on
3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Rating: 3.9/5
Started: 30 December 2021
Finished: 31 December 2021
Summary:
In order to fulfill a promise, Elias Veturius has become the Soul Catcher—the immortal being tasked with helping restless souls find peace after death and make the crossing to whatever lies after. But his mentor has been killed, and he is lost. He cannot pass all of the souls delivered to him as war rages in the kingdoms around him. He cannot separate himself from his humanity, from his love. He cannot forget Laia of Serra. But the price of his failure will be high.
The Blood Shrike wants to protect her sister, who has been married to the cruel Emperor Farrar. But she also understands that if she doesn't save the Empire, no one will. As Keris Veturia continues her machinations to take over the Empire and the kingdoms around it, Helene must stop her. But at what cost?
Laia's brother is free, and so he and Laia must travel to Marinn, to began making Serric steel weapons so that someone can stand against the Empire. In Marinn, Laia is dragged by Musa, a Marinner with magic, headfirst back into the rebellion. But while Laia would do anything to help the Scholar people, who are being slaughtered by the thousands by Keris Veturia, she has no faith in the rebellion, or in herself as a leader. And she knows that the key to stopping the death and war lies not in rebellion, but instead in stopping the Nightbringer.
War is coming, and cannot be stopped. But in order to do what needs to be done, strength is necessary, and choices must be made. Who to save, who to trust, what to sacrifice?
Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this book. Of course, this series is heaven. The characters, the writing, the worldbuilding... But within that, most of this book is probably my least favorite in the series. I say most because the end battle is perfection. But the beginning and middle are a little bit dry. There doesn't seem to be much development for any of the characters. It's as riveting to read as any other part of there series, but the event are less distinct and memorable. The one thing that really stands out: Helene's idiocy. For such a strong, smart character, she is frustratingly unable to understand that Keris is planning something, and instead walks into trap after trap. I understand that Keris is smarter and more experienced, but sureley Helene could have figured out that Keris is always setting a trap, and Helene needs to figure out what it is before walking into it. That got very old. However, the end of the book is so so good. The helplessness of the final battle, the hope of the birth of the new Emperor, Helene and Laia finally working together, the continuation of Avitas and Helene's relationship, and Laia's mother's sacrifice. The story feels so painful and raw but clean and pure in it's writing.
Obviously all of Sabaa Tahir's writing is genius, but one quote stood out to me:
"Curse this world for what it does to the mothers, for what it does to the daughters. Curse it for making us strong through loss and pain, our hearts torn from our chests again and again. Curse it for making us endure."
I know that the fourth book is going to be the best, so I am very excited to start it, and come the full circle on this series again.
Words:
Restive (adj) unable too keep still or silent and becoming increasingly difficult to control, especially because of impatience, dissatisfaction, or boredom.
Resplendent (adj) attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous
Oud (n) an instrument similar to a lute
Ophidian (adj) relating to or denoting snakes
Eldritch (adj) weird and sinister or ghostly
Sibilant (adj) making or characterized by a hissing sound
Frisson (n) a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill (free-SOHN)
Evanesce (v) pass out of sight, memory, or existence
Woad (n) dye obtained from the woad plant, blue in color.
Gorge (n) throat, often used with rise to indicate revulsion accompanied by a sense of restriction
Belie (v) fail to give a true notion or impression of something; to disguise or contradict
Ubiquitous (adj) present, appearing, or found everywhere
Atavistic (adj) relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral,