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The Extraordinaries #3
Abounding Might
Calcutta, 1813. Lady Daphne St. Clair, who as an Extraordinary Bounder is capable of transporting herself anywhere in the world with a thought, has longed to serve in the Army for years. But an unexpected weakness at the sight of blood makes her responsible for a good man’s death in battle. Unable to serve on the battlefield, Daphne is sent to India to be transportation for the Governor-General’s wife and children. In disgrace, Daphne fears she will never achieve the fame and glory she has worked so hard for.
A chance encounter with Captain Phineas Fletcher, attached to the Honourable East India Company as a troubleshooter and investigator, leads to Daphne being given a new opportunity: help Captain Fletcher discover the truth behind a series of strange occurrences in the town of Madhyapatnam. Daphne is willing to do anything to restore her reputation, even something as small as Captain Fletcher’s investigation. As the days progress, her attachment to the members of the team grows deeper, as does her growing attraction to the captain.
But as Daphne and Captain Fletcher dig deeper into the mystery, the truth turns out to be much more sinister than anyone imagined. Dark currents run deep beneath the pleasant surface of Madhyapatnam, and the echoes of a twenty-year-old story threaten not only the Company’s rule over the town, but the safety and well-being of everyone in it. Soon only Daphne’s talent and courage stand between Madhyapatnam and the evil that threatens to overwhelm it.
A chance encounter with Captain Phineas Fletcher, attached to the Honourable East India Company as a troubleshooter and investigator, leads to Daphne being given a new opportunity: help Captain Fletcher discover the truth behind a series of strange occurrences in the town of Madhyapatnam. Daphne is willing to do anything to restore her reputation, even something as small as Captain Fletcher’s investigation. As the days progress, her attachment to the members of the team grows deeper, as does her growing attraction to the captain.
But as Daphne and Captain Fletcher dig deeper into the mystery, the truth turns out to be much more sinister than anyone imagined. Dark currents run deep beneath the pleasant surface of Madhyapatnam, and the echoes of a twenty-year-old story threaten not only the Company’s rule over the town, but the safety and well-being of everyone in it. Soon only Daphne’s talent and courage stand between Madhyapatnam and the evil that threatens to overwhelm it.
328 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2017
59 people are currently reading
530 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books861 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
November 4, 2017
Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:
In Abounding Might (published Oct. 2017), the third book in Melissa McShane’s EXTRAORDINARIES fantasy series about Regency-era women with diverse magical skills, the setting shifts to British-controlled India in 1813, and to a new main character, Lady Daphne St. Clair. Daphne, who was a minor character in the previous book, Wondering Sight, is gifted with the magical power of Bounding, teleporting instantly from place to place. It’s a highly useful skill to the British army, especially since she can Bound with anyone or anything that she is able to pick up off the ground (even momentarily), and Daphne is wildly excited to serve her country and have adventures.
But she’s also so sensitive to the sight of blood that it invariably causes her to black out and faint, and this weakness gets Daphne into deep trouble and disgrace right at the start of our story. She’s sent away from the war on the Peninsula to India, to shuttle a lord’s wife and children back and forth between England and India ― a mundane job far beneath her capabilities, and not one calculated to offer much adventure, or chance for Daphne to redeem herself with the British War Office.
Once in India, she initially finds that British society there stifles any attempt by her to experience the real India ― its people, language, culture and food ― as such things are simply Not Done by a respectable, single Englishwoman. But once she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a Discerner who has the ability to perceive others’ emotions by touching them, new opportunities open up to her. She’s given the chance to travel to an area in northern India where there’s increasing unrest, apparently because of some proselytizing missionaries. But as Fletcher, Daphne and their group investigate, they soon realize that the problem is much more complex and dangerous than it initially seemed.
How Daphne finds adventure, redemption and love in India, where she didn’t expect to find any of those things, is an exciting story. Daphne is an enjoyable heroine, not in the common mold: she’s short (barely five feet tall), plump, kindhearted, irrepressible, and utterly determined to make the best of herself and to experience life to its fullest. Her dedication is impressive: she diligently does strength exercises so she can pick up men twice her weight and teleport with them. She’s also dead set against marrying, at least anytime soon. It would take an unusual man indeed to have empathy with and accept her desire for travel and adventure, in this Regency era.
While both Fletcher and Daphne are interested in and sympathetic with the actual Indian people, they are still strangers in that culture. McShane walks a fine line in telling a story set in India during the period when the East India Company was the ruling power there, and from the British point of view. She comments, in the afterword, that for purposes of telling the story she wanted, she made the Company more benign than they were in actual history, rationalizing it on the basis that the existence of magical powers in her world, “distributed without regard for race or color, serves as an equalizer.” Still, some readers may object to this rather whitewashed portrayal of colonial era India.
Abounding Might thoughtfully explores the ramifications of these magical powers on society generally (for one thing, having a Bounder available makes travel between England and India immeasurably easier) and on the individuals who have those powers. Like Elinor in Burning Bright and Sophia in Wondering Sight (by the way, the similarity and rhyming in these titles is an amusing touch), Daphne pushes the boundaries of her talent, discovering new magical abilities … and it doesn’t always work out happily for her. But these women in this series are independent and determined to overcome obstacles. Romance may enter their lives, but it isn’t their main goal. It’s been a pleasure getting to know the characters in this series, and I look forward to the next installation.
I received a free copy of this ebook from the author for review. Thanks!
In Abounding Might (published Oct. 2017), the third book in Melissa McShane’s EXTRAORDINARIES fantasy series about Regency-era women with diverse magical skills, the setting shifts to British-controlled India in 1813, and to a new main character, Lady Daphne St. Clair. Daphne, who was a minor character in the previous book, Wondering Sight, is gifted with the magical power of Bounding, teleporting instantly from place to place. It’s a highly useful skill to the British army, especially since she can Bound with anyone or anything that she is able to pick up off the ground (even momentarily), and Daphne is wildly excited to serve her country and have adventures.
But she’s also so sensitive to the sight of blood that it invariably causes her to black out and faint, and this weakness gets Daphne into deep trouble and disgrace right at the start of our story. She’s sent away from the war on the Peninsula to India, to shuttle a lord’s wife and children back and forth between England and India ― a mundane job far beneath her capabilities, and not one calculated to offer much adventure, or chance for Daphne to redeem herself with the British War Office.
Once in India, she initially finds that British society there stifles any attempt by her to experience the real India ― its people, language, culture and food ― as such things are simply Not Done by a respectable, single Englishwoman. But once she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a Discerner who has the ability to perceive others’ emotions by touching them, new opportunities open up to her. She’s given the chance to travel to an area in northern India where there’s increasing unrest, apparently because of some proselytizing missionaries. But as Fletcher, Daphne and their group investigate, they soon realize that the problem is much more complex and dangerous than it initially seemed.
How Daphne finds adventure, redemption and love in India, where she didn’t expect to find any of those things, is an exciting story. Daphne is an enjoyable heroine, not in the common mold: she’s short (barely five feet tall), plump, kindhearted, irrepressible, and utterly determined to make the best of herself and to experience life to its fullest. Her dedication is impressive: she diligently does strength exercises so she can pick up men twice her weight and teleport with them. She’s also dead set against marrying, at least anytime soon. It would take an unusual man indeed to have empathy with and accept her desire for travel and adventure, in this Regency era.
While both Fletcher and Daphne are interested in and sympathetic with the actual Indian people, they are still strangers in that culture. McShane walks a fine line in telling a story set in India during the period when the East India Company was the ruling power there, and from the British point of view. She comments, in the afterword, that for purposes of telling the story she wanted, she made the Company more benign than they were in actual history, rationalizing it on the basis that the existence of magical powers in her world, “distributed without regard for race or color, serves as an equalizer.” Still, some readers may object to this rather whitewashed portrayal of colonial era India.
Abounding Might thoughtfully explores the ramifications of these magical powers on society generally (for one thing, having a Bounder available makes travel between England and India immeasurably easier) and on the individuals who have those powers. Like Elinor in Burning Bright and Sophia in Wondering Sight (by the way, the similarity and rhyming in these titles is an amusing touch), Daphne pushes the boundaries of her talent, discovering new magical abilities … and it doesn’t always work out happily for her. But these women in this series are independent and determined to overcome obstacles. Romance may enter their lives, but it isn’t their main goal. It’s been a pleasure getting to know the characters in this series, and I look forward to the next installation.
I received a free copy of this ebook from the author for review. Thanks!
April 19, 2018
I didn't like the book #2 very much and I was afraid to start this
It is not up to #1, but it was not as bad as #2!
The story was interesting, even if the heroine was slightly young-ish acting here. She's more a help to the hero, even if she's the Extraordinary and not him. Still she was not often TSTL. I mean, she's young and protected, so she acts accordingly and sometimes acts without thinking through what her actions would mean to others. She wants to do the right thing, but not always things come out how she wants them.
The hero was more interesting. Even if he's not an Extrarodinary, he's very good as what he does. Due to his talent, he's very withdrawn and seemingly cold. But that's not the way he is with the heroine.
Their romance was very tame, but still sweet. There's some angst on the heroine's part, but it is overcome without problem.
The background story in India was very inetersting. I liked how it was done, even if The East India Company was very tame, but the author says herself that it was intentionally done.
So, I'm glad I read this and will be looking forward to the next!
It is not up to #1, but it was not as bad as #2!
The story was interesting, even if the heroine was slightly young-ish acting here. She's more a help to the hero, even if she's the Extraordinary and not him. Still she was not often TSTL. I mean, she's young and protected, so she acts accordingly and sometimes acts without thinking through what her actions would mean to others. She wants to do the right thing, but not always things come out how she wants them.
The hero was more interesting. Even if he's not an Extrarodinary, he's very good as what he does. Due to his talent, he's very withdrawn and seemingly cold. But that's not the way he is with the heroine.
Their romance was very tame, but still sweet. There's some angst on the heroine's part, but it is overcome without problem.
The background story in India was very inetersting. I liked how it was done, even if The East India Company was very tame, but the author says herself that it was intentionally done.
So, I'm glad I read this and will be looking forward to the next!
Read
February 3, 2024Re-read 1/29/24: I've lived in India now for over a year, and I have been meaning to get back to this book to see if I got anything right about what it feels like to actually be here. I think I managed it, though Kolkata (Calcutta) is about as far from Kochi, where I live, as it's possible to be and still be in the same country. The weather is mostly as I described it, and it is a beautiful country.
I am, nevertheless, not as satisfied with the book as I am with others I've written, and that's because of spoilers:
In the absolute sense, though, I think this book works very well. The book I'm writing now is set in Fantasy India, where I'm drawing explicitly on my experiences in Kochi, and it's a lot of fun. Indians in general have no experience with fantasy literature, and when I explain what I write I get a lot of blank stares, so it's unlikely any of my friends here will ever read it, but I like to think I've paid an acceptable tribute to this land I'm growing to love.
Also, Daphne never did return except in passing mention. Weird.
Read 8/16/17: There were two different versions of Wondering Sight, and Daphne St. Clair was in both of them. She was irrepressible, adventurous, and desperate to serve in the Army's War Office, the organization that oversees Extraordinaries in their military service during the Napoleonic War. She was also five feet tall and (apparently) chubby, no one anyone would take seriously. And, at the end of Wondering Sight, she discovered a weakness that she feared would keep her from serving on the battlefield.
In Abounding Might, her fears are realized. Responsible for a man's death, Daphne--who is still required by law to serve four years with the War Office--is banished to India to transport the Governor-General's wife and children to and from England. But this is Daphne, and it's impossible for her not to fall into adventure.
I wrote 70,000 words of this book, two false starts, before realizing I had the wrong story. It was tedious and frustrating and I was incredibly discouraged. I can't remember now what got me thinking in the right direction, but Daphne needed a story, and that kept me going. Captain Phineas Fletcher, who was in not only the original version of Wondering Sight but in the two false starts of this book, was a motivating factor as well. I really wanted a Discerner as a main character so I could explore the talent of empathy, which has always fascinated me. Once I found the right story, it practically wrote itself.
