I found this to be even more interesting than the first book. The only thing that was so-so for me was that it started out a bit slow. After that, it begins to do a lot of world-building that was very cool and introduces a plot that outshines the original.

This book did a bunch more world-building, which I loved, but the pace throughout is way slower than the previous two novels which culminated into a bit of an anti-climax. Still great stuff, though.

In a future where humanity has many colonies and, if you've got the cash, your genetic structure is altered and optimized--making you a spesh. People are created with singular purposes in mind and made to enjoy whatever that is, from cleaning the streets to being a "master pilot." We follow Alex, one such master pilot, who saves a young girl named Kim when she undergoes a metamorphosis of her own, becoming a spesh herself.

The setup was great in this book, unfortunately after this promising start the book devolves rapidly. I've read it's supposed to be a parody or subversion of cyberpunk and space operas; if that's true... it's even worse than I thought. Alex does kind of "call out" sexist and tropey shit sometimes in his thoughts but then... he participates in it anyways. There's a lot mishandled in this respect, from polyamorous relationships, forms of racism, prejudices in general but the most predominate by far is sexism. It is rampant in this book and it if this is supposed to be a parody, well then it's simply mishandled and doesn't come across as such. Especially from the start of the book, which you know, sets the tone. Oh yeah, Kim's 14 and reads very much like she is written by a dude who has a lolita fetish.

The concepts themselves are interesting too, so it's a shame the rest of the book is a pop corn novel that is pretty meh, including the who-dunnit story at the end (with a clone of Sherlock Holmes solving the case, I shit you not). I liked everything about the exploration of a "superior" caste of humanity that is also essentially a specialized workforce made to love what they do while perceiving themselves as superior. Tech on the ship was cool, the interfacing with the computer was awesome. The rest I could leave, luckily it was a quick read.

2021 reread: I bought the hardcover boxset shortly after I finished the audible versions, and after watching Shadow and Bone last weekend I had a hankering to check this out again.

Let me tell ya, after the Grisha trilogy the difference is night and day for me. Every aspect of the book is superior to the trilogy imo. Characterization, pacing, world building, dialogue, dynamics of the crew, the plot, the prose. All of it. Feels like it’s much more aware too, more inclusive.

The only hang ups for me is that the story isn’t actually resolved. The cliffhanger is a good one, and boy does it fit the genre, but I just don’t like structures like that. Thankfully I don’t have to wait for the next book!

Loved it! Listened on Audible and really enjoyed the performance. But the writing seems much improved from the first Grisha novel I read, Shadow and Bone. Romance, betrayal, heist, and interesting characters. All about it.

Some of my favourite flashback backstory/characterization scenes. Even more inclusive. It’s much different of a heist and doesn’t have the perfect pacing of the prequel because of the cliffhanger. It has to rebuild the momentum and deal with a few more subplots. The ending is absolutely perfect.

You put both books together and it’s a 5 star read. The only thing that holds this back is the overarching structure between the two books. Absolute banger when read back to back. Obviously less money in publishing a 1000 page book vs two though, of course.

Certainly does it’s job in painting Genya in a more sympathetic light, but I feel like I already knew all this, though it’s been years since I read Shadow and Bone.

This would have been an easy 4 stars except that literally all the interesting stakes questions I had were made irrelevant in the last chapter. I know it’s YA, but this is not ruin~~~

Pacing is great in this one. The What Is Up with Mel is answered. And he actually attempts to communicate in this one, so that’s nice. Still want to slap that kid though. The main character is no longer princess peach getting nabbed every episode. I think this trilogy would have made a killer duology, actually. Tighter overarching story and actual stakes would have made this much better, imo.

That being said, this is certainly the best instalment and has some fun little reveals, plus some things happen in this that start plot threads in the next two duologies. Like that a lot.

A decent story about the darkling as a young boy. Snapshot of the relationship between the mother and himself, and the way the Grisha lived at that time. Doesn’t add anything substantial to the trilogy worldbuilding wise, as I’d hoped, but does somewhat explain why amplifiers would be very rare.

There’s a fairly sizeable excerpt of Six of Crows at the end of this which made the story seem like it would be a lot longer. It ended pretty abruptly so be aware that it’s a lot shorter than you’d think if you buy the kindle version. But it’s like $1, so nbd.