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Touchstone #3
Caszandra
Part 3 of the Touchstone Trilogy.Cassandra Devlin doesn’t know what she's for. But she knows she's running out of time.Since Cass was rescued from the abandoned world of Muina, the Aussie teen has proven more than useful to the people of Tare. Expeditions to their home world no longer end in slaughter. The teaching city of Kalasa has been unlocked. After years of searching for answers, they are starting to make progress.But space is tearing itself apart. Ionoth attack in ever-greater numbers. And "the useful stray" has been injured so many times that the Tarens hesitate to use her for fear of losing her.With one particular Taren now her most important person, Cass is determined to contribute everything she can, and hopes to find some answers of her own. What is the link between Muina and Earth? Why are the reclusive Nurans so interested in 'rescuing' her? And what role in the crisis do the inhuman Cruzatch play?Can Cass keep herself together long enough to find out?
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2011
117 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Andrea K. Höst
24 books817 followersBorn in Sweden and raised in Australia, Andrea K Höst currently lives in Sydney. She writes fantasy, but wanders occasionally into science fantasy.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
Her novel "The Silence of Medair" was a finalist for the 2010 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel. Her novella "Forfeit" won the 2016 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novella.
She also occasionally publishes romance under the name Karan K Anders.
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July 10, 2018
July 2018: Reread over vacation. Some people buy perfume to associate with a place; turns out I reread books. I'm commenting on this last book first, and I'm folding the Gratuitous Epilogue into this (there's something aptly named). I'm going to associate the first two books with sunshine and open fields and mountains, and I'm going to associate this with the dustbin. Which is to say: I gave this this two stars originally, and now I can't stand it. I can't believe how much of a nosedive the series takes. It seems to end by saying that forced parallels and happy endings trump characterization and uncertainty, and I instinctively reject that.
This is a series that succeeds (initially, at least) because of characterization. Because of Cass, and Cass's voice. Because of the distinct personalities of the Setari. I would never read this solely for the plot (even if I were a reader who reads for plot) because the plot works only due to Cass's voice; it's paced slowly and entirely at her leisure and told at an epistolary distance. If you buy into this world, I think it's because you've bought into Cass's narration.
And then, midway through this book, our eighteen-year-old - strong personality, distinct voice - who stated clearly that she didn't want children until her late 20s - decides to adopt. She ends up with four kids. No, that's phrased incorrectly: she starts with four kids. Also, all her closest friends make the same decision she does - deciding to settle down and have or adopt kids - at the same time. True, it's because there's been a disaster. And they have been working a really dangerous job for a really long time. And the war is over. And the parallels are irresistible: Cass, making sure no one will be as alone as she was when she first got to this world. I can rationalize it. I can sort of squint at it and force it to work.
But it will only work if I force it - that's how disastrously out of place this heel-turn is in the story. I can't think of any reason for it to exist except as a refugee parallel. (Maybe as an unexpected-pregnancy parallel, too, but since that itself is impossible in this world, it doesn’t really fit, unless it’s meant to suggest that there are no consequence-free relationships? Even if you have perfect birth control? Why, though?) And heartwarming as the refugee parallel is in theory, parallels need to be anchored in story - in character, in tone, in the existing world, in the author's previous choices - or they read like nails-on-a-chalkboard preaching.
[Brief segue to talk about how much I HATE that all her friends make the same decisions at the same time, down to needing to be paired up, and how second-chance relationships are so derided. Maybe it's just a Cass-POV thing, but the "he'll always love Helese" marriage-of-convenience stuff is given so much more page time than the actual, more believable outcome. MAZE DESERVES BETTER.]
I think it's because the story is already wish fulfillment. Think about it: here's Cass, Everygirl, who just takes a wrong turn one day and has her life upended. She finds out she's actually special, though, because she can help fight a war and almost singlehandedly turn the tide. It's tempered because she's so aware of what this looks like - her voice is so great - but part of what makes it compelling is the wish fulfillment aspect, the subconscious "what if it were me?" way readers can read themselves into a story.
And then there's the world she finds herself inhabiting. It's a world with a moral, accountable, almost entirely honest government. It's the best case scenario. Added to that you have the threat of a war slowly being lost - the central conflict - which is abated by the third book: the end of war is wish fulfillment, too, both on a character and a plot level. To be fair, I can't argue against that on a plot level - that's how plots progress - but on a character level, it's harder to take. Should someone be able to ride off into the sunset at 18? No war, committed relationship, five kids - it's a lot. She's an entirely different character.
I'm being extremely scattered, I think, so I'll try to go in order now. The beginning of any series is potential, but no matter what happens, the end of a series means that a specific direction has been chosen. There's no other way to go now. I'm trying not to hold the finality of a book three against this: the conclusion isn't only final. It's also wrong. It's so out of place for Cassandra's character, and the timing is so convenient, and everything is so deliberately, infuriatingly wrapped up.
But the finality isn't good, either, even taking into account that all series have to end at some point. That compelling wish-fulfillment aspect to Cass? How can that survive when everything is settled and there are no more wishes to fulfill? And she's so lucky, too: she likes this new world. She likes all her kids. She gets her own island. Forget riding into the sunset at 18: where's the conflict that should arise when people are forced to upend their lives, when their careers take unexpected turns, when they have less contact with home and family, when they're facing new, difficult choices? Why does everyone in Cass's orbit so easily adjust?
I can probably rationalize this, too. I can say that they've all lived in the same environment for so long since they were so young, so they end up making similar decisions. Or maybe all humans have similar nesting instincts. But ultimately I end up having to rationalize everything that takes place from the middle of this book through the epilogue, and I think that means this is really, really sloppily written. Or written overly neatly, as it were: every single piece forced into place because we can't have loose ends, can we?
I think I'd like to see an ending without such drastic lifestyle changes. That wouldn't mean changes are impossible, just that they haven't happened yet. Cass's world is so limited now. There's no space to imagine or wonder. The world ends up so closed off - almost a contradiction, I think, of the entire genre of science fiction. And it makes me sad, because I love the first two books so much.
March 2013: Well, I finally finished this one. It took quite a bit longer than the first two took combined, and it's not because Caszandra is a longer book (though it is a longer book). It's because Cazsandra is, in my opinion, a badly-paced book that lags quite a bit in the middle.
The other problems I had, both character based:
1. How did I miss a decade? Cass and Kaoren are now twenty-eight and thirty respectively and the parents of four children. Somehow, despite Cass's insistence that she wants Kaoren to herself for ten years - and despite her youth - the two of them become wonderful parents to exceptional children, in the space of about two months, at about twenty years of age. That's half the book that I couldn't accept because I found it completely out of character. And while I fully acknowledge that war changes people, this was too much of a leap for me to accept.
2. This goes against my general rule of judging a book by what's in it as opposed to what I expect to be in it, but I'm really surprised there was no conflict revolving around the discovery of Earth and Cass's decision as to whether she should return. The "I have a life here, I'm committed to the guy I've known for six weeks, I'm a mom, of course I'm staying" bit felt a bit too pat and unchallenged. She really had so few qualms about never returning home? And I think it's the logical conflict - now that she's finally made a place for herself, shake that up!
I nearly gave this book two stars because I found the latter half completely implausible and too easily solved, but I really liked the idea of this book, and that was worth an extra star.
Updated: Taking back that star because I didn't like this very much upon reread. And they all lived happily ever after! Sigh.
This is a series that succeeds (initially, at least) because of characterization. Because of Cass, and Cass's voice. Because of the distinct personalities of the Setari. I would never read this solely for the plot (even if I were a reader who reads for plot) because the plot works only due to Cass's voice; it's paced slowly and entirely at her leisure and told at an epistolary distance. If you buy into this world, I think it's because you've bought into Cass's narration.
And then, midway through this book, our eighteen-year-old - strong personality, distinct voice - who stated clearly that she didn't want children until her late 20s - decides to adopt. She ends up with four kids. No, that's phrased incorrectly: she starts with four kids. Also, all her closest friends make the same decision she does - deciding to settle down and have or adopt kids - at the same time. True, it's because there's been a disaster. And they have been working a really dangerous job for a really long time. And the war is over. And the parallels are irresistible: Cass, making sure no one will be as alone as she was when she first got to this world. I can rationalize it. I can sort of squint at it and force it to work.
But it will only work if I force it - that's how disastrously out of place this heel-turn is in the story. I can't think of any reason for it to exist except as a refugee parallel. (Maybe as an unexpected-pregnancy parallel, too, but since that itself is impossible in this world, it doesn’t really fit, unless it’s meant to suggest that there are no consequence-free relationships? Even if you have perfect birth control? Why, though?) And heartwarming as the refugee parallel is in theory, parallels need to be anchored in story - in character, in tone, in the existing world, in the author's previous choices - or they read like nails-on-a-chalkboard preaching.
[Brief segue to talk about how much I HATE that all her friends make the same decisions at the same time, down to needing to be paired up, and how second-chance relationships are so derided. Maybe it's just a Cass-POV thing, but the "he'll always love Helese" marriage-of-convenience stuff is given so much more page time than the actual, more believable outcome. MAZE DESERVES BETTER.]
