The Spirit War (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #4)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Spirit War (The Legend of Eli Monpress #4)

by Rachel Aaron (Goodreads Author)

4.26 of 5 stars 4.26 · rating details · 820 ratings · 73 reviews

Eli Monpress is vain. He's cocky. And he's a thief.
But he's a thief who has just seen his bounty topped and he's not happy about it. The bounty topper, as it turns out, is his best friend, bodyguard, and master swordsman, Josef. Who has been keeping secrets from Eli. Apparently, he's the only prince of a rather feisty country and his mother (a formidable queen who's every...more

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Orbit (first published June 1st 2012)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Science Fiction & Fantasy Titles for 2012!

71st out of 552 books — 1,243 voters

Thieves

114th out of 332 books — 525 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,453)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Dec 05, 2012 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-female, high-fantasy, read-2012, rated-4-star

First posted here

With truly horrible covers and very little publicity, the first three books of Aaron's series flew completely under my radar for a long time. It wasn't until they were put together in an omnibus, The Legend of Eli Monpress, that I discovered this very fun series. Eli Monpress is the greatest thief in the world, and his ultimate goal is to get enough notoriety to have the largest bounty ever placed on his head. He is doing so in a world were every thing has a spirit, with some pe...more First posted here

With truly horrible covers and very little publicity, the first three books of Aaron's series flew completely under my radar for a long time. It wasn't until they were put together in an omnibus, The Legend of Eli Monpress, that I discovered this very fun series. Eli Monpress is the greatest thief in the world, and his ultimate goal is to get enough notoriety to have the largest bounty ever placed on his head. He is doing so in a world were every thing has a spirit, with some people having the ability to persuade or control them for their purposes. After a fairly cartoonist first book, the quality in book two went up, followed by a third book that took the story down a much more serious path.

Which leads to The Spirit War, forth book in the series. While the series isn't turning into a dark tale and has kept some whimsy, this book defiantly keeps the more serious tone, with stakes that are higher than ever. The heist plot lines are gone, and while Eli and his crew still have the skills needed to be great thieves, those skills are now needed to save the world.

While Eli is still present, this time the story is more focused on Josef, the swordsman of the group, who is called back home to take his place as Prince of an island nation, surprising his friends in the process. Of course Nico(the third member of the group) and Eli have no choice but to follow along, where they soon find themselves helping prepare for war against the Immortal Empress, ruler of half the world.

This is not a complex book, reading more like an adventure tale. The joy in it come from the three main characters slowly learning a new piece of each others past, enormous clashes between spirits, and the different way's the groups less lawful skills come in handy in each situation. As a continuation of the series I can't recommend this book enough to people who are yearning for fantasy that is fun and less grim than the average series. The ending was the best of the series, even if it ends with a cliff-hanger. With an epic confrontation brewing, the ending would have seemed too simple if Aaron hadn't done so well in showing what a sacrifice was needed to make it happen.

Some small things hold the book back. Intrigue is not a strong point, and the first third of the book suffers from trying to include it. All the politics and betrayals were way too easy to spot, i knew who was going to cause problems almost from the character introduction. And as unique as the "everything has a spirit" angle is, it is often conveniently forgotten to advance the plot.

Pros: Tries to be fun, good banter between characters, a strong ending.

Cons: The spirit angle has constrained the author in some ways, and the politics truly are cliched.

4 stars. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Mihir rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full Review Over At Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: It’s always harder to review series books, the further you get into the series. For one, most of the plot points become spoilers for previous books, secondly it becomes a bit harder to keep repeating why you like this world or the over all series and lastly the highs of the previous volumes keep raising the bar of expectation to its zenith. So in spite of all the afore mentioned reasons, the Spirit War, book four in the Legend Of Eli...more
Full Review Over At Fantasy Book Critic

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: It’s always harder to review series books, the further you get into the series. For one, most of the plot points become spoilers for previous books, secondly it becomes a bit harder to keep repeating why you like this world or the over all series and lastly the highs of the previous volumes keep raising the bar of expectation to its zenith. So in spite of all the afore mentioned reasons, the Spirit War, book four in the Legend Of Eli Monpress series completely enthralled me and has lead me to believe Rachel Aaron is an author destined for dollops of fame and success. Once again to reiterate the following review might contain spoilers for the previous three books as otherwise it will be very hard to even speak or write about its plot (though I’ll try my best to keep them to a minimalistic level). So for those readers who haven't read the first three books, consider yourselves warned.

