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The Weep #2
Nightwatch Over Windscar
Set in the universe of Rory Thorne, the second book in this sci-fi series follows unlikely allies who must discover the secrets of ancient ruins.
Iari is good at killing monsters. As a templar in the Aedis, a multi-species religious organization committed to protecting the Confederation, eliminating extra-dimensional horrors is her job. But after she helped stop separatists from sabotaging the entire Confederation, she discovered a new sort of monster: the rogue-arithmancer, political kind.
Promoted and sent north to the tundra of Windscar, Iari leads a team of templars to investigate ancient, subterranean ruins, which local legend claims are haunted, and which have mysterious connections to the dangerous arithmancy used by the wichu separatists. Iari isn't worried about ghosts. She's worried about surviving separatists and a fresh attempt to upend the Confederation.
Included in Iari's team are Char, a decommissioned battle-mecha and newly-joined templar, and Gaer, ostensible ambassador and talented arithmancer. As they delve into the ruins, they find remnants of long-ago battles, bits of broken armor and mechas--which unexpectedly reanimate and attack. It seems there is still dangerous arithmancy in Windscar--but the source isn't who Iari expected, and they're far worse than the separatists....
Iari is good at killing monsters. As a templar in the Aedis, a multi-species religious organization committed to protecting the Confederation, eliminating extra-dimensional horrors is her job. But after she helped stop separatists from sabotaging the entire Confederation, she discovered a new sort of monster: the rogue-arithmancer, political kind.
Promoted and sent north to the tundra of Windscar, Iari leads a team of templars to investigate ancient, subterranean ruins, which local legend claims are haunted, and which have mysterious connections to the dangerous arithmancy used by the wichu separatists. Iari isn't worried about ghosts. She's worried about surviving separatists and a fresh attempt to upend the Confederation.
Included in Iari's team are Char, a decommissioned battle-mecha and newly-joined templar, and Gaer, ostensible ambassador and talented arithmancer. As they delve into the ruins, they find remnants of long-ago battles, bits of broken armor and mechas--which unexpectedly reanimate and attack. It seems there is still dangerous arithmancy in Windscar--but the source isn't who Iari expected, and they're far worse than the separatists....
480 pages, Hardcover
First published November 8, 2022
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2425 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 14, 2022
4.5/10 stars
My full review on my blog.
[...] Nightwatch Over Windscar is the second installment in a WH40K/D&D-inspired space opera, following nearly instantaneously on the heels of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands. The first book was surprisingly decent - I had fun with it, at least, and thought that it held a lot of potential. Which potential, needless to say, had been almost entirely squandered in book two. It’s not that it’s irredeemably bad, the characters twisted beyond recognition or the plot sailing merrily over the edge of the world - no. It’s just that it’s unbearably boring. The exposition for every scene took pages upon pages, followed by pages upon pages of entirely unnecessary internal monologue. The action was moving forward in fits and starts, stalling for long periods of time in unlikely places. I must confess that around the middle of the book I felt impelled to - oh, the horror! - skim.
I skimmed. On Kindle.
That takes a special kind of effort for me.
Admittedly, I was in a peculiar mindspace while reading this - I wanted something intellectually challenging and engaging throughout, and Asher worked like a miracle to this purpose, as did Naruto and Berserk (don’t ask), whereas Eason simply didn’t. With Nightwatch Over Windscar I felt the acute pain of the passage of time; more than that, I felt that the nature of time was indeed akin to that of money: a finite resource with assigned value. The value of time was very high for me; the value of what I was being given in return - sadly, quite low. Hence the bitterness.
What else is there to say? The characters are still pretty engaging, the overall setting remains interesting. The book has been padded beyond my wildest nightmares, and should have been mercilessly trimmed by a skilled editor (who would have ideally also asked some pointed questions about the necessity of certain solutions). By the mid-point, I wasn’t sure if reading the Yellow Pages wouldn’t have been more absorbing. But it miraculously picked up a little in pace - if not in internal logic, unfortunately - and I was able to finish while retaining some vestiges of moderate interest. The idea behind this series is actually quite interesting, even if the second installment puts a wrench in some of the logic hinted at earlier; I just wish the author had someone to help her shape this idea into a viable story.
All in all, Nightwatch Over Windscar proved to be something of a disappointment after the strong opening of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands. I don’t expect to continue with this series, which makes me feel at once a bit guilty and a bit sad - guilty, because it’s a NetGalley book, and sad, because I’ve grown to enjoy the characters of Gaer and Char, and even Iari (but emphatically NOT their internal monologues!). The cover's still pretty cool, but the contents have lost their freshness and feel at once too laboured and not enough developed.
I have received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
My full review on my blog.
[...] Nightwatch Over Windscar is the second installment in a WH40K/D&D-inspired space opera, following nearly instantaneously on the heels of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands. The first book was surprisingly decent - I had fun with it, at least, and thought that it held a lot of potential. Which potential, needless to say, had been almost entirely squandered in book two. It’s not that it’s irredeemably bad, the characters twisted beyond recognition or the plot sailing merrily over the edge of the world - no. It’s just that it’s unbearably boring. The exposition for every scene took pages upon pages, followed by pages upon pages of entirely unnecessary internal monologue. The action was moving forward in fits and starts, stalling for long periods of time in unlikely places. I must confess that around the middle of the book I felt impelled to - oh, the horror! - skim.
I skimmed. On Kindle.
That takes a special kind of effort for me.
Admittedly, I was in a peculiar mindspace while reading this - I wanted something intellectually challenging and engaging throughout, and Asher worked like a miracle to this purpose, as did Naruto and Berserk (don’t ask), whereas Eason simply didn’t. With Nightwatch Over Windscar I felt the acute pain of the passage of time; more than that, I felt that the nature of time was indeed akin to that of money: a finite resource with assigned value. The value of time was very high for me; the value of what I was being given in return - sadly, quite low. Hence the bitterness.
What else is there to say? The characters are still pretty engaging, the overall setting remains interesting. The book has been padded beyond my wildest nightmares, and should have been mercilessly trimmed by a skilled editor (who would have ideally also asked some pointed questions about the necessity of certain solutions). By the mid-point, I wasn’t sure if reading the Yellow Pages wouldn’t have been more absorbing. But it miraculously picked up a little in pace - if not in internal logic, unfortunately - and I was able to finish while retaining some vestiges of moderate interest. The idea behind this series is actually quite interesting, even if the second installment puts a wrench in some of the logic hinted at earlier; I just wish the author had someone to help her shape this idea into a viable story.
