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Court of Fives #2
Poisoned Blade
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
468 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2016
159 people are currently reading
3722 people want to read
About the author
Kate Elliott
108 books2,890 followersAs a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.
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August 26, 2017
I’d like to start out by saying I’m a fan of this series and am really excited about Buried Heart coming out in July 2017. That said, I didn’t enjoy Poisoned Blade quite as much as Court of Fives.
What initially drew me to the series was the high-fantasy feel and element of competition. Poisoned Blade had very little focus on the games, which I found a bit disappointing. Rationally, I realize the entire plot can’t revolve around the games and still be a well-rounded story, but I was hoping for at least a little more focus on it. I also had a few plausibility issues. The main character always somehow managed to be at the right place at the right time for important moments. She was included in events and discussions well above her rank to the point where it was a little unbelievable. The movers and shakers even went as far as to tell her their grand schemes (usually treasonous and punishable by death) when I couldn’t see any logical reason for them to include her in their circle of trust. At least not to the degree that she was, anyway. I found most instances totally implausible, and it knocked my rating down a few notches.
There were still plenty of things I liked. I appreciated even more so in Poisoned Blade how well-developed and individualized all the characters were, especially Jessamy and her sisters. They really make the story complete and I can’t wait to see where their choices take them next. And, actually, I can’t wait to see where everything goes next. There are a lot of moving parts to this series, and I can tell it’s building towards something profound. Judging by how well Elliott ended each book, I’m predicting the trilogy-ender will be just as good. I still have lots of questions that need answers though.
Overall, as I mentioned in my review of Court of Fives, my new favorite trend is high fantasy authors tackling YA stories. Elliott is doing such a great job with the Court of Fives series that I plan on picking up other works by her sooner rather than later.
Other books you might like:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson
Graceling – Kristin Cashore
Hunter – Mercedes Lackey
The Winner's Curse – Marie Rutkowski [even though I didn't like the second one]
Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas [I like Court of Fives more, but they're similar]
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
What initially drew me to the series was the high-fantasy feel and element of competition. Poisoned Blade had very little focus on the games, which I found a bit disappointing. Rationally, I realize the entire plot can’t revolve around the games and still be a well-rounded story, but I was hoping for at least a little more focus on it. I also had a few plausibility issues. The main character always somehow managed to be at the right place at the right time for important moments. She was included in events and discussions well above her rank to the point where it was a little unbelievable. The movers and shakers even went as far as to tell her their grand schemes (usually treasonous and punishable by death) when I couldn’t see any logical reason for them to include her in their circle of trust. At least not to the degree that she was, anyway. I found most instances totally implausible, and it knocked my rating down a few notches.
There were still plenty of things I liked. I appreciated even more so in Poisoned Blade how well-developed and individualized all the characters were, especially Jessamy and her sisters. They really make the story complete and I can’t wait to see where their choices take them next. And, actually, I can’t wait to see where everything goes next. There are a lot of moving parts to this series, and I can tell it’s building towards something profound. Judging by how well Elliott ended each book, I’m predicting the trilogy-ender will be just as good. I still have lots of questions that need answers though.
Overall, as I mentioned in my review of Court of Fives, my new favorite trend is high fantasy authors tackling YA stories. Elliott is doing such a great job with the Court of Fives series that I plan on picking up other works by her sooner rather than later.
Other books you might like:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson
Graceling – Kristin Cashore
Hunter – Mercedes Lackey
The Winner's Curse – Marie Rutkowski [even though I didn't like the second one]
Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas [I like Court of Fives more, but they're similar]
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com
August 11, 2016
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott
Book Two of the Court of Fives trilogy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
What I Liked:
Wow! I'm pretty sure I liked this even more than I liked Court of Fives, which I really enjoyed. I remember feeling a little unsure about Court of Fives last year, if I should read it or not. I did read it and I liked it, and as it would turn out, the sequel was even better!
At the end of Court of Fives, Jessamy beats Prince Kalliarkos to become a Challenger, which moves her up in the ranks of the Fives. By doing so, she betrays Kal, forcing him into a role in the army that she knew he wanted to avoid. Their relationship lies in ruins, and he leaves with her father to fight in the war. Jes continues to run the Fives, and she must garner enough attention and favor to continue to be successful. But the Fives isn't Jes's priority; her mother and siblings are in hiding, with no money and no protection. Traveling with Lord Gargaron in the countryside allows her to compete more, but the dangers even higher, bringing her directly into the war. Suddenly Jes isn't just trying to move up as a Challenger, and she isn't just trying to protect her family. Jes must decide who she is fighting for, and where she stands.
This book was exciting from start to finish! So much time passes in this book. I like how Elliott does that - a month of training will pass, a month between one run of the Fives to another, weeks of travel, and so on. I like how Elliott moves the chains (football reference, sorry) of time without taking us though those days and weeks specifically.
Jes really grows with time, even though we don't get to see that time passing all the time. She is the revered champion of Garon Stables, the Commoner that shot up the ranks, from Novice to Challenger. She's the daughter of a respected General, and a lowborn Commoner woman. Jes isn't hurt by insults like "mule" that are thrown at her, and she isn't ashamed of who she is. She has her weak moments, but I love how Jes owns who she is. In a country where Efeans are dirty commoners, Patrons are the exalted upper class, and children of each are called mules, it's difficult for "half-breed" children like Jes to get anywhere. But Jes is determined to make it through the Fives, to win and win and win. She fights for her family, and for herself. Her loyalty to her mother and siblings is admirable, and so is her loyalty to her father (whom I don't really like).
Kal is the Prince and grandson of the current matriarch ruler. He is no longer an adversary, since Jes beat him. He is a captain in the army, a position he did not want. He is no longer warm smiles and encouragement, but a hardened soldier, calculating and somewhat cold. It seems like he won't forgive and forget, but he grows in this book too. Now that he has spent time in the army, in the war, he realizes how much bigger everything is than him. How political the Fives are, and how Jes needed to think of herself and her family above all else.
I've seen some compare this series to The Hunger Games, and I guess I can see it? In my opinion, this book is far more political and war-filled. Yes, the Fives are a game and Jes is a star. But most of the story is not focused on Jes running the Fives. There is a lot of politics and scheming and planning and betrayal. Jes has to watch her back at all turns; Lord Gargaron has her watched, and he doesn't know that she rescued her mother and siblings from the tomb he locked them in. This series is so different from The Hunger Games because a lot less time is spent in the "game", and more time is spent dealing with political intrigue, and war.
One thing I will say is that Kal and Jes have to go through some obstacles in their relationship. Kal is very angry with Jes in the beginning of the book, and he is sent away to war very early on in the story. For about 60% of the book, Kal and Jes do not cross paths. This gives Jes plenty of time to try and forget him, but she never can. And while we never get to read from Kal's POV, we know that it is the same for him.
Still, I like the progression of their relationship. After the ending of Court of Fives, it was clear that Jes needed to choose her family over Kal, and couldn't trust Kal to keep them safe at all costs. But I feel like by the end of this book, Kal and Jes's bond is more solid. There are a few scenes featuring them having serious conversations, and there are a few sweet romantic scenes. Most of this is towards the end. However, I like that the first half of the book isn't too angst-ridden.
We see a lot of Amaya, Jes's younger sister. I didn't hate her as much as I did in book one, though I still didn't like her very much. I understood her and felt for her more though. Bettany, I didn't like at all. But at the same time, I felt for her. Jes's father is a fool, but he is a pawn, and so I understand why he does what he does. Still, I think I do dislike him (in book one, I wasn't sure if I did or not). I really feel bad for Jes's mother, who now has six children (two are twin infants), and only one of her original four is with her. Elliott really makes it hard on Kiya (Jes's mother).
So there is a war, and the there is the Fives, and there is a crazy political scheme, and another within that one, and then there is another one that Princess Berenise is running... there are so many schemes happening, and Kal and Jes are caught right in the middle. The ending of this book got crazy pretty quickly! Crazy as in insanely action-packed and eye-opening. I'm happy to see things like a stronger, unified couple (Kal and Jes), family reunion, and some of the schemes broken up. But let's just say that book three will be very intense, given how this book ended!
What I Did Not Like:
I do really hate General Esladas's new wife, Menoe (Kal's sister). Wow I could throw her off a fictional cliff and not feel bad about it. I honestly really hope both Menoe and Esladas meet there fate in book three. This isn't a spoiler, I promise! Just wishful thinking.
I'm hoping to see more physical romance in book three. While I LIKED how Elliott went about the romance in this book, I want to see more for sure. Kal and Jes have all the odds and the universe and basically everything against them, but it would be great to see some of the passion that lies between them overflow. In any way.
Would I Recommend It:
I am loving this series, so I would definitely recommend this book if you've read Court of Fives. The dislikes I mentioned above are more like considerations for book three. If you are a fan of fantasy, with light romance and a kickbutt protagonist, I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
4 stars. I love it when the sequel of a book is better than the first book! Even better, in this case. I am very curious to see how everything will end, in book three! Crossing my fingers for a nice ending. Is "nice" a thing in fantasy? Sometimes it is. Let's hope so!
Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott
Book Two of the Court of Fives trilogy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 16, 2016
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
What I Liked:
Wow! I'm pretty sure I liked this even more than I liked Court of Fives, which I really enjoyed. I remember feeling a little unsure about Court of Fives last year, if I should read it or not. I did read it and I liked it, and as it would turn out, the sequel was even better!
At the end of Court of Fives, Jessamy beats Prince Kalliarkos to become a Challenger, which moves her up in the ranks of the Fives. By doing so, she betrays Kal, forcing him into a role in the army that she knew he wanted to avoid. Their relationship lies in ruins, and he leaves with her father to fight in the war. Jes continues to run the Fives, and she must garner enough attention and favor to continue to be successful. But the Fives isn't Jes's priority; her mother and siblings are in hiding, with no money and no protection. Traveling with Lord Gargaron in the countryside allows her to compete more, but the dangers even higher, bringing her directly into the war. Suddenly Jes isn't just trying to move up as a Challenger, and she isn't just trying to protect her family. Jes must decide who she is fighting for, and where she stands.
This book was exciting from start to finish! So much time passes in this book. I like how Elliott does that - a month of training will pass, a month between one run of the Fives to another, weeks of travel, and so on. I like how Elliott moves the chains (football reference, sorry) of time without taking us though those days and weeks specifically.
