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Quarters #2
Fifth Quarter
THE SONG OF DEATH-
Bannon and Vree, brother and sister, they are assassins of the highest caliber who have long plied their trade for the Havalkeen army. But all their skill and experience cannot save them from a magic-sprung trap that will see the two forced to share one body when the very man they've been sent to assassinate steals Bannon's body for himself. How long brother and sister can coexist in one body neither can guess. And so they set out to catch and defeat this foe who has already bested them once.
But when Bannon and Vree confront this master of a magic beyond their comprehension, he offers them a terrible choice - to continue their new dual existence forever, or to betray the Empire they have served all their lives. For it is not control of Bannon's body which is Gyhard's true goal but rather the body - and with it the identity and power - of the Imperial Prince!
Bannon and Vree, brother and sister, they are assassins of the highest caliber who have long plied their trade for the Havalkeen army. But all their skill and experience cannot save them from a magic-sprung trap that will see the two forced to share one body when the very man they've been sent to assassinate steals Bannon's body for himself. How long brother and sister can coexist in one body neither can guess. And so they set out to catch and defeat this foe who has already bested them once.
But when Bannon and Vree confront this master of a magic beyond their comprehension, he offers them a terrible choice - to continue their new dual existence forever, or to betray the Empire they have served all their lives. For it is not control of Bannon's body which is Gyhard's true goal but rather the body - and with it the identity and power - of the Imperial Prince!
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1995
102 people are currently reading
1078 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Huff
154 books2,418 followersTanya Sue Huff is a Canadian fantasy author. Her stories have been published since the late 1980s, including five fantasy series and one science fiction series. One of these, her Blood Books series, featuring detective Vicki Nelson, was adapted for television under the title Blood Ties.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
May 15, 2021
This is the second novel of Huff's four Quarters books. (Yes, the title is confusing.) It's not a direct sequel to Sing the Four Quarters, featuring a different group of characters and being set some distance in time and space from the first. There's an amusing and awkward thread of assassin brother and sister sharing a body, but the antagonist is a bit too pat. It's a nice high fantasy world with interesting rules of magic, and Huff's dialog is quite witty and clever. After a bit of a choppy start it comes together quite well. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book, but it was still a nice read.
January 4, 2012
While set in the same world as Sing the Four Quarters, it isn't a direct sequel. This actually helped a lot, because the sort of idealized original setting doesn't have a ton of inherent conflict - the Empire was a great place to look at the magic system from an outsider's point of view and introduce some morally gray characters.
I didn't totally love both the main sibling characters - she's a little too perfect and he's a narcissistic asshole whose sole redeeming quality is that he's pretty. And the "bad guy" is sort of muddy - his plan is awfully weak and he goes from appalling to sort of the hero way too quickly to be believable.
The semi-incestuous attraction started out really creepy and turned sort of fascinating, which I did not expect, and made the whole love triangle work way better for me than it should have. And the actual villain was both totally sympathetic and completely repulsive, which also worked out nicely.
Overall, a bit choppy but compelling, and I am looking forward to the sequel.
I didn't totally love both the main sibling characters - she's a little too perfect and he's a narcissistic asshole whose sole redeeming quality is that he's pretty. And the "bad guy" is sort of muddy - his plan is awfully weak and he goes from appalling to sort of the hero way too quickly to be believable.
The semi-incestuous attraction started out really creepy and turned sort of fascinating, which I did not expect, and made the whole love triangle work way better for me than it should have. And the actual villain was both totally sympathetic and completely repulsive, which also worked out nicely.
Overall, a bit choppy but compelling, and I am looking forward to the sequel.
January 14, 2022
I thought the first book was outstanding, so this one was a bit of a let down. However, it's still a good book. Definitely more elements of horror mixed in with the fantasy/fae aspects.
This story is set in an adjacent kingdom to the fae-loving nation from the first book. This place doesn't like spirits or magic at all. But they are trying to get along with their neighbors, so a few spirit-handlers are allowed. Here we find two deviant people who have misused the aspects of the fae to corrupt the lives and souls of several/many people. During the chase to capture these two, a lot of very evil things happen, in vivid detail.