I hope I have sufficiently conveyed my love of India and its rich culture. It's difficult writing about the colonial era, even the years before the British Raj dominated the subcontinent, and showing India through the eyes of a European woman doesn't begin to convey what India is actually like for its own people. So I tried to make it clear that Daphne, who comes to love India herself, is still alien there, and however much she respects the country and its people, her experience is still that of an outsider.
The next book's main character is introduced here, in keeping with my policy of at least referring to the new protagonist in previous books. I tried very hard to get Elinor Ramsay back into the story, but her involvement disappeared with the second of the failed attempts. It seems the Army and the Navy, in my world at least, don't mingle very well. But as I expect Daphne to continue to make appearances in future books, because I cannot keep her from Bounding in wherever she wants, I have hope that Elinor will find a way in as well.
I am, nevertheless, not as satisfied with the book as I am with others I've written, and that's because of spoilers:
In the absolute sense, though, I think this book works very well. The book I'm writing now is set in Fantasy India, where I'm drawing explicitly on my experiences in Kochi, and it's a lot of fun. Indians in general have no experience with fantasy literature, and when I explain what I write I get a lot of blank stares, so it's unlikely any of my friends here will ever read it, but I like to think I've paid an acceptable tribute to this land I'm growing to love.
Also, Daphne never did return except in passing mention. Weird.
Read 8/16/17: There were two different versions of Wondering Sight, and Daphne St. Clair was in both of them. She was irrepressible, adventurous, and desperate to serve in the Army's War Office, the organization that oversees Extraordinaries in their military service during the Napoleonic War. She was also five feet tall and (apparently) chubby, no one anyone would take seriously. And, at the end of Wondering Sight, she discovered a weakness that she feared would keep her from serving on the battlefield.
In Abounding Might, her fears are realized. Responsible for a man's death, Daphne--who is still required by law to serve four years with the War Office--is banished to India to transport the Governor-General's wife and children to and from England. But this is Daphne, and it's impossible for her not to fall into adventure.
I wrote 70,000 words of this book, two false starts, before realizing I had the wrong story. It was tedious and frustrating and I was incredibly discouraged. I can't remember now what got me thinking in the right direction, but Daphne needed a story, and that kept me going. Captain Phineas Fletcher, who was in not only the original version of Wondering Sight but in the two false starts of this book, was a motivating factor as well. I really wanted a Discerner as a main character so I could explore the talent of empathy, which has always fascinated me. Once I found the right story, it practically wrote itself.
I hope I have sufficiently conveyed my love of India and its rich culture. It's difficult writing about the colonial era, even the years before the British Raj dominated the subcontinent, and showing India through the eyes of a European woman doesn't begin to convey what India is actually like for its own people. So I tried to make it clear that Daphne, who comes to love India herself, is still alien there, and however much she respects the country and its people, her experience is still that of an outsider.
The next book's main character is introduced here, in keeping with my policy of at least referring to the new protagonist in previous books. I tried very hard to get Elinor Ramsay back into the story, but her involvement disappeared with the second of the failed attempts. It seems the Army and the Navy, in my world at least, don't mingle very well. But as I expect Daphne to continue to make appearances in future books, because I cannot keep her from Bounding in wherever she wants, I have hope that Elinor will find a way in as well.
October 5, 2017
As with my reviews of any of Melissa's books, please feel free to disregard this one. We don't have the kind of marriage where she'd get upset if I didn't love her book. That said, we do have the kind of marriage where we talk about things we're working on and pass ideas back and forth so I have both familiarity with and some small input on her projects. I do strive for honesty but I can't make any believable claim to objectivity.
I liked Lady Daphne a ton in the previous book and that continues here. She's irrepressible and eager and, more interestingly, prepared to work hard to achieve the things she wants. I love that she has spent years working on her strength to extend the lifting limitation of bounding as far as possible. And I love that she wants adventure and is prepared to seek it out and make the best of it. This matters because the book starts with a significant setback to her career with the War Office and she has to suffer the ignominy of both the transfer to India and the realization that she can't really argue with the justice of being so banished. So she hikes up her big-girl stays and throws herself into India with the determination to meet its people, learn its customs, and, if possible, learn the language.
And I love Captain Fletcher as her match/companion. I like that he sees the natives as people and has taken the time to learn their culture and language. But most of all, I enjoy his delight in Daphne and his willingness to support her sense of adventure, even in the teeth of danger and intrigue. You can see that he has every intention of sharing her adventures and be by her side rather than attempt to protect her from them in the (probably vain) desire to keep her "safe".
And the secondary characters are fun, too. I liked getting to know Bess, but even more so I love the scenes with Daphne's parents. You can see how it is that she has developed her fearless (though not reckless) attitude towards life and the love and support they give her.* Fletcher's band of loyal troops also stand out as wonderful characters who help throw the captain's personality in relief by their trust in him and willingness to follow him into danger.
And the adventure is a fun one, so that helps, too. I can't say if Melissa got India right or not. And since the Talents had to be added on, that's probably a moot point. I did enjoy seeing this fantasy version of the country, though, in both beauty and poverty.
Anyway, I think it's a solid five stars. It was certainly an entertaining ride and a lot of fun to quote passages from (which I don't normally do).
A note about Chaste: There's some kissing. And .
* Come to think of it, Daphne's parents resemble Melissa's more than a little in the love and support department. I'll have to remember to ask if she was conscious of that as she wrote them...
I liked Lady Daphne a ton in the previous book and that continues here. She's irrepressible and eager and, more interestingly, prepared to work hard to achieve the things she wants. I love that she has spent years working on her strength to extend the lifting limitation of bounding as far as possible. And I love that she wants adventure and is prepared to seek it out and make the best of it. This matters because the book starts with a significant setback to her career with the War Office and she has to suffer the ignominy of both the transfer to India and the realization that she can't really argue with the justice of being so banished. So she hikes up her big-girl stays and throws herself into India with the determination to meet its people, learn its customs, and, if possible, learn the language.
And I love Captain Fletcher as her match/companion. I like that he sees the natives as people and has taken the time to learn their culture and language. But most of all, I enjoy his delight in Daphne and his willingness to support her sense of adventure, even in the teeth of danger and intrigue. You can see that he has every intention of sharing her adventures and be by her side rather than attempt to protect her from them in the (probably vain) desire to keep her "safe".
And the secondary characters are fun, too. I liked getting to know Bess, but even more so I love the scenes with Daphne's parents. You can see how it is that she has developed her fearless (though not reckless) attitude towards life and the love and support they give her.* Fletcher's band of loyal troops also stand out as wonderful characters who help throw the captain's personality in relief by their trust in him and willingness to follow him into danger.
And the adventure is a fun one, so that helps, too. I can't say if Melissa got India right or not. And since the Talents had to be added on, that's probably a moot point. I did enjoy seeing this fantasy version of the country, though, in both beauty and poverty.
Anyway, I think it's a solid five stars. It was certainly an entertaining ride and a lot of fun to quote passages from (which I don't normally do).
A note about Chaste: There's some kissing. And .
* Come to think of it, Daphne's parents resemble Melissa's more than a little in the love and support department. I'll have to remember to ask if she was conscious of that as she wrote them...
October 21, 2017
Lady Daphne was an enthusiastic and effervescent character in the previous story of The Extraordinaries series and I was boundless with excitement to get her story. Her raw youthfulness and joy was the heart of this third installment of an engaging historical fantasy romance series.
As I just noted, Abounding Might is book three in the series. It works much better in order, but also has the distinction of also allowing for a reader to get it out of order. Fair warning, the world of The Extraordinaries is considered to be already introduced and understood by this point.
So, this is Lady Daphne's story. It begins on a solemn low note for her. For all her powerful ability and her drive to be the best and have amazing adventures, she has a flaw. Well, two, but who's counting. Her physical handicap of fainting at the sight of blood gets an officer killed and has her, tail tucked between her legs, ignominiously packed off to India away from the battlefront to serve the Governor-General's wife.
Daphne isn't down for long and finds adventure and intrigue in an unexpected place. She wanted to wallow a bit, but her natural personality takes over and has her making a friend in a fellow female magic user, Bess, who is a 'Speaker' (she can broadcast thoughts into other minds and exchange thoughts with fellow Speakers). Daphne's own magic as an Extraordinaire Bounder (one who can travel between two points with just a thought or with effort carry others with her) gets her assigned to the attractive Captain Fletcher's unit along with her more mundane duties.
With Fletcher, who has a rather sensitive magic that allows him to know a person's emotions, she gets some of her own back. She is conflicted between shunning the attraction between them out of fear that she will lose out on future adventure or seeing love as its own adventure. But, the romance is often secondary to the conflicts around them. I enjoyed the suspense plot of figuring out who was fomenting the rebellion in the Indian province and how to stop them. Daphne, like the other heroines before her in the series, has some great action scenes and is a hero in her own right rescuing the men included.
The blends of history, romance, fantasy elements and even mystery make this a riveting story for action, but also has lovely depth and development for the heroine as she comes into her own. I can highly recommend the series even as I settle back to anticipate the next book's release.
My thanks to Curiosity Quills for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
As I just noted, Abounding Might is book three in the series. It works much better in order, but also has the distinction of also allowing for a reader to get it out of order. Fair warning, the world of The Extraordinaries is considered to be already introduced and understood by this point.
So, this is Lady Daphne's story. It begins on a solemn low note for her. For all her powerful ability and her drive to be the best and have amazing adventures, she has a flaw. Well, two, but who's counting. Her physical handicap of fainting at the sight of blood gets an officer killed and has her, tail tucked between her legs, ignominiously packed off to India away from the battlefront to serve the Governor-General's wife.
Daphne isn't down for long and finds adventure and intrigue in an unexpected place. She wanted to wallow a bit, but her natural personality takes over and has her making a friend in a fellow female magic user, Bess, who is a 'Speaker' (she can broadcast thoughts into other minds and exchange thoughts with fellow Speakers). Daphne's own magic as an Extraordinaire Bounder (one who can travel between two points with just a thought or with effort carry others with her) gets her assigned to the attractive Captain Fletcher's unit along with her more mundane duties.
With Fletcher, who has a rather sensitive magic that allows him to know a person's emotions, she gets some of her own back. She is conflicted between shunning the attraction between them out of fear that she will lose out on future adventure or seeing love as its own adventure. But, the romance is often secondary to the conflicts around them. I enjoyed the suspense plot of figuring out who was fomenting the rebellion in the Indian province and how to stop them. Daphne, like the other heroines before her in the series, has some great action scenes and is a hero in her own right rescuing the men included.
The blends of history, romance, fantasy elements and even mystery make this a riveting story for action, but also has lovely depth and development for the heroine as she comes into her own. I can highly recommend the series even as I settle back to anticipate the next book's release.
My thanks to Curiosity Quills for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 18, 2017
Melissa McShane crashes the superhero genre into Regency romance, by way of Napoleonic military adventure. The effect is... pleasing.
In part, it's pleasing because she has a sure hand on the wheel when it comes both to basic storytelling and the mechanics of grammar, punctuation, and word choice. There was nothing to distract or detract from my enjoyment of the characters, the plot, and the setting, and those elements were very well handled.
I much enjoyed the first in this series, Burning Bright, with a heroine who could control fire battling pirates in the early-19th-century Caribbean, and this volume is as good or better. Set in the British-dominated India of the East India Company during the Regency, it follows Lady Daphne, a teleporter ("Bounder") who is determined not to let her small stature or feminine nature prevent her from becoming famous for her skill. She lifts weights, since, to transport other people, she has to pick them up; and she chafes against, and often effectively circumvents, the restrictions imposed on her as a woman.
She does, at one point, make a less-than-sensible decision which leads to bad consequences, but it's a completely believable one (not just shoehorned in against character in order to complicate the plot), and she deals with the consequences with courage and determination. She's principled, intelligent, and in general exactly the kind of character I enjoy reading about. Her love interest, while perhaps a touch bland compared with her (since we're in her viewpoint throughout, we don't really get to see his inner life), is worthy and capable.
I wasn't sure I quite understood how the minor antagonist was disturbing the hero, though I do have a theory, which Daphne would realistically have been too naive to think of. Apart from that, everything was clear, and I didn't spot any plot holes or obvious historical gaffes.