Jes really grows with time, even though we don't get to see that time passing all the time. She is the revered champion of Garon Stables, the Commoner that shot up the ranks, from Novice to Challenger. She's the daughter of a respected General, and a lowborn Commoner woman. Jes isn't hurt by insults like "mule" that are thrown at her, and she isn't ashamed of who she is. She has her weak moments, but I love how Jes owns who she is. In a country where Efeans are dirty commoners, Patrons are the exalted upper class, and children of each are called mules, it's difficult for "half-breed" children like Jes to get anywhere. But Jes is determined to make it through the Fives, to win and win and win. She fights for her family, and for herself. Her loyalty to her mother and siblings is admirable, and so is her loyalty to her father (whom I don't really like).
Kal is the Prince and grandson of the current matriarch ruler. He is no longer an adversary, since Jes beat him. He is a captain in the army, a position he did not want. He is no longer warm smiles and encouragement, but a hardened soldier, calculating and somewhat cold. It seems like he won't forgive and forget, but he grows in this book too. Now that he has spent time in the army, in the war, he realizes how much bigger everything is than him. How political the Fives are, and how Jes needed to think of herself and her family above all else.
I've seen some compare this series to The Hunger Games, and I guess I can see it? In my opinion, this book is far more political and war-filled. Yes, the Fives are a game and Jes is a star. But most of the story is not focused on Jes running the Fives. There is a lot of politics and scheming and planning and betrayal. Jes has to watch her back at all turns; Lord Gargaron has her watched, and he doesn't know that she rescued her mother and siblings from the tomb he locked them in. This series is so different from The Hunger Games because a lot less time is spent in the "game", and more time is spent dealing with political intrigue, and war.
One thing I will say is that Kal and Jes have to go through some obstacles in their relationship. Kal is very angry with Jes in the beginning of the book, and he is sent away to war very early on in the story. For about 60% of the book, Kal and Jes do not cross paths. This gives Jes plenty of time to try and forget him, but she never can. And while we never get to read from Kal's POV, we know that it is the same for him.
Still, I like the progression of their relationship. After the ending of Court of Fives, it was clear that Jes needed to choose her family over Kal, and couldn't trust Kal to keep them safe at all costs. But I feel like by the end of this book, Kal and Jes's bond is more solid. There are a few scenes featuring them having serious conversations, and there are a few sweet romantic scenes. Most of this is towards the end. However, I like that the first half of the book isn't too angst-ridden.
We see a lot of Amaya, Jes's younger sister. I didn't hate her as much as I did in book one, though I still didn't like her very much. I understood her and felt for her more though. Bettany, I didn't like at all. But at the same time, I felt for her. Jes's father is a fool, but he is a pawn, and so I understand why he does what he does. Still, I think I do dislike him (in book one, I wasn't sure if I did or not). I really feel bad for Jes's mother, who now has six children (two are twin infants), and only one of her original four is with her. Elliott really makes it hard on Kiya (Jes's mother).
So there is a war, and the there is the Fives, and there is a crazy political scheme, and another within that one, and then there is another one that Princess Berenise is running... there are so many schemes happening, and Kal and Jes are caught right in the middle. The ending of this book got crazy pretty quickly! Crazy as in insanely action-packed and eye-opening. I'm happy to see things like a stronger, unified couple (Kal and Jes), family reunion, and some of the schemes broken up. But let's just say that book three will be very intense, given how this book ended!
What I Did Not Like:
I do really hate General Esladas's new wife, Menoe (Kal's sister). Wow I could throw her off a fictional cliff and not feel bad about it. I honestly really hope both Menoe and Esladas meet there fate in book three. This isn't a spoiler, I promise! Just wishful thinking.
I'm hoping to see more physical romance in book three. While I LIKED how Elliott went about the romance in this book, I want to see more for sure. Kal and Jes have all the odds and the universe and basically everything against them, but it would be great to see some of the passion that lies between them overflow. In any way.
Would I Recommend It:
I am loving this series, so I would definitely recommend this book if you've read Court of Fives. The dislikes I mentioned above are more like considerations for book three. If you are a fan of fantasy, with light romance and a kickbutt protagonist, I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
4 stars. I love it when the sequel of a book is better than the first book! Even better, in this case. I am very curious to see how everything will end, in book three! Crossing my fingers for a nice ending. Is "nice" a thing in fantasy? Sometimes it is. Let's hope so!
Read
July 24, 2016This is one of my favorite books of 2016, which makes it very hard to talk about, especially spoiler free. When one enjoys a book as thoroughly as I did this one, it’s too easy to blat an eye-glazing burble of superlatives.
So let me begin with what I didn’t like, which is the present tense narrative. I have to admit it rarely works for me, though when it does, it’s very effective. But in a story like this, where Jes is beginning segments “A month later, I’m going . . .” and “A few weeks later I am ready for . . .” it was especially jolting.
But that jolt would last maybe a paragraph, max, and then I’d sink right back into the story, so immersed that only outside interruption forced me out.
The book begins immediately after the stunning cliff hanger of the first book, as Jes strives to explain her choices, but determined as she is, events are more determined to keep her far from peace. And so she must fall back on her Pyrrhic victory, which sets her up for more dangerous challenges—that she is very ready to meet.
Jes is an athletes’ athlete, not only strong and smart and disciplined, but she uses the strategic thinking she has developed in her sport to apply to the dangerous world around her.
And she needs this edge. Trouble is brewing in high places, and as she is constantly reminded by powerful people around her, outsiders like her are never safe. No one is safe when war is threatening—not just from the outside, but from the inside as well.
This is not an easy story to read, as Elliott doesn’t pull her punches about the viciousness of war, especially when it’s personal. She has built complicated cultures, both of whom have evolved after the Saroese Patrons conquered the Efeans. Cultural and class distinctions are imposed not only by the Patrons at the top, but also by the Efean underclass through distrust and covert action. Characters who speak one to one in dire circumstances revert to form in moments of high anxiety—especially those at the top, who cling to the order that grants their privilege.
What immerses me so deeply? Complex characters, and a complicated story with sharp twists and turns that I cannot not predict. Every time I thought, oh, I know where this is going, I was wrong.
Vivid scenery that evokes all five senses. (Five is an important number in both cultures.) Telling details in character development, an ever-changing range of emotional reactions, and fast action.
At the center is Jessamy’s loving family, separated by cultural differences imposed by the conquerors, and by their own passionate convictions. Even when they argue—which they do, with equal passion—and divide sharply over individual convictions, the four sisters, their father, and their mother, love each other with exhilarating conviction.
And oh, are they complicated, as each pursues his or her goal with energy and all their considerable brains. The book’s strength, though, I think lies in how complicated the villains are. I find evil-for-evil’s sake villains boringly predictable. The only one of that type of villain in the entire book is scarcely seen, conniving mostly at a distance as everyone else is struggling to restore order as they see it. Other villains are not so easily predicted, which ratchets up the tension, and the interest.
Fascinating female characters of all ages, diverse cultures influencing each other in spite of the power structure, and a lot of action kept me turning the pages, the bonus being a central relationship built on trust—and on striving to do the right thing though everything around seems wrong.
Here we have young characters born into stressful, fast-changing times striving with brains, courage, and grace to do what they believe is the right thing, sometimes in spite of their own wildly gyrating emotions.
In short: Anyone who thinks fantasy is meaningless escapism should be reading Kate Elliott
And now I have to wait a year for the next? Oh, where’s the time machine when you need one?
Copy provided courtesy of NetGalley.
So let me begin with what I didn’t like, which is the present tense narrative. I have to admit it rarely works for me, though when it does, it’s very effective. But in a story like this, where Jes is beginning segments “A month later, I’m going . . .” and “A few weeks later I am ready for . . .” it was especially jolting.
But that jolt would last maybe a paragraph, max, and then I’d sink right back into the story, so immersed that only outside interruption forced me out.
The book begins immediately after the stunning cliff hanger of the first book, as Jes strives to explain her choices, but determined as she is, events are more determined to keep her far from peace. And so she must fall back on her Pyrrhic victory, which sets her up for more dangerous challenges—that she is very ready to meet.
Jes is an athletes’ athlete, not only strong and smart and disciplined, but she uses the strategic thinking she has developed in her sport to apply to the dangerous world around her.
And she needs this edge. Trouble is brewing in high places, and as she is constantly reminded by powerful people around her, outsiders like her are never safe. No one is safe when war is threatening—not just from the outside, but from the inside as well.
This is not an easy story to read, as Elliott doesn’t pull her punches about the viciousness of war, especially when it’s personal. She has built complicated cultures, both of whom have evolved after the Saroese Patrons conquered the Efeans. Cultural and class distinctions are imposed not only by the Patrons at the top, but also by the Efean underclass through distrust and covert action. Characters who speak one to one in dire circumstances revert to form in moments of high anxiety—especially those at the top, who cling to the order that grants their privilege.
What immerses me so deeply? Complex characters, and a complicated story with sharp twists and turns that I cannot not predict. Every time I thought, oh, I know where this is going, I was wrong.
Vivid scenery that evokes all five senses. (Five is an important number in both cultures.) Telling details in character development, an ever-changing range of emotional reactions, and fast action.
At the center is Jessamy’s loving family, separated by cultural differences imposed by the conquerors, and by their own passionate convictions. Even when they argue—which they do, with equal passion—and divide sharply over individual convictions, the four sisters, their father, and their mother, love each other with exhilarating conviction.
And oh, are they complicated, as each pursues his or her goal with energy and all their considerable brains. The book’s strength, though, I think lies in how complicated the villains are. I find evil-for-evil’s sake villains boringly predictable. The only one of that type of villain in the entire book is scarcely seen, conniving mostly at a distance as everyone else is struggling to restore order as they see it. Other villains are not so easily predicted, which ratchets up the tension, and the interest.
Fascinating female characters of all ages, diverse cultures influencing each other in spite of the power structure, and a lot of action kept me turning the pages, the bonus being a central relationship built on trust—and on striving to do the right thing though everything around seems wrong.
Here we have young characters born into stressful, fast-changing times striving with brains, courage, and grace to do what they believe is the right thing, sometimes in spite of their own wildly gyrating emotions.
In short: Anyone who thinks fantasy is meaningless escapism should be reading Kate Elliott
And now I have to wait a year for the next? Oh, where’s the time machine when you need one?
Copy provided courtesy of NetGalley.