All in all, Nightwatch Over Windscar proved to be something of a disappointment after the strong opening of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands. I don’t expect to continue with this series, which makes me feel at once a bit guilty and a bit sad - guilty, because it’s a NetGalley book, and sad, because I’ve grown to enjoy the characters of Gaer and Char, and even Iari (but emphatically NOT their internal monologues!). The cover's still pretty cool, but the contents have lost their freshness and feel at once too laboured and not enough developed.
I have received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
February 23, 2023
Stars: 3.5 out of 5.
I liked this one slightly less than the first book. While the story was still engaging, and I was still invested in the characters, I think I grew tired with this author's writing style. Yes, it is nice to be privy to the characters' inner monolog and understand their fears, hopes, and self-doubts. But this book is the case of when too much is too much. This constant inner monolog interferes with the story.
Let's take the scene in the ruins, for example. There are horrible things happening there. Our characters are literally fighting for their lives against an enemy they had never encountered before, but that particular situation takes up 25% of the book. Why? Because the action is constantly interrupted by Iari's doubting her choices and actions, worrying about Gaer and Corso, swearing, freezing up, working through making a decision in her head before she does it... And then we switch POVs and get the same stuff with Gear or Corso. This kills the momentum of the story. This encounter must have taken less than an hour story time, yet we spent a quarter of the book reading about it.
Because of this constant interruptions, the impact of this battle is lessened, in my opinion. I should be horrified by the One-Eyes and the massacre our team discovers in the ruins. I should be scared for their safety. I should mourn the death of one of the characters. Instead, I experienced a mild irritation that the scenes were dragging with no resolution in sight.
Unfortunately, this flaw persisted throughout the rest of the book, so it felt like the story was dragging its feet and took forever, even though everything happened in a matter of days.
I think the book would have benefited from a good editor who would have advised the author to cut some of the inner monolog out and tighten up the action... and ditch about 200 pages. We would still have gotten the interaction with the characters we grew to love in book 1, but a tighter pace would have created a bigger impact from all the bad and good things that happen in this book.
That being said, I am still invested in this world and characters. Some of the things revealed at the end of this book raise a lot more questions and make me eager to explore this world further. I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, but I hope the author tightens up their writing a little.
PS: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this one slightly less than the first book. While the story was still engaging, and I was still invested in the characters, I think I grew tired with this author's writing style. Yes, it is nice to be privy to the characters' inner monolog and understand their fears, hopes, and self-doubts. But this book is the case of when too much is too much. This constant inner monolog interferes with the story.
Let's take the scene in the ruins, for example. There are horrible things happening there. Our characters are literally fighting for their lives against an enemy they had never encountered before, but that particular situation takes up 25% of the book. Why? Because the action is constantly interrupted by Iari's doubting her choices and actions, worrying about Gaer and Corso, swearing, freezing up, working through making a decision in her head before she does it... And then we switch POVs and get the same stuff with Gear or Corso. This kills the momentum of the story. This encounter must have taken less than an hour story time, yet we spent a quarter of the book reading about it.
Because of this constant interruptions, the impact of this battle is lessened, in my opinion. I should be horrified by the One-Eyes and the massacre our team discovers in the ruins. I should be scared for their safety. I should mourn the death of one of the characters. Instead, I experienced a mild irritation that the scenes were dragging with no resolution in sight.
Unfortunately, this flaw persisted throughout the rest of the book, so it felt like the story was dragging its feet and took forever, even though everything happened in a matter of days.
I think the book would have benefited from a good editor who would have advised the author to cut some of the inner monolog out and tighten up the action... and ditch about 200 pages. We would still have gotten the interaction with the characters we grew to love in book 1, but a tighter pace would have created a bigger impact from all the bad and good things that happen in this book.
That being said, I am still invested in this world and characters. Some of the things revealed at the end of this book raise a lot more questions and make me eager to explore this world further. I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, but I hope the author tightens up their writing a little.
PS: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review!
Nightwatch Over Windscar continues The Weep series, with all of the strengths of the first and not a single bit of mid-series downturn. Iari and Gaer are back, and Gaer's chapters continue to be my favorite (and we also get a bonus Char chapter partway through!) Eason sustains character voices masterfully, and as in Hinterlands it's delightful to see Iari and Gaer adapt each other's speech patterns.
The story takes off where we were at the end of Hinterlands, and if you've read the first book, you'll realize that's no small task - but Windscar totally delivers. It's 400 pages of adventure as Iari gets her first field command and has to figure out what that means for her and how she's going to deal with her newfound (and not entirely wanted) responsibility.
I'm always a fan of politics in any spec fic that I read - that's part of why I loved Rory so much - and there's enough politics here to keep me happy, but not too much to distract from the mystery & military scifi plots. Indeed, it's pretty incredible how much Eason was able to pack into this novel, without sacrificing depth of character or worldbuilding.
And if it's been a while since you read Hinterlands, don't worry - Windscar does a pretty good job of jogging your memory at the start, so you'll get caught up on all the important plot points you need to know.
Overall, Nightwatch Over Windscar is an easy 5/5 for me, this was the first book I've ever requested as an ARC and I couldn't have asked for a better one!
Nightwatch Over Windscar continues The Weep series, with all of the strengths of the first and not a single bit of mid-series downturn. Iari and Gaer are back, and Gaer's chapters continue to be my favorite (and we also get a bonus Char chapter partway through!) Eason sustains character voices masterfully, and as in Hinterlands it's delightful to see Iari and Gaer adapt each other's speech patterns.
The story takes off where we were at the end of Hinterlands, and if you've read the first book, you'll realize that's no small task - but Windscar totally delivers. It's 400 pages of adventure as Iari gets her first field command and has to figure out what that means for her and how she's going to deal with her newfound (and not entirely wanted) responsibility.
I'm always a fan of politics in any spec fic that I read - that's part of why I loved Rory so much - and there's enough politics here to keep me happy, but not too much to distract from the mystery & military scifi plots. Indeed, it's pretty incredible how much Eason was able to pack into this novel, without sacrificing depth of character or worldbuilding.
And if it's been a while since you read Hinterlands, don't worry - Windscar does a pretty good job of jogging your memory at the start, so you'll get caught up on all the important plot points you need to know.
Overall, Nightwatch Over Windscar is an easy 5/5 for me, this was the first book I've ever requested as an ARC and I couldn't have asked for a better one!
February 6, 2024
I can't wait for more!!! (I hope there will be more!)
March 14, 2024
This book suffers from "book-2-itis", I think. I really liked the first book and thought the pacing, setting, and story were all really well done, but this book 2 seems to just not hit the same high notes with me.