The story also suffers from too many perspectives accompanied by the requisite head-hopping.
A well written tale, but it didn't go down paths that I enjoy. Others may enjoy it more.
This story is set in an adjacent kingdom to the fae-loving nation from the first book. This place doesn't like spirits or magic at all. But they are trying to get along with their neighbors, so a few spirit-handlers are allowed. Here we find two deviant people who have misused the aspects of the fae to corrupt the lives and souls of several/many people. During the chase to capture these two, a lot of very evil things happen, in vivid detail.
The story also suffers from too many perspectives accompanied by the requisite head-hopping.
A well written tale, but it didn't go down paths that I enjoy. Others may enjoy it more.
November 6, 2020
Definitely some fun, slightly cheesy fantasy - loved the general concept (although I was probably more into the elemental powers of the first book), the only weakness for me was a strange sibling relationship, but overall a fun read
January 8, 2022
Terrible. In the same world as the prior “Four Quarters,” but with a different set of protagonists and problems.
Huff can write, but there were zero likable characters. And—for the most part—they made no decisions I would have made. I may be a minority, but when both are true, I find it impossible to like a book.
Huff can write, but there were zero likable characters. And—for the most part—they made no decisions I would have made. I may be a minority, but when both are true, I find it impossible to like a book.
May 12, 2011
The second and third installments in Huff's Quarter series take place nearly twenty years after Sing the Four Quarters and expands our view of that world. Fifth Quarter begins with a pair of sibling assassins in the army of the Havakeen Empire. When they're sent to take out a target, they walk into a situation that takes them away from everything they've known and changes their lives forever, a story that doesn't really find a resolution until the end of No Quarter. I've decided that Tanya Huff writes romance that men can enjoy (I say this because my husband introduced me to this series). Sure, her books are technically labeled fantasy, and there is plenty of fighting and magic, but messy love triangles and complicated family relationships are the heart of these stories. Oh, and zombies, don't forget the zombies.
March 5, 2014
1,5
hilarious summary of the book
http://bookelfe.livejournal.com/20965...
hilarious summary of the book
http://bookelfe.livejournal.com/20965...
November 7, 2016
A really cool premise but damn it got repetitive. The second half of this book is pretty much the characters having the exact same conversation over and over. And over.
May 25, 2019
This isn't quite a sequel to Sing the Four Quarters, since the locale and characters change. However, the world is the same, and the magic is the same, though it ends up elaborated a bit more here.
It does take place a bit after the first book, and over the border in the Empire. This means that bardic magic doesn't appear until about halfway through, and is never a prominent force. However, this is the one place where someone who hasn't read the first book might be a little lost. Explanations of exactly what the kigh are, and bardic commands are possibly a bit lacking. The 'fifth quarter' is more than just a four+one title though. The four quarters are the elemental spirits that bards can command, and the fact that bards can also directly affect humans implies that they have a kigh as well. This is something that should probably have been seen in-universe before now, though Shkoder does seem to be a small country that is the only place trains bardic talent.
Which brings us to the story, which features body swapping and necromancy from singing the fifth quarter. It juggles four different plot lines as part of this, and pulls that off well by being very focused on one, which the others flow towards. The main content... gets a lot of comment, and understandably so. After the first book, one wonders if this series is all a vehicle for various types non-explicit sexytimes, with the first book having a fairly sexually liberated society, and this one having a bit of incest along with other complications.
I think this book is overall a bit better than the first one; it's paced better, it doesn't have a need for a truly over-the-top ending. But in both cases, what makes it work is the same: the characters are complex. They bend against their central core concepts in personal ways that don't feel forced. Hmm. Except perhaps Karlene (the only major character bard), who remains a bit flat as a character despite some extensive screen time in the second half of the book, perhaps because her role is a bit functional as well as character driven.
It does take place a bit after the first book, and over the border in the Empire. This means that bardic magic doesn't appear until about halfway through, and is never a prominent force. However, this is the one place where someone who hasn't read the first book might be a little lost. Explanations of exactly what the kigh are, and bardic commands are possibly a bit lacking. The 'fifth quarter' is more than just a four+one title though. The four quarters are the elemental spirits that bards can command, and the fact that bards can also directly affect humans implies that they have a kigh as well. This is something that should probably have been seen in-universe before now, though Shkoder does seem to be a small country that is the only place trains bardic talent.