August 30, 2016
“Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”
----Mark Twain
Kate Elliott, an award-winning American YA author, pens the next book in her series of Court of Fives called, Poisoned Blade and this time the story gets deathly, complex and extremely mind-blowingly edgy as Jes, the champion of the Fives, is caught between the war of her divided kingdom as well as the strive and the challenge to save her dear mother and her sisters, all the while being under constant supervision of a cruel ruler.
Synopsis:
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
Jessamy has managed to move up the ranks in the highly challenging game of Fives by beating the love of her life, Prince Kal, who is now forced to take up the position of captain in the Army under the guidance of Jes's father, who is a general. That really threw the relationship between Jes and Kal under the bus, moreover, Jes gets to run the Fives under the strict supervision of Lord Gargaron, the ruler of Patrons, by going on tour through the country sides, each time the challenge and the fight being more convoluted.
Jes has managed to save her mother and her sisters from the clutches and the wrath of the devious ruler, Lord Gargaron, who is planning to overthrow the entire existence of Commoners from their kingdom of Efea, so the lord puts Jes on a constant surveillance as he knows that besides Patron's blood, Commoner's blood is also running through Jes's veins. So Jes thrives to become a champion in the Fives, as the money from winning those game will keep her hidden family afloat. But that would also cost her relationship with Kal, who is really angry towards Jes's betrayal, but when the whole kingdom is scheming to betray its people, Jes must pause and decide whose side she is actually fighting for?
Yes once again, the author masterfully captures as well as depicts the fantasy world, through solid logic and justification to convince the readers thoroughly. The author strongly captivates a fractured world divided by ideological and moral political beliefs, the scandals, the plotting and scheming of backstabbing or taking over or fighting for power sensitively, cleverly and strikingly that will make the readers think deeply about a world which is so much dependent on political agenda (meaning today's world!)
The writing style is fantastic with an engaging narrative style. The plot is woven beautifully with lots of actions and drama to keep the readers on their edges, especially when the war is schemed and plotted against one another (Patrons and Commoners). The pacing of the book changes from being steady to being very fast and finally concludes with a major cliffhanger that will give the readers a rough idea about what level of action is going to take place in the next book.
Yet once again, the characters shine like diamonds with their old yet evolved flair. So overall, the characters are all very well developed and are highlighted and layered with their flaws and stronger aspects and are also kept closer to reality. The protagonist, Jessamy, is brave, emotional yet grows a lot as she has to choose between what she wants and what the country wants her to do, yes, this time Jes is on cross roads between her family, the kingdom as well as Kal. Kalliarkos is no more that sweet, charming guy anymore, in fact, he has turned very frigid when it came to emotions and quite cautious with his mind.
This time, the author has given room to some romance almost near the end of the story, that the author has penned with lots of compassion and evocativeness that will deeply move the readers and will also make them root for their unique bond of trust, love and friendship. Jes and Kal are a distinctive pair whose understanding level is really deep, even though they realize their feelings for one another almost half way through the story.
This time the story is much more powerful and complex than the previous book and the author has included so many adrenaline rushing action scenes that will keep the readers glued to the pages of this book and with some jaw-dropping and unpredictable twists that make the story even more intriguing. So this is a must read book if you have already read the first book in the series.
Verdict: Highly absorbing, mind-blowing and riveting YA fantasy book that is a must read for all the YA lovers.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
----Mark Twain
Kate Elliott, an award-winning American YA author, pens the next book in her series of Court of Fives called, Poisoned Blade and this time the story gets deathly, complex and extremely mind-blowingly edgy as Jes, the champion of the Fives, is caught between the war of her divided kingdom as well as the strive and the challenge to save her dear mother and her sisters, all the while being under constant supervision of a cruel ruler.
Synopsis:
Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives—the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons in her embattled kingdom. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on Jes's traveling party puts her at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos—the prince she still loves—is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion...She must become a warrior.
Jessamy has managed to move up the ranks in the highly challenging game of Fives by beating the love of her life, Prince Kal, who is now forced to take up the position of captain in the Army under the guidance of Jes's father, who is a general. That really threw the relationship between Jes and Kal under the bus, moreover, Jes gets to run the Fives under the strict supervision of Lord Gargaron, the ruler of Patrons, by going on tour through the country sides, each time the challenge and the fight being more convoluted.
Jes has managed to save her mother and her sisters from the clutches and the wrath of the devious ruler, Lord Gargaron, who is planning to overthrow the entire existence of Commoners from their kingdom of Efea, so the lord puts Jes on a constant surveillance as he knows that besides Patron's blood, Commoner's blood is also running through Jes's veins. So Jes thrives to become a champion in the Fives, as the money from winning those game will keep her hidden family afloat. But that would also cost her relationship with Kal, who is really angry towards Jes's betrayal, but when the whole kingdom is scheming to betray its people, Jes must pause and decide whose side she is actually fighting for?
Yes once again, the author masterfully captures as well as depicts the fantasy world, through solid logic and justification to convince the readers thoroughly. The author strongly captivates a fractured world divided by ideological and moral political beliefs, the scandals, the plotting and scheming of backstabbing or taking over or fighting for power sensitively, cleverly and strikingly that will make the readers think deeply about a world which is so much dependent on political agenda (meaning today's world!)
The writing style is fantastic with an engaging narrative style. The plot is woven beautifully with lots of actions and drama to keep the readers on their edges, especially when the war is schemed and plotted against one another (Patrons and Commoners). The pacing of the book changes from being steady to being very fast and finally concludes with a major cliffhanger that will give the readers a rough idea about what level of action is going to take place in the next book.
Yet once again, the characters shine like diamonds with their old yet evolved flair. So overall, the characters are all very well developed and are highlighted and layered with their flaws and stronger aspects and are also kept closer to reality. The protagonist, Jessamy, is brave, emotional yet grows a lot as she has to choose between what she wants and what the country wants her to do, yes, this time Jes is on cross roads between her family, the kingdom as well as Kal. Kalliarkos is no more that sweet, charming guy anymore, in fact, he has turned very frigid when it came to emotions and quite cautious with his mind.
This time, the author has given room to some romance almost near the end of the story, that the author has penned with lots of compassion and evocativeness that will deeply move the readers and will also make them root for their unique bond of trust, love and friendship. Jes and Kal are a distinctive pair whose understanding level is really deep, even though they realize their feelings for one another almost half way through the story.
This time the story is much more powerful and complex than the previous book and the author has included so many adrenaline rushing action scenes that will keep the readers glued to the pages of this book and with some jaw-dropping and unpredictable twists that make the story even more intriguing. So this is a must read book if you have already read the first book in the series.
Verdict: Highly absorbing, mind-blowing and riveting YA fantasy book that is a must read for all the YA lovers.
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book.
August 28, 2017
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this one. I thought the storyline was kept a bit tighter than it was in the first book, as well as the pacing, and the ending was so exciting! The last book will definitely see some hearts being broken, possibly mine.
I really enjoyed this one. I thought the storyline was kept a bit tighter than it was in the first book, as well as the pacing, and the ending was so exciting! The last book will definitely see some hearts being broken, possibly mine.
September 27, 2016
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/09/25/...
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Last year’s Court of Fives and I didn’t hit it off very well, despite my excitement to read Kate Elliott’s first Young Adult novel. Happily though, this sequel improves upon almost every single issue I had, and I was really glad I decided to give the series another try.
In this world, the Fives is a popular game involving an intricate obstacle course: each adversary moves through through four challenges before tackling the final moving tower puzzle, which must be successfully scaled in order to claim the victory flag at the top. Our protagonist, a young woman of mixed background named Jessamy has achieved her dream of competing in the Fives and is now a Challenger, moving up the ranks and gaining tons of fans. Sadly though, it meant saying good bye to Lord Kalliarkos, the boy she befriended and fell in love with. The young Patron prince is being sent off to war, along with Jes’ father the great General Esladas.
Jes herself is traveling the countryside on tour with her Fives team, earning the money required to support her mother and siblings in secret after helping them escape imprisonment. Her family’s enemies are still out there though, so Jes has to be extra careful not to rouse suspicion, even if it means sneaking off when she’s not supposed to. However, war threatens to unravel all her plans as her traveling party and the fighting meet on a collision path.
I think it would be simplest just to run through all the improvements I felt were made by this sequel, matching them to the criticisms I had with Court of Fives. First, the world-building: I feel like we get a much better grasp of what’s going on in Poisoned Blade. At the end of the last book, the author introduced several elements hinting at a secret history and suggesting that there’s a lot more behind the lore of the Fives. The ideas are further developed here, and we’re also starting to see a lot more connections forming.
Second, the story: maybe it’s because I never found the concept of Fives to be all that interesting, but I was so glad the story in Poisoned Blade started to move away from the game. Instead, the book’s plot focuses more on the bigger picture of what’s happening around the kingdom—war, politics, and the power struggle between all sides. All the backstabbing and conflicts within the royal family are complicated enough to make my head spin, but it makes for a much more compelling story.
Third, the characters: In Court of Fives, Jes was one of the most frustrating protagonists I had ever met. She waffled constantly, which also resulted in a very confusing picture of General Esladas, because it seemed she could never make up her mind whether she admired her father or hated his guts. In my eyes, she also played Kalliarkos mercilessly, persuading him to help her out by goading him or poking at his weak spots. Fortunately, the romance was toned down a lot in this sequel, so there were fewer awkward moments between Jes and Kal. I’ve also come to appreciate General Esladas’ character a little bit more, now that his love for his family is starting to come through and Jes has decided that he’s a good man who is just as trapped as she is.
Furthermore, there are a number of general developments that make this book a better read overall. Jes’ experience of being the daughter of a Patron man and a Commoner woman was explored a lot more, like how growing up in the middle of two worlds has affected her, especially since her heritage is clearly written on her physical features. No matter how successful she is as a Fives Challenger, people still judge her by her sex and color of her skin. Going deeper into the social and cultural issues of this world also makes it feel a lot more real and immersive. I’m interested as well in the relationships between Jes and her siblings. There are quite a few shocking twists revealed in this book when it comes to her twin, and of course there’s also the matter of her newborn baby brother—very curious about where that’s going to lead!
Bottom line, I thought Poisoned Blade was much better than the first book. I wouldn’t call it a standout read compared to some of excellent YA I’ve read, as there’s still room for improvement, but nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised how well the story drew me in considering my less-than-stellar experience with Court of Fives. Frankly I did not expect to enjoy this sequel so much, and now is it’s all but assured that I will be picking up the third book to see how this trilogy will end.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Last year’s Court of Fives and I didn’t hit it off very well, despite my excitement to read Kate Elliott’s first Young Adult novel. Happily though, this sequel improves upon almost every single issue I had, and I was really glad I decided to give the series another try.