The Spirit War opens after the tumultuous events of the Spirit Eater but the prologue once again gives us a look into events past, focusing on Josef and how he procured the Heart of War. The first chapter however introduces us to characters that have been alluded to, but haven’t officially made their presence known. These characters are Den the Warlord and Nara the Immortal Empress, these two have a connection and Den is looking to catch the Empress on her word. He does manage to find her as well as subvert her mood to his wishes and its from here the basic plot begins. The reader will then meet Eli, Josef and Nico on the other-side of the world as they are waiting for Eli's newest bounty; things however take a crazy turn when Josef’s picture adorns the bounty wall besides Eli with his bounty being higher than Eli’s as well. This peculiar bounty alerts Josef to his family and heritage summoning him and they journey back to Osera wherein a whole new cauldron of troubles awaits them.

Miranda on the other hand, has gone with Slorn and soon gets to know one of the fundamental aspects of the world they inhabit. Fate however put her on a crash course with events occuring in Osera but there are a slew of things and plot twists that occur in between & will have to be gleaned by the reader themselves. This book contains many plot threads, some singular and concerning a particular character and others that focus on many and concern everyone. The basic gist is that the Immortal Empress has decided to reclaim a title that she deems she has lost and her fury has been refocused on Osera wherein the heart of the story lies.

This book following the previous books pattern by focusing on one character’s background and this time its Josef’s turn. Not only do we learn that he’s a Prince but also that his future kingdom is now in sights of the Immortal Empress. Josef as a character has always been intriguing and in this book we learn a lot about his past, his choices and the main reasons why he has become the man he is today. There’s also a bunch of plotlines dealing with the horrific issues of the world (as touched upon in book III), namely the presence and meddling of the Shepherdess, the containment of demon seeds, and the overall mystery of the origin of the world and beyond. There are a few answers given but now everything hinges on the last book as it will have answer every question that has arisen so far as well as end the saga on a thumping note. But going by the way things have panned out so far, I have every confidence that the author will surprise us and end the saga on an enthralling note.

One of the biggest surprises in this book is the revelation about the world’s past and the Shepherdess’s role in it. We have had some pointers previously, however in this book we get a lot more information about it. Also this leads to an even more dangerous conclusion as all is definitely not well in the world and not only do the great spirits know it, but the humans are slowly realizing it as well. The character cast is the biggest one featured so far and suitably so as there are multiple plot threads in this book and the author admirably handles them all. This book was a lengthy one however it does not waste any of its pages, the increased length serves to encompass a huge story that is action packed and character driven at the same time.

Characterization is always important with an increased cast and in this book the author admirably showcases all characters with their flawed but understandable viewpoints. This was extremely helpful as otherwise the book’s plot ran the risk of seeming ludicrous. The characters who have been in the background so far like Slorn, Sara, Tesset, Etmon Banage, etc are given more page time as per the story dictates and this was a smart move on the author's part as they reveal more about the world and a bit about the secrets of the world as well.

The only complaint I could have from this book is while Miranda in the previous books has always been a headstrong character, in this one she comes off as bit over zealous. Usually portrayed as "feisty" and protective of her spirits, but herein, I felt her character came across a bit shrill in the climax. This is just my observation and many others might think otherwise on it. The other main characters Nico & Eli do have their parts to play but they sort of take a back seat to Josef in the earlier two-thirds of the book however in the climax they each have their own battles to fight and again have life-changing events occur in the end. The book also ends on a cliffhanger that will have the readers clamoring for the final book and to help is the fact that the book also features a chapter from Eli’s POV from Spirit's End which helps satiate the wait until November.

