten many friends hooked on his series. I've read all of Dresden and Alera three times. Is it just me or this book is mediocre overall or terrible compared to other Jim's works. My friends agree too.

I'm keeping it short for first post.

The three girls seem to come from the same voice. Little difference in personality or how they would react to the same situation. Especially, I keep having to check and confuse between Bridget and Gwen.

On land action seemed like a weaker version of Alera. Weaker swordplay, long range weaponry, insects, circumstance, suedo magic, everything. Cats were cool but they save the day? Compared to highlord or wizards? I can't stop picturing cute but fat cats.

Best part, I love ship battles a lot. Second read through though, I realize battleship is overpowered. Why would you build three heavy cruiser instead of a battleship. Three power crystal, extra armor, shroud, speed of light frigate, and omg super fast turning to match diving ships. Soooo stupid two heavy cruisers got destroyed. Because any reasonable person would combine the three into a battleship. Then use light single person ships for scout and signals.

Quantus:

--- Quote from: MilknCookies on November 03, 2016, 06:23:47 AM ---I've lurk around for years and am an enormous fan. I've gotten many friends hooked on his series. I've read all of Dresden and Alera three times. Is it just me or this book is mediocre overall or terrible compared to other Jim's works. My friends agree too.

--- End quote ---
Well, it's probably not just you, tastes are a personally thing and this series is wildly different from his others.  I for one loved them though, and think they are some of his best work yet.  That being said it /is/ the start of a new series so it wont be as satisfying as the recent dresden or the late books in Alera, where the setting and characters are all well-established.  I personally really didnt like Furies of Caulderon very much for many similar reasons, to the point that I gave up on the series (this was back before Id even heard of Dresden) but once I read Academ's fury I was hooked. 

--- Quote ---I'm keeping it short for first post.

The three girls seem to come from the same voice. Little difference in personality or how they would react to the same situation. Especially, I keep having to check and confuse between Bridget and Gwen.

--- End quote ---
Dont really get this.  There is the rational socially awkward introvert, the loud headstong heiress, and...Folly.  I never once had trouble keeping them apart.

--- Quote ---On land action seemed like a weaker version of Alera. Weaker swordplay, long range weaponry, insects, circumstance, suedo magic, everything. Cats were cool but they save the day? Compared to highlord or wizards? I can't stop picturing cute but fat cats.

--- End quote ---
Did you miss the etherealists?!?   :P  I for one can't wait until we really get to see Ferus cut loose. 

--- Quote ---Best part, I love ship battles a lot. Second read through though, I realize battleship is overpowered. Why would you build three heavy cruiser instead of a battleship. Three power crystal, extra armor, shroud, speed of light frigate, and omg super fast turning to match diving ships. Soooo stupid two heavy cruisers got destroyed. Because any reasonable person would combine the three into a battleship. Then use light single person ships for scout and signals.

--- End quote ---
Setting aside the economics of building a bunch of the massive flagships, there are tactical advantages to having multiple smaller ships instead of the single massive one, in terms of maneuverability and ambush tactics, not to mention actual spire defense.  Though sure in a one-on-one battle the ship designed to take out other ships is going to do it well. 

Dina:
I agree with Quantus, is probably not just you.
But I personally love the book and the three girls are great. Bridget and Gwen are probably my favorite characters and I never had any trouble sorting them apart. In fact, I didn't confuse any character with another one, except perhaps a few crew members (and only early in the books).
I have not read Alera and battleships fights were good but not my favorite parts. I like the characters, it's the best of the book for me

Second Aristh:
I think that the first book in a series can be a little harder to hook people.  One of Jim's strengths is tying material in a story to seemingly unrelated things that happened earlier.  He can't really do that in the first book. 

Overall I enjoyed the book.  Grim and Bridget seemed a little bland compared to some of the more colorful characters to me, but I think they both have a ton of potential.  I never had trouble telling any of the main party characters (Grim/Gwen/Bridget/Benedict/Folly/Ferus/Rowl) apart.  The trickiest part was keeping some of the Predator's crew straight.

As far as airships go, there are some strategic advantages to having some smaller ships.  It lets you use different tactics and to split your forces in multiple locations.

Quantus:

--- Quote from: Second Aristh on November 03, 2016, 05:42:55 PM ---I think that the first book in a series can be a little harder to hook people.  One of Jim's strengths is tying material in a story to seemingly unrelated things that happened earlier.  He can't really do that in the first book. 

Overall I enjoyed the book.  Grim and Bridget seemed a little bland compared to some of the more colorful characters to me, but I think they both have a ton of potential.  I never had trouble telling any of the main party characters (Grim/Gwen/Bridget/Benedict/Folly/Ferus/Rowl) apart.  The trickiest part was keeping some of the Predator's crew straight.
--- End quote ---
And I think that blandness has more to do with my general impression of overly-polite people than with the way the characters themselves were presented.  Though I will say I enjoyed the hell out of Bridget's dry sense of humor. 

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