A very sound effort, and I believe I'll pick up Book 2 and watch out for Book 4, if there is one. I received both Book 1 and Book 3 via Netgalley for purposes of review.
In part, it's pleasing because she has a sure hand on the wheel when it comes both to basic storytelling and the mechanics of grammar, punctuation, and word choice. There was nothing to distract or detract from my enjoyment of the characters, the plot, and the setting, and those elements were very well handled.
I much enjoyed the first in this series, Burning Bright, with a heroine who could control fire battling pirates in the early-19th-century Caribbean, and this volume is as good or better. Set in the British-dominated India of the East India Company during the Regency, it follows Lady Daphne, a teleporter ("Bounder") who is determined not to let her small stature or feminine nature prevent her from becoming famous for her skill. She lifts weights, since, to transport other people, she has to pick them up; and she chafes against, and often effectively circumvents, the restrictions imposed on her as a woman.
She does, at one point, make a less-than-sensible decision which leads to bad consequences, but it's a completely believable one (not just shoehorned in against character in order to complicate the plot), and she deals with the consequences with courage and determination. She's principled, intelligent, and in general exactly the kind of character I enjoy reading about. Her love interest, while perhaps a touch bland compared with her (since we're in her viewpoint throughout, we don't really get to see his inner life), is worthy and capable.
I wasn't sure I quite understood how the minor antagonist was disturbing the hero, though I do have a theory, which Daphne would realistically have been too naive to think of. Apart from that, everything was clear, and I didn't spot any plot holes or obvious historical gaffes.
A very sound effort, and I believe I'll pick up Book 2 and watch out for Book 4, if there is one. I received both Book 1 and Book 3 via Netgalley for purposes of review.
January 15, 2018
I don't know how I managed not to have reviewed this book already. I chalk it up to a busy fall, but I'm happy to come back to it!
I've been looking forward to Abounding Might pretty much since reading Wondering Sight and meeting Lady Daphne St. Clair as a secondary character there. She was bright and spunky and a little flighty and all together very likable and fun. I'm happy to report that in Abounding Might she's still all of those things. And determined. And a little stubborn. And well-matched.
Others have gone into the plot arc for Abounding Might and I don't see any reason to repeat that. But I'll hit on some of the things I enjoyed in this book.
Daphne has a world of healthy relationships, which are all too often missing in books. She has a romantic relationship. A best friend relationship. Business relationships. More casual friends relationships. And a strong family relationship. I love that she's a well rounded person with all the complexities that entails.
I enjoyed very much seeing the culture and people of early India through Daphne's eyes. It's not an easy thing to represent a culture far different from your own and it's obvious the author did a lot of research, but then also framed the culture through the lens of Daphne's thoughts and experiences.
Daphne isn't perfect, but she's determined and she's focused on doing what's right, even when it doesn't always mean doing what she wants or getting her own way.
Now, I'm looking forward to the next book, anxious to make a new Extraordinary friend.
I've been looking forward to Abounding Might pretty much since reading Wondering Sight and meeting Lady Daphne St. Clair as a secondary character there. She was bright and spunky and a little flighty and all together very likable and fun. I'm happy to report that in Abounding Might she's still all of those things. And determined. And a little stubborn. And well-matched.
Others have gone into the plot arc for Abounding Might and I don't see any reason to repeat that. But I'll hit on some of the things I enjoyed in this book.
Daphne has a world of healthy relationships, which are all too often missing in books. She has a romantic relationship. A best friend relationship. Business relationships. More casual friends relationships. And a strong family relationship. I love that she's a well rounded person with all the complexities that entails.
I enjoyed very much seeing the culture and people of early India through Daphne's eyes. It's not an easy thing to represent a culture far different from your own and it's obvious the author did a lot of research, but then also framed the culture through the lens of Daphne's thoughts and experiences.
Daphne isn't perfect, but she's determined and she's focused on doing what's right, even when it doesn't always mean doing what she wants or getting her own way.
Now, I'm looking forward to the next book, anxious to make a new Extraordinary friend.
September 4, 2019
I got an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review :) this was another fantastic installment in this very unique series... :) I absolutely loved it, but worry not if you are not familiar with previous books or you just don't remember them, becuase each story can be read as a standalone :) since this is book 3, and they are loosely connected to one another, I will first tell you a little bit more about the world and our heroine, and then I will tell you all about how much I adored it :)
This is a historical / paranormal mix :) which means that the action takes place during the Napoleonic Wars but we have a very interesting twist... everything is very similar to our world during that time, but certain people have... I believe the word I'm looking for is *Talents* :) these are special abilities, and there are eight of them... I'm not gonna go into details about all of them, just give you some examples :) you can be a Scorcher, which means you can manipulate fire, or a Speaker, when you can telepathically communicate with people all over the world... Daphne, the heroine of this story, is a Bounder, which means she can teleport herself, along with people and things she can carry with her :) but wait, that's not all :) she's actually an Extraordinary Bounder, meaning she's even more talented... each of the book in this series... and there will be eight in total, will concentrate on a different woman, with a different Extraordinary Talent :) so on the one hand they are all related, because of the war and the confrontation with the Napoleon... because that is where we are headed... but on the other hand, you can read them as standalones, because you get all the informations in each book to fully appreciate the story :) so now that we have this little explanation out of the way, let me tell you more about Daphne and why I adored her story :)
Like I said, Daphne is an Extraordinary Bounder, and we actually met her in the previous book :) but again, no worries... yes, I adored her there and was super excited to learn she will be the next heroine, but you don't have to read that story to enjoy this one :) she wants to join the army to help serve her country, and she succeeds... which was not easy... unfortunately Daphne has... well... a certain condition... as in she faints at the sight of blood, so when she's Bounding all over the battlefield... you can see where I'm going with this... after a failed mission she is sent to serve in India, to Bound family members of one of the high ranking Officers to and from England... it is a waste of her Talent, but for the time being it is what it is... fortunately, things change soon... :) when Captain Phineas Fletcher, after meeting her during a bal, requests her help and assistance in a mission of his own... I'm not gonna get into all the details, because I don't want to spoil anything for you guys, but that's when the interesting part starts :)
I absolutely adored this story :) I am a huge fan of this series in general, because it's always a woman at the center of every novel... yes, there is a romance plot in each one, but it's never the main one... all of them show the growth and development of a different heroine and I love it :) Daphne certainly had things to overcome in this one... again, I don't really want to get into too many details, because I believe the less you know about it, the more you will enjoy all of it :) additionally, we have a beautiful, slow-building romance between Daphne and... well, you'll know when you see it ;) the witty banter between them was to die for :) I absolutely adored all their interactions... and yes, there was definitely swooning on my part along the way... ;) I enjoyed meeting new characters, including the heroine of the next story... you'll know when you meet her ;) one of the best parts of the story was actually the mystery they were trying to solve... this one took so many surprising turns I can't even count how many times I gasped in shock about what happened :) #TrueStory :) I highly recommend you guys to check out this gem if you haven't already :)
XOXO
A
This is a historical / paranormal mix :) which means that the action takes place during the Napoleonic Wars but we have a very interesting twist... everything is very similar to our world during that time, but certain people have... I believe the word I'm looking for is *Talents* :) these are special abilities, and there are eight of them... I'm not gonna go into details about all of them, just give you some examples :) you can be a Scorcher, which means you can manipulate fire, or a Speaker, when you can telepathically communicate with people all over the world... Daphne, the heroine of this story, is a Bounder, which means she can teleport herself, along with people and things she can carry with her :) but wait, that's not all :) she's actually an Extraordinary Bounder, meaning she's even more talented... each of the book in this series... and there will be eight in total, will concentrate on a different woman, with a different Extraordinary Talent :) so on the one hand they are all related, because of the war and the confrontation with the Napoleon... because that is where we are headed... but on the other hand, you can read them as standalones, because you get all the informations in each book to fully appreciate the story :) so now that we have this little explanation out of the way, let me tell you more about Daphne and why I adored her story :)
Like I said, Daphne is an Extraordinary Bounder, and we actually met her in the previous book :) but again, no worries... yes, I adored her there and was super excited to learn she will be the next heroine, but you don't have to read that story to enjoy this one :) she wants to join the army to help serve her country, and she succeeds... which was not easy... unfortunately Daphne has... well... a certain condition... as in she faints at the sight of blood, so when she's Bounding all over the battlefield... you can see where I'm going with this... after a failed mission she is sent to serve in India, to Bound family members of one of the high ranking Officers to and from England... it is a waste of her Talent, but for the time being it is what it is... fortunately, things change soon... :) when Captain Phineas Fletcher, after meeting her during a bal, requests her help and assistance in a mission of his own... I'm not gonna get into all the details, because I don't want to spoil anything for you guys, but that's when the interesting part starts :)
I absolutely adored this story :) I am a huge fan of this series in general, because it's always a woman at the center of every novel... yes, there is a romance plot in each one, but it's never the main one... all of them show the growth and development of a different heroine and I love it :) Daphne certainly had things to overcome in this one... again, I don't really want to get into too many details, because I believe the less you know about it, the more you will enjoy all of it :) additionally, we have a beautiful, slow-building romance between Daphne and... well, you'll know when you see it ;) the witty banter between them was to die for :) I absolutely adored all their interactions... and yes, there was definitely swooning on my part along the way... ;) I enjoyed meeting new characters, including the heroine of the next story... you'll know when you meet her ;) one of the best parts of the story was actually the mystery they were trying to solve... this one took so many surprising turns I can't even count how many times I gasped in shock about what happened :) #TrueStory :) I highly recommend you guys to check out this gem if you haven't already :)
XOXO
A
February 14, 2025
Yeah, no. Whatever I might have enjoyed in the characters and magic system here were completely thrown out of the window because I simply cannot overlook how harmful this book’s portrayal of the East India Company is.
This book casts as its heroes a number of EIC army officers, and pits them against an evil villain who is a deposed Indian prince, whose region the EIC is currently ruling over. Just that premise alone should be enough to have you raising your eyebrows.
To make matters worse, the book has an afterword of three paragraphs (which, by the way, is not included in the audiobook), which can be summarised as ‘the real EIC was bad. In this world magic makes everyone equal, so the EIC is just a trading organisation and not a tool of imperialism.’
There are two major problems with this approach. Firstly, it doesn’t make sense even for the internal logic of this world. The afterword declares that in this world, ‘the existence of magical talents, which are distributed without regard for race or color, serves as an equalizer’. But we already know from previous books that England has colonised America, and that slavery exists. So— what? Magic is an equaliser between English and Indian people, but not for Africans or Indigenous Americans? It feels like Melissa McShane has just chucked that in as lip service to justify the story she's written, without thinking through the implications for her worldbuilding if it were truly the case.
Secondly, and more problematically: whatever may be the case in the fictional world, this book is being read by people in the real world – a world in which the EIC was a real organisation which inflicted untold horrors on millions of people, and whose effects are still being felt today. And the EIC in the book *isn’t* just a business, it actively governs most of northern India. Multiple characters say things like “the Company’s presence here has improved trade and enriched Madhyapatnam”, and “Madhyapatnam has flourished under Company rule” – and this is never challenged by the text at all.
There are people today in the real world who still claim that colonialism was a good thing for India and that Indians should be grateful it. Portraying the EIC and its officials in this way, without ever mentioning any part of the violence and devastation they caused, only feeds into this false impression. Whatever the intention may have been, the impact of this story is irresponsible at best, and actively harmful at worst.
Furthermore, claiming that in this book, ‘the EIC [is] more of a commercial entity and less domineering’ is simply untrue. It’s made clear that the Company took over the province of Madhyapatnam when the last prince died without an heir. Not only was this highly lucrative for the Company, but them taking control also prevented the region from falling into anarchy. Implication: those savage ‘Hindoos’ are incapable of ruling themselves, and need the benevolent Englishmen to do it for them. What is that if not domineering?
Even Captain Fletcher, who is the most sympathetic to the Indians and the only one to express any disagreement with the Company’s approach, essentially says that the Company is entitled to rule India ‘as a reflection of the responsibility they owe the Indian people’. This kind of benevolent paternalism is the furthest anyone in the book ever goes in challenging the EIC’s place in India, and it’s far from enough pushback.