In this world, the Fives is a popular game involving an intricate obstacle course: each adversary moves through through four challenges before tackling the final moving tower puzzle, which must be successfully scaled in order to claim the victory flag at the top. Our protagonist, a young woman of mixed background named Jessamy has achieved her dream of competing in the Fives and is now a Challenger, moving up the ranks and gaining tons of fans. Sadly though, it meant saying good bye to Lord Kalliarkos, the boy she befriended and fell in love with. The young Patron prince is being sent off to war, along with Jes’ father the great General Esladas.
Jes herself is traveling the countryside on tour with her Fives team, earning the money required to support her mother and siblings in secret after helping them escape imprisonment. Her family’s enemies are still out there though, so Jes has to be extra careful not to rouse suspicion, even if it means sneaking off when she’s not supposed to. However, war threatens to unravel all her plans as her traveling party and the fighting meet on a collision path.
I think it would be simplest just to run through all the improvements I felt were made by this sequel, matching them to the criticisms I had with Court of Fives. First, the world-building: I feel like we get a much better grasp of what’s going on in Poisoned Blade. At the end of the last book, the author introduced several elements hinting at a secret history and suggesting that there’s a lot more behind the lore of the Fives. The ideas are further developed here, and we’re also starting to see a lot more connections forming.
Second, the story: maybe it’s because I never found the concept of Fives to be all that interesting, but I was so glad the story in Poisoned Blade started to move away from the game. Instead, the book’s plot focuses more on the bigger picture of what’s happening around the kingdom—war, politics, and the power struggle between all sides. All the backstabbing and conflicts within the royal family are complicated enough to make my head spin, but it makes for a much more compelling story.
Third, the characters: In Court of Fives, Jes was one of the most frustrating protagonists I had ever met. She waffled constantly, which also resulted in a very confusing picture of General Esladas, because it seemed she could never make up her mind whether she admired her father or hated his guts. In my eyes, she also played Kalliarkos mercilessly, persuading him to help her out by goading him or poking at his weak spots. Fortunately, the romance was toned down a lot in this sequel, so there were fewer awkward moments between Jes and Kal. I’ve also come to appreciate General Esladas’ character a little bit more, now that his love for his family is starting to come through and Jes has decided that he’s a good man who is just as trapped as she is.
Furthermore, there are a number of general developments that make this book a better read overall. Jes’ experience of being the daughter of a Patron man and a Commoner woman was explored a lot more, like how growing up in the middle of two worlds has affected her, especially since her heritage is clearly written on her physical features. No matter how successful she is as a Fives Challenger, people still judge her by her sex and color of her skin. Going deeper into the social and cultural issues of this world also makes it feel a lot more real and immersive. I’m interested as well in the relationships between Jes and her siblings. There are quite a few shocking twists revealed in this book when it comes to her twin, and of course there’s also the matter of her newborn baby brother—very curious about where that’s going to lead!
Bottom line, I thought Poisoned Blade was much better than the first book. I wouldn’t call it a standout read compared to some of excellent YA I’ve read, as there’s still room for improvement, but nevertheless I was pleasantly surprised how well the story drew me in considering my less-than-stellar experience with Court of Fives. Frankly I did not expect to enjoy this sequel so much, and now is it’s all but assured that I will be picking up the third book to see how this trilogy will end.
October 13, 2017
4.5
This was a much better read! Part of it was that I went for the audio version, which worked very well with the present tense - this had sometimes annoyed me in the first book. Secondly is that Elliott weaves a very intricate tale with so many threads, each pulling and pushing the plot in totally different ways, that you can't help but be carried along, wondering all the while what on earth is going to happen! In case you ask, this is a good thing :O)
The abyss between the Saroese Patrons and Efean Commoners is still as wide as before, with rampant inequalities. The small pocket of revolutionaries continues to try to hold their ground in the shadows and grow their ranks by whispering to a populace the real facts from a History that was deleted by the conquerors. Jess becomes more and more aware of this, also discovering that symbols used in the ruling class, and deities, were in fact first part of the Efeans' culture. At the same time, conflicts abound too in the Saroese court with several factions vying for power, with truly chess-like machinations. As if this wasn't enough, there is the threat from 'outside' from three other 'clans' bent on conquering this land.
If the author likes complex plots, she does the same with her characters, to a certain extent. Her 'bad' characters can do good things while remaining obnoxious, and the 'good' ones some pretty horrible ones. This complicates the whole picture, sometimes even shocking the reader, but adds a very realistic angle to this fantasy. Jess makes plenty of mistakes due to her impulsive nature, which is also why she is so good in the Games of Five. She learns quickly however, faced with life and death situations, and tries to make the most of it, using the skill she acquired from her training, both in the arena and at home listening to her dad.
The doubts I had in the first novel are gone and I'm completely taken by this narrative, wanting to find out what happens! The only recommendation I would give is to go for the audiobook if the present tense is not your thing :O)
This was a much better read! Part of it was that I went for the audio version, which worked very well with the present tense - this had sometimes annoyed me in the first book. Secondly is that Elliott weaves a very intricate tale with so many threads, each pulling and pushing the plot in totally different ways, that you can't help but be carried along, wondering all the while what on earth is going to happen! In case you ask, this is a good thing :O)
The abyss between the Saroese Patrons and Efean Commoners is still as wide as before, with rampant inequalities. The small pocket of revolutionaries continues to try to hold their ground in the shadows and grow their ranks by whispering to a populace the real facts from a History that was deleted by the conquerors. Jess becomes more and more aware of this, also discovering that symbols used in the ruling class, and deities, were in fact first part of the Efeans' culture. At the same time, conflicts abound too in the Saroese court with several factions vying for power, with truly chess-like machinations. As if this wasn't enough, there is the threat from 'outside' from three other 'clans' bent on conquering this land.
If the author likes complex plots, she does the same with her characters, to a certain extent. Her 'bad' characters can do good things while remaining obnoxious, and the 'good' ones some pretty horrible ones. This complicates the whole picture, sometimes even shocking the reader, but adds a very realistic angle to this fantasy. Jess makes plenty of mistakes due to her impulsive nature, which is also why she is so good in the Games of Five. She learns quickly however, faced with life and death situations, and tries to make the most of it, using the skill she acquired from her training, both in the arena and at home listening to her dad.
The doubts I had in the first novel are gone and I'm completely taken by this narrative, wanting to find out what happens! The only recommendation I would give is to go for the audiobook if the present tense is not your thing :O)
August 13, 2016
2.5 stars?
After finishing Court of Fives, I was really intrigued to see where the story went next. As I settled into this book, I was thrilled that it picked up right where CoF ending...and then I sort of lost interest.
I didn't care for Jessamy in this book. She's so indecisive about some things and waivers over everything until the very last minute. I found I that couldn't root for her the way I did in book one.
My main complaint is that there are subplots upon subplots upon subplots. And then maybe add in a few more, just for good measure. I struggled with remembering who was who and what side everyone was on. I found myself skimming long passages describing the Fives court or the battles because nothing was holding my attention.
It did get a bit better towards the end and the last few pages were quite interesting. I'm mildly curious to see what happens next and I'll probably read the last one, but I won't be clamoring for it.
**Huge thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
After finishing Court of Fives, I was really intrigued to see where the story went next. As I settled into this book, I was thrilled that it picked up right where CoF ending...and then I sort of lost interest.
I didn't care for Jessamy in this book. She's so indecisive about some things and waivers over everything until the very last minute. I found I that couldn't root for her the way I did in book one.
My main complaint is that there are subplots upon subplots upon subplots. And then maybe add in a few more, just for good measure. I struggled with remembering who was who and what side everyone was on. I found myself skimming long passages describing the Fives court or the battles because nothing was holding my attention.
It did get a bit better towards the end and the last few pages were quite interesting. I'm mildly curious to see what happens next and I'll probably read the last one, but I won't be clamoring for it.
**Huge thanks to Little, Brown and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
April 16, 2021
This is my fifth Kate Elliott book. It was interesting to see her modify things somewhat for a YA audience: the simplicity of language was the major thing there, and maybe a bit of repetition as characters we haven't seen for a while are re-introduced to the story. Otherwise, I don't have anything to say about how well or poorly it works as a YA specifically.
The major point of interest for me with Poisoned Blade was seeing ongoing motifs, narrative focuses and so on that carried over between Elliott's Spiritwalker series and this series written slightly later. One major parallel is that the main character isn't a major player in what in epic fantasy are usually the main events: wars, royal infighting for succession, and so on. Jes, as someone who's tied to a noble house in the role of an acrobat-gladiator, coincidentally witnesses quite a lot of conversations, battles, stabbings, etc. connected to those "big events." A few too many, actually, which broke suspension of disbelief at times. Her main goals are to win the gladiatorial "Fives" games, protect her scattered family, and save her own skin. Her impulsiveness gets her a lot of attention and not enough real peril, perhaps. While lots of injury and death surrounds her, and half the people she meets have physical scars, Jes is all but impervious.
Another parallel between the series is a broad-based depiction of the society the characters are moving in. The reader sees walk-on characters from every layer of society, and also sees the long-term effects of colonization on the Efeans, who were the land's original inhabitants. There are a lot of moving parts here, and the world-building is mostly gracefully done. Magic was largely pushed into the background, aside from a couple of occasions. Some of the threads from the first book were picked up in this second book, but not resolved. This isn't quite the "novel that's three books long" that Spiritwalker is, though.
This second book also deepens some of Jes's relationships from the first book. The reader sees new sides of Jes's sisters Amaya, Maraya and Bettany. Each girl's path through this dangerous world is different, and interesting in its own right. A couple of Jes's Fives teammates finally come into their own after being faceless names in the first book, just in time to .
Her love relationship with Kalliarkos, sadly, just doesn't do a lot for me. Although they had a nasty parting at the end of the first book, and in the meantime have both been through a great deal separately, this is still puppy love. Thinking back, impermanence characterizes a lot of the adult relationships in this book, so maybe that's part of why I don't see this one making it. Ro the poet adds a potential love triangle aspect to the story, but this isn't approached in an overwrought way--you can tell she's attracted to both young men, but she is pretty firmly on team (spoiler) for now.