Iari and Friends are exploring ruins looking for the separatists that plagued the first book. Things go sideways in the ruins, and suddenly our cast of characters is split between Iari and Corso on a Templar rescue mission and Gaer, Winter Bite, and Char in Windscar trying to make the Important People care about the fact that Iari's on a potential suicide mission in the heart of unfriendly territory.
Lots of action happens. So much action! And banter! Great, engaging banter! Basically all the reasons I loved the first book are here again in the second. But maybe it was the setting (not quite a murder mystery, not quite a thriller) or the fact that there was an incredible amount of exposition shoehorned in amongst the action that I found my attention drifting in parts. Still a great book, just not quite the same high highs as the first.
I hope there's a book three to tie up some loose threads (hello ), but I saw a mention that this is only supposed to be a duology, in which case I'm left deeply unsatisfied.
Iari and Friends are exploring ruins looking for the separatists that plagued the first book. Things go sideways in the ruins, and suddenly our cast of characters is split between Iari and Corso on a Templar rescue mission and Gaer, Winter Bite, and Char in Windscar trying to make the Important People care about the fact that Iari's on a potential suicide mission in the heart of unfriendly territory.
Lots of action happens. So much action! And banter! Great, engaging banter! Basically all the reasons I loved the first book are here again in the second. But maybe it was the setting (not quite a murder mystery, not quite a thriller) or the fact that there was an incredible amount of exposition shoehorned in amongst the action that I found my attention drifting in parts. Still a great book, just not quite the same high highs as the first.
I hope there's a book three to tie up some loose threads (hello ), but I saw a mention that this is only supposed to be a duology, in which case I'm left deeply unsatisfied.
February 9, 2023
Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in The Weep series; there are going to be at least 3 books in this series. I got a copy of this as an ebook through Netgalley to review.
Thoughts: Compared to the first book in this series I felt like parts of this were a bit slow and long. I think that was because we switched POV between so many characters and backtracked some when that happened. I still enjoyed the story and characters but parts of the story felt very long.
This story starts with all our characters from the last book sent north to Windscar. Iari has been promoted and her team is sent to a set of ancient ruins near Windscar to explore rumors of dangerous arithmancy and supposed hauntings near these ruins.
I am really loving the characters, world and action in this series. Iari is a wonderful character and I really enjoy both Char and Gaer as well. It's been fascinating to watch these different alien species (and previous enemies) ally together and form steadfast friendships and loyalties to each other. The world building here continues to be fascinating.
This book really focuses on the ancient Kabal culture and a rebellion against the Aedis templars. The storyline about the Aedis nano-biotech being infected, and even possibly gaining sentience, is discussed here as well and that was a fascinating subplot to this book.
There is a lot of action in the story which was well done. I think the only thing that I didn't love about this book was how when we switched POV we were backtracking in the story at points. I also thought there were just too many POV changes. I do like hearing from different characters but this could have been done better, in a way such that the characters' points of view were woven together more smoothly. I am eager to see how this storyline continues though.
The writing is easy to read and engaging. I think what really keeps me involved in this story are the characters and the fascinating subplot about the nano-biotech.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was slower than the first book in the series but still a fun read. I love the characters and watching how they form friendships despite huge differences. I also really enjoying this fascinating world and some of the concepts being explored here. I plan to continue reading this series and would recommend it to those who enjoy space opera sci-fi.
Thoughts: Compared to the first book in this series I felt like parts of this were a bit slow and long. I think that was because we switched POV between so many characters and backtracked some when that happened. I still enjoyed the story and characters but parts of the story felt very long.
This story starts with all our characters from the last book sent north to Windscar. Iari has been promoted and her team is sent to a set of ancient ruins near Windscar to explore rumors of dangerous arithmancy and supposed hauntings near these ruins.
I am really loving the characters, world and action in this series. Iari is a wonderful character and I really enjoy both Char and Gaer as well. It's been fascinating to watch these different alien species (and previous enemies) ally together and form steadfast friendships and loyalties to each other. The world building here continues to be fascinating.
This book really focuses on the ancient Kabal culture and a rebellion against the Aedis templars. The storyline about the Aedis nano-biotech being infected, and even possibly gaining sentience, is discussed here as well and that was a fascinating subplot to this book.
There is a lot of action in the story which was well done. I think the only thing that I didn't love about this book was how when we switched POV we were backtracking in the story at points. I also thought there were just too many POV changes. I do like hearing from different characters but this could have been done better, in a way such that the characters' points of view were woven together more smoothly. I am eager to see how this storyline continues though.
The writing is easy to read and engaging. I think what really keeps me involved in this story are the characters and the fascinating subplot about the nano-biotech.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was slower than the first book in the series but still a fun read. I love the characters and watching how they form friendships despite huge differences. I also really enjoying this fascinating world and some of the concepts being explored here. I plan to continue reading this series and would recommend it to those who enjoy space opera sci-fi.
November 1, 2022
Oh, the exposition!
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rory Thorne, so I was quite invested in the Windscar series, to the extent of getting hold of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands and reading it before I started this one.
Sadly, despite a great cover and excellent premise, it failed to live up to expectations. There was just way too much explanation about decisions the various characters made, which completely ruined the pacing and made the style very stilted. All became clear when I read the acknowledgements at the end, because the pages of laying out different outcomes that a character would go through before committing to a course of action was precisely the text from a D & D game book.
Quite frankly, it was agonizing progress at times, and I had to force myself to finish the book at all, so my rating of 3 below is really a 2.5 (good idea, bad execution, plus hours of my rapidly diminishing life that I will never get back again).
NOT for fans of Ann Leckie or any decent space opera authors.
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed Rory Thorne, so I was quite invested in the Windscar series, to the extent of getting hold of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands and reading it before I started this one.
Sadly, despite a great cover and excellent premise, it failed to live up to expectations. There was just way too much explanation about decisions the various characters made, which completely ruined the pacing and made the style very stilted. All became clear when I read the acknowledgements at the end, because the pages of laying out different outcomes that a character would go through before committing to a course of action was precisely the text from a D & D game book.
Quite frankly, it was agonizing progress at times, and I had to force myself to finish the book at all, so my rating of 3 below is really a 2.5 (good idea, bad execution, plus hours of my rapidly diminishing life that I will never get back again).
NOT for fans of Ann Leckie or any decent space opera authors.
April 3, 2024
The first ~160 pages of this book moved so slowly it took me a few weeks to finish, which is unfortunate because I'm a big fan of the characters + the universe that K. Eason has created here. However, the book picked up the pace afterwards and started having more of the machinations / character dynamics that I loved in the first book.