CONCLUSION: Rachel Aaron spectacularly writes about the world wherein spirits are alive and part of everything. She makes the characters come alive and entraps the reader amidst her literary creation. Thought this book is not the way to start the series, it is a fine indicator of how good a writer she is. Grab a copy of The Spirit Thief to begin the series and know that you are in for one hell of a comical & highly entertaining ride.(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Dec 30, 2012 Mirjam rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

The Legend of Eli Monpress is a captivating and fun series about a charming thief, an ambitious swordsman and a woman with dark and mysterious powers. Eli Monpress has one goal and that is to become the man with the biggest bounty ever. He is determined to get famous with his thievery. Apart from being a thief Eli is also a wizard. In Aaron's world everything has a spirit from a simple stone, to a door, a flower, a pond, the sea, fire, the wind, etc. Wizards are the people who can communicate wi...more

like · see review

Sep 13, 2012 Shanna Swendson rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm now glad I delayed reading The Spirit War even though I bought it soon after it was released because it makes the wait for the next one (November 20) shorter, and I was ready for the next one as soon as I finished it. This is a really fun romp of a series about a wizard who's able to charm the spirits that embody all things and get them to do things for him. He uses this power to become the best thief ever, but he tends to get into a lot of scrapes where he's forced to play the hero. I finis...more

like · see review

Sep 01, 2012 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, I enjoyed the first couple of Eli Monpress books more than the second and third, because the first two were all about the caper. Three and four have become very serious, and in many ways standard, epic fantasy, filled with the clash of kingdoms, desperate magical battles and a sinister dark threat to the world.

It's well done, but it's not really what I signed up for based on the start of Book 1.

The other annoying thing, to me, is that four out of five significant characters are a...more

like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 John Cleland rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic-fantasy

Interesting characters, world and premise tied up in a well-told story. I don't know why I didn't like the world of Eli Monpress more than I did. Can't put my finger on it, except for one thing.

The one thing that really bothered me was the capriciousness of a goddess who's supposed to be the omnipotent. But it seems she's really just a self-centered little girl with way too much power and way too much time on her hands and way too much propensity to stir the pot just for the hell of it. But wait...more

like · see review

Jul 05, 2012 Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21c, fantasy, american

I didn't take the time to reread the earlier books in the series before starting The Spirit War, so it took me a few chapters to re-orient myself and get back into the story. This is less of a romp than the earlier novels, mostly because the stakes are higher. Eli's oily cleverness is more an established fact than something you see in action, aside from the trick that gets Eli and co. into Queen Theresa's court. I found some of the twists a bit too predictable (view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Larou added it · review of another edition

The Spirit War is the fourth installment in Rachel Aaron’s Legend of Eli Monpress, a series that started out as a light and fluffy read but has grown continuously darker as it progresses. This most recent novel continues that trend, and also is considerably more epic than any of the first three volumes – our heroes are all over place in this one, momentous events are afoot, and – the title holding what it promises – there is a war going on (even though the actual fighting, once it happens, seems...more The Spirit War is the fourth installment in Rachel Aaron’s Legend of Eli Monpress, a series that started out as a light and fluffy read but has grown continuously darker as it progresses. This most recent novel continues that trend, and also is considerably more epic than any of the first three volumes – our heroes are all over place in this one, momentous events are afoot, and – the title holding what it promises – there is a war going on (even though the actual fighting, once it happens, seems to bear a greater resemblance to computer game boss fights than to actual military encounters). After novels that were centered on Eli and Nico, this time it is Josef’s turn, and we learn about his background and how he became what he is, and The Spirit War tells (among other things) of how he manages to come to some sort of peace with his past. We also find out a lot more about the wider world the series’ events are set in, and we finally get a cliffhanger that, even though it was clear that this would have to come to pass eventually, is none the less evil for that. Rachel Aaron seems like such a nice person in interviews and on her blog, I really would not have thought her capable of being so mean to leave her readers with that ending… At least Spirit’s End, the final volume in the series, will be out soon, and I for one am counting the days until then.