The book on its own is bad enough, but I almost feel like the afterword makes it worse. Writing this story is one thing, but then trying to justify it as ‘not that bad actually, no pro-colonialism sentiments here!’, when that’s so clearly an afterthought, just feels insulting to the reader.
This book casts as its heroes a number of EIC army officers, and pits them against an evil villain who is a deposed Indian prince, whose region the EIC is currently ruling over. Just that premise alone should be enough to have you raising your eyebrows.
To make matters worse, the book has an afterword of three paragraphs (which, by the way, is not included in the audiobook), which can be summarised as ‘the real EIC was bad. In this world magic makes everyone equal, so the EIC is just a trading organisation and not a tool of imperialism.’
There are two major problems with this approach. Firstly, it doesn’t make sense even for the internal logic of this world. The afterword declares that in this world, ‘the existence of magical talents, which are distributed without regard for race or color, serves as an equalizer’. But we already know from previous books that England has colonised America, and that slavery exists. So— what? Magic is an equaliser between English and Indian people, but not for Africans or Indigenous Americans? It feels like Melissa McShane has just chucked that in as lip service to justify the story she's written, without thinking through the implications for her worldbuilding if it were truly the case.
Secondly, and more problematically: whatever may be the case in the fictional world, this book is being read by people in the real world – a world in which the EIC was a real organisation which inflicted untold horrors on millions of people, and whose effects are still being felt today. And the EIC in the book *isn’t* just a business, it actively governs most of northern India. Multiple characters say things like “the Company’s presence here has improved trade and enriched Madhyapatnam”, and “Madhyapatnam has flourished under Company rule” – and this is never challenged by the text at all.
There are people today in the real world who still claim that colonialism was a good thing for India and that Indians should be grateful it. Portraying the EIC and its officials in this way, without ever mentioning any part of the violence and devastation they caused, only feeds into this false impression. Whatever the intention may have been, the impact of this story is irresponsible at best, and actively harmful at worst.
Furthermore, claiming that in this book, ‘the EIC [is] more of a commercial entity and less domineering’ is simply untrue. It’s made clear that the Company took over the province of Madhyapatnam when the last prince died without an heir. Not only was this highly lucrative for the Company, but them taking control also prevented the region from falling into anarchy. Implication: those savage ‘Hindoos’ are incapable of ruling themselves, and need the benevolent Englishmen to do it for them. What is that if not domineering?
Even Captain Fletcher, who is the most sympathetic to the Indians and the only one to express any disagreement with the Company’s approach, essentially says that the Company is entitled to rule India ‘as a reflection of the responsibility they owe the Indian people’. This kind of benevolent paternalism is the furthest anyone in the book ever goes in challenging the EIC’s place in India, and it’s far from enough pushback.
The book on its own is bad enough, but I almost feel like the afterword makes it worse. Writing this story is one thing, but then trying to justify it as ‘not that bad actually, no pro-colonialism sentiments here!’, when that’s so clearly an afterthought, just feels insulting to the reader.
October 10, 2017
I loved this book!! I really enjoy the fantasy twist on the Regency Era. Now add characters that are interesting and easy to love, an intriguing story line and great romance, and I’m hooked! It’s the third book in the series. It does standalone, but the whole series is fantastic! So read all of them!
I already loved Lady Daphne when I started this book. I was so excited to get to know her better and see if she got the adventure she always wanted. Daphne is so kind and genuine. She is full of life. She has a great desire to prove herself and gain fame as a Bounder for the War Office. I admired her determination to work hard to make that happen. But a weakness undermines her plans and gets her sent to India. I really ached for her, and was so glad that Captain Fletcher saw her worth and gave her a chance to see India and find adventure.
Captain Fletcher is an incredible man! He has strong convictions and cares about others. His love for the people and the culture of India is evident in his actions. It was wonderful to see the way he fought for what was best for them. He is a great leader, which is shown by the respect and loyalty he garnered from his men. I loved his admiration for Daphne. He is the perfect man for her! He doesn’t want to keep her from adventure, but wants to be there with her. I loved watching their relationship develop!!
The story is great!! It is full of mystery, intrigue, adventure and danger. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing and turning pages. Once again, I stayed up too late reading one of Melissa McShane’s books. But that doesn’t surprise me anymore. :)
At the end of the book, the different Talents are listed, including what being an Extraordinary in each Talent means. I suggest reading through that part first, especially if you haven’t read the other books in the series. But even if you have. It is all so interesting. I’m not sure which Talent I would want most, but it’s fun to consider. :)
I received a copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.
I already loved Lady Daphne when I started this book. I was so excited to get to know her better and see if she got the adventure she always wanted. Daphne is so kind and genuine. She is full of life. She has a great desire to prove herself and gain fame as a Bounder for the War Office. I admired her determination to work hard to make that happen. But a weakness undermines her plans and gets her sent to India. I really ached for her, and was so glad that Captain Fletcher saw her worth and gave her a chance to see India and find adventure.
Captain Fletcher is an incredible man! He has strong convictions and cares about others. His love for the people and the culture of India is evident in his actions. It was wonderful to see the way he fought for what was best for them. He is a great leader, which is shown by the respect and loyalty he garnered from his men. I loved his admiration for Daphne. He is the perfect man for her! He doesn’t want to keep her from adventure, but wants to be there with her. I loved watching their relationship develop!!
The story is great!! It is full of mystery, intrigue, adventure and danger. There are many twists and turns that kept me guessing and turning pages. Once again, I stayed up too late reading one of Melissa McShane’s books. But that doesn’t surprise me anymore. :)
At the end of the book, the different Talents are listed, including what being an Extraordinary in each Talent means. I suggest reading through that part first, especially if you haven’t read the other books in the series. But even if you have. It is all so interesting. I’m not sure which Talent I would want most, but it’s fun to consider. :)
I received a copy of the book, which I voluntarily reviewed. I have given my honest opinion.
September 24, 2017
*I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
After the slightly disappointing second book (Wondering Sight--not a bad book, just not as good as the first one), I had my fingers crossed that Abounding Might would measure up to Burning Bright. I feel it was a solid comeback, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Although Lady Daphne St. Clair (21 now) sometimes bothered me in the previous book, I liked her a lot in this one. Yes, she still rambled a little bitt; for the most part, however, I think the time spent in service of the War Office between the other book and this one likely tempered her tendency to interrupt and speak seemingly without direction. Though she grows weak at the sight of blood, she is not a weak character and is determined throughout the book to prove herself. I appreciated her eventual willingness to not only accept that sometimes our plans change, but to embrace those changes that are better than what we previously had made. (Cryptic, much?) I liked how she pushed the limits of her Talent.
I have to say that I liked Captain Phinneas Fletcher (28) pretty much the same as Captain Miles Ramsey in the first book. Although now I can't honestly give you a good picture of his physical appearance (except tan and taller than Daphne), his character and personality are quite clear to me. He was open minded--accepting and interesting in the culture where he was serving (India). I liked that he didn't view the customs or beliefs of the people there with derision or condescension as some of his fellow officers. He was protective of Daphne but recognized her capability to get herself out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing how his Talent as a Discerner was utilized throughout the story, both with the political aspect and his dealings with Daphne.
Supporting characters were also well written. I wonder if Bess will have her own book in the series and if any of the other characters from this book (Ensign Phillips, Major Schofield, etc.) might play a part as well.
Something I've really been enjoying about this series is how seamlessly these Talents fit into the historical world. McShane makes them feel natural, not like I'm reading an obvious piece of fantasy. I also like the historical notes at the end, as well as the explanations of all the different Talents and Extraordinary Talents afterwards (Mover, Bounder, Scorcher, Shaper, Seer, Speaker, Discerner, Coercer).
I really look forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out and am excited that there are a total of eight books planned--that's five more for me to read in this version of the Napoleonic Wars.
How it ends:
Note: A little mild swearing.
After the slightly disappointing second book (Wondering Sight--not a bad book, just not as good as the first one), I had my fingers crossed that Abounding Might would measure up to Burning Bright. I feel it was a solid comeback, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Although Lady Daphne St. Clair (21 now) sometimes bothered me in the previous book, I liked her a lot in this one. Yes, she still rambled a little bitt; for the most part, however, I think the time spent in service of the War Office between the other book and this one likely tempered her tendency to interrupt and speak seemingly without direction. Though she grows weak at the sight of blood, she is not a weak character and is determined throughout the book to prove herself. I appreciated her eventual willingness to not only accept that sometimes our plans change, but to embrace those changes that are better than what we previously had made. (Cryptic, much?) I liked how she pushed the limits of her Talent.
I have to say that I liked Captain Phinneas Fletcher (28) pretty much the same as Captain Miles Ramsey in the first book. Although now I can't honestly give you a good picture of his physical appearance (except tan and taller than Daphne), his character and personality are quite clear to me. He was open minded--accepting and interesting in the culture where he was serving (India). I liked that he didn't view the customs or beliefs of the people there with derision or condescension as some of his fellow officers. He was protective of Daphne but recognized her capability to get herself out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing how his Talent as a Discerner was utilized throughout the story, both with the political aspect and his dealings with Daphne.
Supporting characters were also well written. I wonder if Bess will have her own book in the series and if any of the other characters from this book (Ensign Phillips, Major Schofield, etc.) might play a part as well.
Something I've really been enjoying about this series is how seamlessly these Talents fit into the historical world. McShane makes them feel natural, not like I'm reading an obvious piece of fantasy. I also like the historical notes at the end, as well as the explanations of all the different Talents and Extraordinary Talents afterwards (Mover, Bounder, Scorcher, Shaper, Seer, Speaker, Discerner, Coercer).
I really look forward to reading the rest of the series as it comes out and am excited that there are a total of eight books planned--that's five more for me to read in this version of the Napoleonic Wars.
How it ends:
Note: A little mild swearing.
September 26, 2017
"Abounding Might" continues the extraordinaries series with Daphne St. Clair, an Extraordinary Bounder (she can travel across great distances instantaneously). I had some mixed feelings about this book, although I loved the other two, and some of it was the main character, I think. Daphne is immature and falls into some stereotypes. She has a tendency to babble, does not quite fit into the regimented military lifestyle, and faints at the sight of blood. It is the latter which renders her useless to the War Office, as someone ends up getting killed because she faints and is unable to carry out her duty. In shame, she is sent to India to transport a military leader's wife and children back and forth to England as desired. This is a pretty simple task and well beneath her station as an extraordinary bounder.
While in India, she meets Captain Phinneas Fletcher, who is a Discerner, which means that he knows others' emotions when he touches them. This is often used in interrogations as he can tell whether someone is lying or not. Seeing her talents being wasted, he lobbies for her to come along with him on a mission to Madhyapatnam, where missionaries are stirring up trouble. In the course of investigating, they discover things are no so simple as they seemed and the dangers grow rapidly. Daphne is escorted by Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker (she can send thoughts into the minds of others), who I imagine will be featured in a future book (just a guess). Bess was very likable, although her role in this book was very small.
Daphne seemed incredibly young and while she seemed to try to resist the expectations of womanhood in the 1800s (e.g. marriage and a life of childcare), she seems to be somewhat overtaken by the idea of marriage in the later parts of the book. I found her to be really immature and I wasn't sure I liked her all that much, which made it hard for me to really invest in her story. Finn (Captain Fletcher) was an intriguing character, but his role was relatively small and we only really observed him when relevant to Daphne. The romance was rather slow, and I didn't find it well-developed.
I also had some concerns about sexism/racism with many of the events in the book. However, this is probably historically accurate as it was the 1800s and Britain was colonizing India. I liked in the previous books how the women were, for the most part, breaking through the boundaries of the past, and I didn't feel the same way in this book. I am sure someone else could describe it better, but it sometimes hit me the wrong way.