I think it's because the story is already wish fulfillment. Think about it: here's Cass, Everygirl, who just takes a wrong turn one day and has her life upended. She finds out she's actually special, though, because she can help fight a war and almost singlehandedly turn the tide. It's tempered because she's so aware of what this looks like - her voice is so great - but part of what makes it compelling is the wish fulfillment aspect, the subconscious "what if it were me?" way readers can read themselves into a story.
And then there's the world she finds herself inhabiting. It's a world with a moral, accountable, almost entirely honest government. It's the best case scenario. Added to that you have the threat of a war slowly being lost - the central conflict - which is abated by the third book: the end of war is wish fulfillment, too, both on a character and a plot level. To be fair, I can't argue against that on a plot level - that's how plots progress - but on a character level, it's harder to take. Should someone be able to ride off into the sunset at 18? No war, committed relationship, five kids - it's a lot. She's an entirely different character.
I'm being extremely scattered, I think, so I'll try to go in order now. The beginning of any series is potential, but no matter what happens, the end of a series means that a specific direction has been chosen. There's no other way to go now. I'm trying not to hold the finality of a book three against this: the conclusion isn't only final. It's also wrong. It's so out of place for Cassandra's character, and the timing is so convenient, and everything is so deliberately, infuriatingly wrapped up.
But the finality isn't good, either, even taking into account that all series have to end at some point. That compelling wish-fulfillment aspect to Cass? How can that survive when everything is settled and there are no more wishes to fulfill? And she's so lucky, too: she likes this new world. She likes all her kids. She gets her own island. Forget riding into the sunset at 18: where's the conflict that should arise when people are forced to upend their lives, when their careers take unexpected turns, when they have less contact with home and family, when they're facing new, difficult choices? Why does everyone in Cass's orbit so easily adjust?
I can probably rationalize this, too. I can say that they've all lived in the same environment for so long since they were so young, so they end up making similar decisions. Or maybe all humans have similar nesting instincts. But ultimately I end up having to rationalize everything that takes place from the middle of this book through the epilogue, and I think that means this is really, really sloppily written. Or written overly neatly, as it were: every single piece forced into place because we can't have loose ends, can we?
I think I'd like to see an ending without such drastic lifestyle changes. That wouldn't mean changes are impossible, just that they haven't happened yet. Cass's world is so limited now. There's no space to imagine or wonder. The world ends up so closed off - almost a contradiction, I think, of the entire genre of science fiction. And it makes me sad, because I love the first two books so much.
March 2013: Well, I finally finished this one. It took quite a bit longer than the first two took combined, and it's not because Caszandra is a longer book (though it is a longer book). It's because Cazsandra is, in my opinion, a badly-paced book that lags quite a bit in the middle.
The other problems I had, both character based:
1. How did I miss a decade? Cass and Kaoren are now twenty-eight and thirty respectively and the parents of four children. Somehow, despite Cass's insistence that she wants Kaoren to herself for ten years - and despite her youth - the two of them become wonderful parents to exceptional children, in the space of about two months, at about twenty years of age. That's half the book that I couldn't accept because I found it completely out of character. And while I fully acknowledge that war changes people, this was too much of a leap for me to accept.
2. This goes against my general rule of judging a book by what's in it as opposed to what I expect to be in it, but I'm really surprised there was no conflict revolving around the discovery of Earth and Cass's decision as to whether she should return. The "I have a life here, I'm committed to the guy I've known for six weeks, I'm a mom, of course I'm staying" bit felt a bit too pat and unchallenged. She really had so few qualms about never returning home? And I think it's the logical conflict - now that she's finally made a place for herself, shake that up!
I nearly gave this book two stars because I found the latter half completely implausible and too easily solved, but I really liked the idea of this book, and that was worth an extra star.
Updated: Taking back that star because I didn't like this very much upon reread. And they all lived happily ever after! Sigh.
November 19, 2012
Some spoilers for the first two books below.
Part of what I adored about Stray and Lab Rat One, parts one and two of the Touchstone Trilogy, was the delightful self-awareness that this story could seem a bit far-fetched at times. As Cass herself said in Lab Rat One, “And me being some mysterious touchstone thing with bunches of incredibly hot people looking after me. It’s all a little wish-fulfillment.” But the thing is, it wasn’t. There was a ring of truth to Cass’s tale and struggles on a new planet, even if she did end up being this miraculous space ninja enhancer. That all disappears in this incredibly disappointing final book, Caszandra, where the plot devolves into a mushy, romantic mess and the looming bad things are solved without much hardship. Every one of Cass’s wishes comes true after finally attaining the love of Kaoren Ruuel, even wishes she didn’t know she had, like becoming a foster mother! I was so immensely frustrated by this book, mostly because I felt like this series was so promising and it didn’t come together in the end. As a result, my reading investment was wasted, my payoff nonexistent. In Caszandra, forgotten is the mythology of the Ena and the Lantarens, swept aside is the possibility of any relationship between Muina and Earth, left behind is any regard for Cass’s family of eighteen years, instead we get pages and pages of Cass loving Kaoren, ravishing Kaoren, planning her future with Kaoren. I think my dissatisfaction comes down to this: I began this series with the promise of interplanetary hijinks and epic battles in virtual reality spaces. What the final volume came down to was an impossibly perfect fiancé, adopted children, and Setari matchmaking.
Part of what I adored about Stray and Lab Rat One, parts one and two of the Touchstone Trilogy, was the delightful self-awareness that this story could seem a bit far-fetched at times. As Cass herself said in Lab Rat One, “And me being some mysterious touchstone thing with bunches of incredibly hot people looking after me. It’s all a little wish-fulfillment.” But the thing is, it wasn’t. There was a ring of truth to Cass’s tale and struggles on a new planet, even if she did end up being this miraculous space ninja enhancer. That all disappears in this incredibly disappointing final book, Caszandra, where the plot devolves into a mushy, romantic mess and the looming bad things are solved without much hardship. Every one of Cass’s wishes comes true after finally attaining the love of Kaoren Ruuel, even wishes she didn’t know she had, like becoming a foster mother! I was so immensely frustrated by this book, mostly because I felt like this series was so promising and it didn’t come together in the end. As a result, my reading investment was wasted, my payoff nonexistent. In Caszandra, forgotten is the mythology of the Ena and the Lantarens, swept aside is the possibility of any relationship between Muina and Earth, left behind is any regard for Cass’s family of eighteen years, instead we get pages and pages of Cass loving Kaoren, ravishing Kaoren, planning her future with Kaoren. I think my dissatisfaction comes down to this: I began this series with the promise of interplanetary hijinks and epic battles in virtual reality spaces. What the final volume came down to was an impossibly perfect fiancé, adopted children, and Setari matchmaking.
May 9, 2024
I have been waiting for months to write this review, hoping that the words to explain just how spectacularly disastrous this book is would somehow magically appear in my head. I -- I give up. Every time I try, I end up with broken sentences and a lot of emphatic hand gestures and squeaking. So, instead, I'm going to focus on the biggest problem, which should be enough to send anyone running.
The first two books in the series are competently written, and in terms of actual, technical words-making-sentences so is this one, but then. But THEN. Then came the romance. Oh, help. Halfway through this book, I googled the author, hoping desperately that she was still young enough that she might outgrow this view of human relationships. (She's not, but it's entirely possible she wrote this when she was; it certainly reads like the work of a very young woman. And I read this series because I loved another book of hers, The Pyramids of London, so I'm just going to assume this is juvenilia and try to forget.)
What's wrong with the romance? Oh, golly. Our heroine is an Australian schoolgirl who ends up (in the first book of the trilogy) stranded on another world. She discovers she has amazing psychic magnifying powers and gets taken onto a psychic ninja force. (Basically.) So far, I am down with this -- I am all about this kind of wish fulfillment fiction. For the first two books, Cass has a painful (annnnnd kind of obsessive) crush on a dude who avoids her like she's got a fungus. Again, all fine and good. That is a thing that happens!
In this book, Host attempts the technically challenging turn-that-UST-into-RST maneuver and falls flat on her face, injuring readers in the process. Caszandra begins just after Cass and Avoid Dude confess their mutual attraction and instantly start banging; within weeks they are living together, then engaged, then adopting traumatized war orphans. For serious. All of this without them ever engaging in an actual conversation, and with such serious Girl, You In Danger signs that my mind became a screaming mess of red alert sirens and flashing lights. He's a controlling super psychic super ninja! She's terrified to be apart from him! (And can't get away from him, for Reasons.) She barely knows him! He demands that she keep ABSOLUTELY NO SECRETS from him, because it would bother him! She complies because she wants him to trust her! He can only trust her if he has complete control over her! And on. And on. And ON. Did I mention she's a teenager? Isolated from her family and all her friends, and in a society she doesn't know or understand and cannot safely explore?
Yeah. It's a textbook preparing-to-be-abusive relationship. With added traumatized war orphans. I don't even remember the last part of the book; my brain was too busy shrieking for someone to DO SOMETHING for this poor girl (and those poor war orphans). But instead, the author is selling this as a romantic! Amazing! Wonderful! Relationship!
I could not buy what she was selling, and I deeply regret buying this book.
