Stop reading if you did not read the book! I am serious. This is full of SPOILERS.
There is another thread about the map, so I won't speak about that here, but I finished the book today and I had lots of things to say. You are warned, this is going to be long.
General comment:
I REALLY liked the book. BUT at first I struggled getting invested in it. The fact that every chapter changed the characters we were following was very distracting and it was difficult for me to find the motivation to keep reading at least until more than half of the book.
Like with TAW, I still think the characters are my favourite thing in the book. Cavendish is an excellent villain. Gwen, Ferus, Folly and Grimm, and the Spirearch too, are my favourite but I liked most of the others too. I am not a fan of Elaine, I mean, Calliope but in general I enjoy the others. Among the new ones, Ravenna is the best, but I liked all the others: Abigail (even when, you know...), the surface etherealist and the minor characters like the cats, Hamish and Tilde and Vincent.
Specific comments
1) I love the little details, like at the beginning Kettle telling Grimm that not many people would have taken a moment to think, or Gwen "calmly" shooting a revenant, or Abigail understanding what the glasses she gave her meant to Folly. I think the little details made the characters so great.
2) I am really, really mad about the Spanish names. I mean, yes, I know a writer is free to invent whatever names they want but most TOA names are written like nowadays, except by some Spanish ones. And yes, some of them are perfectly correct, like Espira, Chavez and Rafael. But, for example, it is (possible but) weird that Rafael becames Rafe and Espira is Renaldo instead of Reynaldo. Valesco is a very unusual name. I would have expected Velasco, which is very common. Raoul, Francesco and del Aurora are also quite uncommon writings, as Raúl, Francisco and de la Aurora would be more natural. But if that was all, I would be just moderately annoyed. What irritated me so much was the ship called CONQUISTODOR. Like...what? Can you imagine a ship named ConquerIr?
3) I loved the duels. After having felt robbed of a proper duelling in TAW, I absolutely enjoy those. Still, I think like a lot of Grimm's duel depended of the intelligence Abigail gathered watched Valesco duelling a random character. As if a super expert duelist always used the same tactics and style. It is a reduced sampling
Also, I have a question. I am pretty sure I've read that Grimm's duel was "at noon" and Abigail's "at sunset" but then it seems that they happened at the same time. What did I get wrong?
4) I was not so inlove with the tea meeting from the ladies scene. The attack on Abigail felt super weird and clumsy. It seemed that having a man in a female reunion, particularly if he just appeared to hit the victim, was not a valid reason for offense and duelling. It would be just a serious gaffe from the host. Also, if people heard that the great and terrible duelist had decided to hit a pregnant woman (the warriorborn coud smell the pregnancy) wouldn't have been embarrassing for Valesco? And more important, what exactly was the plan? Because as far as I understood, they did not know about Folly before the meeting, so for all they know Abigail would have gone into the reunion, trade some veiled insults, Hestia would have made her feel ashamed...and she would have left without Valesco having the chance of doing anything.
5) I liked the surface scene with the aetherialist and the old cat, and the battle with the Scyther
6) I understand is very convenient for the plot but I would think the logical action for Grimm would have been trying to blow Ransom's ship instead of boarding it and trying to take a new technology.
7) PLEASE tell me they will rebuild Preddy. If the core crystal is undamaged (big IF) I think her personality could remain. Also, i suppose the rescuers will find (in the other ship) the crystal that Cavendish mentioned, the one grown in weeks, that could be so useful to the war. I am confident they will find Ferus's cane, so I imagine they could find that cristal too.
8 ) Valesco death was very satisfactory, and I hope someday we can have a satisfactory death for Cavendish too.
9) I was very sad about Ferus, a character I loved. But I understand that is the mentor's fate, in general.
10) Cavendish is Folly's mother!!??
11) Even when I understand why she did it, I am not too happy with Abigail risking Grimm's life. I liked Bayard's reaction and the fact that he did not immediately forgive her. I want them to reconcile and be happy with their baby but I feel the way it happened is more realistic and show Bayard's character. Also, I am afraid they will not have a happy ending. Anyways, I think Abigail could have try to show Bayard that even when she would do the same again she still regrets what she did to Grimm. For example, she could have offered to pay for Grimm's rehab with the best doctors. She is rich.
12) I loved that Espira is impressed with Grimm, he seems to respect him a great deal. I was looking forward to a scene with Grimm telling him "So, you slept with my wife..." and Espira blanching. And yes, we know they are exes (but not formally) and both of them have other partners but Espira would not know. Alas, that did not happen.
13) Last, and also Espira related. I seriously see no reason why he is not a prisoner in the end. I understood that his surviving men were allowed to march free, but I think he should have been Grimm's prisoner.
God in Heaven, that was super long. You have been warned though and I regret nothing. I expected so long for this I am enjoying it now :-)
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Fitz! Those who read my posts perhaps remember that I always liked him. And I am delighted to see he is the new apprentice! I think he is going to be good for Harry and I can see him becoming his son-in-law in the future or, much more probable, Molly's husband (when she stops being the WL, which I am convinced will happen sooner or later. Later being the BAT, of course).