Most interestingly for me, there's a character who was portrayed as a conniving, nasty person for huge swathes of the story, who we see in greater depth in the latter part of this book as circumstances turn them and Jes into (very) reluctant allies. That was pretty cool, one of the better parts of the book for me, and also highlighted another aspect of women's roles in Saroan society--one that isn't rosy, to say the least.
I've gotten used to Elliott's storytelling style by now, but I could easily see it being troublesome for others. Small moments are full of either physical or emotional drama, making them fun to read, although frequent info-dumps also stall things out on a regular basis. (Even worse, many of them are the "as you know, Jes" type.) On the medium scale, there's a sense of hectic confusion, our lead being dragged here and there to witness and/or participate in events that change the landscape in significant ways, which can be disorienting and/or annoying. But once I've finished reading a given book, there's a sense of rightness to it as a whole, and appreciation of both Elliott's craft and her ethos.
This series is tricky to recommend--I can easily see others bouncing off it or Spiritwalker, for a number of reasons. As usual, you've got to try them to know for sure. :) As for myself, I'm looking forward to finishing this Elliott series and moving on to another. There's quite a lot still to go!
The major point of interest for me with Poisoned Blade was seeing ongoing motifs, narrative focuses and so on that carried over between Elliott's Spiritwalker series and this series written slightly later. One major parallel is that the main character isn't a major player in what in epic fantasy are usually the main events: wars, royal infighting for succession, and so on. Jes, as someone who's tied to a noble house in the role of an acrobat-gladiator, coincidentally witnesses quite a lot of conversations, battles, stabbings, etc. connected to those "big events." A few too many, actually, which broke suspension of disbelief at times. Her main goals are to win the gladiatorial "Fives" games, protect her scattered family, and save her own skin. Her impulsiveness gets her a lot of attention and not enough real peril, perhaps. While lots of injury and death surrounds her, and half the people she meets have physical scars, Jes is all but impervious.
Another parallel between the series is a broad-based depiction of the society the characters are moving in. The reader sees walk-on characters from every layer of society, and also sees the long-term effects of colonization on the Efeans, who were the land's original inhabitants. There are a lot of moving parts here, and the world-building is mostly gracefully done. Magic was largely pushed into the background, aside from a couple of occasions. Some of the threads from the first book were picked up in this second book, but not resolved. This isn't quite the "novel that's three books long" that Spiritwalker is, though.
This second book also deepens some of Jes's relationships from the first book. The reader sees new sides of Jes's sisters Amaya, Maraya and Bettany. Each girl's path through this dangerous world is different, and interesting in its own right. A couple of Jes's Fives teammates finally come into their own after being faceless names in the first book, just in time to .
Her love relationship with Kalliarkos, sadly, just doesn't do a lot for me. Although they had a nasty parting at the end of the first book, and in the meantime have both been through a great deal separately, this is still puppy love. Thinking back, impermanence characterizes a lot of the adult relationships in this book, so maybe that's part of why I don't see this one making it. Ro the poet adds a potential love triangle aspect to the story, but this isn't approached in an overwrought way--you can tell she's attracted to both young men, but she is pretty firmly on team (spoiler) for now.
Most interestingly for me, there's a character who was portrayed as a conniving, nasty person for huge swathes of the story, who we see in greater depth in the latter part of this book as circumstances turn them and Jes into (very) reluctant allies. That was pretty cool, one of the better parts of the book for me, and also highlighted another aspect of women's roles in Saroan society--one that isn't rosy, to say the least.
I've gotten used to Elliott's storytelling style by now, but I could easily see it being troublesome for others. Small moments are full of either physical or emotional drama, making them fun to read, although frequent info-dumps also stall things out on a regular basis. (Even worse, many of them are the "as you know, Jes" type.) On the medium scale, there's a sense of hectic confusion, our lead being dragged here and there to witness and/or participate in events that change the landscape in significant ways, which can be disorienting and/or annoying. But once I've finished reading a given book, there's a sense of rightness to it as a whole, and appreciation of both Elliott's craft and her ethos.
This series is tricky to recommend--I can easily see others bouncing off it or Spiritwalker, for a number of reasons. As usual, you've got to try them to know for sure. :) As for myself, I'm looking forward to finishing this Elliott series and moving on to another. There's quite a lot still to go!
August 10, 2017
4.5 stars. How many twists and turns can one plot have, seriously? Great, complex fade from Elliott as usual.
August 22, 2017
4.5 stars. Really enjoying this trilogy. This book is better than the first one so I have high hopes for the third one.
August 19, 2016
Oh dear. This is so sloppy. At this point, Jessamy isn't an impulsive character. She's so stupid that she should be dead five times over; there are only a certain number of times you can raise the stakes and claim they're a matter of life and death only to have Jessamy blunder about, never the worse for it. It's not characterization anymore. Instead, there's a string of inconsistencies that weakens the entire story.
And the plot. Sighhhh. I mean, here's Jessamy who manages to talk everyone into going along with her plan (because she's so cunning, an odd trait in someone with such bad judgement), and that allows her to ferret out secrets that people with greater access - generals, nobility - can't manage to untangle. It's a severe case of Protagonist Syndrome: by rights she shouldn't be able to hear this much. She goes from adversary to confidante of royalty to traveling the desert to joining the army to the (actually exciting) finale. There are about three books struggling for their own stories in this novel.
I haven't touched on the first person present tense point of view (bad) or the writing (worse), but for reference:
The finale is well done, but it's the finale to a story that wasn't told. Somewhere, there's a purely political plotline (a la Hilari Bell's Farsala) surrounding the much-more-interesting Efeans, but this isn't that story. This is a disjointed, confused novel that tries to center its rapidly shifting events on a fragmented character. It's like pinning a story to a sandstorm: it blows this way and that way senselessly, and when it finally forms some sort of pattern, the whole thing feels entirely accidental.
And the plot. Sighhhh. I mean, here's Jessamy who manages to talk everyone into going along with her plan (because she's so cunning, an odd trait in someone with such bad judgement), and that allows her to ferret out secrets that people with greater access - generals, nobility - can't manage to untangle. It's a severe case of Protagonist Syndrome: by rights she shouldn't be able to hear this much. She goes from adversary to confidante of royalty to traveling the desert to joining the army to the (actually exciting) finale. There are about three books struggling for their own stories in this novel.
I haven't touched on the first person present tense point of view (bad) or the writing (worse), but for reference:
But his frown mirrors the bitter stain of complicity spreading across my heart.Multiply that by 300+ pages. It's kind of amazing I finished this.
The finale is well done, but it's the finale to a story that wasn't told. Somewhere, there's a purely political plotline (a la Hilari Bell's Farsala) surrounding the much-more-interesting Efeans, but this isn't that story. This is a disjointed, confused novel that tries to center its rapidly shifting events on a fragmented character. It's like pinning a story to a sandstorm: it blows this way and that way senselessly, and when it finally forms some sort of pattern, the whole thing feels entirely accidental.
April 30, 2016
An amazing followup to COURT OF FIVES--I like Jessamy better in this one, in fact: she's still headstrong and impulsive, but she's learning the pitfalls of this. I won't spoil the ending, but it's a great twist, and certainly promises a very interesting third volume to the series.
May 23, 2016
Omg!!!! I think this was better than book 1!!!! I NEED book 3 now!!!!
October 31, 2017
I'm mostly mad at myself for waiting so long to read this series. Read it!
August 1, 2017
I put off reading this book for no reason other than a reluctance to be swept up in the world again. Strange, I know, but the first book was so intense I felt I needed some space. Now that the third book is out, it's probably past time to read it.
And now that I have, I'm finding it hard to articulate what made it so good. Once again Jes is, on occasion, infuriatingly stupid. On being told that she will endanger her mother and siblings by approaching them because she's being closely watched by Lord Gargaron (this is still an overdramatic name), she still goes to find them! And persists in doing so! But it's hard not to see this as part of her personality--the young woman who competes in the Fives, who sees only direct lines to her goals. Subtlety is not one of Jes's strong suits, and that makes her appealing even as it occasionally made me want to smack her.
The first book was a complex weave of political intrigue through which Jes made her own way, even as it meant betraying, even temporarily, someone she cared about. This second book ups the stakes; Jes's role as adversary, a competitor in the athletic competition known as the Fives, is less important than the role she plays as one torn between two worlds. With her family still in danger, Jes risks her own life and freedom only to discover that, in one case, her help isn't needed, and in the other,
I loved the twist at the end, when the political struggle comes to a head with . I'm also enjoying the love triangle, such as it is, because it's not been the typical "oh I'm drawn to both of them what shall I dooooo" nonsense. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
And now that I have, I'm finding it hard to articulate what made it so good. Once again Jes is, on occasion, infuriatingly stupid. On being told that she will endanger her mother and siblings by approaching them because she's being closely watched by Lord Gargaron (this is still an overdramatic name), she still goes to find them! And persists in doing so! But it's hard not to see this as part of her personality--the young woman who competes in the Fives, who sees only direct lines to her goals. Subtlety is not one of Jes's strong suits, and that makes her appealing even as it occasionally made me want to smack her.
The first book was a complex weave of political intrigue through which Jes made her own way, even as it meant betraying, even temporarily, someone she cared about. This second book ups the stakes; Jes's role as adversary, a competitor in the athletic competition known as the Fives, is less important than the role she plays as one torn between two worlds. With her family still in danger, Jes risks her own life and freedom only to discover that, in one case, her help isn't needed, and in the other,
I loved the twist at the end, when the political struggle comes to a head with . I'm also enjoying the love triangle, such as it is, because it's not been the typical "oh I'm drawn to both of them what shall I dooooo" nonsense. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
June 25, 2020
Really good, spider was an inspiring character. Kal and Jes sittin in a tree... llol
December 28, 2018
Okay, I forgot to add this one for some reason! ARCs, why do I always forget you? WHAT AN OVERSIGHT.
I loved this book and the politics and the DRAMA and the way that Jes's confidence on the Fives court gets her in trouble when the game is politics, life, and death. It's SUCH a good, nuanced book that rewards close reading and deep thinking about issues of power, race, and colonialism.
Here's my B&N review: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sc...
I loved this book and the politics and the DRAMA and the way that Jes's confidence on the Fives court gets her in trouble when the game is politics, life, and death. It's SUCH a good, nuanced book that rewards close reading and deep thinking about issues of power, race, and colonialism.
Here's my B&N review: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sc...
