Scan barcode
A review by chickenafraido
Echo in Amethyst by Sharon Shinn
4.0
3.5 stars, maybe 4 for entertainment value?
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I anticipated.
The political intrigue was very interesting and we certainly had a unique perspective for this book. I expected to be bored to tears listening to an echo learn about the world but I think it was well managed for the most part.
At the same time, the ease with which Hope navigated her new awareness seemed a bit like lazy writing to me. Everything she'd learned through Elyssa-osmosis seemed very cherry-picked to suit the story, with no real rhyme or reason as to why she attained some things and not others. Still, I think it kept me more engaged as a reader to not be so bogged down in the character development.
The end to the war, though, seemed almost too lazy to excuse. We've spent the last 3 books hearing all about the tensions between provinces, and how everyone is on the cusp of war. Finally it all comes to a head, and we spend only the closing 20% of the last book hearing about it. Not only that, but the actual resolution of tensions comes about through convenient divine intervention. Again - lazy writing.
Overall, I think this trilogy/series had a lot of potential, and I can only wish it had been fulfilled. The characters Shinn gives us are intriguing, and the setting even more so, but the world building definitely fell by the wayside in these novels. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to expansive high fantasy, but I can't help but be a little disappointed.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I anticipated.
The political intrigue was very interesting and we certainly had a unique perspective for this book. I expected to be bored to tears listening to an echo learn about the world but I think it was well managed for the most part.
At the same time, the ease with which Hope navigated her new awareness seemed a bit like lazy writing to me. Everything she'd learned through Elyssa-osmosis seemed very cherry-picked to suit the story, with no real rhyme or reason as to why she attained some things and not others. Still, I think it kept me more engaged as a reader to not be so bogged down in the character development.
The end to the war, though, seemed almost too lazy to excuse. We've spent the last 3 books hearing all about the tensions between provinces, and how everyone is on the cusp of war. Finally it all comes to a head, and we spend only the closing 20% of the last book hearing about it. Not only that, but the actual resolution of tensions comes about through convenient divine intervention. Again - lazy writing.
Overall, I think this trilogy/series had a lot of potential, and I can only wish it had been fulfilled. The characters Shinn gives us are intriguing, and the setting even more so, but the world building definitely fell by the wayside in these novels. Perhaps I'm too accustomed to expansive high fantasy, but I can't help but be a little disappointed.