The Legend of Eli Monpress may not be the most original fantasy series in recent years (it is fairly conventional, but still manages to breathe new life into tired tropes) or the deepest and edgiest (even as things grow darker with each volume, this is still light reading and does not attempt to be anything else) but for me it consistently has been the one that was the most sheer, unabashed fun to read, that had me alternately chuckling with glee or gnawing my lower lip in excitement. It brought back something (a lot actually) of what I felt when I first started out reading Fantasy as a teenager, the spirit of colourful adventure and wide-eyed wonder that got me hooked on the genre, and that is so very hard to recapture as one grows older. Rachel Aaron does this admirably and without apparent effort, and I love the series for that.(less)

like · see review

Jun 08, 2012 Courtney Richards rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, scifi-fantasy, favorites

Oh. My. Word. There are hardly words to describe how I feel right now, but I'll give it a go.

At first, I was disappointed with Spirit War. I enjoyed seeing a lot of things from Josef's perspective, but there wasn't enough Eli to suit me. But the end-- oh the end!! Honestly, the last third of the book was an emotional roller coaster, and there aren't enough words on earth to explain how the ending made me feel. It's nice to see things finally all coming together, despite the dark(er) turn the nov...more

like 3 likes · see review

Sep 03, 2012 J Leigh Bralick rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites

AGH!!! Oh. Em. Gee. I'm kind of a little dizzy...I just read about 400 pages in something like 24 hours so...whoa. I've adored every single Eli book so far, but this one was just mind-blowing. And even better? Somehow it made all the earlier novels even more amazing, too, even though I didn't think that was possible. Everything just builds and builds and details that appeared early in the series suddenly made all the difference in the world. This is masterful storytelling.

And the ending. Oh... I...more

like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, I will give this one of my rare 4s. Continuing to be quite readable, even if the light-hearted romps of the 1st 2 books is less apparent.

Definitely covered a lot of ground in this book, first with Josef's homecoming and then the Immortal Empress. Miranda and Slorn head to Shaper Mountain, the Spirit Court and and the Council of Thrones have a philosophical rift regarding the coming invasion, Nico and her continuing struggle to be human ... or not, and Eli's own issues which are revealed a...more

like · see review

Sep 10, 2012 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the first three Eli books straight through and by the end I was tired of Eli. It's been several books since then and I was looking forward to reading about Eli, Nico and Josef. This book did not disappoint. I read a lot and often forget even the main characters in a book, but these characters are so memorable, they felt like long lost friends. Without giving too much away, I love the large story arch around whatever is pressing against the sky. I feel like the books, each one with their o...more

like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Soooo I seriously love this series. I just love it to death, and this book doesn't disappoint. We learn a TON about Josef, and get a lot of world-building context as the author builds towards the fifth (and final) book, released this fall. CAN IT BE NOW PLEASE?!

The tone of this one is a bit more serious than the previous ones, but it is definitely due, as the glibness of characters is stripped back to reveal WHY they're so glib, and what they're really hiding. And the ending...OMG THE ENDING I...more

like 11 likes · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Jenni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

There is no way I can be objective about this book because I've been waiting not-so-patiently for it for ages. And I have to say, it did not disappoint, which is a big thing, given how high my expectations had built.

I loved it to bits. There were so many moments where I went GLEEEEEEE! and possibly hugged the book. There is so much new information and a lot of interesting backstory and the last third of the book is non stop. The only thing wrong was that the book ended. How cruel to make us wai...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Eli's backstory - finally! I haven't often read a story where it's the man who's the victim in a controlling, abusive relationship, and when the abuser is a goddess (or something like), what can you do? Eli's bravery and cunning in winning his freedom made my heart ache.