August 15, 2016
This was pretty disappointing. Further thoughts to come but this was a plodding story where the characters act willingly ignorant (and against previous characterization) for plot reasons (, so I was not happy.
October 7, 2016
Two things:
1) Booooooring.
2) Is the author really setting up a triangle in the third book? Hahahahaha fml.
Honestly wishing I never started - nor spent my money on - this series.
June 11, 2017
A synopsis of this book.
Everyone older and wiser than Jess: JESSAMY NO.
Jessamy: JESSAMY YES.
Everyone: NO NO NO.
Amaya and Bettany: AMAYA AND BETTANY YES.
Everyone: Oh god please do not do the thing.
Sisters: I will continue doing the thing even more energetically.
Court Politics: Suprise, I am worse than you imagined.
Sisters: Oh wow and my imagination was pretty bad.
Creepy magic: I also am here lurking.
Sisters: I guess it would be wise to hide now.
Court intrigue and creepy magic: *exists*
Sisters: KISS OFF, ADVERSARY.
So this was good, and I'm deeply distressed and worried about Beth's story, and everyone's story, and. Also, I have read books with a higher body count, but I think this may be the book with the most visceral deaths I've read.
Everyone older and wiser than Jess: JESSAMY NO.
Jessamy: JESSAMY YES.
Everyone: NO NO NO.
Amaya and Bettany: AMAYA AND BETTANY YES.
Everyone: Oh god please do not do the thing.
Sisters: I will continue doing the thing even more energetically.
Court Politics: Suprise, I am worse than you imagined.
Sisters: Oh wow and my imagination was pretty bad.
Creepy magic: I also am here lurking.
Sisters: I guess it would be wise to hide now.
Court intrigue and creepy magic: *exists*
Sisters: KISS OFF, ADVERSARY.
So this was good, and I'm deeply distressed and worried about Beth's story, and everyone's story, and. Also, I have read books with a higher body count, but I think this may be the book with the most visceral deaths I've read.
October 19, 2016
This book BLEW ME AWAY. I was already very impressed by Court of Fives -- Elliott does a masterful job dealing with complex social and political issues while keeping emotions intense -- and I was curious how she intended to top her first book. Well, she totally delivered! Poisoned Blade has even more emotional heft, even more epic action and political intrigue -- and it's such a delicious treat to see more of Jes's sisters, especially brilliant, charming Amaya. If you're a fan of Elliott's writing, enjoyed Court of Fives, or haven't been introduced to Elliott's work but would love to read intelligent fantasy + deep world-building + incredibly compelling plots with the most badass ladies EVER ... run, do not walk, to your nearest purveyor of books! A stunning sequel and one of my favorite books of the year.
June 16, 2017
Title: Poisoned Blade (Court of Fives, #2)
Author: Kate Elliott
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016
Genre: YA Fantasy
This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA’s Tumblr, or my Goodreads page
My Review:
This is the sequel and second book in the Court of Fives series:
Does this cover jog your memory if the first one doesn’t? Hopefully it will.
I can tell you right now, I won’t be surprised if people haven’t read the first one. I did and it was pretty forgettable, to be honest. I only gave Court of Fives ★★★☆☆. I wasn’t a fan of the protagonist and found her to be a bit selfish. But I can’t turn down a sequel, and it was available on Overdrive, so I requested it and read it.
I’m actually glad I did. I’m glad I gave this series a second chance.
Jessamy runs the Fives, a court designed with five different areas: Trees, Traps, Rivers, Pillars, and Rings. In the first book (don’t worry, I can keep this pretty spoiler-free), she sneaks out to race the Fives because she is not allowed to by decree of her father, Captain Esladas. After all that happened in the first book (see? Didn’t even go into it! 😉), Jess can now run the Fives as a sponsored member of Garon House.
This novel doesn’t focus so much on the risks Jess takes or her feelings toward Kal, a Patron-born (and therefore untouchable because of his higher-class standing) lord. This sequel focuses more on the Efean (the lower-class) frustrations with their current circumstances. And I liked that.
Jess is mocked, belittled, and generally treated like dirt. The only standing she has comes from her victories on the Fives court. As she beats other Advesaries, she gains respect. But as a “mule,” or mixed Patron/Efean child, she is not really considered a person. Add to that the fact she’s a woman, and Jess gets snubbed and ignored, and made to be a servant in most situations.
As I said, the first book made me irritated. Jess was the daughter of a Patron man and an Efean woman, and though they couldn’t marry, he lived with her and the children for years. When the family is torn apart, Jess focuses only on herself and her desire to become an Advesary. However, in this book we see class struggles, high stakes, and the machinations of a man obsessed with power. Though the book dragged at times, it reengaged me and reminded me that sometimes sequels can be better than the first book.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Definitely. I wouldn’t use this book, though, because it picks up directly where the last book leaves off, and though it does a good job summarizing for those that have forgotten the events of the previous novel, it still would make more sense to use a first book in a classroom than a sequel. (I have to say, it took awhile for me to become familiar with the characters again…the first one was pretty forgettable). But I think Court of Fives could be used to show the problems with class conflicts (the Patrons are lighter skinned and more powerful, and the Efeans are dark and treated like slaves…sound familiar?) in the world. It shows how a young girl can go from a privileged household to one of poverty and slavery all because she loses her protection. It’s actually painful by the second book, but I could see some lively discussions whenever a book focuses on problems in a caste system. I would use Court of Fives and encourage the students to seek out Poisoned Blade when they are done. On their own time, of course.
Age Range:
This book actually seems to be rated for middle grade on Lexile.com. It recommends from ages 11-13, with a simple score of 940L. So easy readability for younger readers. Great!
Court of Fives, however, gets a rating for 14-17, and a Lexile score of 850L. So the scores are similar, but the first book is recommended for 14 and up, and the second book is recommended for 11-13?? Does that make sense to anyone?
This is where I come in and translate what the hell this means. Apparently no one realized that these two books went together when they rated them, and just rated on content alone. With Court of Fives focusing more on world-building and story-telling, it gets a higher rating. With Poisoned Blade simply following in the same world and therefore needing less world-building and development, it gets a lower rating. I’d honestly have switched those ratings, becuase I think the sequel is way more complex than the original.
So this is my opinion: I would recommend this series for ages 12 and up. There. Settled. I think this book works for reluctant readers as well as advanced, and can be enjoyed through adulthood (obviously). That was the weirdest Lexile rating I’ve ever seen for two books from the same series. Sigh. (Huh…I just realized the Educator’s Guide that o put up agrees with me…I’m becoming more of a teacher every day, lol!)
End Result:
I give Poisoned Blade ★★★★☆. If you can get through Court of Fives withhout wanting to kill the main character, or if you can put aside your feelings toward her until the next book, pick this read up. It makes reading the first book worthwhile. If you can’t stand the patience it takes to read to a second book for the magic to happen, then skip the series all together. If you liked Court of Fives, then you’ll LOVE Poisoned Blade, and you’ll probably have five-starred the whole series so far. But there’s more coming! The next installment comes out next year, and here’s the cover:
Ha, watch that one get an age rating of 8-11 or something crazy like that, since as the book series continues, apparently the age level goes down (I will never understand Lexile age recommendations…I just won’t).
Happy Reading!!
Author: Kate Elliott
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016
Genre: YA Fantasy
This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA’s Tumblr, or my Goodreads page
My Review:
This is the sequel and second book in the Court of Fives series:
Does this cover jog your memory if the first one doesn’t? Hopefully it will.
I can tell you right now, I won’t be surprised if people haven’t read the first one. I did and it was pretty forgettable, to be honest. I only gave Court of Fives ★★★☆☆. I wasn’t a fan of the protagonist and found her to be a bit selfish. But I can’t turn down a sequel, and it was available on Overdrive, so I requested it and read it.
I’m actually glad I did. I’m glad I gave this series a second chance.
Jessamy runs the Fives, a court designed with five different areas: Trees, Traps, Rivers, Pillars, and Rings. In the first book (don’t worry, I can keep this pretty spoiler-free), she sneaks out to race the Fives because she is not allowed to by decree of her father, Captain Esladas. After all that happened in the first book (see? Didn’t even go into it! 😉), Jess can now run the Fives as a sponsored member of Garon House.
This novel doesn’t focus so much on the risks Jess takes or her feelings toward Kal, a Patron-born (and therefore untouchable because of his higher-class standing) lord. This sequel focuses more on the Efean (the lower-class) frustrations with their current circumstances. And I liked that.
Jess is mocked, belittled, and generally treated like dirt. The only standing she has comes from her victories on the Fives court. As she beats other Advesaries, she gains respect. But as a “mule,” or mixed Patron/Efean child, she is not really considered a person. Add to that the fact she’s a woman, and Jess gets snubbed and ignored, and made to be a servant in most situations.
As I said, the first book made me irritated. Jess was the daughter of a Patron man and an Efean woman, and though they couldn’t marry, he lived with her and the children for years. When the family is torn apart, Jess focuses only on herself and her desire to become an Advesary. However, in this book we see class struggles, high stakes, and the machinations of a man obsessed with power. Though the book dragged at times, it reengaged me and reminded me that sometimes sequels can be better than the first book.
Is it Classroom-Appropriate?
Definitely. I wouldn’t use this book, though, because it picks up directly where the last book leaves off, and though it does a good job summarizing for those that have forgotten the events of the previous novel, it still would make more sense to use a first book in a classroom than a sequel. (I have to say, it took awhile for me to become familiar with the characters again…the first one was pretty forgettable). But I think Court of Fives could be used to show the problems with class conflicts (the Patrons are lighter skinned and more powerful, and the Efeans are dark and treated like slaves…sound familiar?) in the world. It shows how a young girl can go from a privileged household to one of poverty and slavery all because she loses her protection. It’s actually painful by the second book, but I could see some lively discussions whenever a book focuses on problems in a caste system. I would use Court of Fives and encourage the students to seek out Poisoned Blade when they are done. On their own time, of course.
Age Range:
This book actually seems to be rated for middle grade on Lexile.com. It recommends from ages 11-13, with a simple score of 940L. So easy readability for younger readers. Great!
Court of Fives, however, gets a rating for 14-17, and a Lexile score of 850L. So the scores are similar, but the first book is recommended for 14 and up, and the second book is recommended for 11-13?? Does that make sense to anyone?