The first part of the book was pretty slow, but it really picked up after about halfway through, when we start to realize there is more going on in Madhyapatnam than we originally thought. Daphne's role in unraveling this mystery is more of a supporting one, as she really aids the people who are figuring it out, rather than getting involved in it herself. I would have liked to see her take more of a leading role in the investigation/actions. Overall, I felt this book was a bit borderline for me in terms of how much I enjoyed it (it was pretty hard to convince myself to keep reading to the end when the others were so engaging), which was a shame, as I loved the first two quite a bit. I am still interested in continuing the series, however.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
While in India, she meets Captain Phinneas Fletcher, who is a Discerner, which means that he knows others' emotions when he touches them. This is often used in interrogations as he can tell whether someone is lying or not. Seeing her talents being wasted, he lobbies for her to come along with him on a mission to Madhyapatnam, where missionaries are stirring up trouble. In the course of investigating, they discover things are no so simple as they seemed and the dangers grow rapidly. Daphne is escorted by Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker (she can send thoughts into the minds of others), who I imagine will be featured in a future book (just a guess). Bess was very likable, although her role in this book was very small.
Daphne seemed incredibly young and while she seemed to try to resist the expectations of womanhood in the 1800s (e.g. marriage and a life of childcare), she seems to be somewhat overtaken by the idea of marriage in the later parts of the book. I found her to be really immature and I wasn't sure I liked her all that much, which made it hard for me to really invest in her story. Finn (Captain Fletcher) was an intriguing character, but his role was relatively small and we only really observed him when relevant to Daphne. The romance was rather slow, and I didn't find it well-developed.
I also had some concerns about sexism/racism with many of the events in the book. However, this is probably historically accurate as it was the 1800s and Britain was colonizing India. I liked in the previous books how the women were, for the most part, breaking through the boundaries of the past, and I didn't feel the same way in this book. I am sure someone else could describe it better, but it sometimes hit me the wrong way.
The first part of the book was pretty slow, but it really picked up after about halfway through, when we start to realize there is more going on in Madhyapatnam than we originally thought. Daphne's role in unraveling this mystery is more of a supporting one, as she really aids the people who are figuring it out, rather than getting involved in it herself. I would have liked to see her take more of a leading role in the investigation/actions. Overall, I felt this book was a bit borderline for me in terms of how much I enjoyed it (it was pretty hard to convince myself to keep reading to the end when the others were so engaging), which was a shame, as I loved the first two quite a bit. I am still interested in continuing the series, however.
Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.
October 28, 2017
I absolutely adored the first book in this series ('Burning Bright' reviewed here) and skipped the second as the plot didn't appeal to my personal tastes, but I was intrigued by 'Abounding Might'. While it didn't match the high standards of book 1, which was practically perfect in my eyes, it was still an immensely enjoyable read with a riveting plot and endearing characters.
I'll start with my main complaint because there was really only one thing that kept this from receiving a full 5-star rating, and that was Daphne's frustrating need to throw herself into the middle of the action over and over with no thought to whether it was sensible, appropriate or warranted. I do appreciate that the author treated this as a serious character flaw and repeatedly had other characters call Daphne out on this trait; I also realize that in real life, recognizing that you have a flaw isn't the same as correcting it.
But in a fictional story, it's wearying to have the protagonist make the same mistake repeatedly, even when they have been told off for it or suffered the consequences, because we do expect some level of consistent character growth and payoff for the scenarios we read about. And yet right til the end, Daphne's inability to sit still and listen to the advice or outright orders people give her leads her into trouble one chapter after another.
It took me a little while to warm to Daphne - we start off by discovering that her phobia of blood led to a man's death because she was overcome by the sight of his wounds and couldn't use her powers to transport him to receive medical attention. That isn't what put me off, after all, I don't think I would be much use in a battle situation (although I think she probably shouldn't have vied for that position knowing her weakness), what disturbed me was how her ambition seemed to be more important.
---
"One moment's weakness and she was to be packed off to the far side of the globe, never to have a chance to prove herself. She knew her talent to be powerful, knew herself to be the most skilled Bounder of her generation, but thanks to her weakness, no one else would ever know the truth."
---
Er, let me reiterate - a man bled to death because she couldn't do her job, literally her one objective was to retrieve the major, but she fainted at the sight of blood and he died. But her main focus is on how this impacts HER CAREER. I can't say I was too sympathetic to her plight and I found her despair at her assignment to be pretty distasteful considering she had demonstrated she couldn't be trusted on battlefield missions. Damn the bureaucracy, I guess they should've risked more people's lives just to give Daphne a chance to win herself fame and glory!
Okay, that was a long rant disparaging the heroine of this story - but now that's out of the way, let's move on to everything 'Abounding Might' did right!
Main Characters: Daphne shows herself to be self-aware, attempting to better herself and accepting the demotion with outward good grace in order to try and redeem herself, which went a long way to making me warm to her. She's also very honest and kind, outgoing and eager for new experiences, and I liked seeing India through her eyes as she immersed herself in the new country and culture, rather than holding herself separate and superior as her peers tended to do. The best thing about Daphne is how much agency her character is given, the way she actively molds the story around herself instead of passively reacting to events or being guided from one plot point to another.
Captain Fletcher was such an interesting character, I was intrigued at the choice to make him a Discerner, ie. someone who can read people's emotions and even thoughts upon making skin-to-skin contact, as this empathic ability is more commonly seen in female characters. It's a pleasant change to have a male lead who isn't the typical alpha male and is more in touch with his emotions and sensitive to those of others; I really enjoyed his calm professionalism and cool competence, as well as his easy acceptance of Daphne's abilities and willingness to have her employ them in the field as necessary, instead of wrapping her in cotton wool and trying to coddle her like the other men.
Romance: The growing bond between Daphne and Fletcher was a GLORIOUS slow-burn transition from fellow officers to friends to more, which I absolutely adored. You could see why they would fall for each other, with Daphne all effervescence, incapable of guile and Fletcher a wry, steadfast pillar of support. Their banter was delightful and I basked in the witty back-and-forth between their characters, especially given how much they obviously enjoyed being in each other's company. Sometimes there'll be an endgame couple with so many obstacles in the way that you don't get a sense of who they are together without that drama, but Daphne and Fletcher got on so well upon their first meeting at a ball where she coaxed him into dancing with her even though he was notorious for avoiding the dance-floor, and later they worked well as a team when paired up in India. I loved how the need for close proximity in order to Bound or Skip together led to delicious UST between them as they needed to embrace while Daphne used her ability to transport them!
Minor Characters: The focus wasn't solely on the main couple, this world was populated with other well-drawn minor and background characters who all felt very real and were equipped with believable traits and foibles. The various military characters that recurred throughout - Fletcher's team with Ainsworth, Phillips and Wright; Lord Moira and Colonel Dalhousie at Government House - weren't given much in the way of personal backgrounds, but they were all convincingly portrayed nonetheless.
My favorite was Bess, who became friends with Daphne in India, and I believe she will be the protagonist of the next book in the series (fingers crossed). I love that the romantic relationship wasn't the only one developed in this story, we had a lovely female friendship threaded throughout as well!
Daphne's parents played only a tiny role, but they were absolutely hilarious and so lovable, best fictional parents ever, imo! It's obvious how Daphne grew into such a confident and self-assured young lady as she had parents that were wonderfully doting and encouraging and who trusted in her abilities and intelligence.
Writing: The author's writing style is one of the highlights of my reading experience, I'm very partial to the droll manner in which the characters converse with each other and the more formal language conventions employed here:
---
D: "I am not so admirable as that - and pray do not take that as an invitation to reassure me, I am simply being honest. I believe most people have faults they wish they could eliminate from their characters."
F: "And I believe those faults should not blind us to our virtues. Though if it would make you happier, you can tell me your faults and I will properly castigate you for them."
---
D'aww! Fletcher, you charmer! <3
Plot: This was a little less action-packed than 'Burning Bright' as our heroes aren't battling pirates this time around. I didn't anticipate being as drawn in as I was, since the reason for Daphne accompanying Fletcher in India was to root out the dissidents who were planting the seeds of a revolution to take back control of the province from the British. I'm not a big fan of political plot-lines, but there were enough red herrings in their investigation and scenic detours that allowed for greater interpersonal growth and surprise plot twists that I was engrossed nonetheless.
In Short
Things I didn't like: the heroine's frequent impulsiveness grew tiresome, the odd spelling choices with 'Hindoo' and 'Eskimeaux'
Things I liked: well-developed characters, the wonderful romance, witty banter, intriguing plot and the fascinating alternate world created by keeping most of our history but adding superpowers
--
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy free from Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'll start with my main complaint because there was really only one thing that kept this from receiving a full 5-star rating, and that was Daphne's frustrating need to throw herself into the middle of the action over and over with no thought to whether it was sensible, appropriate or warranted. I do appreciate that the author treated this as a serious character flaw and repeatedly had other characters call Daphne out on this trait; I also realize that in real life, recognizing that you have a flaw isn't the same as correcting it.
But in a fictional story, it's wearying to have the protagonist make the same mistake repeatedly, even when they have been told off for it or suffered the consequences, because we do expect some level of consistent character growth and payoff for the scenarios we read about. And yet right til the end, Daphne's inability to sit still and listen to the advice or outright orders people give her leads her into trouble one chapter after another.
It took me a little while to warm to Daphne - we start off by discovering that her phobia of blood led to a man's death because she was overcome by the sight of his wounds and couldn't use her powers to transport him to receive medical attention. That isn't what put me off, after all, I don't think I would be much use in a battle situation (although I think she probably shouldn't have vied for that position knowing her weakness), what disturbed me was how her ambition seemed to be more important.
---
"One moment's weakness and she was to be packed off to the far side of the globe, never to have a chance to prove herself. She knew her talent to be powerful, knew herself to be the most skilled Bounder of her generation, but thanks to her weakness, no one else would ever know the truth."
---
Er, let me reiterate - a man bled to death because she couldn't do her job, literally her one objective was to retrieve the major, but she fainted at the sight of blood and he died. But her main focus is on how this impacts HER CAREER. I can't say I was too sympathetic to her plight and I found her despair at her assignment to be pretty distasteful considering she had demonstrated she couldn't be trusted on battlefield missions. Damn the bureaucracy, I guess they should've risked more people's lives just to give Daphne a chance to win herself fame and glory!
Okay, that was a long rant disparaging the heroine of this story - but now that's out of the way, let's move on to everything 'Abounding Might' did right!
Main Characters: Daphne shows herself to be self-aware, attempting to better herself and accepting the demotion with outward good grace in order to try and redeem herself, which went a long way to making me warm to her. She's also very honest and kind, outgoing and eager for new experiences, and I liked seeing India through her eyes as she immersed herself in the new country and culture, rather than holding herself separate and superior as her peers tended to do. The best thing about Daphne is how much agency her character is given, the way she actively molds the story around herself instead of passively reacting to events or being guided from one plot point to another.
Captain Fletcher was such an interesting character, I was intrigued at the choice to make him a Discerner, ie. someone who can read people's emotions and even thoughts upon making skin-to-skin contact, as this empathic ability is more commonly seen in female characters. It's a pleasant change to have a male lead who isn't the typical alpha male and is more in touch with his emotions and sensitive to those of others; I really enjoyed his calm professionalism and cool competence, as well as his easy acceptance of Daphne's abilities and willingness to have her employ them in the field as necessary, instead of wrapping her in cotton wool and trying to coddle her like the other men.
Romance: The growing bond between Daphne and Fletcher was a GLORIOUS slow-burn transition from fellow officers to friends to more, which I absolutely adored. You could see why they would fall for each other, with Daphne all effervescence, incapable of guile and Fletcher a wry, steadfast pillar of support. Their banter was delightful and I basked in the witty back-and-forth between their characters, especially given how much they obviously enjoyed being in each other's company. Sometimes there'll be an endgame couple with so many obstacles in the way that you don't get a sense of who they are together without that drama, but Daphne and Fletcher got on so well upon their first meeting at a ball where she coaxed him into dancing with her even though he was notorious for avoiding the dance-floor, and later they worked well as a team when paired up in India. I loved how the need for close proximity in order to Bound or Skip together led to delicious UST between them as they needed to embrace while Daphne used her ability to transport them!