December 4, 2025
I’m going to start with my gripes about this book before getting to the positives, but overall I think ‘satisfactory’ is the right word to describe this sequel. The first book presented a lot of interesting lore and universe building, but I found myself a bit underwhelmed by how it was written / portrayed in Nightwatch on the Hinterlands, and the pacing of that book made it a tough read (too many dragging segments in that one, despite a very good conclusion and climax).
My first issue with Nightwatch Over Windscar is that this book starts SLOW. Hinterlands was the same way, but for the first book in a new world, as a reader you kinda have to put that aside to understand the setting. But in a sequel, the author has to just get to it. In the first ~120 pages, the characters found a cave, and opened maybe 4 doors in the cave…that’s it. In accomplishing that Herculean effort (somewhat sarcastic and somewhat not…they were going through it), we got an overwhelming amount of character anxiety and over description. At some point the plot needs to start actually moving forward, and the part in the cave probably lasted twice as long as it should have.
My next gripe relates to the action scenes, particularly at the end of the book. The author spends a lot of time, effort, and words on the descriptive imagery of action sequences, but to the detriment of the sequential play-by-play of what’s happening. There were probably 8-10 instances throughout the book where I couldn’t follow what was actually happening because the actions themselves were drowned out in descriptions of imagery, character thoughts, or ambiguous fantastical elements.
I needed a couple of, ‘then Iari’s syn fired and she charged at the enemy, blade in hand’ and less ‘her blood raced, syn charged. She was still weary from the last fight and didn’t know how much more her syn could push. Would it fail to activate when she needed it most? Could it fail? Her rig’s power was depleted from fighting all the enemies up until now, and she could feel how tired she was from not sleeping. Two days since she last slept. Then she had Gaer with her, someone to watch her back. Then her blade struck”…meanwhile I’m sitting there like wait a minute wtf did her blade strike???
I also just didn’t like the ending. Whatever was implied between Iari and Gaer…why? Mutual affection and care for people you’ve been in battle with should be enough and should be praised instead of turning everything into maybe romance? Maybe not? Idk what was happening there but I didn’t like it.
So many things felt implied but not understood. The weird Iari/Gaer thing at the end. Whatever the non-Brood Brood were at the end (or how they moved, did anything, fought, etc.). The political ramifications of everything. It reminded me of the difference between talking with a close friend vs an acquaintance. With a close friend, you can fill in the gaps conversationally with each other because of how close you are. With an acquaintance, that same type of communication fails because gaps don’t get filled and you get a weird sense like you’re not fully understanding what they’re saying. This book felt like the latter.
Onto positives! Of which there are a few big ones.
First is characters. I LOVED Iari and Gaer’s characters (ending confusion notwithstanding). Their dynamic is very entertaining, and the author does a great job putting you in their minds as two very different people that have learned to soften their edges to collaborate so effectively. Narratively, we didn’t get as much of their interplay in this book vs the first book (largely because of the same tired infiltration trope that was used), but when the crew is together they play off each other so well.
I also loved how Notch’s character evolved from someone Gaer very much did not like, to, at the end, Gaer expecting to hate everything the guy does just to be pleasantly surprised. That’s good character development and evolution throughout a narrative.
And second is the world building. One of my negatives was wishing there was more universal lore of the political machinations that Gael, Keawe, and Tobin were concerned about, and a broader sense of the world. Every time those lore aspects came up I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down.
In terms of my general rating, I think it’s skewed positively by how much the characters grew on me and I enjoyed the sandbox the author created to play in. Those overshadowed slow pacing, some confusion in action sequences, and a story that didn’t punch quite as well as the first book. The first book had so much more dialogue, a fiery ending, and sense of consequence and anticipation; and while the stakes here were absolutely higher, I just didn’t FEEL it as much. But having a stronger attachment to the characters and the narrative from the first book has me keeping my rating consistent with the predecessor.
6/10
My first issue with Nightwatch Over Windscar is that this book starts SLOW. Hinterlands was the same way, but for the first book in a new world, as a reader you kinda have to put that aside to understand the setting. But in a sequel, the author has to just get to it. In the first ~120 pages, the characters found a cave, and opened maybe 4 doors in the cave…that’s it. In accomplishing that Herculean effort (somewhat sarcastic and somewhat not…they were going through it), we got an overwhelming amount of character anxiety and over description. At some point the plot needs to start actually moving forward, and the part in the cave probably lasted twice as long as it should have.
My next gripe relates to the action scenes, particularly at the end of the book. The author spends a lot of time, effort, and words on the descriptive imagery of action sequences, but to the detriment of the sequential play-by-play of what’s happening. There were probably 8-10 instances throughout the book where I couldn’t follow what was actually happening because the actions themselves were drowned out in descriptions of imagery, character thoughts, or ambiguous fantastical elements.
I needed a couple of, ‘then Iari’s syn fired and she charged at the enemy, blade in hand’ and less ‘her blood raced, syn charged. She was still weary from the last fight and didn’t know how much more her syn could push. Would it fail to activate when she needed it most? Could it fail? Her rig’s power was depleted from fighting all the enemies up until now, and she could feel how tired she was from not sleeping. Two days since she last slept. Then she had Gaer with her, someone to watch her back. Then her blade struck”…meanwhile I’m sitting there like wait a minute wtf did her blade strike???
I also just didn’t like the ending. Whatever was implied between Iari and Gaer…why? Mutual affection and care for people you’ve been in battle with should be enough and should be praised instead of turning everything into maybe romance? Maybe not? Idk what was happening there but I didn’t like it.
So many things felt implied but not understood. The weird Iari/Gaer thing at the end. Whatever the non-Brood Brood were at the end (or how they moved, did anything, fought, etc.). The political ramifications of everything. It reminded me of the difference between talking with a close friend vs an acquaintance. With a close friend, you can fill in the gaps conversationally with each other because of how close you are. With an acquaintance, that same type of communication fails because gaps don’t get filled and you get a weird sense like you’re not fully understanding what they’re saying. This book felt like the latter.
Onto positives! Of which there are a few big ones.
First is characters. I LOVED Iari and Gaer’s characters (ending confusion notwithstanding). Their dynamic is very entertaining, and the author does a great job putting you in their minds as two very different people that have learned to soften their edges to collaborate so effectively. Narratively, we didn’t get as much of their interplay in this book vs the first book (largely because of the same tired infiltration trope that was used), but when the crew is together they play off each other so well.