Which brings us to the story, which features body swapping and necromancy from singing the fifth quarter. It juggles four different plot lines as part of this, and pulls that off well by being very focused on one, which the others flow towards. The main content... gets a lot of comment, and understandably so. After the first book, one wonders if this series is all a vehicle for various types non-explicit sexytimes, with the first book having a fairly sexually liberated society, and this one having a bit of incest along with other complications.
I think this book is overall a bit better than the first one; it's paced better, it doesn't have a need for a truly over-the-top ending. But in both cases, what makes it work is the same: the characters are complex. They bend against their central core concepts in personal ways that don't feel forced. Hmm. Except perhaps Karlene (the only major character bard), who remains a bit flat as a character despite some extensive screen time in the second half of the book, perhaps because her role is a bit functional as well as character driven.
May 24, 2025
This book wasn’t as good as the first book. Different characters and storyline. Still dealing with Bards but this one also has a couple of assassins, and a person who jumps bodies. Bit a bad story
September 21, 2016
Technically the second book in the series, but doesn’t have any of the first book’s characters.
Vree and Bannon are sister and brother. They’re also the best assassins in the Havakeen Empire’s army. When the Emperor needs to get rid of rebel leaders or traitors, the generals send Vree and Bannon. But when they’re sent to kill rebelling Governor Aralt, something goes wrong. Vree discovers Bannon in an old man’s body – Aralt’s body. It seems impossible but Vree knows her brother. Aralt is dying and the only way to save Bannon’s spirit is for his consciousness to leap into Vree’s body. Vree allows it and together they agree to go after Bannon’s body which is now occupied by Aralt’s spirit. Unfortunately, that makes them deserters and if someone in the army realizes that Vree and Bannon have “deserted their duty”, assassins will be on their tail.
Meanwhile, two bards from Shkoder are invited guests in the capital. There are no bards in the Halvakeen and the nature spirits, the kigh, are alien to them. However, the two bards realize that kigh are terrified of being captured. The bards have no idea what is going on but investigate. Also, the youngest royal prince has a crush on one the bards, Karlene, and she tries to convince him that she isn’t the right person for him.
The book has an intriguing concept with Vree and Bannon in the same body. They’re always been close but quite soon this much closeness becomes too much. They’re both determined to get Bannon’s body back but soon they’re forced to work with the body stealer. Enemies forced to work together is a troupe I’ve always enjoyed and I really liked it here, too. However, I didn’t care for the romance aspect at all but it didn’t overwhelm the story. Also, there’s an incestuous vibe with the siblings and I didn’t care for that, either. Vree is apparently sexually attracted to her brother and Bannon wants to keep Vree dependent on her. So, not the healthiest relationship to begin with.
In this book, too, Huff uses a lot of quick point-of-view shifts but they weren’t as disorienting as in the first book. Karlene is a bard in her thirties: she’s inquisitive like all bards and determined to do her duty. We get to know the backstory of the body stealer and I suppose we should sympathize with him. But I don’t. Because he usually kills the spirit of the person whose body he takes over. He left Bannon alive only because his former body was poisoned and dying.
While Havakeen isn’t the same place culturally as Shkoder, bisexuality and same-sex partners are just as approved here as in the first book. Women in the army or as guards are also completely normal. They have several apparently competing religions but we’re not told much about them. Bannon and Vree follow the goddess of war, Jiir, but they aren’t ardent followers, more out of necessity.
Once again we have a lot of point-of-view characters. The actual bad guy is surprisingly sympathetic and at the same time chilling and creepy, which was great. He and Karlene were my favorites in this book.
The ending isn’t a cliffhanger but it leaves a lot of things open. I don’t have the next book, though.