Minor Characters: The focus wasn't solely on the main couple, this world was populated with other well-drawn minor and background characters who all felt very real and were equipped with believable traits and foibles. The various military characters that recurred throughout - Fletcher's team with Ainsworth, Phillips and Wright; Lord Moira and Colonel Dalhousie at Government House - weren't given much in the way of personal backgrounds, but they were all convincingly portrayed nonetheless.
My favorite was Bess, who became friends with Daphne in India, and I believe she will be the protagonist of the next book in the series (fingers crossed). I love that the romantic relationship wasn't the only one developed in this story, we had a lovely female friendship threaded throughout as well!
Daphne's parents played only a tiny role, but they were absolutely hilarious and so lovable, best fictional parents ever, imo! It's obvious how Daphne grew into such a confident and self-assured young lady as she had parents that were wonderfully doting and encouraging and who trusted in her abilities and intelligence.
Writing: The author's writing style is one of the highlights of my reading experience, I'm very partial to the droll manner in which the characters converse with each other and the more formal language conventions employed here:
---
D: "I am not so admirable as that - and pray do not take that as an invitation to reassure me, I am simply being honest. I believe most people have faults they wish they could eliminate from their characters."
F: "And I believe those faults should not blind us to our virtues. Though if it would make you happier, you can tell me your faults and I will properly castigate you for them."
---
D'aww! Fletcher, you charmer! <3
Plot: This was a little less action-packed than 'Burning Bright' as our heroes aren't battling pirates this time around. I didn't anticipate being as drawn in as I was, since the reason for Daphne accompanying Fletcher in India was to root out the dissidents who were planting the seeds of a revolution to take back control of the province from the British. I'm not a big fan of political plot-lines, but there were enough red herrings in their investigation and scenic detours that allowed for greater interpersonal growth and surprise plot twists that I was engrossed nonetheless.
In Short
Things I didn't like: the heroine's frequent impulsiveness grew tiresome, the odd spelling choices with 'Hindoo' and 'Eskimeaux'
Things I liked: well-developed characters, the wonderful romance, witty banter, intriguing plot and the fascinating alternate world created by keeping most of our history but adding superpowers
--
Disclaimer: I received a digital copy free from Curiosity Quills Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2017
*Source* NetGalley/Publisher
*Genre* Fantasy, Historical
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Melissa McShane's Abounding Might is the Third installment in the authors’ The Extraordinaires series. The Extraordinaires is an alternate history Regency-era fantasy series that will apparently feature eight different women who have powerful magical talents. In this universe, there are two separate groups of talents: The Corporeal Talents (Mover, Sharper, Scorcher, and Bounder) & The Ethereal Talents (Seer, Speaker, Discerner and Coercer.) Each book follows one woman as she learns to use her magic to change the world.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Fantasy, Historical
*Rating* 3.5
*My Thoughts*
Melissa McShane's Abounding Might is the Third installment in the authors’ The Extraordinaires series. The Extraordinaires is an alternate history Regency-era fantasy series that will apparently feature eight different women who have powerful magical talents. In this universe, there are two separate groups of talents: The Corporeal Talents (Mover, Sharper, Scorcher, and Bounder) & The Ethereal Talents (Seer, Speaker, Discerner and Coercer.) Each book follows one woman as she learns to use her magic to change the world.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
May 15, 2024
My new favorite book of 2017! When Lady Daphne was introduced in Wondering Sight, I was immediately amused and intrigued by her. I was increasingly fond of her character as the story progressed. When I finished reading Wondering Sight and realized Abounding Might continued her story, I knew I had to read the book. Read. This. Book. If for nothing else than this charming, tenacious, and relatable character.
The story itself will not disappoint. Set in remarkable India alight with culture, color, and diversity, yet still affected by European influence and war. Beautifully researched with its own fantastical flare.
The romantic angle of the story was probably my favorite of the series. Daphne falling in love, stays true to her character and just feels right.
This book leaves nothing to be desired. A great stand alone, but that much better having read the other Extraordinaries, particularly Wondering Sight, where Daphne is introduced.
Read it!
The story itself will not disappoint. Set in remarkable India alight with culture, color, and diversity, yet still affected by European influence and war. Beautifully researched with its own fantastical flare.
The romantic angle of the story was probably my favorite of the series. Daphne falling in love, stays true to her character and just feels right.
This book leaves nothing to be desired. A great stand alone, but that much better having read the other Extraordinaries, particularly Wondering Sight, where Daphne is introduced.
Read it!
April 27, 2018
This is the third installment of Ms McShane’s series and the second book I’ve read. I loved the first book in this series, so I was excited to receive an ARC for this book.
I’ve started reading this three times, and on the third attempt decided to stop reading at 70%. Other reviewers have mentioned the difference between those books, and I’m sad to be one of them.
I tried to find what it was that put me off. The setting in India was great, the world building with superpowers in the early 19th century intrigued me as it had in the first book. In the end I concluded I just didn’t care enough about what was happening.
The heroine doesn’t want to conform herself to the expectations the world has of her, which is a great start for a romance. She wants adventures instead of being a wife. That in itself is perfectly fine too, but the execution and motivation in the book never went any deeper (at least not till the 70% mark) than her just not wanting to marry because a husband wouldn’t want her to have adventures. And that need for those adventures often translated in her making rash choices that put others in danger. The motivation was too lacking for me to care.
The romance was a slow burn, but to me, lacked tension.
The writing style was a little stilted, probably because the author never uses contractions.
I’ve started reading this three times, and on the third attempt decided to stop reading at 70%. Other reviewers have mentioned the difference between those books, and I’m sad to be one of them.
I tried to find what it was that put me off. The setting in India was great, the world building with superpowers in the early 19th century intrigued me as it had in the first book. In the end I concluded I just didn’t care enough about what was happening.
The heroine doesn’t want to conform herself to the expectations the world has of her, which is a great start for a romance. She wants adventures instead of being a wife. That in itself is perfectly fine too, but the execution and motivation in the book never went any deeper (at least not till the 70% mark) than her just not wanting to marry because a husband wouldn’t want her to have adventures. And that need for those adventures often translated in her making rash choices that put others in danger. The motivation was too lacking for me to care.
The romance was a slow burn, but to me, lacked tension.
The writing style was a little stilted, probably because the author never uses contractions.
December 14, 2022
If I had to describe our heroine in one word, it would be Plucky. Lady Daphne is delightfully plucky, and I am all for it.
In the third installment of McShane’s Extraordinaries series, the author continues to amaze me with her ability to overlay her creative magic system on fictionalized real-world history AND write it in authentic Austenesque prose. (Yes, I just made up “authentic Astenesque prose,” but just go with it.)
Back to our plucky damsel not in distress, she is continuously saving the day and the life of her love interest, Captain Fletcher, who seems to always find himself in distress. It’s a delightful turnaround specifically because Fletcher encourages Daphne’s efforts to overcome the social restrictions of the time. (Again, think Austen and you’ll get it.)
I also enjoyed that the romance in Abounding Might is more in the forefront of the story than the first two books in the series. I love when the hero and heroine work together as a team, knowing they are stronger together. And here’s a spoiler: there is actual kissing all the way around the three-quarter mark rather than at the very end. Scandalous! But wonderfully romantic.
Cheers and bravo.
In the third installment of McShane’s Extraordinaries series, the author continues to amaze me with her ability to overlay her creative magic system on fictionalized real-world history AND write it in authentic Austenesque prose. (Yes, I just made up “authentic Astenesque prose,” but just go with it.)
Back to our plucky damsel not in distress, she is continuously saving the day and the life of her love interest, Captain Fletcher, who seems to always find himself in distress. It’s a delightful turnaround specifically because Fletcher encourages Daphne’s efforts to overcome the social restrictions of the time. (Again, think Austen and you’ll get it.)
I also enjoyed that the romance in Abounding Might is more in the forefront of the story than the first two books in the series. I love when the hero and heroine work together as a team, knowing they are stronger together. And here’s a spoiler: there is actual kissing all the way around the three-quarter mark rather than at the very end. Scandalous! But wonderfully romantic.
Cheers and bravo.
October 11, 2017
Abounding Might is the exciting third installment to Melissa McShane's The Extraordinaries series. I absolutely loved this book. Melissa McShane is becoming among one of my favorite authors. I have got to catch up and see what else she has written.
Highly recommended.
5 plus stars.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own personal opinion.
Highly recommended.
5 plus stars.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own personal opinion.
February 20, 2018
Daphne wasn’t my favorite character in Wondering Sight, but I liked her a lot better in her own book.
I really like how this story turned out, but somewhere around a 1/3 in, I got the idea that it was going in a different direction. I couldn’t shake it until the very end of the book. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. I may have to go back and reread the whole thing with the actual story facts straight. :)
I really like how this story turned out, but somewhere around a 1/3 in, I got the idea that it was going in a different direction. I couldn’t shake it until the very end of the book. I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. I may have to go back and reread the whole thing with the actual story facts straight. :)
December 25, 2017
3.5 stars
Full review to come!
Full review to come!
September 14, 2023
This is the weakest of the series because of the colonialism issue. There's no way to make British occupation of India heroic.
July 9, 2023
4 stars! Pretty good, and definitely much better than the snooze of book 2. It didn't wow me quite as much as book 1 (which had pirates!) but it was still a fun, action packed book.
This one follows Lady Daphne St. Clair, an Extraordinary Bounder, who can basically teleport to anywhere within her sight (including midair) or unseen locations as long as she can arrive in an enclosed space that she's familiar with or has a specially drawn target to aim at (which means she can teleport herself and her passengers between England and India). She was originally serving in the military, but discovered that she faints at the sight of blood...which is unhelpful and even deadly during war. So, she's reassigned to basically be a courier for a governor and his wife stationed in India. For some reason the ramifications and possibilities of this Talent were explored in a way that I found fascinating. Daphne is notably short in stature, but she basically weight lifts until she's strong enough to pick up a grown man enough that she can Bound with him to another locale. That's cool enough, but I hadn't really thought about how this tactic could be used in battle, with the Bounder being able to Skip up into midair to scout things out, or Bound soldiers out of danger when needed. Even basic commerce is made intriguing with this power, since a Bounder could carry goods from all over the world in an instant, no need for lengthy shipping voyages (I appreciate that when bananas are mentioned, the main character doesn't care for them because the seeds are too big....which they would have been during this Napoleonic time period). You can tell that the author really considered the uses for this Talent, and came up with some fascinating ideas to explore.
The India setting for this book was interesting (much better than the endless drawing rooms of the previous book), though of course this is an alternate history so some historical details are changed. I kind of wish the main character had been able to befriend more of the locals (we could use more characters of color), but for the most part the local Indian people were minor characters. Oh well.
I'm detecting a strong pattern with the romance aspect in each book in this series: nice, upstanding guy, with a rather Regency-era style of romance that culminates with a chaste kiss and then a swift marriage. It's....fine. I like this better than the usual YA fantasy romance where it becomes the focus of the whole story.
One bit near the end that I especially appreciated was when Daphne (struggling, as always, to be taken seriously for her abilities) realized suddenly that it didn't really matter what someone thought of her. "....it was infuriating, and Daphne simply did not know how to change his mind. Because you cannot, the thought occurred to her, and with it came a remarkable feeling of peace. She could not change Lord Moira's mind, would never be able to do so, and it was irrelevant. She did not need his approval or his respect to be the woman she knew herself to be, and the though made her able to stand up straight and face him." I like that.
Anyway, I enjoyed this one, and will try to continue with the series. None of these books are at libraries in my state, so I either have to wait a few weeks for them to arrive from an out-of-state library, or just buy them....but I hate buying books that I haven't already read. Hmm...
This one follows Lady Daphne St. Clair, an Extraordinary Bounder, who can basically teleport to anywhere within her sight (including midair) or unseen locations as long as she can arrive in an enclosed space that she's familiar with or has a specially drawn target to aim at (which means she can teleport herself and her passengers between England and India). She was originally serving in the military, but discovered that she faints at the sight of blood...which is unhelpful and even deadly during war. So, she's reassigned to basically be a courier for a governor and his wife stationed in India. For some reason the ramifications and possibilities of this Talent were explored in a way that I found fascinating. Daphne is notably short in stature, but she basically weight lifts until she's strong enough to pick up a grown man enough that she can Bound with him to another locale. That's cool enough, but I hadn't really thought about how this tactic could be used in battle, with the Bounder being able to Skip up into midair to scout things out, or Bound soldiers out of danger when needed. Even basic commerce is made intriguing with this power, since a Bounder could carry goods from all over the world in an instant, no need for lengthy shipping voyages (I appreciate that when bananas are mentioned, the main character doesn't care for them because the seeds are too big....which they would have been during this Napoleonic time period). You can tell that the author really considered the uses for this Talent, and came up with some fascinating ideas to explore.