This is where I come in and translate what the hell this means. Apparently no one realized that these two books went together when they rated them, and just rated on content alone. With Court of Fives focusing more on world-building and story-telling, it gets a higher rating. With Poisoned Blade simply following in the same world and therefore needing less world-building and development, it gets a lower rating. I’d honestly have switched those ratings, becuase I think the sequel is way more complex than the original.
So this is my opinion: I would recommend this series for ages 12 and up. There. Settled. I think this book works for reluctant readers as well as advanced, and can be enjoyed through adulthood (obviously). That was the weirdest Lexile rating I’ve ever seen for two books from the same series. Sigh. (Huh…I just realized the Educator’s Guide that o put up agrees with me…I’m becoming more of a teacher every day, lol!)
End Result:
I give Poisoned Blade ★★★★☆. If you can get through Court of Fives withhout wanting to kill the main character, or if you can put aside your feelings toward her until the next book, pick this read up. It makes reading the first book worthwhile. If you can’t stand the patience it takes to read to a second book for the magic to happen, then skip the series all together. If you liked Court of Fives, then you’ll LOVE Poisoned Blade, and you’ll probably have five-starred the whole series so far. But there’s more coming! The next installment comes out next year, and here’s the cover:
Ha, watch that one get an age rating of 8-11 or something crazy like that, since as the book series continues, apparently the age level goes down (I will never understand Lexile age recommendations…I just won’t).
Happy Reading!!
August 25, 2016
I'm running on fumes, so this is, once again, not so much a review as a collection of my disjointed thoughts. You're welcome! Also, this is going to be mildly spoilery.
I'm still hesitant about the grading. I might change it to 4 stars later on, upon reflection, but the first 80% of this novel was definitely a 3-star book for me, and then the final sequence makes up for a lot, but I'm not sure if it's enough for 4 stars.
I look forward to volume three (which I think will be more about the things I am into here), but I feel like Elliott is a little constrained (maybe also by page limits) in youngadulting her writing, so I look even more forward to her adult novels.
I'm still hesitant about the grading. I might change it to 4 stars later on, upon reflection, but the first 80% of this novel was definitely a 3-star book for me, and then the final sequence makes up for a lot, but I'm not sure if it's enough for 4 stars.
I look forward to volume three (which I think will be more about the things I am into here), but I feel like Elliott is a little constrained (maybe also by page limits) in youngadulting her writing, so I look even more forward to her adult novels.
August 18, 2017
The second part of this trilogy carries on in the same vein as the first. A civil war still looms, overlords still do what they feel on any whim and Jes seems to get what she wants, do what she wants and get away with it.
Now I'm not advocating that she get hurt or lose a limb but surely she could suffer a little before her happy ending.
Now I'm not advocating that she get hurt or lose a limb but surely she could suffer a little before her happy ending.
July 31, 2017
The Good
Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott continues right after the end of Court of Fives. Jessamy has saved her mother and sisters from the being tombed by Lord Gargaron and she has won her spot at the Garon stable at the expense of Lord Kalliarkos. With even more sneaking around the plot begins to thicken as characters's true motives come into light.
With war on the horizon, Jessamy must stay on her toes as she is constantly reminded that people like her will never be safe and free. Elliott continues with her lyrical and descriptive writing that keeps you immersed and on the edge of your seat. She dwells deeper into the history and customs of the world she has built without holding anything back when it comes to the touchy subjects of racism and sexism.
I love all the strong female characters in Poisoned Blade. Jess continues to grow and adapt to her surroundings while never forgetting who she is where she comes from. She is always thinking about others before herself and will do anything to protect her family. Amaya has left the safety of her family's safe house to be at her best friend/lover's side behind the walls of the Gargaron's Palace. Hidden behind her disguise she sneaks around to gather important information and would place herself in danger's way to protect the ones she loves. Of course we have Kiya, the girl's mother being the totem of wisdom and figure of peace everyone needs in times of trouble. Surprisingly, Lady Menoe shows she can be a real human being from time to time which was nice to see.
This was definitely a step up and forward for the series and of course the cliffhanger leaves you begging to find out what happens next. Too bad we have to wait for next year!
The Bad
I had very few issues with Poisoned Blade. My one big complaint comes from the many side plots popping up here and there. I felt it took away from the overall impact of the story and I found myself skimming through the ones that didn't interest me too much.
My other complaint is with the romance. I feel like it isn't quite consistent between Jess and Kal to the point where I am a bit irritated with the way they interact with each other. I mean I get it, Jess screwed him over in the first book, but come on Kal, pick up you big boy panties and move on. You were never really good at the Fives anyway.
Other then that, Poisoned Blade was magnificent and the one of the reasons I love the fantasy genre so much!
Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott continues right after the end of Court of Fives. Jessamy has saved her mother and sisters from the being tombed by Lord Gargaron and she has won her spot at the Garon stable at the expense of Lord Kalliarkos. With even more sneaking around the plot begins to thicken as characters's true motives come into light.
With war on the horizon, Jessamy must stay on her toes as she is constantly reminded that people like her will never be safe and free. Elliott continues with her lyrical and descriptive writing that keeps you immersed and on the edge of your seat. She dwells deeper into the history and customs of the world she has built without holding anything back when it comes to the touchy subjects of racism and sexism.
I love all the strong female characters in Poisoned Blade. Jess continues to grow and adapt to her surroundings while never forgetting who she is where she comes from. She is always thinking about others before herself and will do anything to protect her family. Amaya has left the safety of her family's safe house to be at her best friend/lover's side behind the walls of the Gargaron's Palace. Hidden behind her disguise she sneaks around to gather important information and would place herself in danger's way to protect the ones she loves. Of course we have Kiya, the girl's mother being the totem of wisdom and figure of peace everyone needs in times of trouble. Surprisingly, Lady Menoe shows she can be a real human being from time to time which was nice to see.
This was definitely a step up and forward for the series and of course the cliffhanger leaves you begging to find out what happens next. Too bad we have to wait for next year!
The Bad
I had very few issues with Poisoned Blade. My one big complaint comes from the many side plots popping up here and there. I felt it took away from the overall impact of the story and I found myself skimming through the ones that didn't interest me too much.
My other complaint is with the romance. I feel like it isn't quite consistent between Jess and Kal to the point where I am a bit irritated with the way they interact with each other. I mean I get it, Jess screwed him over in the first book, but come on Kal, pick up you big boy panties and move on. You were never really good at the Fives anyway.
Other then that, Poisoned Blade was magnificent and the one of the reasons I love the fantasy genre so much!
September 21, 2017
Looking on Goodreads, I can see that my friends mostly didn’t enjoy Poisoned Blade that much. I definitely did; this series, for reasons I really can’t put my finger on, totally hits me in that crack joy spot. I read the whole book straight through.
Poisoned Blade is the weakest book in the series, but it didn’t feel like a large drop in quality. Mostly, it’s just that there’s a fair amount of marking time, waiting for plot points. It’s not that things don’t happen, but they happen more slowly than is entirely necessary. There isn’t a strong narrative arc to this installment. Things move along, but there’s not a massive sense of cohesion to Poisoned Blade as a singular volume. Once the war starts, things do get exciting, but that doesn’t happen until the end.
The big emotional pinnacle of Poisoned Blade is the reunion with Bettany. Unfortunately, everything big is spoilery so.
One thing that was a huge miss in this book was when Jes goes to meet up with Ro-Emnu. She asks him about the password “Efea will rise,” which she had to use to get to the secret hideout. She’s so adamant that she must know what it means. That is as unsubtle as it could possibly be. Jes is renowned in-book for being a brilliant strategist, but she regularly does not put really obvious shit together. It’s not just this moment, and it happens in every single book, but this is the most flagrant example of where showing and telling do not jive in Jes’ characterization.
Bear with me on this brief commentary because I read Buried Heart directly after and before I wrote a review, and now I can’t really remember which parts were in which book. :-/
Poisoned Blade is the weakest book in the series, but it didn’t feel like a large drop in quality. Mostly, it’s just that there’s a fair amount of marking time, waiting for plot points. It’s not that things don’t happen, but they happen more slowly than is entirely necessary. There isn’t a strong narrative arc to this installment. Things move along, but there’s not a massive sense of cohesion to Poisoned Blade as a singular volume. Once the war starts, things do get exciting, but that doesn’t happen until the end.
The big emotional pinnacle of Poisoned Blade is the reunion with Bettany. Unfortunately, everything big is spoilery so.
One thing that was a huge miss in this book was when Jes goes to meet up with Ro-Emnu. She asks him about the password “Efea will rise,” which she had to use to get to the secret hideout. She’s so adamant that she must know what it means. That is as unsubtle as it could possibly be. Jes is renowned in-book for being a brilliant strategist, but she regularly does not put really obvious shit together. It’s not just this moment, and it happens in every single book, but this is the most flagrant example of where showing and telling do not jive in Jes’ characterization.
Bear with me on this brief commentary because I read Buried Heart directly after and before I wrote a review, and now I can’t really remember which parts were in which book. :-/
February 10, 2018
There is an epic ton of intrigue in this one. If you like intrigue, this may be a book you’ll enjoy. Jes walks right into the thick of things several times (her timing is either very lucky or very unlucky) leaving her being one of the few people able to piece together an impending coup. (Or is she?) These plots put not only her father, but also Kalliarkos in danger so she feels forced to act. I love her boldness, even though it inevitably leads her into trouble.
The characters are well-developed, even the smaller characters seem to have well thought-out backgrounds and histories. Some of the ‘bad guys’ perhaps seem like they’re bad just for the sake of being bad, but I quite enjoyed Lord Gargaron in this one as I found him to be much more nuanced. Oh, he’s still detestable, but sometimes he is useful and he even displays a bit of self-sacrifice at a certain point. I feel like Prince Kal showed some great character growth as well, clearly going out to soldier has done him some good.
There is a good bit of stuff set in motion during this book, and other things that had been set in motion from the first get further moved along. Efea is at war, the royal court is falling apart, an uprising is clearly on the horizon.
See more of my reviews at www.waytoofantasy.com
The characters are well-developed, even the smaller characters seem to have well thought-out backgrounds and histories. Some of the ‘bad guys’ perhaps seem like they’re bad just for the sake of being bad, but I quite enjoyed Lord Gargaron in this one as I found him to be much more nuanced. Oh, he’s still detestable, but sometimes he is useful and he even displays a bit of self-sacrifice at a certain point. I feel like Prince Kal showed some great character growth as well, clearly going out to soldier has done him some good.