I also loved how Notch’s character evolved from someone Gaer very much did not like, to, at the end, Gaer expecting to hate everything the guy does just to be pleasantly surprised. That’s good character development and evolution throughout a narrative.
And second is the world building. One of my negatives was wishing there was more universal lore of the political machinations that Gael, Keawe, and Tobin were concerned about, and a broader sense of the world. Every time those lore aspects came up I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down.
In terms of my general rating, I think it’s skewed positively by how much the characters grew on me and I enjoyed the sandbox the author created to play in. Those overshadowed slow pacing, some confusion in action sequences, and a story that didn’t punch quite as well as the first book. The first book had so much more dialogue, a fiery ending, and sense of consequence and anticipation; and while the stakes here were absolutely higher, I just didn’t FEEL it as much. But having a stronger attachment to the characters and the narrative from the first book has me keeping my rating consistent with the predecessor.
6/10
November 15, 2022
First, I'd love to thank the author and Goodreads for a great copy of a book, a win in a giveaway, and a very fast reward in the mail. A read I thoroughly enjoyed even though it was book two in a series I didn't get to read the first book in. After finishing the books there are some things I must note:
I will be a life-long fan of all the books K. Easton writes, watching when new books are released.
I have to buy a copy of the first book in the series as there are things I know I missed from not reading the first, Night watch on the Hinterlands.
I can't wait to read the next book in the Weep series.
Easton is one of the most creative, imaginative and inventive writers I have read. She is at the top of my most imaginative list of all authors, the characters, and plots she creates for her stories are something I never thought of, never heard another writer conceive of. I had never heard of aritomancy before reading her books and found it to be somewhat of a scientific way to magically look at the world. As our society increases in knowledge so must our reading and this inventive world is definitely a step in that direction, taking us into a whole other level of sci-fi writing, an advancement into the future of where we can go creatively, an expansion of the imagination and mind.
The characters and society created are ones that readers can wrap their minds around, and then wrap them around again and again as the different species of Confederates, rogues, and separatists are re-introduced (from the first book) and new ones, are led on a new adventure with lari and her team of templars as they investigate underground ruins with a mysterious, haunted past. The cast of characters are unforgettable and devoid of what one thinks as human which is what made the book great, it was so out of this world! I love reading about new concepts, ones that I haven't thought or heard of others thinking about. K.Easton has one of the most unique minds I have ever read!
I kept wanting more and more throughout the book and one thing I will say was that it was a hard read for me. Maybe it was the fact however, that I had not read the first book in the series. And, while I normally never read books out of line like that, this was my first win in a Goodreads giveaway and a new situation for me. Plus, I really can't indulge in buying books I am not sure of. So, I was determined to read a second book in a series, something I have never done before, without the first. And, while you want to read Easton's book in order for the optimal satisfaction out of the books, (not out of order, like me) I just had to read a little slower and some parts over, for better understanding, to find myself a fan at the end of the book. Thank the gods I entered to win!
While this arena of sci-fi is new to me, I have never read books about aritomancy, the cast of mechanical characters Easton employed new too, but the whole adventure still had that same fantasy/adventure feel as the group had to seek, find and solve a problem and did so in Easton's own, inventive way which I loved, now a new, forever fan who waits impatiently for more in the future! Lol! I strongly suggest sci-fi/ fantasy fans take a peek here, in the Weep series, for something I find quite different than I have been reading but quite enjoyable!
I will be a life-long fan of all the books K. Easton writes, watching when new books are released.
I have to buy a copy of the first book in the series as there are things I know I missed from not reading the first, Night watch on the Hinterlands.
I can't wait to read the next book in the Weep series.
Easton is one of the most creative, imaginative and inventive writers I have read. She is at the top of my most imaginative list of all authors, the characters, and plots she creates for her stories are something I never thought of, never heard another writer conceive of. I had never heard of aritomancy before reading her books and found it to be somewhat of a scientific way to magically look at the world. As our society increases in knowledge so must our reading and this inventive world is definitely a step in that direction, taking us into a whole other level of sci-fi writing, an advancement into the future of where we can go creatively, an expansion of the imagination and mind.
The characters and society created are ones that readers can wrap their minds around, and then wrap them around again and again as the different species of Confederates, rogues, and separatists are re-introduced (from the first book) and new ones, are led on a new adventure with lari and her team of templars as they investigate underground ruins with a mysterious, haunted past. The cast of characters are unforgettable and devoid of what one thinks as human which is what made the book great, it was so out of this world! I love reading about new concepts, ones that I haven't thought or heard of others thinking about. K.Easton has one of the most unique minds I have ever read!
I kept wanting more and more throughout the book and one thing I will say was that it was a hard read for me. Maybe it was the fact however, that I had not read the first book in the series. And, while I normally never read books out of line like that, this was my first win in a Goodreads giveaway and a new situation for me. Plus, I really can't indulge in buying books I am not sure of. So, I was determined to read a second book in a series, something I have never done before, without the first. And, while you want to read Easton's book in order for the optimal satisfaction out of the books, (not out of order, like me) I just had to read a little slower and some parts over, for better understanding, to find myself a fan at the end of the book. Thank the gods I entered to win!
While this arena of sci-fi is new to me, I have never read books about aritomancy, the cast of mechanical characters Easton employed new too, but the whole adventure still had that same fantasy/adventure feel as the group had to seek, find and solve a problem and did so in Easton's own, inventive way which I loved, now a new, forever fan who waits impatiently for more in the future! Lol! I strongly suggest sci-fi/ fantasy fans take a peek here, in the Weep series, for something I find quite different than I have been reading but quite enjoyable!
November 5, 2022
Iari is a Templar for Aedis, a multispecies religious organization tasked to protect the Confederation and eliminate extradimensional horrors. She had helped stop separatists from taking apart the Confederation, and is now promoted and sent to Windscar. Located there are ancient subterranean ruins which local legends say are haunted. Iari is concerned that separatists are hiding there. She is joined by the new Templar Char, a decommissioned battle mecha, and Gaer, a talented arithmancer she knows well. Together they explore the ruins, finding evidence of battle, mechas that reanimate and attack, and dangerous arithmancy. Separatists aren’t the only dangers in the universe.
This is set in the same universe as the duology How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and How The Multiverse Got Its Revenge, and is the second book in The Weep series. Arithmancy is a form of magic using mathematics and physics, and can be used to manipulate reality. Alchemy is slightly different, only altering physical matter. Different races make up the Confederate, and some of them have been at war for generations. I missed the first novel in this series, but important parts of it are referenced from the start. It might take a bit to get used to the terms, just let it go and it'll eventually make sense. (I did go back afterward to read the first book, and whoa, having the world building up front does make the first few chapters easier for me to read, ha ha.)