The first two books in the series are competently written, and in terms of actual, technical words-making-sentences so is this one, but then. But THEN. Then came the romance. Oh, help. Halfway through this book, I googled the author, hoping desperately that she was still young enough that she might outgrow this view of human relationships. (She's not, but it's entirely possible she wrote this when she was; it certainly reads like the work of a very young woman. And I read this series because I loved another book of hers, The Pyramids of London, so I'm just going to assume this is juvenilia and try to forget.)
What's wrong with the romance? Oh, golly. Our heroine is an Australian schoolgirl who ends up (in the first book of the trilogy) stranded on another world. She discovers she has amazing psychic magnifying powers and gets taken onto a psychic ninja force. (Basically.) So far, I am down with this -- I am all about this kind of wish fulfillment fiction. For the first two books, Cass has a painful (annnnnd kind of obsessive) crush on a dude who avoids her like she's got a fungus. Again, all fine and good. That is a thing that happens!
In this book, Host attempts the technically challenging turn-that-UST-into-RST maneuver and falls flat on her face, injuring readers in the process. Caszandra begins just after Cass and Avoid Dude confess their mutual attraction and instantly start banging; within weeks they are living together, then engaged, then adopting traumatized war orphans. For serious. All of this without them ever engaging in an actual conversation, and with such serious Girl, You In Danger signs that my mind became a screaming mess of red alert sirens and flashing lights. He's a controlling super psychic super ninja! She's terrified to be apart from him! (And can't get away from him, for Reasons.) She barely knows him! He demands that she keep ABSOLUTELY NO SECRETS from him, because it would bother him! She complies because she wants him to trust her! He can only trust her if he has complete control over her! And on. And on. And ON. Did I mention she's a teenager? Isolated from her family and all her friends, and in a society she doesn't know or understand and cannot safely explore?
Yeah. It's a textbook preparing-to-be-abusive relationship. With added traumatized war orphans. I don't even remember the last part of the book; my brain was too busy shrieking for someone to DO SOMETHING for this poor girl (and those poor war orphans). But instead, the author is selling this as a romantic! Amazing! Wonderful! Relationship!
I could not buy what she was selling, and I deeply regret buying this book.
January 24, 2021
Re-read 1/24/21: SIGH. Absolutely perfect and amazing and I was TRYING to re-read slowly to really savor it. Such a GREAT series. Need to start at the first, Stray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Re-read 4/20/18: Yep, still love this book! Don’t know what else I can say other than READ IT! :D
Original review below this point.
I do NOT want this book to end. Thank goodness there is a "gratuitous Epilogue" and this author has written more than just these books. The plus side, more to read. The negative, I'm going to be broke buying all of her books, but it will SO be worth it.
I love the references to movies and books that I love, "Spirited Away" and of course, Harry Potter. The references make me feel even closer to the main character and makes the book that much more "real" to me.
This book, just like the other two, was fantastic. I never wanted it to end. I'm going to milk the "Gratuitous Epilogue", I just can't get enough of Cassandra. I don't think I have ever loved or felt this connected to a fictional character before. I know some people think the diary style of writing is old, but I think it worked really well in this series. I can't wait to read the "Medair" books by Host!
Update: I as actually thinking about this book and what I specifically liked about it and decided to share. :)
1) I love how Host introduces adoption of a family unit by the main character. Honestly, adoption isn't something many people think about. When it is thought about, usually the child that is desired is a baby. In the book, a huge tragedy occurs, which causes many children to be without their parents. Cassandra not only adopts a child, she adopts an entire family unit. I say "family unit", because these particular children, while not related by blood, are related by love and grew up together and came as a package deal. To be completely honest, I should say that they adopted her, because she didn't choose to do so, but when she was faced with the reality of the situation, she opened her heart and her home to the children, who were 3, 8 and 11. The older kids didn't really trust her, so it wasn't a huge lovey-dovey fest, she had to earn their trust and she was unsure about her roll as a parent, but she did the best she could to be the best parent to them that she could be.
I feel very strongly about adoption, especially of older children and of siblings, so to see the subject handled so positively and not preachy was one of the reasons why I loved this book so much.
2) I loved how Cassandra got books from Earth and how she shared them with the children. Another huge point of mine is reading to children and sharing the love of reading with them and Cassandra does that with her brood. I especially love the older children's love of learning.
Again, fantastic book. :)
Re-read 4/20/18: Yep, still love this book! Don’t know what else I can say other than READ IT! :D
Original review below this point.
I do NOT want this book to end. Thank goodness there is a "gratuitous Epilogue" and this author has written more than just these books. The plus side, more to read. The negative, I'm going to be broke buying all of her books, but it will SO be worth it.
I love the references to movies and books that I love, "Spirited Away" and of course, Harry Potter. The references make me feel even closer to the main character and makes the book that much more "real" to me.
This book, just like the other two, was fantastic. I never wanted it to end. I'm going to milk the "Gratuitous Epilogue", I just can't get enough of Cassandra. I don't think I have ever loved or felt this connected to a fictional character before. I know some people think the diary style of writing is old, but I think it worked really well in this series. I can't wait to read the "Medair" books by Host!
Update: I as actually thinking about this book and what I specifically liked about it and decided to share. :)
1) I love how Host introduces adoption of a family unit by the main character. Honestly, adoption isn't something many people think about. When it is thought about, usually the child that is desired is a baby. In the book, a huge tragedy occurs, which causes many children to be without their parents. Cassandra not only adopts a child, she adopts an entire family unit. I say "family unit", because these particular children, while not related by blood, are related by love and grew up together and came as a package deal. To be completely honest, I should say that they adopted her, because she didn't choose to do so, but when she was faced with the reality of the situation, she opened her heart and her home to the children, who were 3, 8 and 11. The older kids didn't really trust her, so it wasn't a huge lovey-dovey fest, she had to earn their trust and she was unsure about her roll as a parent, but she did the best she could to be the best parent to them that she could be.
I feel very strongly about adoption, especially of older children and of siblings, so to see the subject handled so positively and not preachy was one of the reasons why I loved this book so much.
2) I loved how Cassandra got books from Earth and how she shared them with the children. Another huge point of mine is reading to children and sharing the love of reading with them and Cassandra does that with her brood. I especially love the older children's love of learning.
Again, fantastic book. :)
July 23, 2021
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
There was a lot going on in this book. It was pretty exciting to learn more of the story of the original Muinans and to resolve the main conflict/mystery that carried through all three books.
There was a lot going on in this book. It was pretty exciting to learn more of the story of the original Muinans and to resolve the main conflict/mystery that carried through all three books.
July 11, 2023
Reread in preparation for In Arcadia
8th Read: 3/8/2017
7th Read: 7/17/2016
6th Read: 1/12/2016
5th Read: 8/24/2015
4th Read: 6/2/2015
3rd Read: 03/05/15
2nd Read: 09/05/14
1st Read: 02/14/14
Original Review:
I have to say that without a doubt I believe this series is going to go on my list of series' that I must reread every few years. The world, and the characters, once I got a good concept of them, are of the type that become old friends, and there is nothing more pleasing, then slipping into a familiar world at ease, year after year. (This is something that people who are not reader's simply don't get, why in the world would you want to read the same book over and over and over?)
I confess, I did have some issues with this book,
But overall the book was good, and very engaging.
More than anything, what I love about this series, is that it's so different from anything else out there, and I think that's because of it being self-published. Any big publishing house would either refuse to publish it, or would destroy it in it's attempts to commercialize it. And some how, the imperfections of this series are an integral part of it.
I give this book 4 stars, but the series overall 5 stars.
8th Read: 3/8/2017
7th Read: 7/17/2016
6th Read: 1/12/2016
5th Read: 8/24/2015
4th Read: 6/2/2015
3rd Read: 03/05/15
2nd Read: 09/05/14
1st Read: 02/14/14
Original Review:
I have to say that without a doubt I believe this series is going to go on my list of series' that I must reread every few years. The world, and the characters, once I got a good concept of them, are of the type that become old friends, and there is nothing more pleasing, then slipping into a familiar world at ease, year after year. (This is something that people who are not reader's simply don't get, why in the world would you want to read the same book over and over and over?)
I confess, I did have some issues with this book,
But overall the book was good, and very engaging.
More than anything, what I love about this series, is that it's so different from anything else out there, and I think that's because of it being self-published. Any big publishing house would either refuse to publish it, or would destroy it in it's attempts to commercialize it. And some how, the imperfections of this series are an integral part of it.
I give this book 4 stars, but the series overall 5 stars.
November 27, 2011
Right until the final battle, I was leaning toward a 5, but then some stuff happened and I was ready to drop a star . But then, by the time it ended, the characters and the world had won me all over again. And since I was left wanting to read more of their story, even if it means going on and on about mundane stuff, it would be very unfair of me to give it less than five stars.
I won't talk much about the book because anyone ready to read this obviously knows what's in store for the final part of the year. I will say, though, that it did manage to surprise me at several turns . Another important thing is how long it took me to get through it. Lately, with a lot less time to read than I used to have, I've been forced to become a very efficient reader, knocking down books in two or three hours. In this case, however, I couldn't stop my inner film director from rearing its head in almost every fight (or exploration) scene and more than once I had to force myself to snap out of it and keep reading instead of replaying something from different angles or experimenting with different facial expressions and tones in dialogs and what the people standing around were doing… well, you get the picture. It's like the difference between watching a movie on TV and having the Special Edition Director's Cut BD.
