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Fanuilh #5

by Daniel Hood

Praise for Scales of Justice, the previous book in the magical mystery series...

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Dragons

416 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2000

Reviews

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Liam has come to Torquay, the capital, to do some research, and also to deliver a package from the Duke. It seems to be a fairly innocuous assignment. But, of course, it isn't. Before he knows it, Liam is accused of murder, and running for his life. But he can't leave until he can somehow discover the truth.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liam is sent to deliver a mysterious package from the Duke to a scholar in the capital city of Torquay. A simple if mysterious errand which quickly turns into a plot that implicates Liam in treason and murder. Throughout the book, Liam is struggling to survive and evade capture. His primary hunter is the Warden, the chief of the thousand Peacekeepers in the city. In this woman Liam meets his match and, he concedes, his better at chasing him down. He has nowhere to go and his face is known everywhere. He must deliver the package to its ultimate goal, survive the attempts on his life by the true treasoners, evade capture by the Warden, and try to clear his name. It's all very exciting and fast paced until the last bit of the book. While I liked this final entry in the series overall, I also felt a deep disappointment at the ending. As Liam observed himself, it was quite anticlimactic. However the great chase leading up to it was fantastic. While all the story's ends were tied up, I felt somehow that there was more to be said, more justice to be delivered. In any case, I am sad that the series is at an end. I am reading these many years after they were written so I have no hope for another and no indication that Hood will return to the rich world that he built (the worldbuilding was truly fantastic) or give us another. This saddens me because the journey has been very satisfying.

[Jen526 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a charming little series, and I think this was my favorite book of them all. Liam has an amusingly dry sense of humor where he gives a little snarky aside occasionally that put a smile on my face, the relationship between Liam and Fanuilh was sweet, and the plot of this story gave it a great internal momentum as we, the reader, are on the run along with Liam and rolling with the punches as each effort at escape hit a new counter-attack from the "police" on his tail. The ending was also a lovely bittersweet little twist on typical expectations.

I find myself sad that there won't be any other adventures for me to experience with these two characters.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, I’ll give this a solid 4.5✨
The pacing was a liiiiittle off, with everything resolving again in the last 20 pages. Still tho. I’m sad this series is over 😭😭
I did like how things didn’t end all happy tho. That was a nice twist.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the Fanuilh books since the day I first picked up "A Familiar Dragon". While mysteries have always intrigued me, I found the mesh between fantasy and intrigue engrossing and spent many a night discovering the complex plots and conclusions drawn by our hero Liam Rhenford.

The hero is realistic; his fear, his sarcastic remarks, and his expectations. In his mind he deals with real, familiar problems and debates - one I feel we, as readers, would ourselves think if we were thrust into such a situation, as outlandish as it may be.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the stories and this book, the King's Cure, I do have to subtract a star for the ending. I found that, unlike previous books, the end was rather anti-climactic and left me a bit disappointed. Without saying spoilers, the position of the Pacifix and her intentions seemed rather clear to me from the beginning and, while the end holds true to realism, it was a bit of a let down all things considered. The only thing I can think is that it fit in with the overall scheme of the world Rhenford lives in, or perhaps it was just a sort of "moral to the story".

Either way, the book wound down mid-way through and while still an enjoyable read (keeping me entertained all night to read it, since I couldn't put it down), not quite up to par with the Sherlock Holmes-esque plot I've come accustomed to in the Fanuilh novels.

I still definitely recommend the King's Cure and believe it will still be an enjoyable read to any who have enjoyed, or who are knew, to the Fanuilh series. (And note, while I believe the books are best enjoyed in chronological order, they can easily be read and enjoyed out of order as well).

[Katzenjammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent little book. A very light read.

[Coleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think my favorite of this series