It’s basically a given that a Tamora Pierce novel will bring me joy and amusement; this one has sparks of all the best parts of previous series: Kel, Daine, the Circle of Magic. I hope Tortall-verse (perhaps a misnomer since this part is set in Carthak, but that’s how I think of it) never stops expanding. It really takes a special kind of writer to create such a well-developed world where the characters really are each the hero of their own story, even when they make a cameo appearance in another’s, and each is as interesting as the last.

Arram is, of course, wholly likable — young and impressionable, but honest and straightforward and compassionate. He and his friends are lots of fun, the kind of literary trio I’d love to hang out with irl. Can’t wait to see what they get up to next!

Honestly, I've never been partial to the last book of a trilogy. Part of it is the unveiling of a new big bad when I just want my loves to be happy and at peace; part of it is knowing that we'll have to say goodbye when it's over. But the repetition of anoshe throughout the last few chapters set a really nice tone, a gentle farewell as the scene fades out.

As for this book in and of itself: I loved watching the Antari trio kick ass and take names as they have been, separately, throughout the trilogy; my heart broke alongside Rhy's as he mourned his parents and yearned for his brother; I smiled at Alucard's quips and sympathized with his pain; and I was absolutely delighted to watch the dynamic relationship between Kell and Lila, ever changing but ever stable.

content warnings:

Spoiler

necromancy, blood magic, off-page major character death(s) [then resurrection], minor character deaths, hazing, misogyny & slut-shaming, mentioned honor killing

rep:

Spoiler

Asian-coded setting & cast, demi/grayace MC [Tea], likely-trans major character [Likh], implied-WLW major character [Zoya], queer-coded secondary character [Rahim]

I think I gave this 3.5 stars when I first read it in 2018, and all I can say is that I definitely missed a lot of the nuances. A lot of Chupeco's brilliance is in the subtleties of the storytelling, the implications and slow-build arcs, which I certainly appreciate a lot more now than I did two years ago.

For example, the brief interim chapters narrated by the Bard — I originally thought them superfluous interruptions to the main narrative. But seen in the context of the trilogy, they provide framework and foreshadowing, a dual timeline that builds more tension, a sharp contrast between a more innocent Tea and the slightly-older Tea who has seen and done some haunting things. I do still think this structure somewhat unbalances the flow of the novel, though it does serve multiple purposes fairly effectively.

And you know what I totally missed the first time around? The interpersonal relationships. They're absolutely fantastic, ranging from Tea and Fox's sibling (plus asha/familiar) bond to Tea and her asha sisters/mentors to Tea and Likh's friendship to Tea and Kance's mutual fascination to Tea and Kalen's changing dynamic. While the infrastructure for a grand romance is present, it's not yet in full swing, which allows the familial and friendly relationships to shine in a way they often don't get to.

Diverse worldbuilding and characters are a strength in just about every Chupeco book I've read, and this is no exception. The asha community is richly cultured with vibrant traditions, complex hierarchies and loyalties, a society that demonstrates the power of women; the interactions between members of different kingdoms/nationalities offers insightful social commentary without really outright preaching. Also, can we just take a minute to appreciate the brilliance of the whole concept of heartsglass?

The plot itself is actually a refreshing balance between an academic narrative (with all Tea's lessons, including some practical interpersonal/sociopolitical coaching that I wish they'd taught us in public high school) and a dark fantasy drama. Chupeco manages not to overload the reader with new information or too many rapid action sequences, while keeping the plot from getting boring.

So all in all, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but its unique setup certainly deserves more hype beyond the (devoted but relatively small) bookish community.

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CONVERSION: 11.3 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 7 / 10
Development / Flow: 6 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
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[2018 original review below]

Spoiler

3.5 stars, probably.

I really loved the worldbuilding of this book - the magic system, the social hierarchies, the eight (?) kingdoms (see, there's a sign: I just finished this book and I've already forgotten) - but it was really just the backdrop for the plot and characters, with which I wasn't quite as satisfied. The descriptions are lovely, but don't really add to the substance of the novel either. For example, when Tea reads people's heartglass (which are kinda like mood rings) she vividly describes the colors but doesn't explain what it means, which really just feels like holding out on us.