Vree and Bannon are sister and brother. They’re also the best assassins in the Havakeen Empire’s army. When the Emperor needs to get rid of rebel leaders or traitors, the generals send Vree and Bannon. But when they’re sent to kill rebelling Governor Aralt, something goes wrong. Vree discovers Bannon in an old man’s body – Aralt’s body. It seems impossible but Vree knows her brother. Aralt is dying and the only way to save Bannon’s spirit is for his consciousness to leap into Vree’s body. Vree allows it and together they agree to go after Bannon’s body which is now occupied by Aralt’s spirit. Unfortunately, that makes them deserters and if someone in the army realizes that Vree and Bannon have “deserted their duty”, assassins will be on their tail.
Meanwhile, two bards from Shkoder are invited guests in the capital. There are no bards in the Halvakeen and the nature spirits, the kigh, are alien to them. However, the two bards realize that kigh are terrified of being captured. The bards have no idea what is going on but investigate. Also, the youngest royal prince has a crush on one the bards, Karlene, and she tries to convince him that she isn’t the right person for him.
The book has an intriguing concept with Vree and Bannon in the same body. They’re always been close but quite soon this much closeness becomes too much. They’re both determined to get Bannon’s body back but soon they’re forced to work with the body stealer. Enemies forced to work together is a troupe I’ve always enjoyed and I really liked it here, too. However, I didn’t care for the romance aspect at all but it didn’t overwhelm the story. Also, there’s an incestuous vibe with the siblings and I didn’t care for that, either. Vree is apparently sexually attracted to her brother and Bannon wants to keep Vree dependent on her. So, not the healthiest relationship to begin with.
In this book, too, Huff uses a lot of quick point-of-view shifts but they weren’t as disorienting as in the first book. Karlene is a bard in her thirties: she’s inquisitive like all bards and determined to do her duty. We get to know the backstory of the body stealer and I suppose we should sympathize with him. But I don’t. Because he usually kills the spirit of the person whose body he takes over. He left Bannon alive only because his former body was poisoned and dying.
While Havakeen isn’t the same place culturally as Shkoder, bisexuality and same-sex partners are just as approved here as in the first book. Women in the army or as guards are also completely normal. They have several apparently competing religions but we’re not told much about them. Bannon and Vree follow the goddess of war, Jiir, but they aren’t ardent followers, more out of necessity.
Once again we have a lot of point-of-view characters. The actual bad guy is surprisingly sympathetic and at the same time chilling and creepy, which was great. He and Karlene were my favorites in this book.
The ending isn’t a cliffhanger but it leaves a lot of things open. I don’t have the next book, though.
October 28, 2019
I started reading Tanya Huff in an effort to expand my horizons. A female fantasy writer who writes characters that aren't all straight white guys? Sign me up! But here is the thing about all her romantic/sexual relationships. They are WEIRD. And I do not mean that being gay/bi/pan/anything else is weird. I mean the following.
Vree is an assassin who really wants to bang her brother (also an assassin) but doesn't because they are siblings. Her brother's consciousness gets pushed out of his body by a target of theirs he tried to kill, and the target starts wearing her brother's body. Now two consciousnesses are sharing Vree's body, they try to push the person wearing brother's body out by having sex with him thus distracting him. This means that Vree is gonna bang her brothers body (albeit with a different person's soul inside) buuuut her brother is sooooo turned on by screwing his own body that he forgets to try to swap his soul. The brother (in his sister's body) also wants to screw basically everyone, while in her body, because that should really be the first thing on your mind in this situation. Also the sister ends up falling in love with the guy wearing her brothers body even though that is a super stupid plot point and she has no reason to even tolerate his existence. Also a bard wants to bang her even though her brother's consciousness is inside her body, and she knows this, because whhhhhy not I guess.
I liked the first Quarters book well enough, but this stuff is just not for me, like, at all.
Vree is an assassin who really wants to bang her brother (also an assassin) but doesn't because they are siblings. Her brother's consciousness gets pushed out of his body by a target of theirs he tried to kill, and the target starts wearing her brother's body. Now two consciousnesses are sharing Vree's body, they try to push the person wearing brother's body out by having sex with him thus distracting him. This means that Vree is gonna bang her brothers body (albeit with a different person's soul inside) buuuut her brother is sooooo turned on by screwing his own body that he forgets to try to swap his soul. The brother (in his sister's body) also wants to screw basically everyone, while in her body, because that should really be the first thing on your mind in this situation. Also the sister ends up falling in love with the guy wearing her brothers body even though that is a super stupid plot point and she has no reason to even tolerate his existence. Also a bard wants to bang her even though her brother's consciousness is inside her body, and she knows this, because whhhhhy not I guess.