So yeah, I better stop here before some people start saying that I sound like a 12 years old fangirl.
I won't talk much about the book because anyone ready to read this obviously knows what's in store for the final part of the year. I will say, though, that it did manage to surprise me at several turns . Another important thing is how long it took me to get through it. Lately, with a lot less time to read than I used to have, I've been forced to become a very efficient reader, knocking down books in two or three hours. In this case, however, I couldn't stop my inner film director from rearing its head in almost every fight (or exploration) scene and more than once I had to force myself to snap out of it and keep reading instead of replaying something from different angles or experimenting with different facial expressions and tones in dialogs and what the people standing around were doing… well, you get the picture. It's like the difference between watching a movie on TV and having the Special Edition Director's Cut BD.
So yeah, I better stop here before some people start saying that I sound like a 12 years old fangirl.
March 9, 2015
I really wish everyone didn't have to get married and have babies and be super duper happy. The actual good part of the whole series, the war with the cruzatch and figuring out their own history and settling Muina, is just put on the back burner while you hear about kids and love lives and blah blah blah. I mean, great, she's with the man that she had no real reason to have logically been with and she is happy. That's awesome. Does every single character have to catch the love bug and get married/have babies?
Such a promising story. Such a shit way to end it all.
Such a promising story. Such a shit way to end it all.
November 9, 2022
This book (and trilogy) is not the “can’t put down”, but the “don’t want to put down” type - and there is a definite difference in the two. It doesn’t have nail-biting suspense or gut-wrenching angst that requires the reader to keep turning those pages. Rather, it reaches out, grabs, then ties up the reader with its engaging characters, interesting worlds and heart-warming emotions. The author does such a gifted job of tying our hearts to Cass and the people she learns to love that I quickly grew to absolutely adore and want to never leave their world.
That being said, it doesn’t mean there aren’t things that could drive some readers crazy, as well. The epistolary (diary) form of writing is occasionally inconsistent, as the POV switches (it doesnt’ work if one is writing in a diary about situations that have happened in the past but explaining them in present tense). It was also hard for me to buy into an 18 and 21 year old becoming such great parents to four children. At that point, Cass’s character began sounding much more like a 35 year old and not a teenager.
Still, the overall was so engaging and I was so invested that I just rolled my eyes and continued enjoying every entry! And, I’m a bit sad to leave these wonderful characters and world.
That being said, it doesn’t mean there aren’t things that could drive some readers crazy, as well. The epistolary (diary) form of writing is occasionally inconsistent, as the POV switches (it doesnt’ work if one is writing in a diary about situations that have happened in the past but explaining them in present tense). It was also hard for me to buy into an 18 and 21 year old becoming such great parents to four children. At that point, Cass’s character began sounding much more like a 35 year old and not a teenager.
Still, the overall was so engaging and I was so invested that I just rolled my eyes and continued enjoying every entry! And, I’m a bit sad to leave these wonderful characters and world.
December 14, 2018
This book is so dampened down by the slow pace and the lack of dialogue.
I was pretty pleased with the previous two books, and the slow building romance, but in this book the main relationship jumps ahead so far and fast that I got jetlag. And Cassandra’s decisions overall seemed very unrealistic to me for an 18-year old with a pretty mellow personality and a pragmatic attitude. There was also a distinct absence of dialogue and interaction with the awesome secondary characters of the previous books, and some of the new ones fell under the category of hard-to-swallow that I didn’t much care for.
So, though overall it is a very imaginative story, the final book was disappointing.
Review of Stray
Review of Lab Rat One
I was pretty pleased with the previous two books, and the slow building romance, but in this book the main relationship jumps ahead so far and fast that I got jetlag. And Cassandra’s decisions overall seemed very unrealistic to me for an 18-year old with a pretty mellow personality and a pragmatic attitude. There was also a distinct absence of dialogue and interaction with the awesome secondary characters of the previous books, and some of the new ones fell under the category of hard-to-swallow that I didn’t much care for.
So, though overall it is a very imaginative story, the final book was disappointing.
Review of Stray
Review of Lab Rat One
May 30, 2012
I'm just so darn ANGRY with this series! There were points when I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room and scream. It was so very very almost good! Instead it let itself down time and time again, leaving me sad for the author and angry enough to want my time back.
On the plus side, this is actual science fiction, complete with things that can't be properly explained because we don't have the background to understand it. It's confusing and vague, but sometimes that's a good thing when it pushes you to use your own brain to really interact with a story to fill in the blanks. I like that people are fallible in this book. That there are factions that can't be fully resolved, because that's real life stuff and great lessons for young adults.
What I didn't like was how freaking boring this installment was out of the three. I've been harping on this throughout my reviews on this one and this is no different.
But wait. This one is different. It's the Last Book. Your final chance to kick your reader in the teeth and make them remember you. Instead, this was more of the same. Same even tone throughout whether there is a big fight scene or someone describing their dreams. The ending felt no different than the beginning and felt forced and abrupt after all the pages and pages of nothing. There was no soul wrenching diary confessions. Just that same even tone page after page, never conveying how the character really really feels. She is untouchable and I couldn't relate to her or her perfect relationships with those around her.
If this was rewritten as anything but a diary, and edited properly, this could be an all star story and the next big thing. Instead it is remarkably worse off for being almost good.
On the plus side, this is actual science fiction, complete with things that can't be properly explained because we don't have the background to understand it. It's confusing and vague, but sometimes that's a good thing when it pushes you to use your own brain to really interact with a story to fill in the blanks. I like that people are fallible in this book. That there are factions that can't be fully resolved, because that's real life stuff and great lessons for young adults.
What I didn't like was how freaking boring this installment was out of the three. I've been harping on this throughout my reviews on this one and this is no different.
But wait. This one is different. It's the Last Book. Your final chance to kick your reader in the teeth and make them remember you. Instead, this was more of the same. Same even tone throughout whether there is a big fight scene or someone describing their dreams. The ending felt no different than the beginning and felt forced and abrupt after all the pages and pages of nothing. There was no soul wrenching diary confessions. Just that same even tone page after page, never conveying how the character really really feels. She is untouchable and I couldn't relate to her or her perfect relationships with those around her.
If this was rewritten as anything but a diary, and edited properly, this could be an all star story and the next big thing. Instead it is remarkably worse off for being almost good.
July 13, 2023
It took me a hot minute to realize why I loved this series so much, and it’s because not only is it Sci-Fi, but it also has many elements of a Fantasy tale, including . Smoosh my two favorite genres’ together and that is—to borrow a phrase—totally my jam.
Book 3 in the trilogy was by far my favorite, and I know it is partly because I was finally hip to the narration-by-diary from the start. Plus, the romance not only picks up the pace after being only hinted at for 1-9/10th of the first two books, but the conclusion is… Gah, I hate to use the word perfection, so let’s say pretty darn close to perfection.
Bottom line, the Touchstone series is one of the most creative and original stories that I’ve read in a while. All the bravos and all the cheers.
(Gratuitous plug for one of my favorite authors, but if Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy is also your jam, check out the Sky Raiders Series by Michelle Diener.)
Book 3 in the trilogy was by far my favorite, and I know it is partly because I was finally hip to the narration-by-diary from the start. Plus, the romance not only picks up the pace after being only hinted at for 1-9/10th of the first two books, but the conclusion is… Gah, I hate to use the word perfection, so let’s say pretty darn close to perfection.
Bottom line, the Touchstone series is one of the most creative and original stories that I’ve read in a while. All the bravos and all the cheers.
(Gratuitous plug for one of my favorite authors, but if Sci-Fi vs. Fantasy is also your jam, check out the Sky Raiders Series by Michelle Diener.)
August 21, 2016
Поставила отметку об окончании чтения и поняла, что читала последнюю книгу почти месяц. Все-таки третья часть мне далась поспокойнее, чем вторая, несмотря на подогревающее интерес к книге появление детей, Лиры, Отфотошопленных Богов и многих других. А вот конец слегка разочаровал. Слишком простой показалась развязка у такой по-хорошему закрученной интриги. Буду надеяться, что на русском, когда все станет окончательно понятным, все окажется интереснее.
И снова Касс нелегко дается познание ее способностей, и снова частые визиты к медикам, и снова градус напряжения растет по ходу книги, но теперь она не одна, ей есть на кого положиться и ради кого выжить, и это придает ей дополнительных сил. Экспекто патронум!!! :)
Очень пронзительный вышел эпизод со сновидениями Нилса, и как же здорово, что в конце книги у него все оказалось хорошо! Теперь очень хочется, чтобы и у Мейза все сложилось не хуже. С надеждой приступаю к заключительному кусочку серии.
И снова Касс нелегко дается познание ее способностей, и снова частые визиты к медикам, и снова градус напряжения растет по ходу книги, но теперь она не одна, ей есть на кого положиться и ради кого выжить, и это придает ей дополнительных сил. Экспекто патронум!!! :)
Очень пронзительный вышел эпизод со сновидениями Нилса, и как же здорово, что в конце книги у него все оказалось хорошо! Теперь очень хочется, чтобы и у Мейза все сложилось не хуже. С надеждой приступаю к заключительному кусочку серии.