Tea (pronounced Tey-uh, which we don't actually realize until a good bit into the book and, at least for me personally, threw me off and distanced me from the character) is likable enough, as are Fox and Lady Mychaela and all the rest of the primary cast. That is, minus the bard who tells the interim "chapters"; he didn't really have a personality that I could distinguish, which works for a passive storyteller but not so much when he is an active character in the narrative.

Also, at some point the interim chapters bored me rather than engaging me. They worked pretty well as a hook, but they were too short and shallow to really advance the "subplot" being told. It's a balance that works onscreen but not so much on the page.

This is cute! It literally is just "a peek," though, a quick and light read bubbling with atmosphere and mood, the literary equivalent of a Polaroid snapshot.

3.5 stars.

Fantastic worldbuilding and a vivid plot, though the development felt kind of choppy? Like, the scenes flowed and I could follow the narrative pretty easily, but Xifeng's internal conflict seemed to jump between extremes which I found a little hard to sympathize with. And I know vanity is a huge part of the Snow White/Evil Queen story, but I found myself annoyed by how frequently she expressed concerns for her pretty face; even with the backstory of Guma emphasizing it as her one gift from the gods, her experience of "attractiveness" privilege, and the general patriarchal society this is set in, I almost felt as though she was just going through the motions as a reflex or ingrained habit. The focus is also very centralized on Xifeng, so I thought the secondary and minor characters seemed pretty flat and therefore hard to connect with — so since I honestly didn't like Xifeng very much, I didn't really have anyone to root for. Which is such a shame, because I generally love palace politics and morally ambiguous/dark characters and magic with consequences.

I was honestly contemplating DNFing during the exposition, in part because of all the violence that I found hard to stomach. It did serve a plot purpose, but there's still quite a lot of it. Add that to the abundance of unhealthy relationships (not to say that they're lauded, but I get secondhand exhaustion from characters who can't trust anyone), and I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit during the first half. As the narrative progresses I did find myself more interested and invested, though I found the "twists" more tropey than satisfying to have predicted correctly. And considering I love retellings and fanfiction, I'm not quite sure where this came from, but it was definitely a big influence on my enjoyment of the story. The last third or so was the best, for me. Where the plot is moving, machinations come to fruition, characters demonstrate development (or lack thereof), and the original fairy tale becomes most recognizable.

Overall, I didn't dislike this, but it wasn't nearly as great as I expected from hearing so much about it.

content warnings:

Spoiler

major character death(s), on-page murder, minor gore, graphic threats of violence, physical & psychological torture, necromancy, blood magic, unintentional voyeurism, mind control/manipulation, mercy kill, queerphobia

rep:

Spoiler

Asian-coded setting & culture & cast; queer major character [Likh], MLM major character [Khalad], WLW major characters [Zoya & Shadi], M/M & F/F relationships, queer relationships

As middle books in trilogies go, this is a solid one with plenty of action that advances the major narrative arcs, delightful development of characters and relationships, and thoughtful worldbuilding. It serves as a strong bridge between the first and final books, moving from exposition to endgame, yet it also has substance in and of itself.

I absolutely loved watching the characters come into their own — most prominently Tea, but this series has a fantastically strong ensemble cast with independent motives and subplots. And the sexual/romantic tension sizzles in this book, supported by some of my favorite romantic tropes such as

Spoiler

enemies to allies to lovers, accidentally catching them shirtless, angry/frustrated love confessions

. Though at the same time, the non-romantic relationships don't suffer: Tea and Fox's bond is still a major focus, as are the friendships and alliances that only grow stronger as the stakes are raised.

Now that I'm as ready as I'll ever be to dive into the series finale, let's do this thing.

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CONVERSION: 11.8 / 15 = 4 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 9 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 8 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: 4 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5
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----------------------
[2018 original review below]

Spoiler

The world-building and plot progression still reel me in, but perhaps a little less so than in the first book — I found myself getting stuck on awkwardly written passages throughout. And there’s a bit of a disconnect between how Dark Tea actually seems to be versus how Dark we’re supposed to think she is, ie the latter far exceeds the former. (It’s not angst, exactly, but it does feel exaggerated.) Personally I found the romantic subplot mildly unsatisfying, but at least it was relatively minor considering the genre.