I liked the first Quarters book well enough, but this stuff is just not for me, like, at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2016
Definitely not my favorite Huff tale. Fifth Quarter features twins who are raised almost from birth by the military (in a renaissance type of world) to be assassins. Bards, who figure directly in the earlier Quarter books, are represented here by a female bard but she plays a very secondary role.
May 3, 2022
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2022/0...
The second book in this series focuses on a new cast of characters somewhere entirely different, which was a problem because I found both of the protagonists here to be very unpleasant to read about. One is a young assassin woman who would be great if she didn’t want to bang her brother, the other is a guy who keeps body swapping with people to extend his life, and has stolen her brother's body (she ends up sharing her body with her brother till they can steal it back). And then it becomes clear there's going to be a romance between these two characters, which I was doubly not into (I also didn’t think the writing on that was great). A bard and a prince do eventually come into the mix, as does a senile and terrifying necromancer, but I should not be rooting for most of the main characters to die in a book like this. The plot is also really slow, as everyone is just traveling around after each other for the entire book, boring and exhausting. If you’re wondering why I forced myself to finish, it’s because I want to read the next two books. Though the next one also focuses on these characters and I don’t know if I can do another book with them. C.
The second book in this series focuses on a new cast of characters somewhere entirely different, which was a problem because I found both of the protagonists here to be very unpleasant to read about. One is a young assassin woman who would be great if she didn’t want to bang her brother, the other is a guy who keeps body swapping with people to extend his life, and has stolen her brother's body (she ends up sharing her body with her brother till they can steal it back). And then it becomes clear there's going to be a romance between these two characters, which I was doubly not into (I also didn’t think the writing on that was great). A bard and a prince do eventually come into the mix, as does a senile and terrifying necromancer, but I should not be rooting for most of the main characters to die in a book like this. The plot is also really slow, as everyone is just traveling around after each other for the entire book, boring and exhausting. If you’re wondering why I forced myself to finish, it’s because I want to read the next two books. Though the next one also focuses on these characters and I don’t know if I can do another book with them. C.
July 17, 2018
Vree and her brother Bannon are assassins for the Havalkeen army with orders to kill Governor Aralt. But he uses previously unknown powers to take possession of Bannon's body. In desperation, Vree somehow manages to enable Bannon to share her body. Vree is forced to accompany Gyhard (Aralt's real name) since he promises to allow Bannon to reclaim his body as soon as Gyhard transfers his being into the body of the emperor's son. But the army, unaware of the body snatching, believes the siblings are deserters and the assassin who trained the pair volunteers to go after them. Meanwhile a man from Gyhard's past, with the power to command the dead, has captured the prince.
This is a fun exciting fantasy adventure. There's some interesting characterization as Vree finds herself falling for the stranger in her brother's body and the brother-sister relationship is severely tested by being in each other's head nonstop.
This is a fun exciting fantasy adventure. There's some interesting characterization as Vree finds herself falling for the stranger in her brother's body and the brother-sister relationship is severely tested by being in each other's head nonstop.
April 23, 2020
Tanya Huff has a way of writing relationships - platonic, romantic, sometimes both - that I rarely see. There's definitely drama, but not the boring, unnecessary drama of jealousy, misunderstandings and secrets. In the first book of the series there's this very wholesome, jealousy-free subversion of a love triangle, but Fifth Quarter is more... complex. There's some delicious enemies to lovers; questions of loyalty, familial, romantic, to country, to right and wrong; codependency; toxic relationships; not to mention some pretty strong incestuous undertones.
It will make you uncomfortable at times. It will make you question things. It's certainly vastly more interesting than most relationship drama I come across in stories, and serves to make me a lot more invested in the characters and their dynamics than a regular love triangle would. Also, it helps that it's not all about romance, and that other kinds of love and loyalty are given just as much, if not more, room.
I'm also getting a suspicion that Huff is very fond of writing roadtrips featuring shenanigans and unlikely allies. Looking forward to see if this trope appears in her other books as well (I am also quite fond of it).