March 21, 2022
re-read
I think this time around its a 3 star read. Mostly because I enjoyed how the story ended- but I'll be honest in that I skimmed ALOT.
Also, there was a plotline with Nurian orphans that was a very huge part of the story that wasn't really my cup of tea
But it looks like there are more installments after this one so I might read on, but also feel like the saga is complete at this point.
I think this time around its a 3 star read. Mostly because I enjoyed how the story ended- but I'll be honest in that I skimmed ALOT.
Also, there was a plotline with Nurian orphans that was a very huge part of the story that wasn't really my cup of tea
But it looks like there are more installments after this one so I might read on, but also feel like the saga is complete at this point.
January 31, 2017
Such a sweet series. Totally what I needed after this politically heinous month.
October 11, 2024
I loved it!
2020 reread! I understood more about the inner workings of the marbles this time around!
2024 reread! I enjoy this series!
2020 reread! I understood more about the inner workings of the marbles this time around!
2024 reread! I enjoy this series!
March 6, 2012
This is the last book in the Touchstone series by Andrea Host. The whole series has been entertaining and I’m glad I read it.
In this last book we have the true enemies revealed (no, it’s not the cats) and the true threat to the world revealed. We also see the pendultimate expression of Cassandra’s power: she can literally create things from pure imagination, will and pain. If there’s a more clear parallel to being a writer, I don’t know of it.
Although we do get a clear resolution to personal relationship plots as well as the world-shaking events of previous books, this was my least favorite of the trilogy. It’s the Return of the Jedi of the series, if you will. I’ll try to explain.
Things I liked:
I loved seeing the ultimate expression of Cassandra’s power. The ability to replicate objects, settings and even people from sheer imagination is something I haven’t seen in literature very often. Not unless we go back to the ‘Lathe of Heaven’ by Ursla K. Leguin.
Relatedly, the author’s use of these powers, but the main characters as well as the supporting character’s, shows imagination and a clear vision. The action is always easy to visualize and exciting. Which is why I wish there was more of it.
Cassandra finally comes into her own as a hero here, acting and moving to shape events as opposed to being a tool moved around by others.
The conflict is also huge here, with mass death and destruction –mostly off stage- and very high stakes drama in everything but the main character’s personal life.
Speaking of relationships, I did like the way Cassandra and Kaoren’s relationship is depicted. It’s a little idealized but, damn it, I like that sometimes. Real relationships are full of disappointments, it’s nice to see fictional characters having a happy ending.
What I didn’t like:
The action, so vivid and exciting, starts to wind down in this book. Cassandra is considered too valuable to go on monster-clearing patrols, to the book’s detriment. Too much of the story takes place in bedrooms and hospital labs, moving those scenes to locations of danger and action as in the second book would have helped.
The main characters, who is 18, ends up adopting three children and this REALLY slows down the pace and drama in the story. As happens elsewhere in the book, with the loss of liberty and privacy, the main character raises the issue that maybe an 18 year old newlywed isn’t the right person to be raising three children. But that is papered over pretty quickly and the main character starts playing house. That doesn’t mean that those scenes aren’t well written. They were and Cassandra’s actions all seemed in character. It just felt slightly more unbelievable than her ability to create dragons. (Which might be unbelievable but is also very awesome)
There isn’t enough cost to victory. Lira’s eventual fate has Deus Ex Machina that had me saying ‘Come on’ aloud when it was revealed. There is a lot of death and destruction and one previously-high-profile character does get badly wounded. But that isn’t enough. The author is good enough to recognize these issues and even address them but she seems to shy away from ‘pulling the trigger’ as it were. But maybe the Mega-Happy Ending is expected in YA.
Characters that we spent a lot of time with in the first book are pushed to the background and nearly forgotten. I’m thinking most of Zan and Maze, who were so prominent and supportive when she needed it. But once she hooks up with Kaoren Ruuel, he and his Forth Squad take center stage. This actually is very realistic, new relationships can crowd out old friendships, but I think it’s a flaw from a story viewpoint.
I didn’t like Ys as a character. She doesn’t play ‘hard to get’, she plays ‘hard to want’, to quote Ford Fairlane. I just didn’t like her and couldn’t really see why Cassandra would spend so much time and attention on her. It could be that Cassandra is just a pushover. I’d buy that as a reason.
There is a clash of cultures that is barely touched on. One culture has slavery. One is a very Liberal technocracy. This would be a great novel in and of itself, so I almost don’t blame the author for glossing over it. But that begs the question: why bring it up if you’re not going to explore it? There’s no plot reason for slavery or indentured servitude.
The climax happens too fast. The whole series has been building up to this moment. It deserved a lot more time and resolution to give an appropriate emotional climax and release.
The ‘dénouement’ after the climax goes on too long.
Summary:
The last book in an interesting trilogy, this is a required purchase and it should charm readers of the first two books. Indeed, there is even an inexpensive fourth book-let for those readers not yet ready to say good bye to living, breathing characters of the Touchstone books.
The book does go off in the last third into ‘what happened after’ rather than staying focused on the story. This is one area where an editor’s voice would have helped but on the whole, I am very impressed by the author and this series. Those same rough spots were deliberate choices by the author and lets her voice and her decisions drive the story.
I think Andrea Host is a potent counterpoint to anyone who says there’s nothing by a self-published author is any good.
Recommended
March 10, 2013
Just a few thoughts, mostly on Touchstone as a whole. I loved this, although I was a bit slow to warm up to it. By the second book I got absolutely sucked in, to the point where I was starting to feel the characters as real people I might know, or be, or want to know/be. I rushed pretty much straight into the third book, but then managed to give myself a right old migraine through reading obsessively on my damaged iPad screen and had to put it aside for a day or two. (Who'd have known, right?) No doubt that in itself affected how pulled into the story I was, which made some niggles stand out a bit more clearly than they might otherwise have done. Still, with this criticism, I'd rate this as a fantastic read, and I'm looking forward to reading all of Höst's other books.
Here's a partial list of things that won me over:
Cass is a tremendous heroine. She's your basic good heroine with the usual set of cool characteristics - funny, smart, brave and loving - but she's also unusual in a few ways that I particularly loved. For one, she's able to laugh at herself and even her horrific circumstances without losing the ability to acknowledge how much it all hurts. And for another, she's extremely self-aware. I can't think of another YA protagonist who thought about her infatuation for someone (a very hot guy, for suresies, but also a lot more) as she did. And I did say "thought about" - not angsted, swooned, or obsessed about, which would have been much less interesting. Her relationship with the Setari, as it developed over the course of the books, was really well done too. Initially seen, at best, as a potentially useful tool, and mostly as a responsibility, she becomes part of what is a family by acting as they do in the fundamentals: she fights to protect others. Of course with her it rarely has to do with actual fighting, but she is increasingly facing danger and taking on the responsibility herself for doing what she can with her abilities.
A lovely romance, with ample proof that sometimes the sexiest of sexy times are those that aren't described in detail. Nice surprises along the way, too (even if the big surprise isn't one at all), with generic expectations being smashed happily.
There's a reason I don't do any official reviews of sf books (although I can see this being one that wouldn't be regarded as sf anyway by fans), as I tended to go slightly out-of-focus on the near-space/real-spaces/the Ena/parasite worlds/whatever. There were minor things that didn't seem to quite make sense to me that I just ignored, once it was apparent I was never going to read this as an ideas book rather than a people book. In that regard, I've no idea if it was solid or not-so, but there's so much going on in the huge variety of relationships and personalities and ways of coping that it didn't matter.
I was very pleased that novel didn't have the typical evil, power-grubbing government that's so popular these days. A lot of things about the life is upsetting to Cass, but it's always obvious that government is primarily about ensuring the survival of people in a hostile environment that is getting worse, rather than about depriving people of rights (such as privacy) for the fun of it. There was really enough threat out there for the question of survival to be The Question, and a B(ig)E(vil)G(overnment) would probably have detracted rather than added to the story. The way Muina was set up to be inhabited was really interesting too, and I loved watching Cass watch the world and compare it to earth.
The niggles that caused me to give this four instead of five stars relate primarily to the fact that I found this book dragged somewhat, especially in comparison to book two. Also, I found the ending, while far from pain-free utopia, still felt a tiny bit easy, given how truly terrifying the build-up was. My take, for what it's worth, is that a good editing would have tightened by cutting, especially from books 1 and 3, and fixed the fairly frequent grammar mistakes. Still, as I said at the beginning, highly enjoyable and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author, as soon as my screen is fixed.
Here's a partial list of things that won me over:
Cass is a tremendous heroine. She's your basic good heroine with the usual set of cool characteristics - funny, smart, brave and loving - but she's also unusual in a few ways that I particularly loved. For one, she's able to laugh at herself and even her horrific circumstances without losing the ability to acknowledge how much it all hurts. And for another, she's extremely self-aware. I can't think of another YA protagonist who thought about her infatuation for someone (a very hot guy, for suresies, but also a lot more) as she did. And I did say "thought about" - not angsted, swooned, or obsessed about, which would have been much less interesting. Her relationship with the Setari, as it developed over the course of the books, was really well done too. Initially seen, at best, as a potentially useful tool, and mostly as a responsibility, she becomes part of what is a family by acting as they do in the fundamentals: she fights to protect others. Of course with her it rarely has to do with actual fighting, but she is increasingly facing danger and taking on the responsibility herself for doing what she can with her abilities.