Which is probably what soured me on Miranda in this book. She came across as a shrill fishwife. She's become arrogant and so cocksure that she knows what a wastrel Eli is that she becomes almost unlikeable. One of my fave authors...more

like · see review

Jan 25, 2013 Sarah Wagner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Since I originally thought the Eli Monpress series was just a trilogy, I was delighted to discover more books in this series. The central characters return, with many of their unresolved problems. Miranda still can't catch Eli Monpress, Josef wants to be the greatest swordsman without using his famous awakened blade, Nico has a better handle on her demonseed but it still taunts her, and Eli remains his charming self while harboring deep secrets about his power. This installment reveals more abou...more

like · see review

Oct 05, 2012 Penny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, series

This series started out as a fun, light, quirky fantasy with a cast of witty and lovable characters, but has subsequently grown with each book into one of my favourite series. All the ingredients for a good book are there: great writing, characters you can't help but love, lots of laugh out loud moments, clever and believable scenario resolution, quick pace and a detailed back story that cracks open at unpredictable moments to surprise the reader. But the thing I love most is that Rachel Aaron s...more

like 3 likes · see review

Apr 23, 2013 Danielle Shipley rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a world where everything from doors to swords to grains of sand has a living spirit… they all adore Eli Monpress, rogue wizard and self-proclaimed greatest thief in the world. But as much as the everyday spirits love Eli, no one loves him more – or with more dangerous obsession – than the Shepherdess, Benehime, a formidable power with a disturbing lack of attention to responsibility. She’ll pull any stunt to get her favorite back where she wants him, even if it means letting the inexorable Im...more In a world where everything from doors to swords to grains of sand has a living spirit… they all adore Eli Monpress, rogue wizard and self-proclaimed greatest thief in the world. But as much as the everyday spirits love Eli, no one loves him more – or with more dangerous obsession – than the Shepherdess, Benehime, a formidable power with a disturbing lack of attention to responsibility. She’ll pull any stunt to get her favorite back where she wants him, even if it means letting the inexorable Immortal Empress loose on a world with no might to oppose her.

Preparing to make a stand nonetheless is the island of Osera. Its people beat back the Empress’s armies once before, and they are determined to do it again, with help from their truant prince. There is, however, one small complication: That prince is none other than infamous swordsman Joseph Lichten, accomplice and friend of a certain wizard-thief. The price on his head is now higher than Eli’s, and if anyone thinks Eli’s pride will allow him to take the situation lying down, they may have another think coming.

I did not want this book to end – particularly not on the note that it did! There’s little I can say without giving it all away, but just know that the final pages of this fourth book in the Eli Monpress series had me craving Book Five, "Spirit's End", even more than I already was.

For those who wanted a war story, this book delivers on its title’s promise. There are plenty of political head games throughout, and nail-biter battles as the conclusion draws near. There’s also a healthy dose of familial dysfunction, treason and treachery, and enough emotional warfare going on within characters’ own selves to rival the action happening on Osera’s front lines. Readers may even see some characters of which they’ve grown fond meet tragic ends ere the book’s close; certainly, one of the losses hit me rather hard. But, as I’ve been heard to say, the threat doesn’t seem real if nobody dies.

I’ve yet to come across an installment of the Eli Monpress series that I don’t think you should read. Whatever you’re waiting for, knock it off and buy the book. …Unless what you’re waiting for is to have read the first three books, in which case, knock it off and buy the omnibus.(less)

like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dogs, fantasy, magic-users, read-in-2012, twitter-author

I really like this series. It's more action than anything else, generally light and an easy read, but with touches of thoughtfulness that add enough depth to keep it interesting. And I like the way pieces of the big picture keep being gradually revealed, it definitely has kept me very curious while each individual book has had its own interesting story as well.