It will make you uncomfortable at times. It will make you question things. It's certainly vastly more interesting than most relationship drama I come across in stories, and serves to make me a lot more invested in the characters and their dynamics than a regular love triangle would. Also, it helps that it's not all about romance, and that other kinds of love and loyalty are given just as much, if not more, room.
I'm also getting a suspicion that Huff is very fond of writing roadtrips featuring shenanigans and unlikely allies. Looking forward to see if this trope appears in her other books as well (I am also quite fond of it).
July 19, 2025
Amazing!
I read "Sing the Four Quarters" half my life ago in high school. It instantly became a favorite book, and I've read it many times since. I found out a few years later that there were sequels to the first book, but I didn't have any desire to read them at the time because they weren't about Annice. Oh, the wasted years! I never could have imagined what I was missing by not reading this (and likely the other) sequel(s).
"Fifth Quarter" is a beautifully written novel with complex characters, rich backstories, and some unexpected twists that make for an enchanting, enthralling story. I was completely enraptured from the very first sentence to the very last. I'm going to eagerly devour the next book immediately, more excited for Vree's and Gyhard's sequel than I ever could have been for Annice's, though I am hopeful that she'll be at least mentioned in the next book. Afterall, it seems her daughter, Magda, will be a key character.
I read "Sing the Four Quarters" half my life ago in high school. It instantly became a favorite book, and I've read it many times since. I found out a few years later that there were sequels to the first book, but I didn't have any desire to read them at the time because they weren't about Annice. Oh, the wasted years! I never could have imagined what I was missing by not reading this (and likely the other) sequel(s).
"Fifth Quarter" is a beautifully written novel with complex characters, rich backstories, and some unexpected twists that make for an enchanting, enthralling story. I was completely enraptured from the very first sentence to the very last. I'm going to eagerly devour the next book immediately, more excited for Vree's and Gyhard's sequel than I ever could have been for Annice's, though I am hopeful that she'll be at least mentioned in the next book. Afterall, it seems her daughter, Magda, will be a key character.
October 25, 2018
Ultimately a good story, evidenced by the fact my mind kept turning back to the story when I wasn't reading it. However, I was very disappointed with the start of the book. It was expecting a direct sequel to Sing the Four Quarters, and this is not that kind of book. In fact, it's not until the fourth chapter, when the Bard is introduced, that I even could tell the books were set in the same universe. There are a few oblique references to events of the first book, but this is really a standalone book.
Like the first book in the series, Vree, our main character is bisexual. In this case, it's mainly because she doesn't want to get pregnant, but also because she's mostly attracted to her brother. While the sexual tension was believable, it was a little squicky since Bannon is her brother. Once Gyhard inhabited Bannon's body, it got even more complicated. There was still the physical attraction to the body, but is it OK since it is a different soul inhabiting the body? Even the mannerisms and how he held himself were different. I'm not surprised it was the sister who made space in her head and body for her beloved brother. If their roles were switched, there's no way Bannon would have done the same for Vree.
On a technical note, I'm always interested in how the author manages to describe the characters in a story. Huff had a great excuse to describe Bannon. When Gyhard jumped to his new body, it was a sudden thing and he didn't quite know what he was getting into. Therefore, after the fact, he had to examine himself so he could take stock of his new body and it was easy to describe himself to the reader as well.
Like the first book in the series, Vree, our main character is bisexual. In this case, it's mainly because she doesn't want to get pregnant, but also because she's mostly attracted to her brother. While the sexual tension was believable, it was a little squicky since Bannon is her brother. Once Gyhard inhabited Bannon's body, it got even more complicated. There was still the physical attraction to the body, but is it OK since it is a different soul inhabiting the body? Even the mannerisms and how he held himself were different. I'm not surprised it was the sister who made space in her head and body for her beloved brother. If their roles were switched, there's no way Bannon would have done the same for Vree.
On a technical note, I'm always interested in how the author manages to describe the characters in a story. Huff had a great excuse to describe Bannon. When Gyhard jumped to his new body, it was a sudden thing and he didn't quite know what he was getting into. Therefore, after the fact, he had to examine himself so he could take stock of his new body and it was easy to describe himself to the reader as well.
