Reviews for the Literary Inclined discussion

Author: Trudi Canavan
Published: May 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Bk1 of the Traitor Spy Trilogy
Date Read: 3-4 Oct 2012
My Rating: 9/10

Ambassador's Mission Review

Needless to say, I loved this!
And not only because I got to revisit characters I'd already grown to love.
Despite this being essentially a continuation of her previous trilogy "The Black Magician", the storyline was not slow and predictable.
Trudi Canavan still impresses with her world building and character development.
She's blended the old with the new seamlessly and opens new avenues for exploration.
Definitely starting bk 2 "The Rogue" immediately! ;D

Quote:
"You seem a bit cranky."
"It's the middle of the night, yet for some reason we have as many patients as we get during the day, nothing I try cures roet addiction, there's a rogue magician loose in the city, and instead of telling the Guild about it I'm risking the little freedom I have by working with a Thief who insists on visiting me in a public place, and my son is still missing in Sachaka.
I'm supposed to be in a good mood?"

Published: May 2011
Series: Bk2 of the Traitor Spy Trilogy
Date Read: 5-7 Oct
My Rating: 9/10

Continuing on from "Ambassador's Mission", Sonea, Cery, Dannyl, and Lorkin keep delving deeper into their respective investigations.
Plus we're introduced to some new characters, as well as new discoveries and developments.

Aside from the magical discoveries being made, and various relationships popping up, I have high hopes for a new love interest in Sonea's life. Which I think is about time! I am however amused at who I've decided it should be.

The single downside for me were the regular interruptions to go back to Dannyl's story. Not that his wasn't interesting, however, for me personally, I found Sonea, Lorkin and Cery much more intriguing, and so admittedly rushed through most of Dannyl's issues - mainly because his side of the story was mostly traveling and personal issues. However, once he'd reached his destination, his discoveries were quite interesting.

Once again, Trudi Canavan completely captivates you, ensuring you don't want to book the book down!
Her ability to evoke emotional responses with subtlety is fantastic!

Quote
Lilia smiled in reply.I can’t believe I’m thinking this about a Thief, but I’m really starting to like Cery.
The Thief rubbed his hands together and moved back to the chairs. “Come on you lot. Let’s finish eating. We have cunning plans to hatch.”

Published Aug 2012
Series: Bk3 of the Traitor Spy Trilogy
Date Read: 8-14 Oct
My Rating: 8/10

As the final installment of the series, there was a lot that I loved, and quite a bit I felt could have been more.

The events from the previous 2 books are neatly tied up, though I felt that more could have been written about the Duna Tribesman and certain relationship developments.

The character developments of the new characters introduced in this series was interesting, and made me feel that I wanted to re-read the first trilogy all over again!
The plot development was also well written, Events in Sachaka coming to a head, while the guild closes its investigations back in Kyralia.
The glossing over the loss of a character,however, made me more sad that the actual loss of the character, and I was quite surprised at how little there was regarding the death or the mourning for them.

However, I still enjoyed reading this, and still recommend the series to fantasy readers!
Though not quite as well done as her first two installments, still an enticing read.
With an ending that closes off this series, but hints at the possibility of more in the world of Kyralia and the Guild.