Marc Aplin's Blog, page 12

Even works of brass and steel fell to pieces in time. Flesh followed that path more swiftly. Not only did their task seem hopeless, but she could think of no candidate for life everlasting less deserving than Oanold whose only qualification seemed to be that a single lifetime was insufficient for him to fully exercise the greed that defined him.

My favourite bit of the book is the back and forth in my own mind, about who I actually want to see win, or not. Because some of the "heroes" go the wrong way, while some of the villains might not be so bad after all. Or are they? They are written in a way to allow the reader to step into their shoes, and understand their motivations, even if they don't agree with them.

The main themes are not just a gripping new world with lots of magic and a university, but also misogyny, colonialism, racism, exploitation, faith, guilt, injustice, and more.

This story handles grief and loss in a raw and powerful way. It's both quiet and subtle and yet also deep and profound. I have no idea how, but this book just is so relatable and while I haven't met Asian spirits, it still feels realistic.

A queer epic fantasy that held me hostage from page one.

Let me tell you: I LOVED this book! It has everything.

It has been a while since I read the first book, but from memory, this sequel is even bloodier than the first, if only a bit. However, it also had me chuckling aloud quite often, which led to strange looks coming my way on a plane. So maybe read this in the comfort of your home, if you have social anxiety like me... 

This was an amazing experience, a spectacle to rival an England game at Wembley, an American Football game with all its pageantry, excited commentary, little between play skits and events going on. Linkin Park. The dancers. The commentators.Simply brilliant.

But now those books have gotten even better. They are magnificent on the inside, and now they have a gorgeous new outside, to do the story justice!

If you’ve read The Lost War and The Bitter Crown, you’ll know I like to leave readers on a big ending, one way or another. Of course, every writer wants you clamouring for more.