There is a good bit of stuff set in motion during this book, and other things that had been set in motion from the first get further moved along. Efea is at war, the royal court is falling apart, an uprising is clearly on the horizon.
See more of my reviews at www.waytoofantasy.com
November 5, 2021
2.5 stars
I'm SAD. I finished this book in like 2 hours in my morning art class and I am so sad. 1. Kal came in literally the end. 2. Kal still didn't really grow a backbone (the reason i read this book in the first place) and 3. Jessamy got ten times more annoyinger and 4. the plot was boring.
Honestly, I don't even feel like writing a proper review for this book because like....nothing changed?? I still feel the same about it (read my review for book 1 if u wanna know wat i mean) and like.....only Kal's character changed a little. He literally forgives her so fast and their relationship is kinda weird, rushed and awkward. There was like....no angst. No trope nothing. Like, enemies to lovers? Nope. Childhood friends to lovers? Nope. It was like, she sees him, realizes hes fine asf, talks to him for a few days (with no emotion btw) and then makes out with him. And then they make out some more times over the course of the book, then he hates her for what she did to him in the end of the first book, then they meet near the end of this book, make out and the end.
Anyways, the conclusion I've come to is that the plot was boring. The characters were boring. And Kal is still the only character I like from the book (and this will change very soon if his character doesn't improve in book 3). And the author also tried really hard to do a love triangle but horribly failed so yah. Let's just ignore that.
Anyways that's all kids read at your own risk
I'm SAD. I finished this book in like 2 hours in my morning art class and I am so sad. 1. Kal came in literally the end. 2. Kal still didn't really grow a backbone (the reason i read this book in the first place) and 3. Jessamy got ten times more annoyinger and 4. the plot was boring.
Honestly, I don't even feel like writing a proper review for this book because like....nothing changed?? I still feel the same about it (read my review for book 1 if u wanna know wat i mean) and like.....only Kal's character changed a little. He literally forgives her so fast and their relationship is kinda weird, rushed and awkward. There was like....no angst. No trope nothing. Like, enemies to lovers? Nope. Childhood friends to lovers? Nope. It was like, she sees him, realizes hes fine asf, talks to him for a few days (with no emotion btw) and then makes out with him. And then they make out some more times over the course of the book, then he hates her for what she did to him in the end of the first book, then they meet near the end of this book, make out and the end.
Anyways, the conclusion I've come to is that the plot was boring. The characters were boring. And Kal is still the only character I like from the book (and this will change very soon if his character doesn't improve in book 3). And the author also tried really hard to do a love triangle but horribly failed so yah. Let's just ignore that.
Anyways that's all kids read at your own risk
November 25, 2016
Although Court of Fives wasn't that well received here on goodreads, I defended the book and left a largely positive review after the second half of the book redeemed most of the issues that made me almost give up during the first half.
Unfortunately, Poisoned Blade is very much a "it was okay" 2.5 stars at best. It may be that in the meantime, I'd read Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Trilogy and a lot of the world building that I admired in Court of Fives was just done so much better by Rutkoski. Both series are set in a historical backdrop of an oppressed nation rising up to overthrow their imperial conquerors. Court of Fives links it much more explicitly to race and skin color, with Jessamy and her sisters representing the spectrum of light to dark skin (from their mixed ancestry) and exploring the equivalent of the concept of "passing." Both series focus on a protagonist who is a highly acclaimed general's daughter - as such, the heroine must balance her own desires with what was expected of her from society and from military fathers that they were raised to respect/love, but ultimately see as flawed and sometimes hypocritical men. There are a lot of other similarities but it really doesn't matter; I only include these comparisons because it helps me understand why I liked Court of Fives but also why I'm ultimately disappointed in this series.
I mentioned that I almost didn't even finish Court of Fives because the beginning was so slow and I felt no connection to any of the characters. Well, Poisoned Blade was even worse - I was about 200 pages in before I realized that the problem actually wasn't that I was reading little chunks of the book at a time due to an unusually hectic schedule, it was that I couldn't stay interested in the book enough to MAKE time in my schedule to return to it. I kept reading mostly out of stubbornness.
The entire concept of the Fives and the adversaries may be the series' weakest point, which is really saying something when you consider that it's also the central concept. I get what the author is trying to do - linking the Fives game to the health/success of the empire, somewhat with the idea of the bread and circuses (gladiators) of the Roman empire - but it never feels like it actually makes sense. While many YA novels have deliberately built themselves around similar themes (The Hunger Games being the most obvious and successful), I never get the sense that the Fives actually have anything to do with the revolution brewing in the empire or the threat of attack from outside forces. It just seems like something the author used just to give Jessamy a reason to be seen as a strong/smart heroine and to be around in the story.
Which leads me to the next point, which is that I disliked Jessamy a lot in the first book until she finally turned it around and became self-sacrificing rather than entirely self-interested, and actually started doing things to help her family. But Poisoned Blade feels like a huge step back in that regard. At the end of the day, I don't particularly care for Jessamy or her forbidden romance with Kal. Her actions and thoughts make me question her intelligence. I excused a lot of it in the first book by thinking of it as a bildingsroman - Jessamy might be ignorant and brainwashed, but that's just to give her room to grow, right? - except she just doesn't improve. It apparently never occurs to her that the history she learned from the conquering nation might not be the real history. She reacts to insults to her split heritage as if she were a spoiled princess who's so sheltered, she never considered what life was life for everyone else. Which would be fine if it seemed like she was slowly improving, but Jessamy of Book 2 is the same Jessamy of Book 1.
Throughout the book, I was struck over and over again by just how self-congratulatory she is and how she sees herself as so very clever in the Fives. Sure, she's worked hard for it so she's so very good and almost a celebrity at this quasi-important game/spectacle (that I still don't buy as being important), so now she can use this to become a symbol of...well, we don't know. Something. Because to heck with observing or noticing anything else. I just about lost it when she asks with apparent total sincerity, what does it mean that "Efea will rise?"
Gee, I don't know, maybe that the people belonging to the oppressed half of your heritage is not so happy with being oppressed and are going to rise in rebellion? Like, can someone spell it out to be even clearer for her so that she can finally get it?
Anyway, I'll cut my long review short here. My disappointment in this book was all the greater because I actually went against the rating/review consensus here for Court of Fives and tried to point out all the good things about it. I'll probably still read the next book out of my misplaced sense of obligation to finish series that I start, but I'm not looking forward to it.
There's a lot here that could have been interesting and could have been great. The politics, the alliances, even the religious/mystical aspects of the life "spark" and use in warfare. But ultimately all of these interesting roads lead to nowhere because they're held together messily by an uninspired protagonist and plot.
Unfortunately, Poisoned Blade is very much a "it was okay" 2.5 stars at best. It may be that in the meantime, I'd read Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Trilogy and a lot of the world building that I admired in Court of Fives was just done so much better by Rutkoski. Both series are set in a historical backdrop of an oppressed nation rising up to overthrow their imperial conquerors. Court of Fives links it much more explicitly to race and skin color, with Jessamy and her sisters representing the spectrum of light to dark skin (from their mixed ancestry) and exploring the equivalent of the concept of "passing." Both series focus on a protagonist who is a highly acclaimed general's daughter - as such, the heroine must balance her own desires with what was expected of her from society and from military fathers that they were raised to respect/love, but ultimately see as flawed and sometimes hypocritical men. There are a lot of other similarities but it really doesn't matter; I only include these comparisons because it helps me understand why I liked Court of Fives but also why I'm ultimately disappointed in this series.
I mentioned that I almost didn't even finish Court of Fives because the beginning was so slow and I felt no connection to any of the characters. Well, Poisoned Blade was even worse - I was about 200 pages in before I realized that the problem actually wasn't that I was reading little chunks of the book at a time due to an unusually hectic schedule, it was that I couldn't stay interested in the book enough to MAKE time in my schedule to return to it. I kept reading mostly out of stubbornness.
The entire concept of the Fives and the adversaries may be the series' weakest point, which is really saying something when you consider that it's also the central concept. I get what the author is trying to do - linking the Fives game to the health/success of the empire, somewhat with the idea of the bread and circuses (gladiators) of the Roman empire - but it never feels like it actually makes sense. While many YA novels have deliberately built themselves around similar themes (The Hunger Games being the most obvious and successful), I never get the sense that the Fives actually have anything to do with the revolution brewing in the empire or the threat of attack from outside forces. It just seems like something the author used just to give Jessamy a reason to be seen as a strong/smart heroine and to be around in the story.
Which leads me to the next point, which is that I disliked Jessamy a lot in the first book until she finally turned it around and became self-sacrificing rather than entirely self-interested, and actually started doing things to help her family. But Poisoned Blade feels like a huge step back in that regard. At the end of the day, I don't particularly care for Jessamy or her forbidden romance with Kal. Her actions and thoughts make me question her intelligence. I excused a lot of it in the first book by thinking of it as a bildingsroman - Jessamy might be ignorant and brainwashed, but that's just to give her room to grow, right? - except she just doesn't improve. It apparently never occurs to her that the history she learned from the conquering nation might not be the real history. She reacts to insults to her split heritage as if she were a spoiled princess who's so sheltered, she never considered what life was life for everyone else. Which would be fine if it seemed like she was slowly improving, but Jessamy of Book 2 is the same Jessamy of Book 1.
Throughout the book, I was struck over and over again by just how self-congratulatory she is and how she sees herself as so very clever in the Fives. Sure, she's worked hard for it so she's so very good and almost a celebrity at this quasi-important game/spectacle (that I still don't buy as being important), so now she can use this to become a symbol of...well, we don't know. Something. Because to heck with observing or noticing anything else. I just about lost it when she asks with apparent total sincerity, what does it mean that "Efea will rise?"
Gee, I don't know, maybe that the people belonging to the oppressed half of your heritage is not so happy with being oppressed and are going to rise in rebellion? Like, can someone spell it out to be even clearer for her so that she can finally get it?
Anyway, I'll cut my long review short here. My disappointment in this book was all the greater because I actually went against the rating/review consensus here for Court of Fives and tried to point out all the good things about it. I'll probably still read the next book out of my misplaced sense of obligation to finish series that I start, but I'm not looking forward to it.
There's a lot here that could have been interesting and could have been great. The politics, the alliances, even the religious/mystical aspects of the life "spark" and use in warfare. But ultimately all of these interesting roads lead to nowhere because they're held together messily by an uninspired protagonist and plot.
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