October 25, 2017
The plot of this book felt novel to me and certainly kept me interested, but the characters felt flat and like their emotional responses could have been explored in much greater depth. Also the semi-incestuous Stockholm-esque love quadrangle made me super uncomfortable. Also I didn't like how things seemed focused on another, old-timey world but then would use more modern slang? I didn't get that. Despite this I'm probably going to read the rest of the series; the world has drawn me in even if the characters have not.
October 9, 2018
Unique concept and likable characters with motives that draw you in and make you a part of the story. This novel, unlike a lot of other fantasies, doesn’t try to confuse you with hundreds of countries and names you cant pronounce (it throws just the right amount of unpronounceable names in there), and gives you a setting you can walk right into without 200 pages of explanation. In fact, I started this book before the first one and I was still able to connect to the author’s world. Cant wait to read the next book!
October 10, 2020
555555555*****
Trying to describe what happens in these books to my friends is honestly like trying to describe an alien planet. I love it so much. I don't even think a lot happened in this novel* but there was so much INNER TURMOIL and FEELINGS in the most CLEVER WAYS. My loyalities became clear cut very quickly (piss off Bannon), but I still wondered how this was going to be resolved for everyone. BECAUSE GREAT INNER TURMOILS. I enjoyed trying to figure out a solution. But in the end, I was still surprised in the best way possible.
*like technically, a lot happens, but also, they are just feeling things as they constantly travel after a far away goal and goshdamn was I HOOKED
Trying to describe what happens in these books to my friends is honestly like trying to describe an alien planet. I love it so much. I don't even think a lot happened in this novel* but there was so much INNER TURMOIL and FEELINGS in the most CLEVER WAYS. My loyalities became clear cut very quickly (piss off Bannon), but I still wondered how this was going to be resolved for everyone. BECAUSE GREAT INNER TURMOILS. I enjoyed trying to figure out a solution. But in the end, I was still surprised in the best way possible.
*like technically, a lot happens, but also, they are just feeling things as they constantly travel after a far away goal and goshdamn was I HOOKED
November 28, 2023
Wonderful...literally!
Tanya Huff is always a certainty for a good story and this is no exception. The world building is meticulous, characters well fleshed out and the story builds from engaging to compelling to " I just have to finish even if it is 3 AM!" I eagerly await part two and am thrilled not to leave the characters behind.
Tanya Huff is always a certainty for a good story and this is no exception. The world building is meticulous, characters well fleshed out and the story builds from engaging to compelling to " I just have to finish even if it is 3 AM!" I eagerly await part two and am thrilled not to leave the characters behind.
July 19, 2025
Good
I had a hard time with this one. The story was good and the idea was interesting. Some will enjoy it completely and that's good, I almost stopped, but kept going and finished it.
I have read almost all of her books and this one is the first to make me feel lost. One more to go. Not saying not to read it is not one of my favorites.
I had a hard time with this one. The story was good and the idea was interesting. Some will enjoy it completely and that's good, I almost stopped, but kept going and finished it.
I have read almost all of her books and this one is the first to make me feel lost. One more to go. Not saying not to read it is not one of my favorites.
September 26, 2024
harsh cure for loneliness
Assassins, necromancers, elemental spirits, and two siblings caught between duty and survival.
A very long, very gritty mission to save the prince of the empire with lots of twists and psychological drama.
Assassins, necromancers, elemental spirits, and two siblings caught between duty and survival.
A very long, very gritty mission to save the prince of the empire with lots of twists and psychological drama.
May 8, 2017
Fascinating stuff on identity-body relationship, and intimate/family relationships.
May 22, 2017
One of the most excessively messed up things I've read in years, and well executed.
August 8, 2017
This one was a little darker than the previous one, which I enjoyed. It did get a little redundant and tedious in the middle, but overall a good read. Excellent queer fantasy.
December 24, 2017
Read it several times and each time is better than the previous.
March 21, 2018
Um, okay. This one was too weird for me. I finished it but I don't think I'll read the rest of the series.
April 26, 2018
Tanya huff ...just amazing. Review to come
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