This one had a good twist with Josef's past. I liked how he responded to his mom and the situation on the island. And I really felt for p...more I really like this series. It's more action than anything else, generally light and an easy read, but with touches of thoughtfulness that add enough depth to keep it interesting. And I like the way pieces of the big picture keep being gradually revealed, it definitely has kept me very curious while each individual book has had its own interesting story as well.

This one had a good twist with Josef's past. I liked how he responded to his mom and the situation on the island. And I really felt for poor Nico, finding out about the wife was rough, even though they had never even met; she's so young and naive in many ways.

And yet, for a really long book there wasn't a lot of character development, again. It's mostly action, and filling in pieces of the puzzle. There also wasn't a lot a lot of Eli and his mischief in this one. And poor Miranda is always the last to know, about a lot of things. I'm kind of tired of her always being a dupe, I'd like to see her take control of something. I still love Gin, of course, minor character though he is; how could I resist what's essentially a giant talking mystical greyhound?

The moral questions were interesting though. When the enemy is legitimately terrifying and doesn't respect anyone's rights, is it OK to use similar tactics? It was good use of fantasy to explore real world issues through what really is otherwise just a fun story. Is there room for idealists in wartime? Are there moral lines that just shouldn't be crossed, even of it means losing? It's nice in a book when good triumphs over evil and the point gets made that morals need to be upheld and that there's always a better way to do things, but what if there isn't? What if upholding your morals actually meant losing to the monsters? Not just dying but getting enslaved or seeing the ones you love tortured? Are there really lines that shouldn't be crossed? Anyway, in the book there were the constant tensions between Spiritualists Miranda and Banage on the one side and Sara and the Council of Wizards on the other and how they think it's appropriate to use spirits. There was also Slorn vs. the Mountain and the issue of demonseeds when it comes to research and containment vs. destruction. They were interesting questions that could be interpreted to apply to issues in our world.

I really like how fully developed the world and the system of magic were. There's so much depth to the story at this point, it's quite fascinating. It has the ring of mythology with the stories of the gods and stars that are being revealed and yet there's a feeling of realism that's really interesting. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the series wraps up in Spirit's End in November 2012 and finding out what's really on the other side of the sky and how all plays out.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I feel like this was maybe a little uneven in the pacing. Like it started off a little slow, but the last part of the book was a little too much at once. It was still good, in any case.

We get a lot of backstory on Josef, which I've been wanting for a long time, since the beginning of the series, basically. After reading this one, I found that the characters I already liked, I grew to like even more, and the annoying characters continued to annoy me. I wouldn't mind if they went away.

The settin...more

like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Nayan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Overall: 6* (well-I have rated the previous ones in the series as 5*)

This is undoubtedly the best book in the series so far and I really love the way Rachel Aaron has woven the story here.

While Eli wants nothing more than an increased bounty on his head, Josef is forced to return to his homeland and take up his title as the Prince of Osera and fulfill his duty to provide the rightful heir to the kingdom.

The book is written from multiple PoVs and while the last one revolved around Nico, I was def...more

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 03, 2012 Archee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love Rachel Aaron's writing style because there's something light and convivial about it - that, and the fact that Eli Monpress is so charming. I hate epic fantasies where I get dragged down in the doom and gloom of it all, to the extent that I'm still stuck on George R R Martin's A Feast For Crows. The plot is spectacular: we readers finally get a taste of the fact the bigger picture, and it's intoxicating. All I can say is god damn the person that invented the cliffhanger.

like · see review

Jan 27, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: magic, fantasy

I feel like this series is finally hitting its stride - I'd easily boost this to 4.5 stars. Still not a big fan of Eli - he just hasn't garnered much empathy from me over the four books to-date - but this book really focuses on Josef and the world at large, finally bringing in glimpses of Eli's past that start providing some insight to his otherwise juvenile and underdeveloped character. Definitely looking forward to reading the next book.

like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-read-during-6th-grade

The Spirit War is the fourth book in Rachel Aaron's series "The Legend of Eli Monpress." The book is about how Eli, Nico and Josef are going to Osera to protect it from The Immortal Empress who has declared war on the little island. Now Josef has to defend Osera in order to save it. He asks the queen if he, Eli and Nico can command the fleet of ships. However, a spy for the Immortal Empress is on the inside.

