kewlkat70's Reviews (250)

See review of book one of the series.  
It's original and Varley is a fun writer.  
The fact that I am still raving about it at least 30 since my last reread means it's worth giving a try.  

I read this trilogy back in the 80s and I've reread it at least once since then.  

A classic spec fiction book and highly recommend to anyone who is trying to look to expand their current library.  

Although it's been many years since reading these books I cannot talk about trigger warnings as what was acceptable several decades ago may bother newer readers.  

I can say this is like ring world without the blatant misogyny.

Pros:  the narrators for this audiobook are better than books one and two.  At least Kerris' voice seemed to suit him better than Aran's but the irony is that Aran's narrator really captured Kerris' sarcasm better in book 2
Kerris and Zarrah are pretty hot together.  We don't have to wait as long as for Lara and Aran.  
Cons:  I thought

Coraline's

story arc was a bit disappointing.  I was disappointed that

she turned out not to like Zarrah and was willing to sacrifice her.  I suppose she is the bookend to Nana who has no love for Lara.  I would have liked a more redemptive ending for her

I'm on the fence on whether I liked the retelling of the palace rescue from Kerris and Zarrah's POV.  We did get a lot more details but it was also repetitive at times.    Yes it was adventurous and all but I would have liked more relationship building.  

Overall this series is more on the fantasy adventure with a side of spicy romance.  The relationships are a major plot point so it would not fall under pure fantasy.  If a reader is looking for magic, prophecy, fae and monsters there is none of that in this series.  This is a political swashbuckling adventure involving two star crossed lovers who struggle with having to choose duty over happiness.   

Wanted to like this book but did not find the main characters very likable.  
Also the Omega was not attractive to me so I couldn't believe in the attraction.  

And there was too much of The Devil Wears Prada if fashion industry was nice and the protagonist couldn't lose 

I really wanted to like this book but had a visceral hatred for the FMC.  
Could be a personal distaste for fake Victorian literature.  
I have read The Pearl which is erotica written in Victorian era and the author should have done better research on her subject to write more believable main character for the time 

This was an audiobook but I just didn't like the FMC from the beginning.  
Not a fan of urban fantasy to begin with and when the book timeline started going back and forth lost interest quickly