The start feels more like Aliens, in that they're exploring and things randomly come alive to start attacking. It's creepy and horror filled; riev are created from the dead, but there are teams that tried to create half-living constructs to attack the Aedis. The horror and bodies give way to political conspiracies, a cult, and infiltrating said cult. Elements of the horror from the first third of the book remain but are much more muted. The last two-thirds of the book essentially has a thread with half the team going in to find abducted comrades, and another thread back at the base figuring out what happens next. Bouncing between the two halves heightens the tension. I don't want to spoil it, but it's fascinating how the different groups interact, hide information from each other, share information as necessary, and then come up with a plan. I fell into this book deeply despite my initial confusion because the characters are so well-written and I was invested in the outcome. I needed to know if they would be okay, and if the cult and their creations would be caught. I definitely had my curiosity satisfied, and hope to see more in this universe.
This is set in the same universe as the duology How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse and How The Multiverse Got Its Revenge, and is the second book in The Weep series. Arithmancy is a form of magic using mathematics and physics, and can be used to manipulate reality. Alchemy is slightly different, only altering physical matter. Different races make up the Confederate, and some of them have been at war for generations. I missed the first novel in this series, but important parts of it are referenced from the start. It might take a bit to get used to the terms, just let it go and it'll eventually make sense. (I did go back afterward to read the first book, and whoa, having the world building up front does make the first few chapters easier for me to read, ha ha.)
The start feels more like Aliens, in that they're exploring and things randomly come alive to start attacking. It's creepy and horror filled; riev are created from the dead, but there are teams that tried to create half-living constructs to attack the Aedis. The horror and bodies give way to political conspiracies, a cult, and infiltrating said cult. Elements of the horror from the first third of the book remain but are much more muted. The last two-thirds of the book essentially has a thread with half the team going in to find abducted comrades, and another thread back at the base figuring out what happens next. Bouncing between the two halves heightens the tension. I don't want to spoil it, but it's fascinating how the different groups interact, hide information from each other, share information as necessary, and then come up with a plan. I fell into this book deeply despite my initial confusion because the characters are so well-written and I was invested in the outcome. I needed to know if they would be okay, and if the cult and their creations would be caught. I definitely had my curiosity satisfied, and hope to see more in this universe.
January 15, 2024
I love that lit-up feeling you get when you're only a few pages into a sequel, but that's all it takes to get super hype about beloved characters. Like, look at them banter! Look at them caring for stray cats! This book did that for me.
Nightwatch Over Windscar has the ambiance and tension of exploring ruins... that you expect are now occupied by mysterious, enemy forces. It has electric fight scenes and action nonstop just like the first in the duology. It's tiring in the sense that I was on constant edge but not in the sense that I wanted to put the book down. Like at all. I'll admit that I missed the detective components from book one, but infiltrating a cult offered plenty of drama to sustain me.
Here's the problem. Spoilers to follow. Proceed at your own risk.
I ship Gaer and Iari forever. My emotional reaction to the end of the book is largely contingent on whether it's the end of the series. Which it is. After all the emotional turbulence, it was an unexpected letdown to reach the end of the action and find no closure to all the unsaid romantic tension of the series -- the main draw for me. At a group level, what with all the teammates Gaer and Iari have sort of adopted, we get pointed in a new direction for what their future might look like, and I enjoyed that. But in terms of Gaer and Iari's bond, whether it's romantic or ultimately just a strong partnership that transcends the others in their lives (fair), we get some nonsense. You don't get to END the book with the main characters being too scared of feelings to have real conversations. That should come earlier! Come on, now! Instead, our protagonists are separated for most of the book (lame), and then they avoid each other, and then they freak out and resolve nothing. Hence why I can't even say for certain the nature of their relationship as they intend it. ~They~ don't even know. And then they ride off into the sunset like bye, you'll never know-- hope the lack of resolution doesn't eat you up from the inside or anything. As you might be able to tell, I am in fact in that "being eaten alive" subset of the population.
Here's the thing, this is a fun book at the end of a unique duology. It's not that I hated it-- it's just that the very thing I loved most about the series was left open-ended. If you can a) handle that or b) show up for other parts of the book beyond the central relationship, you're going to have a grand old time. Thanks to DAW for my copy to read and review!
Nightwatch Over Windscar has the ambiance and tension of exploring ruins... that you expect are now occupied by mysterious, enemy forces. It has electric fight scenes and action nonstop just like the first in the duology. It's tiring in the sense that I was on constant edge but not in the sense that I wanted to put the book down. Like at all. I'll admit that I missed the detective components from book one, but infiltrating a cult offered plenty of drama to sustain me.
Here's the problem. Spoilers to follow. Proceed at your own risk.
I ship Gaer and Iari forever. My emotional reaction to the end of the book is largely contingent on whether it's the end of the series. Which it is. After all the emotional turbulence, it was an unexpected letdown to reach the end of the action and find no closure to all the unsaid romantic tension of the series -- the main draw for me. At a group level, what with all the teammates Gaer and Iari have sort of adopted, we get pointed in a new direction for what their future might look like, and I enjoyed that. But in terms of Gaer and Iari's bond, whether it's romantic or ultimately just a strong partnership that transcends the others in their lives (fair), we get some nonsense. You don't get to END the book with the main characters being too scared of feelings to have real conversations. That should come earlier! Come on, now! Instead, our protagonists are separated for most of the book (lame), and then they avoid each other, and then they freak out and resolve nothing. Hence why I can't even say for certain the nature of their relationship as they intend it. ~They~ don't even know. And then they ride off into the sunset like bye, you'll never know-- hope the lack of resolution doesn't eat you up from the inside or anything. As you might be able to tell, I am in fact in that "being eaten alive" subset of the population.
Here's the thing, this is a fun book at the end of a unique duology. It's not that I hated it-- it's just that the very thing I loved most about the series was left open-ended. If you can a) handle that or b) show up for other parts of the book beyond the central relationship, you're going to have a grand old time. Thanks to DAW for my copy to read and review!
February 4, 2023
Last year I found the first book in the series at the library (I had no idea what or who Rory Thorne was at the time). It was a wonderful surprise, with a great setting and wonderful characters. Especially Gaer. The series is like that of Robert Jackson Bennett’s Founder’s Trilogy, but with aliens. It is similar, but I feel stands on its own, as the pair of Gaer & Iari make it super fun.