The India setting for this book was interesting (much better than the endless drawing rooms of the previous book), though of course this is an alternate history so some historical details are changed. I kind of wish the main character had been able to befriend more of the locals (we could use more characters of color), but for the most part the local Indian people were minor characters. Oh well.
I'm detecting a strong pattern with the romance aspect in each book in this series: nice, upstanding guy, with a rather Regency-era style of romance that culminates with a chaste kiss and then a swift marriage. It's....fine. I like this better than the usual YA fantasy romance where it becomes the focus of the whole story.
One bit near the end that I especially appreciated was when Daphne (struggling, as always, to be taken seriously for her abilities) realized suddenly that it didn't really matter what someone thought of her. "....it was infuriating, and Daphne simply did not know how to change his mind. Because you cannot, the thought occurred to her, and with it came a remarkable feeling of peace. She could not change Lord Moira's mind, would never be able to do so, and it was irrelevant. She did not need his approval or his respect to be the woman she knew herself to be, and the though made her able to stand up straight and face him." I like that.
Anyway, I enjoyed this one, and will try to continue with the series. None of these books are at libraries in my state, so I either have to wait a few weeks for them to arrive from an out-of-state library, or just buy them....but I hate buying books that I haven't already read. Hmm...
March 9, 2022
3.75 stars
I continue to love Melissa McShane's characters, world, and magic! Daphne is wonderful, and I love how physically strong she is while not falling into the generic Strong Female Character™ mold. And I really really liked Captain Fletcher as well. There was so much enjoyable chemistry between them - he's a Discerner, meaning he can pick up on people's emotions when he touches them; and since Daphne's work as a Bounder means she has to touch him a lot it gives us lots of great moments of tension between them - and even though you see that chemistry early on, I didn't feel like their romance developed too fast, even considering Fletcher's ability to pick up on emotions!
My main complaint with this book is that I wanted it to go farther in criticizing the British occupation of India. I totally get the constraints of the time period the author has set the story in, (even though it's historical fantasy, certain things are still grounded in familiar history), but I still think there was a little more space for the issue to be explored.
Like, Fletcher and Daphne are both shown to be sympathetic towards the native Indians while still retaining a believable outlook in other ways, and the writing itself does a pretty good job of highlighting issues even when some of the characters don't acknowledge them - so I don't think it's unreasonable to hope for a stronger stance re: some of the plot/characters. I don't love where some things end up, and while I understand the story reasons for writing the East India Company as more benign than it really was, I wish either that the name had been changed (to separate it more from the actual history) or that the plot had developed in such a way that that choice was balanced out by a stronger ending. Or, if we were already changing things, we could even have had this book take place in a reality where Britain HADN'T colonized India - history is different enough in this world that several major historical events haven't happened (like American independence), so I don't think it would have been a stretch to do it that way and for the main characters to be there for another reason - maybe England trying to get a foothold in India, or some kind of diplomatic mission. I think the main conflict could have even been kept much the same.
(Relatedly, I found it a little weird that despite Daphne and Fletcher's sympathy and understanding regarding the Indian people, at no point did they consider the possibility that this unrest was a natural reaction to the British presence there - though tbh maybe that's just realistic!)
Basically, I'm not demanding that our main characters single-handedly overthrow the British occupation! I just think the commentary on imperialism could have been more pointed or definite.
That aside, I did really enjoy this installment and am very excited to continue the series, and Melissa McShane's work in general!
CW: Grief, colonialism, racism, misogyny, period language, religious intolerance
I continue to love Melissa McShane's characters, world, and magic! Daphne is wonderful, and I love how physically strong she is while not falling into the generic Strong Female Character™ mold. And I really really liked Captain Fletcher as well. There was so much enjoyable chemistry between them - he's a Discerner, meaning he can pick up on people's emotions when he touches them; and since Daphne's work as a Bounder means she has to touch him a lot it gives us lots of great moments of tension between them - and even though you see that chemistry early on, I didn't feel like their romance developed too fast, even considering Fletcher's ability to pick up on emotions!
My main complaint with this book is that I wanted it to go farther in criticizing the British occupation of India. I totally get the constraints of the time period the author has set the story in, (even though it's historical fantasy, certain things are still grounded in familiar history), but I still think there was a little more space for the issue to be explored.
Like, Fletcher and Daphne are both shown to be sympathetic towards the native Indians while still retaining a believable outlook in other ways, and the writing itself does a pretty good job of highlighting issues even when some of the characters don't acknowledge them - so I don't think it's unreasonable to hope for a stronger stance re: some of the plot/characters. I don't love where some things end up, and while I understand the story reasons for writing the East India Company as more benign than it really was, I wish either that the name had been changed (to separate it more from the actual history) or that the plot had developed in such a way that that choice was balanced out by a stronger ending. Or, if we were already changing things, we could even have had this book take place in a reality where Britain HADN'T colonized India - history is different enough in this world that several major historical events haven't happened (like American independence), so I don't think it would have been a stretch to do it that way and for the main characters to be there for another reason - maybe England trying to get a foothold in India, or some kind of diplomatic mission. I think the main conflict could have even been kept much the same.
(Relatedly, I found it a little weird that despite Daphne and Fletcher's sympathy and understanding regarding the Indian people, at no point did they consider the possibility that this unrest was a natural reaction to the British presence there - though tbh maybe that's just realistic!)
Basically, I'm not demanding that our main characters single-handedly overthrow the British occupation! I just think the commentary on imperialism could have been more pointed or definite.
That aside, I did really enjoy this installment and am very excited to continue the series, and Melissa McShane's work in general!
CW: Grief, colonialism, racism, misogyny, period language, religious intolerance
February 9, 2021
I’m having a hard time putting my thoughts down about this series, short of a listing of every positive adjective that I may bring to mind.
With each addition to the series, I’m drawn even deeper into this complex mixture of awe and empowerment that each novel inspires in me. The level of attention to detail that goes into this series is very evident within the work itself, but it’s even more apparent to anyone who has taken a moment to read through the Authors Notes.
I’m always very hesitant about reading historical novels of any kind because I find that if they are not handled in the right way then I struggle to enjoy the novel fully.
This could not be further from the case here. I can honestly say that not only does McShane create and incredibly immersive and believable world for the reader, but she creates one that I can honestly say I would accept as my own sooner that I would the past that it is built upon.
I am obsessed with this series and absolutely cannot wait for the fourth book, which if I recall correctly, may be arriving sometime this year!
And I haven’t even addressed how empowering the ladies of this series are! Honestly some of my favourite protagonists to date!
I cannot recommend this series enough!
The only possible faults I can even think of are
1. That there isn’t yet more to enjoy (although thankfully I have the rest of McShane’s books to read)
2. The slight awkwardness of finding yourself struggling to remember modern dialect when you’ve read all three novels back to back over the course of a week.
This has really set the standard for any books I might read this year.
With each addition to the series, I’m drawn even deeper into this complex mixture of awe and empowerment that each novel inspires in me. The level of attention to detail that goes into this series is very evident within the work itself, but it’s even more apparent to anyone who has taken a moment to read through the Authors Notes.
I’m always very hesitant about reading historical novels of any kind because I find that if they are not handled in the right way then I struggle to enjoy the novel fully.
This could not be further from the case here. I can honestly say that not only does McShane create and incredibly immersive and believable world for the reader, but she creates one that I can honestly say I would accept as my own sooner that I would the past that it is built upon.
I am obsessed with this series and absolutely cannot wait for the fourth book, which if I recall correctly, may be arriving sometime this year!
And I haven’t even addressed how empowering the ladies of this series are! Honestly some of my favourite protagonists to date!
I cannot recommend this series enough!
The only possible faults I can even think of are
1. That there isn’t yet more to enjoy (although thankfully I have the rest of McShane’s books to read)
2. The slight awkwardness of finding yourself struggling to remember modern dialect when you’ve read all three novels back to back over the course of a week.
This has really set the standard for any books I might read this year.
May 25, 2021
The story was a bit slow getting started, but gained momentum eventually. Despite the protagonist’s repeated expressions of interest in getting more experience and understanding of Indian culture, very few Indian details came through—perhaps because our heroine kept bounding and skipping about and rarely had time to observe and appreciate. I suppose the author chose to call Indians “Hindoos” as a nod to 19th century authenticity, but such an outdated, limited designation seems dubious at best. If you’re going to create an AU, why not go all the way?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2017
Reviewed at my blog: Babbling Books
Just as before, I come away from this book feeling like I had a grand adventure while still learning something new. Setting off to India and all of the intrigue and plots that followed there were a wonderful way to weave the stories of the characters and the book’s pace never slowed down to a point where it felt boring. I was always interested and engaged in what was going on, whether it be the romance, the secret war or just the average days of the characters, it was all meaningful.
The romance in this book was again very likable. Although I discovered toward the end of the book the courtship was much shorter than I thought, which makes you question the whole validity of the relationship, I still really liked Daphne and Fletcher together. Their mutual trust and respect for one another was wonderful and the things he said to her were just so adoring and honorable, how could you not fall for him. He was by far my favorite of all the characters in the book, although I wouldn’t mind learning more about Major Schofield or Bess, or any one of them for that matter, they were all intriguing their own ways.
I still wish there was more background on the abilities. While Fletcher’s Discerner ability has to be the most intriguing so far, I have to say I want to know more. There’s just enough there to know how things happen between the characters and of course, in regards to Daphne, the limits of their abilities, but there’s so much that still hasn’t been said. I guess in a way that’s what makes these books exciting and mysterious, not everything is explained, which keeps me coming back for more!
Overall I really enjoyed this third book. The plot was great, the setting was interesting, although I fully admit to being in the dark when it comes to past or present knowledge of India, and the characters were once again very dynamic. I’m so glad I got to revisit this blend of real and unreal world McShane has created. She’s such a talented and unique author who’s able to write stories with depth, heart and characters that you honestly like getting to know through the pages. I hope that if she writes more I will get to experience these future stories as well. I recommend this to any reader who loves adventure and a book that will sweep you up until the last minute.
*I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher (Curiosity Quills Press) in exchange for an honest review*
“I hate being weak. It feels so much like failure, and if I am to fail I want it to be on my own terms, not because my body has betrayed me.”It’s been awhile since I read the first book in this series and I unfortunately did not get the chance to read the second. Luckily for me they can each be read as stand-alone pieces in a bigger world so I had no trouble reading through this book and feeling right at home again in the world McShane has created.
Just as before, I come away from this book feeling like I had a grand adventure while still learning something new. Setting off to India and all of the intrigue and plots that followed there were a wonderful way to weave the stories of the characters and the book’s pace never slowed down to a point where it felt boring. I was always interested and engaged in what was going on, whether it be the romance, the secret war or just the average days of the characters, it was all meaningful.
The romance in this book was again very likable. Although I discovered toward the end of the book the courtship was much shorter than I thought, which makes you question the whole validity of the relationship, I still really liked Daphne and Fletcher together. Their mutual trust and respect for one another was wonderful and the things he said to her were just so adoring and honorable, how could you not fall for him. He was by far my favorite of all the characters in the book, although I wouldn’t mind learning more about Major Schofield or Bess, or any one of them for that matter, they were all intriguing their own ways.
I still wish there was more background on the abilities. While Fletcher’s Discerner ability has to be the most intriguing so far, I have to say I want to know more. There’s just enough there to know how things happen between the characters and of course, in regards to Daphne, the limits of their abilities, but there’s so much that still hasn’t been said. I guess in a way that’s what makes these books exciting and mysterious, not everything is explained, which keeps me coming back for more!