A lovely romance, with ample proof that sometimes the sexiest of sexy times are those that aren't described in detail. Nice surprises along the way, too (even if the big surprise isn't one at all), with generic expectations being smashed happily.
There's a reason I don't do any official reviews of sf books (although I can see this being one that wouldn't be regarded as sf anyway by fans), as I tended to go slightly out-of-focus on the near-space/real-spaces/the Ena/parasite worlds/whatever. There were minor things that didn't seem to quite make sense to me that I just ignored, once it was apparent I was never going to read this as an ideas book rather than a people book. In that regard, I've no idea if it was solid or not-so, but there's so much going on in the huge variety of relationships and personalities and ways of coping that it didn't matter.
I was very pleased that novel didn't have the typical evil, power-grubbing government that's so popular these days. A lot of things about the life is upsetting to Cass, but it's always obvious that government is primarily about ensuring the survival of people in a hostile environment that is getting worse, rather than about depriving people of rights (such as privacy) for the fun of it. There was really enough threat out there for the question of survival to be The Question, and a B(ig)E(vil)G(overnment) would probably have detracted rather than added to the story. The way Muina was set up to be inhabited was really interesting too, and I loved watching Cass watch the world and compare it to earth.
The niggles that caused me to give this four instead of five stars relate primarily to the fact that I found this book dragged somewhat, especially in comparison to book two. Also, I found the ending, while far from pain-free utopia, still felt a tiny bit easy, given how truly terrifying the build-up was. My take, for what it's worth, is that a good editing would have tightened by cutting, especially from books 1 and 3, and fixed the fairly frequent grammar mistakes. Still, as I said at the beginning, highly enjoyable and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author, as soon as my screen is fixed.
September 10, 2015
Actual Rating 3.5
While I enjoyed this story, the pacing lagged quite a bit for me. The diary style format didn't work so well for me here... granted, the slow-downs had to do with how hard it is to figure out how to save the world / universe, and how you aren't in control even if you have super-nifty half-understood powers. I don't think I would have minded the pacing, except that the climax absolutely did not work for me. Partly this was the diary style format, . But it also had to do with the climax itself...and it comes back to my review of Lab Rat One where I wanted Cass to take more agency in her story.
I still really enjoyed this story, and definitely recommend it to fans of sci-fi / fantasy genre mix-ups featuring (here it comes!) psychic space ninjas.
While I enjoyed this story, the pacing lagged quite a bit for me. The diary style format didn't work so well for me here... granted, the slow-downs had to do with how hard it is to figure out how to save the world / universe, and how you aren't in control even if you have super-nifty half-understood powers. I don't think I would have minded the pacing, except that the climax absolutely did not work for me. Partly this was the diary style format, . But it also had to do with the climax itself...and it comes back to my review of Lab Rat One where I wanted Cass to take more agency in her story.
I still really enjoyed this story, and definitely recommend it to fans of sci-fi / fantasy genre mix-ups featuring (here it comes!) psychic space ninjas.
December 4, 2011
While a satisfying conclusion, I dropped a star on this one as opposed to how I rated the other books in the series. There were a few times I wanted to reach through the electronic page and shake Cass & tell her to ask about this, or demand that, or tell so-and-so to do the anatomically impossible. And there were a couple of places I really wanted more explanation of some things between Cass & Kaoren Ruuel and was surprised she never mentioned some of these things to him (such as him keeping the paper crane she had given him that she created in a dream). In her shoes, I'd've been all over that subject ad nauseum. I had to keep reminding myself I didn't write this book, and that Cass's actions - or non-action, as it was in many cases - is pretty much true to her character.
Overall, even though it pinged off in a totally different direction than I expected, a very enjoyable conclusion to the series.
Overall, even though it pinged off in a totally different direction than I expected, a very enjoyable conclusion to the series.
April 11, 2015
This was a real let down. It dragged the whole way, and when the climax happened, **SPOILER** the main character wasn't conscious and didn't use her powers to triumph, which is so disappointing after she had shown such ingenuity and bravery throughout the first two books. This book focuses more on her growing family and on colonization of Muina. The explanation of what the pillars are, what the cruzatch are, how these words are related to Earth, etc. aren't explained except if the most cursory way, which is to say, not at all. It's like the author didn't really know where to go with all that, so just kind of glossed over it and focused more on the domestic situation.
April 6, 2017
I found, to my bewilderment, that when I started this reread I couldn't remember how it resolved, and it only come back to me as I read it, which was nice, really, as it was almost like reading it anew (except that I was horrified that my memory had failed me!). This time I did feel again that it needed a thorough edit, not only to tighten it up generally but because I found the final resolution a bit hurried, and I found that many questions I had still weren't answered, but I did very much enjoy the reread.
November 17, 2014
This is generally considered a step-down from the first two books of the series, and it's not hard to see why. This was a perfectly entertaining book in some ways, but in other ways, it takes the weaker points of the first two books and amplifies them. Still, this was a well-written conclusion to a very unique series.
Here's the biggest problem: I never really bought Cass's romance with Kaoren. They didn't get together until the very end of the last book, where they had sex for the first time. But we're less than a third of the way into this book (which is to say, only a month or so away from the events of the last book) when they're having sex nearly every other entry and planning to get married. They even adopt kids (sorta) before the end of the book! And yet, for most of the second book, Cass spent most of her time around Kaoren fangirling rather than getting to know him. They didn't seem to have much legitimate chemistry, and sex was often used in the place of emotionally resonant moments. I'm not saying I don't think they should've had sex - that's what teenagers do when they're with their boyfriends on their own - but the fact that Cass seemed to treat what they had as a genuine romance never quite felt right to me.
Another problem was that the various character arcs and plot threads of the book didn't quite come together conclusively for me. There's always been a lot going on, so much that I oftentimes have trouble keeping track of it. (That was a pretty big problem here, although it was much worse in Lab Rat One. The complete lack of recaps don't help.) And it never quite came together for me. There were a lot of plot threads that were never resolved (for example, we never get a conclusive answer to Muina's nature), and a lot of the character arcs began but were never fully developed (Zee, anyone?). It felt like Höst bit off more than she could chew - she started more than she could finish. And that left the ending a little unsatisfying.
The ending was also satisfying because of the biggest overarching problem that the series faces: dramatic structure. I haven't left a single Touchstone book and felt like it had an adequate rising action, climax, and falling action. Stray definitely had an adequate beginning period, but other than that, it just feels like a whole lotta middle. This book in particular was supposed to serve as a climax to the entire series (since that's what the end of trilogies are generally supposed to do), but I wasn't aware of what that climax was supposed to be until it had already happened. The ending was also very rushed and patched together. Moreover, this book really had no beginning - the line between this book and Lab Rat One was completely arbitrary, as far as dramatic structure was concerned. I can understand why this was the case - the series started out as a blog that was meant to be taken as one story - but divided into three books, it doesn't work the way Höst wants it to.
All this isn't to say that the book doesn't have stronger aspects - it definitely does. The strongest part of this book is what the strongest part of the series always has been - Cass's voice and characterization. Her voice is very authentic for a teenager, and it really captures her wry sense of humor and fundamentally silly attitude. There was occasionally a bit too much dialogue, but for the most part, Cass's diary entries felt true to their format, leaving the impression of something very, very realistic. This is aided by Cass's reactions to what's going on around her. Throughout the series, we see a lot of her shock and awe at the completely new world that she's been brought to. Höst has stated that her goal with the series was to include the boring parts that most authors skip over and make them interesting, and she certainly succeeds there. Although it had the side effect of giving the impression that Höst bit off more than she could chew, it was fundamentally successful at making the story entertaining and real. It wasn't the most exciting story in the world - note the lack of strong climax - but it was still entertaining throughout, and it felt more realistic in its entertainment value than most sci-fi manages.
Overall, while this book was weaker than the last two, this was overall quite a unique and fun series. Its dramatic structure may have been lacking, but Cass is a realistic character with a strong voice, its worldbuilding is excellent, it's entertaining throughout, and it feels fundamentally realistic to what finding yourself on another planet would really be like. It hasn't gotten a ton of attention, since it's self-published, but it's easily the best self-published series I've read, and it definitely deserves more attention than most indie books get. Moreover, with its incredibly cheap Kindle price, there's no reason not to try out the series if you're a fan of YA sci-fi.
Here's the biggest problem: I never really bought Cass's romance with Kaoren. They didn't get together until the very end of the last book, where they had sex for the first time. But we're less than a third of the way into this book (which is to say, only a month or so away from the events of the last book) when they're having sex nearly every other entry and planning to get married. They even adopt kids (sorta) before the end of the book! And yet, for most of the second book, Cass spent most of her time around Kaoren fangirling rather than getting to know him. They didn't seem to have much legitimate chemistry, and sex was often used in the place of emotionally resonant moments. I'm not saying I don't think they should've had sex - that's what teenagers do when they're with their boyfriends on their own - but the fact that Cass seemed to treat what they had as a genuine romance never quite felt right to me.