Here, Gaer & Iari are sent north to track down the separatists from the first book. They take Char & Winter Bite with them. We learn more about what is happening and how far Iari & Gaer will go to stop it. The best parts are with Gaer & Iari, where Iari plays it straight to Gaer’s zingers. While I understand what the author was trying to do, separating them for long stretches wasn’t as interesting. Watching Char in action, when given the order to go be gonzo destructive was a joy.
I can’t wait for the next book, as Gaer and Iari are now in the thick of things. I love the mix of characters, as Char & Winter Bite, who were designed to fight vakari, are loyal to Gaer & Gaer sees them as a valuable members of the team. Other templars can’t do that, but the former adversaries can. Just make sure to keep Gaer and Iari together for their always enjoyable banter .
======
...among the vakari, bared teeth were both introduction and the first cousin to an oath, a boast, a promise.
Char hummed deep in their chest. Gaer decided that must indicate throughtful consideration. That, or Char was about to explode.
“I understand my battle-rig, Gaer. Your arithman-splaining.” [Iari]
“That is not a word.” [Gaer]
“Iffy says it is...” [Iari]
Its [med-mecha] teslas flickered, which might be yes, or no, or I am going to set you on fire, vakar.
Here, Gaer & Iari are sent north to track down the separatists from the first book. They take Char & Winter Bite with them. We learn more about what is happening and how far Iari & Gaer will go to stop it. The best parts are with Gaer & Iari, where Iari plays it straight to Gaer’s zingers. While I understand what the author was trying to do, separating them for long stretches wasn’t as interesting. Watching Char in action, when given the order to go be gonzo destructive was a joy.
I can’t wait for the next book, as Gaer and Iari are now in the thick of things. I love the mix of characters, as Char & Winter Bite, who were designed to fight vakari, are loyal to Gaer & Gaer sees them as a valuable members of the team. Other templars can’t do that, but the former adversaries can. Just make sure to keep Gaer and Iari together for their always enjoyable banter .
======
...among the vakari, bared teeth were both introduction and the first cousin to an oath, a boast, a promise.
Char hummed deep in their chest. Gaer decided that must indicate throughtful consideration. That, or Char was about to explode.
“I understand my battle-rig, Gaer. Your arithman-splaining.” [Iari]
“That is not a word.” [Gaer]
“Iffy says it is...” [Iari]
Its [med-mecha] teslas flickered, which might be yes, or no, or I am going to set you on fire, vakar.
February 11, 2023
[Potential bias alert: I know the author a little.]
This is a sequel to "Nightwatch on the Hinterlands" and, like the first book, is science fiction on the border of science fantasy. The writing is intelligent, the worldbuilding fascinating, the plot disturbing and compelling. There are monsters vile and powerful, battles desperate and strange, threats that might topple interstellar accords. But it is Eason's characters that keep me coming back: varied and likable, the connections between them fraught with politics. I am hooked by Iari and Corso, two of the point-of-view characters. But I outright love Gaer. And Char. And Iffy. I'm rooting for a third book.
Four out of five weeping stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
This is a sequel to "Nightwatch on the Hinterlands" and, like the first book, is science fiction on the border of science fantasy. The writing is intelligent, the worldbuilding fascinating, the plot disturbing and compelling. There are monsters vile and powerful, battles desperate and strange, threats that might topple interstellar accords. But it is Eason's characters that keep me coming back: varied and likable, the connections between them fraught with politics. I am hooked by Iari and Corso, two of the point-of-view characters. But I outright love Gaer. And Char. And Iffy. I'm rooting for a third book.
Four out of five weeping stars.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
November 7, 2022
This was outstanding! Nightwatch Over Windscar is the sequel to Nightwatch on the Hinterlands. I loved that, and I loved this. The book continues the story of Iari, Gaer, and company as they look for and counter threats to the Confederation—and the threat turns out not to be what they expected this time.
I was so excited to read this and return to this world and the fantastic characters who live in it. The friendships, especially between Iari and Gaer, are something special. It’s funny, there’s action, and there were parts when I wanted to cheer.
It gets right into the action, and I stayed up too late reading. I couldn’t put it down. The worldbuilding is detailed and adds to what started in the first book in the series.
I can’t wait to read more in this world! I highly recommend this series, The Weep. Nightwatch Over Windscar comes out tomorrow, November 8. Thank you to DAW for my copy.
I was so excited to read this and return to this world and the fantastic characters who live in it. The friendships, especially between Iari and Gaer, are something special. It’s funny, there’s action, and there were parts when I wanted to cheer.
It gets right into the action, and I stayed up too late reading. I couldn’t put it down. The worldbuilding is detailed and adds to what started in the first book in the series.
I can’t wait to read more in this world! I highly recommend this series, The Weep. Nightwatch Over Windscar comes out tomorrow, November 8. Thank you to DAW for my copy.
June 10, 2023
Very good, especially the character dynamics. Iari and Gaer have a soulful, platonic, slow-burn relationship in a brothers-in-arms sort of way. I love to root for them. Corso is a fun rogue with a streak of self-hatred, and Char's brief POV brings a lot to this book's portrayal of the half-flesh, half-magictech robot riev. The battle scenes are fascinating, and I love Iari's impatience for planning contrasted with the rest of the characters' concern for it.
The downside is that this book is incredibly slow. It describes one mission which takes about three days. That's all, spread throughout a hefty wordcount. Quite a lot of time is spent on characters deciding which information to convey to each other and what repurcussions that conversation would have. It's very true to life, but I found myself hoping for more spaceship battles (this is why I'm more into Wars than Trek). A good read for a long journey imo. I look forward to what this author does next!
The downside is that this book is incredibly slow. It describes one mission which takes about three days. That's all, spread throughout a hefty wordcount. Quite a lot of time is spent on characters deciding which information to convey to each other and what repurcussions that conversation would have. It's very true to life, but I found myself hoping for more spaceship battles (this is why I'm more into Wars than Trek). A good read for a long journey imo. I look forward to what this author does next!
January 8, 2024
3.5 stars. I felt that this book was good overall. If you liked the first book I definitely recommend reading this one. The ending was really cool, but overall the plot dragged a bit.
There was a lot of inner dialogue and stopping and pausing, especially during action scenes, that diluted the impact of what was happening. Like other reviewers have said, there were major reveals and "oh crap" moments that I felt like the author *wanted* me to be shocked by (like the one-eyes and altar stuff in the Ruins) but I just wasn't. It took too long to get there that I was mostly just annoyed when something finally happened.
One thing I did like was how the first book and the second book came together to show a much bigger problem, with the brood, the Aedis, and religion, in a way that didn't feel too obvious. I did like the ending, and I liked that the characters weren't infallible or invincible. They got their butts whooped a few times, and that added drama and depth to the story.