Will Josef, Eli and Nico win the war, or will The Immortal Empress take over the world.....more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Nicole Trainor rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: eli-monpress

Really enjoyed this one. I've been enjoying Eli's journey from wizard-thief to current events. The unfolding of the bigger story has been fascinating and the continued character development of Nico, Josep, and Eli has been great. I was a little disappointed with Miranda - I'd like to see her develop as much as the other characters because she could be so interesting. A little sad at some of the deaths and am still hoping for more from Sparrow. Cannot wait for the next book to come out.

like · see review

May 13, 2013 Lokien rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a great follow up! Its a tension builder book, where the characters are established, you kinda know where things are going but you still have questions and then WHAM!! Unexpected new plot. Old plot takes a back seat and we deal with all new stuff, while still furthering the original story line at a slower pace as befits the second to the last book in a cerise. Once again, Loved it. cant wait of the conclusion!

like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Denae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: epic-fantasy, favorites, to-read-again

I so disliked the Princess when we first met her that I thought she would ruin the book. Thankfully, she actually made it better (but I'll say no more about her).

Yes!!
The book was as good as (better than, really) my astronomical expectations. The characters stayed true to their personalities while growing into more complicated people. I especially liked the mile-long sword. I was frustrated, anxious, sad, and delighted while reading this book.
In Spirit War, we learn more about the people and wor...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Kerri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow.

That is the only word that comes to mind as I finish this book. This by far my favorite in the series. It gave us more information about our favorite swordsman and give all the characters more depth. Things that had been implied and inferred came to the surface in this book, validating some of the thoughts that I had been having earlier in the book. It gave the characters much more depth and looked past all the posturing they did in the first three books. This book really pulled back the lay...more

like · see review

Jan 17, 2013 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting entry in the series. I was happy to see some of the problems the concept of the setting has explored more fully but I did not like some of the ways it was worked out.

Overall though it was a fun read and I enjoyed it as a swashbuckling story read.

like · see review

Jul 21, 2012 Jessica Underwood rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good read. builds on the world nicely. Make sure you are up to date with the series. Aaron doesn't go back to explain what their doing. Because the story follows multiple characters this can be confusing if, like me, it had been a while since you read the last book.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 48 49 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Fantasy

102 users

Fantasy > Magic

6 users

Fantasy > Epic Fantasy

5 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

5 users

Mythology > Gods

3 users

Fantasy > High Fantasy

3 users

Adventure

3 users

Animals > Anthropomorphic

2 users

Young Adult

2 users

Epic

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Rachel Aaron

Hello, my name is Rachel Aaron, author of The Spirit Thief and all the other Eli books forthcoming from Orbit. I live in Athens, GA, (which I always stress is not really Georgia, but a small island nation all its own adrift in the vast sea of East Georgia farmland) in a seventies house of the future with my husband, the keeper of the other half of my brain, my infant son, who's working on growing...more

More about Rachel Aaron...

Books by Rachel Aaron

The Spirit Thief (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #1)

The Spirit Rebellion (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #2)

The Spirit Eater (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #3)

The Legend of Eli Monpress (The Legend of Eli Monpress #1-3)

Spirit's End (The Legend of Eli Monpress #5)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Spirit War

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Spirit War
avg rating	preview: The Spirit War Goodreads rating: 4.26 (820 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10834868-the-spirit-war?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1330089634l/10834868.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10834868-the-spirit-war?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Spirit War by Rachel Aaron[/url]

The Spirit War (The Legend of Eli Monpress #4)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website