Overall I really enjoyed this third book. The plot was great, the setting was interesting, although I fully admit to being in the dark when it comes to past or present knowledge of India, and the characters were once again very dynamic. I’m so glad I got to revisit this blend of real and unreal world McShane has created. She’s such a talented and unique author who’s able to write stories with depth, heart and characters that you honestly like getting to know through the pages. I hope that if she writes more I will get to experience these future stories as well. I recommend this to any reader who loves adventure and a book that will sweep you up until the last minute.
*I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher (Curiosity Quills Press) in exchange for an honest review*
October 2, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the third in the author’s alternate world Regency fantasy series The Extraordinaries.
The focus of the story this time around is Lady Daphne St. Clair and her ability to magically Bound from one location to another with a mere thought. Daphne has worked hard to strengthen her 5-foot-nothing body to be able to pick up and carry people from one place to the next with her Extraordinary talent, but she isn’t able to overcome the weakness that causes her to faint at the sight of blood. So, rather than serving her nation in war-torn Portugal, Daphne is exiled to India to serve as a conveyance for the governor’s family. Daphne is bored at first, but her life becomes more exciting when she meets handsome Captain Phineas Fletcher and he offers her the opportunity to help him investigate some brewing trouble in another city. Daphne loves seeing more of the real India and enjoys spending time with Captain Fletcher. But when their mission turns out to be more complicated and serious than expected, Daphne’s skills—and heart—are put to the test.
I was looking forward to Abounding Might after meeting Daphne in the previous volume of the series, and she didn’t disappoint. I appreciated her enthusiastic embrace of adventure and her desire to use her abilities to their fullest. The only thing that bugged a bit about the character was her tendency to stumble over her words whenever she is uncomfortable. I think it’s supposed to be an endearing reminder of how very young and inexperienced Daphne is, but that note gets hit a little too often for my tastes. To me, it makes her seem a bit silly, and she’s not, at all.
This is a fantasy novel first, not a romance, but the relationship between Daphne and her captain was rather sweet and probably my favorite of the series. It’s foregrounded more than the romance in the first book and is a bit less fraught than in the second. Daphne doesn’t want to fall in love, because she unabashedly wants to the best Bounder ever, and she needs to be free of entanglements to do so. However, as written, Captain Fletcher is pretty irresistible—intelligent, kind, and willing to acknowledge Daphne’s strengths. It’s not surprising that Daphne falls in love with him. (I probably would, too.)
McShane introduces the main character for her next Extraordinaries novel here. She is Bess Hanley, an Extraordinary Speaker (someone who can telepathically speak with others, although she cannot hear their thoughts). Bess should be an interesting heroine, since she has a fairly severe visual impairment. I’m looking forward to learning more about her—it’s going to be a long wait for that next book!
An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
The focus of the story this time around is Lady Daphne St. Clair and her ability to magically Bound from one location to another with a mere thought. Daphne has worked hard to strengthen her 5-foot-nothing body to be able to pick up and carry people from one place to the next with her Extraordinary talent, but she isn’t able to overcome the weakness that causes her to faint at the sight of blood. So, rather than serving her nation in war-torn Portugal, Daphne is exiled to India to serve as a conveyance for the governor’s family. Daphne is bored at first, but her life becomes more exciting when she meets handsome Captain Phineas Fletcher and he offers her the opportunity to help him investigate some brewing trouble in another city. Daphne loves seeing more of the real India and enjoys spending time with Captain Fletcher. But when their mission turns out to be more complicated and serious than expected, Daphne’s skills—and heart—are put to the test.
I was looking forward to Abounding Might after meeting Daphne in the previous volume of the series, and she didn’t disappoint. I appreciated her enthusiastic embrace of adventure and her desire to use her abilities to their fullest. The only thing that bugged a bit about the character was her tendency to stumble over her words whenever she is uncomfortable. I think it’s supposed to be an endearing reminder of how very young and inexperienced Daphne is, but that note gets hit a little too often for my tastes. To me, it makes her seem a bit silly, and she’s not, at all.
This is a fantasy novel first, not a romance, but the relationship between Daphne and her captain was rather sweet and probably my favorite of the series. It’s foregrounded more than the romance in the first book and is a bit less fraught than in the second. Daphne doesn’t want to fall in love, because she unabashedly wants to the best Bounder ever, and she needs to be free of entanglements to do so. However, as written, Captain Fletcher is pretty irresistible—intelligent, kind, and willing to acknowledge Daphne’s strengths. It’s not surprising that Daphne falls in love with him. (I probably would, too.)
McShane introduces the main character for her next Extraordinaries novel here. She is Bess Hanley, an Extraordinary Speaker (someone who can telepathically speak with others, although she cannot hear their thoughts). Bess should be an interesting heroine, since she has a fairly severe visual impairment. I’m looking forward to learning more about her—it’s going to be a long wait for that next book!
An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.
January 16, 2021
Another great historical regency romance by Melissa McShane, this time in British India, with the East India Company, the army, and lots of bounding.
What I really adored in this book was Daphne and Captain Fletcher. Individually, they were each complex in their own right, as well as vivacious (Daphne) and duty-bound (Fletcher). Daphne stands out for her determination, and where she differs from Sophia from the previous book, she's less about revenge, and more about a determination to rectify her mistake and prove that she is worth it. Daphne is also more naive than both Sophia and Elinor, though perhaps naive isn't the right way to describe it. As noted by Fletcher and other Discerners, Daphne's words match her demeanour to the letter. Because of this, some of her actions are a bit more reckless than they should be. Yet, much like the other books, none of this feels over the top or out of place. Thus, making Daphne relatable.
Abounding Might is also much like a mystery, much in the same way Burning Bright was like a fantasy historical action, and Wondering Sight was like a paranormal thriller. There much of the Abounding Might plot to enjoy, even when a key point I guessed early on. So I will point out, it's a little predictable. However, it's the intense moments when characters are in danger that keep the pace fast. In saying that, there is one moment where Daphne did do something incredibly stupid, no doubt to move the plot forward and give her another crazy new way to bound. However, I noticed, that this also happened at least once in the previous two books. So I've decided, since it only seems to happen just once in each book - this moment of stupidity - and not constantly or repeatedly, it's easy to gloss over. Especially when I really enjoyed reading every other part of the novel.
Overall, another very interesting companion sequel! And I am most definitely looking forward to Whispering Twilight - do you know how much it bothers me that I picked up Burning Bright in the same month that Whispering Twilight is about to be published AND I was too late to check Netgalley? Since I flew through Burning Bright and Wondering Sight, I had to slow it down for Abounding Might, to stave off the wait (literally 3 days now!) until Whispering Twilight lands in my kindle. Looking forward to it alot. I can't say how much I enjoy these books, is it my mood? Probably. But it also helps that the Extraordinary novels have a very healthy, thick dose of action to balance out the romance plot (and the romance does prevail in each one, but does not overshadow the energy of action).
What I really adored in this book was Daphne and Captain Fletcher. Individually, they were each complex in their own right, as well as vivacious (Daphne) and duty-bound (Fletcher). Daphne stands out for her determination, and where she differs from Sophia from the previous book, she's less about revenge, and more about a determination to rectify her mistake and prove that she is worth it. Daphne is also more naive than both Sophia and Elinor, though perhaps naive isn't the right way to describe it. As noted by Fletcher and other Discerners, Daphne's words match her demeanour to the letter. Because of this, some of her actions are a bit more reckless than they should be. Yet, much like the other books, none of this feels over the top or out of place. Thus, making Daphne relatable.
Abounding Might is also much like a mystery, much in the same way Burning Bright was like a fantasy historical action, and Wondering Sight was like a paranormal thriller. There much of the Abounding Might plot to enjoy, even when a key point I guessed early on. So I will point out, it's a little predictable. However, it's the intense moments when characters are in danger that keep the pace fast. In saying that, there is one moment where Daphne did do something incredibly stupid, no doubt to move the plot forward and give her another crazy new way to bound. However, I noticed, that this also happened at least once in the previous two books. So I've decided, since it only seems to happen just once in each book - this moment of stupidity - and not constantly or repeatedly, it's easy to gloss over. Especially when I really enjoyed reading every other part of the novel.
Overall, another very interesting companion sequel! And I am most definitely looking forward to Whispering Twilight - do you know how much it bothers me that I picked up Burning Bright in the same month that Whispering Twilight is about to be published AND I was too late to check Netgalley? Since I flew through Burning Bright and Wondering Sight, I had to slow it down for Abounding Might, to stave off the wait (literally 3 days now!) until Whispering Twilight lands in my kindle. Looking forward to it alot. I can't say how much I enjoy these books, is it my mood? Probably. But it also helps that the Extraordinary novels have a very healthy, thick dose of action to balance out the romance plot (and the romance does prevail in each one, but does not overshadow the energy of action).
September 17, 2017
Once again I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Melissa McShane! Having not read the second book in the series yet, I did stumble a bit in the beginning as I was getting acclimated to the time that had passed between the first book and this one. However, I was able to easily follow along and became engrossed as the story picked up. Though I did find the heroine to not be as likeable, at least in the beginning, she quickly grew on me, and the hero was equally charming.
Lady Daphne St. Clair has been reassigned - to India - as nothing more than a human chaise conveying a lord's family back and forth from England. Having just failed on the battlefield, her mistake leading to a man's death, she reluctantly accepts her punishment. However, not long after arrival, she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a quiet yet charming Discerner, who is in need of a Bounder for an upcoming mission. Daphne, being an Extraordinary Bounder, is perfect for the job and quickly accepts, bringing along her newfound friend, Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker. Though both girls are there for a serious purpose, Daphne finds that love has a way of making itself known even at the most inconvenient of times. But what will happen when she inevitably returns to the battlefield and leaves the Captain behind?
Daphne and Finn complimented each other nicely! Daphne was headstrong, impulsive, and talkative, while Finn was reserved, steady, and quiet. I enjoyed seeing Finn come out of his shell when around Daphne, as her exuberance rubbed off on him, particularly when she Skips with him to an abandoned palace for a tour. It's an interesting change of roles, as Finn must place his life entirely in Daphne's hands. The role reversal was exciting, to say the least! I did find Daphne's behavior to be childish at times regarding her situation, considering that she was in India because she caused a man's death. It's not as if they are punishing her for no reason. She bucks up eventually, but there are moments throughout the story when her selfishness sneaks out. She checks herself and recognizes when she's doing it though, so that helps me get back on track in the story. Overall I loved her interactions with Finn, and they were a delightful couple!
As always, I highly recommend this book to my blog readers! Any book in this series is bound to be a delight, and I can't tell you how eager I am to see what's up next.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
Lady Daphne St. Clair has been reassigned - to India - as nothing more than a human chaise conveying a lord's family back and forth from England. Having just failed on the battlefield, her mistake leading to a man's death, she reluctantly accepts her punishment. However, not long after arrival, she meets Captain Phineas Fletcher, a quiet yet charming Discerner, who is in need of a Bounder for an upcoming mission. Daphne, being an Extraordinary Bounder, is perfect for the job and quickly accepts, bringing along her newfound friend, Bess, an Extraordinary Speaker. Though both girls are there for a serious purpose, Daphne finds that love has a way of making itself known even at the most inconvenient of times. But what will happen when she inevitably returns to the battlefield and leaves the Captain behind?
Daphne and Finn complimented each other nicely! Daphne was headstrong, impulsive, and talkative, while Finn was reserved, steady, and quiet. I enjoyed seeing Finn come out of his shell when around Daphne, as her exuberance rubbed off on him, particularly when she Skips with him to an abandoned palace for a tour. It's an interesting change of roles, as Finn must place his life entirely in Daphne's hands. The role reversal was exciting, to say the least! I did find Daphne's behavior to be childish at times regarding her situation, considering that she was in India because she caused a man's death. It's not as if they are punishing her for no reason. She bucks up eventually, but there are moments throughout the story when her selfishness sneaks out. She checks herself and recognizes when she's doing it though, so that helps me get back on track in the story. Overall I loved her interactions with Finn, and they were a delightful couple!
As always, I highly recommend this book to my blog readers! Any book in this series is bound to be a delight, and I can't tell you how eager I am to see what's up next.
**I received a free copy via NetGalley and this is my honest review.**
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