There was a lot of inner dialogue and stopping and pausing, especially during action scenes, that diluted the impact of what was happening. Like other reviewers have said, there were major reveals and "oh crap" moments that I felt like the author *wanted* me to be shocked by (like the one-eyes and altar stuff in the Ruins) but I just wasn't. It took too long to get there that I was mostly just annoyed when something finally happened.
One thing I did like was how the first book and the second book came together to show a much bigger problem, with the brood, the Aedis, and religion, in a way that didn't feel too obvious. I did like the ending, and I liked that the characters weren't infallible or invincible. They got their butts whooped a few times, and that added drama and depth to the story.
December 13, 2022
K. Eason returns to tell of the Nightwatch over Windscar (hard from DAW) a continuation of the excellent hard magic tale Nightwatch on the Hinterlands (paper). I am in awe at how K. Eason makes magic seem like high-tech. For instance Gaer, an ambassador from the vakari technically uses arithmancy to modify powerful attacks, but it is really just sorcery. In this universe, an armada used demons called Bloom to power their ships, causing a rip in the universe called the weep which divides the planet Windscar. The Templars are a group that fight the Bloom that ooze out of the weep. This time Captain Iari and crew go investigate ancient, subterranean ruins used by wichu separatists. They are attacked by monsters, leading to an alter that can create a portal when powered by blood. This is an amazing series and I look forward to more.
May 9, 2024
Audio, narrated by Nicole Poole
This picks up the same threads from the last book, but it was never clear to me how much time had passed between. Since it was immaterial to the story and understanding of the plot, I didn’t dwell on it.
I really enjoyed this duology. The story was very interesting, the characters wonderfully drawn, the magic unique, and the pacing perfect. But like her Rory Thorne duology, this one ended with so much left unresolved. I wanted so much more; I didn’t feel like the story was properly tied up, and I was left feeling dissatisfied by the end, wanting more and knowing there will be no more books. It was a shame, because this was amazing.
This picks up the same threads from the last book, but it was never clear to me how much time had passed between. Since it was immaterial to the story and understanding of the plot, I didn’t dwell on it.
I really enjoyed this duology. The story was very interesting, the characters wonderfully drawn, the magic unique, and the pacing perfect. But like her Rory Thorne duology, this one ended with so much left unresolved. I wanted so much more; I didn’t feel like the story was properly tied up, and I was left feeling dissatisfied by the end, wanting more and knowing there will be no more books. It was a shame, because this was amazing.
December 31, 2023
I was under the impression that this was a standalone book, I had no idea it was the second in a series. That led to an awkward start that made me feel like there's too much dumped without being explained. AND THEN I decided to check and saw it was the second book. Went back, read the first book, came back to this one, loved both to bits.
The world built by K. Eason is rich and intriguing, and after discovering it by pure accident, I will say I'm a fan! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book.
The world built by K. Eason is rich and intriguing, and after discovering it by pure accident, I will say I'm a fan! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book.
July 10, 2024
The further adventures of Iari (orc-ish templar) and Gaer (velociraptor-ish spy) and their friends, Corso (orc-ish private detective), Iffy (elf-ish healer/priest), and cyborgs Char and Winter Bite. Loyalty, friendship, and sentient rights. Iari reminds me of Viv in Legends & Lattes, as they're both smarter than people think, dedicated, and born leaders.
December 7, 2022
compact, fast moving and goes places that are at once logical and surprising.
This author seems to write in duologies, which I find interesting because so many others would probably have tried to make this a trilogy. The ending of this one feels complete and yet there is room to speculate about the future. and there is room for more if the author wants to go there but I don;t feel like it would need it. As I said the ending feels complete.
This author seems to write in duologies, which I find interesting because so many others would probably have tried to make this a trilogy. The ending of this one feels complete and yet there is room to speculate about the future. and there is room for more if the author wants to go there but I don;t feel like it would need it. As I said the ending feels complete.
August 1, 2023
Bones of a good story buried beneath pounds of wordy flab. Like the first vol this reminded me of C.J. Cherryh...but this time in a not so good way, as like her the author has evidently decided that over explained motives and having characters puzzling over conflicting loyalties is more important than moving the plot along. There ARE some snatches of that old storytelling magic, enough to get me to the end...but I'm warned now, and have no interest in sequels.
November 21, 2025
In my opinion, a strong follow-up to the first book.
A lot of the book is spent in the heads of the characters. This worked for me very well personally, and gave the story a frenetic pace.
The characters are consistent, different, and engaging - I hope we see more of them in the future.
My only complaint is that the final climax felt a little anticlimactic, to the extent that I had to go back and reread to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
A lot of the book is spent in the heads of the characters. This worked for me very well personally, and gave the story a frenetic pace.
The characters are consistent, different, and engaging - I hope we see more of them in the future.
My only complaint is that the final climax felt a little anticlimactic, to the extent that I had to go back and reread to make sure I hadn't missed anything.
October 24, 2022
The novel picks up right after the first one, and follows the main character's new position as a field commander over Windscar. I felt like the novel was a great follow up and did not disappoint in that regard. Overall I think that its a great addition to the world and everyone should be excited about it.
November 11, 2022
It was ok. I think for someone who liked book one or wanted to read a fairly military fantasy with plenty of politics would enjoy it better. For me it was okay but not great…
I like the Thorne Chronicles better than I’ve liked the series. I found that one more character driven. This one side and it’s well written enough, but I’m simply not the right reader for this series. I don’t think this book is a good starting point, but I think that someone who likes more military fantasy would enjoy starting with book one of the series.
I like the Thorne Chronicles better than I’ve liked the series. I found that one more character driven. This one side and it’s well written enough, but I’m simply not the right reader for this series. I don’t think this book is a good starting point, but I think that someone who likes more military fantasy would enjoy starting with book one of the series.
December 19, 2022
I hope this series goes for seven more books. I love Gaer and Iari. I love Iphy. I love Tobin.
I got a little bored with
I got a little bored with
August 4, 2023
A relentlessly paced but excellent adventure, following up on a loose thread from the previous book and turning up another layer of trouble. The found family of the characters remains the highlight, with the compelling politics between species, tense action, and engagingly mysterious setting being right behind.
July 17, 2024
Not as good as the first. Shifts genre from mystery to adventure. We get answers to many of the first books questions but they feel stumbled upon rather than looked for. Didn’t feel like it significantly expanded the world of the first book. Its major flaw is a dull middle. I enjoyed the beginning and ending.
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