Another problem was that the various character arcs and plot threads of the book didn't quite come together conclusively for me. There's always been a lot going on, so much that I oftentimes have trouble keeping track of it. (That was a pretty big problem here, although it was much worse in Lab Rat One. The complete lack of recaps don't help.) And it never quite came together for me. There were a lot of plot threads that were never resolved (for example, we never get a conclusive answer to Muina's nature), and a lot of the character arcs began but were never fully developed (Zee, anyone?). It felt like Höst bit off more than she could chew - she started more than she could finish. And that left the ending a little unsatisfying.
The ending was also satisfying because of the biggest overarching problem that the series faces: dramatic structure. I haven't left a single Touchstone book and felt like it had an adequate rising action, climax, and falling action. Stray definitely had an adequate beginning period, but other than that, it just feels like a whole lotta middle. This book in particular was supposed to serve as a climax to the entire series (since that's what the end of trilogies are generally supposed to do), but I wasn't aware of what that climax was supposed to be until it had already happened. The ending was also very rushed and patched together. Moreover, this book really had no beginning - the line between this book and Lab Rat One was completely arbitrary, as far as dramatic structure was concerned. I can understand why this was the case - the series started out as a blog that was meant to be taken as one story - but divided into three books, it doesn't work the way Höst wants it to.
All this isn't to say that the book doesn't have stronger aspects - it definitely does. The strongest part of this book is what the strongest part of the series always has been - Cass's voice and characterization. Her voice is very authentic for a teenager, and it really captures her wry sense of humor and fundamentally silly attitude. There was occasionally a bit too much dialogue, but for the most part, Cass's diary entries felt true to their format, leaving the impression of something very, very realistic. This is aided by Cass's reactions to what's going on around her. Throughout the series, we see a lot of her shock and awe at the completely new world that she's been brought to. Höst has stated that her goal with the series was to include the boring parts that most authors skip over and make them interesting, and she certainly succeeds there. Although it had the side effect of giving the impression that Höst bit off more than she could chew, it was fundamentally successful at making the story entertaining and real. It wasn't the most exciting story in the world - note the lack of strong climax - but it was still entertaining throughout, and it felt more realistic in its entertainment value than most sci-fi manages.
Overall, while this book was weaker than the last two, this was overall quite a unique and fun series. Its dramatic structure may have been lacking, but Cass is a realistic character with a strong voice, its worldbuilding is excellent, it's entertaining throughout, and it feels fundamentally realistic to what finding yourself on another planet would really be like. It hasn't gotten a ton of attention, since it's self-published, but it's easily the best self-published series I've read, and it definitely deserves more attention than most indie books get. Moreover, with its incredibly cheap Kindle price, there's no reason not to try out the series if you're a fan of YA sci-fi.
October 16, 2012
Fully satisfying. A great series I highly recommend.
I'll try to come back later and make some useful comments about both this one and Lab Rat One, but I just can't manage it right now.
Copied from my blog (this content is also in my review for Lab Rat One):
Life being what it is, I just haven’t managed to write up any kind of review for either Lab Rat One or Caszandra, the second and third books in Andrea K. Höst’s Touchstone trilogy. Today, I added comments to my Goodreads entry for the epilogue to this trilogy, so I thought I’d better say something here before posting that.
The bottom line is that I really loved this trilogy. It’s quick and pacey and has an engaging protagonist in Cass. I love a science fiction mystery, and there’s a lot of that in these books, which made me very happy. It’s also a good coming-of-age story that manages to touch on a bit of teenage angst (and every teenager has some) without dwelling on it. Instead, Cass is both realistic and at times self-deprecating and I really liked her for both those things.
I had been planning to read these two books alternating between the Liaden series, reading one of one, then one of the other and so on. Instead, I read straight through, buying Caszandra as soon as I finished Lab Rat One (or possibly a bit before) and then the Gratuitous Epilogue as soon as (or before) I finished Caszandra. I had to keep going and I had to know how it ended. Also, what happened after it ended.
This is really one story cut into three books, which means that there is next to no recap on previous volumes when you get to the next one. That’s fine if you’ve got a good memory, but I don’t, so if you’re like me, I recommend having all three books (and the epilogue) ready and waiting and keeping right on reading.
There are a few formatting errors in these self-published books, but they are very few and don’t interfere with the story. I am most impressed with Andrea K. Höst and I am sure I’ll be reading more of her books. In fact, I bought her latest, And All the Stars, on release day and I’m looking forward to reading it.
I hope that gives you a good idea of how much I really enjoyed these books and highly recommend the series. The first one is Stray and you need to begin there.
I'll try to come back later and make some useful comments about both this one and Lab Rat One, but I just can't manage it right now.
Copied from my blog (this content is also in my review for Lab Rat One):
Life being what it is, I just haven’t managed to write up any kind of review for either Lab Rat One or Caszandra, the second and third books in Andrea K. Höst’s Touchstone trilogy. Today, I added comments to my Goodreads entry for the epilogue to this trilogy, so I thought I’d better say something here before posting that.
The bottom line is that I really loved this trilogy. It’s quick and pacey and has an engaging protagonist in Cass. I love a science fiction mystery, and there’s a lot of that in these books, which made me very happy. It’s also a good coming-of-age story that manages to touch on a bit of teenage angst (and every teenager has some) without dwelling on it. Instead, Cass is both realistic and at times self-deprecating and I really liked her for both those things.
I had been planning to read these two books alternating between the Liaden series, reading one of one, then one of the other and so on. Instead, I read straight through, buying Caszandra as soon as I finished Lab Rat One (or possibly a bit before) and then the Gratuitous Epilogue as soon as (or before) I finished Caszandra. I had to keep going and I had to know how it ended. Also, what happened after it ended.
This is really one story cut into three books, which means that there is next to no recap on previous volumes when you get to the next one. That’s fine if you’ve got a good memory, but I don’t, so if you’re like me, I recommend having all three books (and the epilogue) ready and waiting and keeping right on reading.
There are a few formatting errors in these self-published books, but they are very few and don’t interfere with the story. I am most impressed with Andrea K. Höst and I am sure I’ll be reading more of her books. In fact, I bought her latest, And All the Stars, on release day and I’m looking forward to reading it.
I hope that gives you a good idea of how much I really enjoyed these books and highly recommend the series. The first one is Stray and you need to begin there.
November 10, 2016
Listen Lady Author you and me are gonna have a talk about how not right it is to make me tear up several times in the course of reading (especially as that means I had to STOP reading to clear out my blurry eyes). I said this before, but I'll say it again the Touchstone books took me by surprise by just how enthralling I found them.
Everything comes full circle in this book, for good and ill. The nature of the book is that they're in diary format so the events are told from a retrospective viewpoint, which in some ways spoils certain things (obviously if we're reading the diary entries that means Cass has survived whatever immediate issue comes up). This works well for the action scenes which could, presumably, become really confusing in real time without Cass describing who did what and giving references.
I admit even though I was rather impatient for this book's release (there may have been author stalking involved) I kept getting distracted from finishing it as quickly as I wanted. This led to a bit of confusion whenever I resumed (usually hours later) because there is a lot that happens to and around Cass--often very quickly and suddenly.
This is a much more personal book, not just for Cass, but for all the members of the Setari, Kolar and even Nura. Which, by the way, thank god there's a character listing in the back because the cast list is just...HUGE by the end of this book. I was having some trouble keeping all the Squads straight once we got beyond First, Second, Third and Fourth (and parts of Eighth and Twelfth).
Back on topic, no one is left unscathed in this book and a lot is revealed and discussed. There is a lot of soul-searching for both Kaoren (Ruuel) and Cass in this book, after the ending of LAB RAT ONE its only natural after all and they're given a whole bunch of reasons to have even more deep conversations. Plus hanky-panky, which is never a bad thing.
Surprisingly Cassandra manages to keep herself from getting too banged up in this installment. She spends a good deal of time trying to help heal emotional (and physical) wounds of those she cares about and comes to care about. Between the Lanterans and the Nurans I'm really not sure who takes the cake as having the worst citizens honestly. One group brings about the end of their civilization and the other has such elitist pigs amongst them that I wanted to strangle them so badly. Oh wait, that's both groups at one point or other.
While the book wraps up nicely, there are some leftover questions, which are neatly answered in the 'extra' "Gratuitous" novella (which I'll be reviewing separately because its long enough), but many of the questions are superfluous to the overall plot (except perhaps the fate of one of Cass' friends) and answered or not doesn't change the experience.
This would be the fourth book of Host's I read in a year, third in as many months (read the Touchstone trilogy between September-November) and she hasn't let me down yet.
Everything comes full circle in this book, for good and ill. The nature of the book is that they're in diary format so the events are told from a retrospective viewpoint, which in some ways spoils certain things (obviously if we're reading the diary entries that means Cass has survived whatever immediate issue comes up). This works well for the action scenes which could, presumably, become really confusing in real time without Cass describing who did what and giving references.
I admit even though I was rather impatient for this book's release (there may have been author stalking involved) I kept getting distracted from finishing it as quickly as I wanted. This led to a bit of confusion whenever I resumed (usually hours later) because there is a lot that happens to and around Cass--often very quickly and suddenly.
This is a much more personal book, not just for Cass, but for all the members of the Setari, Kolar and even Nura. Which, by the way, thank god there's a character listing in the back because the cast list is just...HUGE by the end of this book. I was having some trouble keeping all the Squads straight once we got beyond First, Second, Third and Fourth (and parts of Eighth and Twelfth).
Back on topic, no one is left unscathed in this book and a lot is revealed and discussed. There is a lot of soul-searching for both Kaoren (Ruuel) and Cass in this book, after the ending of LAB RAT ONE its only natural after all and they're given a whole bunch of reasons to have even more deep conversations. Plus hanky-panky, which is never a bad thing.
Surprisingly Cassandra manages to keep herself from getting too banged up in this installment. She spends a good deal of time trying to help heal emotional (and physical) wounds of those she cares about and comes to care about. Between the Lanterans and the Nurans I'm really not sure who takes the cake as having the worst citizens honestly. One group brings about the end of their civilization and the other has such elitist pigs amongst them that I wanted to strangle them so badly. Oh wait, that's both groups at one point or other.
While the book wraps up nicely, there are some leftover questions, which are neatly answered in the 'extra' "Gratuitous" novella (which I'll be reviewing separately because its long enough), but many of the questions are superfluous to the overall plot (except perhaps the fate of one of Cass' friends) and answered or not doesn't change the experience.
This would be the fourth book of Host's I read in a year, third in as many months (read the Touchstone trilogy between September-November) and she hasn't let me down yet.
June 9, 2025
I did it! I read it! I caved in!
Even though I was/am super super SUPER mad at Cass for being the stereotypical teenage girl, moaning and obsessing over a 'strong, silent" type guy who barely says anything to her besides ordering her around, while there is basically a war being waged and dead people dropping like flies, I liked it. Going to rant a little but, large segments of this book was the same dry and detailed repetition of Cass' s everyday life: training (don't know how this girl isn't an athlete by now) perilous missions, discovering new and powerful abilities, scary nightmares, and making 'sweet' *gagging* love to her love interest, finding out more about the Arcadia etc, it was a great end to an incredible beautiful story.
One thing I didn't like was that through this diary narration, you can't really get a sense of most of power players in this series. Cass is not the best narrator. We can infer based on Cass's very narrow and biased view of the other personalities and motivations or anything besides one or two sentences about each characters. Her love interest is a strong psychic, deals with her continuous nightmares, and the leader of the 4th Squad. There is nothing really special about him or any of the characters besides being military types.
But...
Everything makes so much sense now! Mystery solved and it just so meaningful and well-thought out series. Of course Cass adopts three refugee children even though she like 18-19, destroys a planet, gets engaged in 2 weeks and some how stays a 'stray' but at least she makes the choice to stay.(although a little too passive for someone who is basically superwoman) It kind of makes sense why she needed romance/love interest because that's the only reason I can reasonably see why she doesn't make her way home after being used so much.
Will be re-reading this book (of course speed reading past the non-essential fake romance)
Re-read 2025.
This was a tough re-read. I remember liking how the story ends but still not appreciating how much useless, daily life details you have to push through to get to the main story. Dairy entries from teenage girl is so less fun to read as an adult, even if she is a super powered and can save worlds. Enough with the pointless romances!!!
Even though I was/am super super SUPER mad at Cass for being the stereotypical teenage girl, moaning and obsessing over a 'strong, silent" type guy who barely says anything to her besides ordering her around, while there is basically a war being waged and dead people dropping like flies, I liked it. Going to rant a little but, large segments of this book was the same dry and detailed repetition of Cass' s everyday life: training (don't know how this girl isn't an athlete by now) perilous missions, discovering new and powerful abilities, scary nightmares, and making 'sweet' *gagging* love to her love interest, finding out more about the Arcadia etc, it was a great end to an incredible beautiful story.
One thing I didn't like was that through this diary narration, you can't really get a sense of most of power players in this series. Cass is not the best narrator. We can infer based on Cass's very narrow and biased view of the other personalities and motivations or anything besides one or two sentences about each characters. Her love interest is a strong psychic, deals with her continuous nightmares, and the leader of the 4th Squad. There is nothing really special about him or any of the characters besides being military types.
But...
Everything makes so much sense now! Mystery solved and it just so meaningful and well-thought out series. Of course Cass adopts three refugee children even though she like 18-19, destroys a planet, gets engaged in 2 weeks and some how stays a 'stray' but at least she makes the choice to stay.(although a little too passive for someone who is basically superwoman) It kind of makes sense why she needed romance/love interest because that's the only reason I can reasonably see why she doesn't make her way home after being used so much.
Will be re-reading this book (of course speed reading past the non-essential fake romance)
Re-read 2025.
This was a tough re-read. I remember liking how the story ends but still not appreciating how much useless, daily life details you have to push through to get to the main story. Dairy entries from teenage girl is so less fun to read as an adult, even if she is a super powered and can save worlds. Enough with the pointless romances!!!
March 7, 2017
Of the three books in the trilogy, this one is the weakest. I still liked Cass, and the plot, but the middle really dragged. I think part of the problem was the diary format, which actually wasn't a problem in the first two books.
This time around, the daily entry slowed the plot down to a crawl. When the pace should have been getting faster as the plot threads tied up, it got slower because of so many filler entries.
It didn't help that so many new characters were introduced - especially considering the dozens of characters that were already a problem for the author to juggle. I also was flat out bored with the kids. Sorry, I just didn't find them in the least bit interesting.
The biggest disappointment was when the plot finally got wrapped up, it was anticlimactic - three books worth of plot resolved in about ten pages.
I guess if you're more interested in the social and romantic aspects of the books, you'll like this one. If you're in it for a rip-roaring adventure, you'll be very disappointed.
I did enjoy many of the ideas that went into the trilogy. I wish those ideas had been more of a focus in the last book.
This time around, the daily entry slowed the plot down to a crawl. When the pace should have been getting faster as the plot threads tied up, it got slower because of so many filler entries.
It didn't help that so many new characters were introduced - especially considering the dozens of characters that were already a problem for the author to juggle. I also was flat out bored with the kids. Sorry, I just didn't find them in the least bit interesting.
The biggest disappointment was when the plot finally got wrapped up, it was anticlimactic - three books worth of plot resolved in about ten pages.
I guess if you're more interested in the social and romantic aspects of the books, you'll like this one. If you're in it for a rip-roaring adventure, you'll be very disappointed.
I did enjoy many of the ideas that went into the trilogy. I wish those ideas had been more of a focus in the last book.
December 28, 2011
I have found this third book to be the most exciting of the series. This book brings together all the questions you want answered while leaving just a little bit so you want more still. I was sad to let Cazandra and all the other characters go, feeling I knew them by the end of this book. I cannot say enough about the author of these books...she writes so well. I hate books that are complicated or tacky to read, but I like a little escapism too. The author lets you escape into the pages and this world without it being a chore to read. I never give spoilers when reviewing a book because...well it spoils it. But let me tell you this...they are awesome. This comes from someone who never read sci fi books, I surprised myself by even trying it...makes me so glad I did. I Also generally don't read books twice....but these books I have, and can see myself reading them again soon. I believe that these books would make an awesome game series, then we could live the books....almost.
December 7, 2012
This book took a turn for the worse in my opinion. The "love" story and addition of children so suddenly was just ridiculous for an 18 year old. I dunno. It ended differently than I had anticipated and instead of being surprised, I was let down. I feel like it could have been so much better, less predictable. And again, the use of an editor would have made a big difference to my enjoyment of this book since it was again riddled with grammatical errors.
I hear there's a short follow-up to the series, following the next year and a half of their lives. I doubt I'll pick it up because I can guess what it contains: everyone finds who they love, get married, build houses, and have kids. Zzzzzzzz....
I hear there's a short follow-up to the series, following the next year and a half of their lives. I doubt I'll pick it up because I can guess what it contains: everyone finds who they love, get married, build houses, and have kids. Zzzzzzzz....
February 7, 2015
Not yet ready to write a review. Not sure I want to anyway. There are already beautifully written reviews on this book/series.
I enjoyed the story of Cassandra a lot to the point that I am even going to read Gratuitous Epilogue. I'm told it's about weddings, babies and all. I cannot believe I'll be reading that lol But then, the romance (s) in this series was (were) not sickeningly sirrupy (which was a change from my previous series read). So...
Plus, I do want to know if they'll be able to make some people (won't name them as I don't want to spoil) come from Earth.
ok. If you're in for some cool YA SF, this series is for you.
I enjoyed the story of Cassandra a lot to the point that I am even going to read Gratuitous Epilogue. I'm told it's about weddings, babies and all. I cannot believe I'll be reading that lol But then, the romance (s) in this series was (were) not sickeningly sirrupy (which was a change from my previous series read). So...
Plus, I do want to know if they'll be able to make some people (won't name them as I don't want to spoil) come from Earth.
ok. If you're in for some cool YA SF, this series is for you.
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