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Amra Thetys #3
The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow's Gate
Alternate cover edition of ASIN B00ONJ8EDO
After surviving Thagoth and returning rich to Lucernis, Amra and Holgren have settled down to a very comfortable, if decidedly unexciting life -- until the night Amra receives an old enemy's head in a box. A longstanding debt calls her back home to Bellarius, the scene of many childhood horrors she would much rather forget about.
But as bad as memories of the past might be, present-day Bellarius is rapidly becoming worse, for the Eightfold Goddess has not forgotten about Amra, and another of Her Blades, the Knife that Parts the Night, has been discovered and threatens to tear the very fabric of reality apart.
All that stands in the way of utter destruction is one small, scarred thief and her mage companion...
After surviving Thagoth and returning rich to Lucernis, Amra and Holgren have settled down to a very comfortable, if decidedly unexciting life -- until the night Amra receives an old enemy's head in a box. A longstanding debt calls her back home to Bellarius, the scene of many childhood horrors she would much rather forget about.
But as bad as memories of the past might be, present-day Bellarius is rapidly becoming worse, for the Eightfold Goddess has not forgotten about Amra, and another of Her Blades, the Knife that Parts the Night, has been discovered and threatens to tear the very fabric of reality apart.
All that stands in the way of utter destruction is one small, scarred thief and her mage companion...
181 pages, ebook
First published May 19, 2014
123 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Michael McClung
36 books392 followersMichael McClung was born in San Antonio, Texas, but now lives in Europe. He has had the requisite number of odd jobs expected of a speculative fiction author, including soldier, book store manager, and bowling alley pin boy. His first book, the Sword & Sorcery novel "Thagoth," won the Del Rey Digital first novel competition in 2002 and was published by Random House in 2003.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 17, 2021
YES! Another spectacular installment. I'm in a mindblinding bliss right now. When I'm done hibernating, I'll make a more detailed review!
Crackgods, i.e. cracked gods, literally.
Walls for magic, the internal ones.
I loved charming names for streets:
- Ink Street, where all the ‘scribes, copyists, chandlers, and accountants’ live.
- Street of Owls...
I didn't particulartly like the honorific reference for 'Doma', which seems to have been coined from the Latin 'Domina'. I get the why and how this derivation took place but sort of don't like it.
My pet peeves aside, the whole thing was juicy and charming, in the Tad Williams and Mercedes Lackey way.
Q:
Someone quick-witted.
Someone with an almost inhuman will to survive.
Someone who could inspire loyalty, even love.
Someone with the ability to overcome desperate, brutal situations against hopeless odds. (c)
Q:
The Knife observed with keen interest the children who flooded the city, found no aid, and, crushed by the weight of destitution, desperation, and hunger, became petty thieves, then cunning criminals, then—as often as not—cold-eyed killers. But most keenly, it observed the handful that became consummate survivors. Those who died were not, of course, mourned though the Knife remembered them. The Knife remembered everything. (c)
Q:
I was home alone, savoring a nice Gol-Shen red and rereading Dubbuck’s epic and amusing Iron Witch, when someone came knocking at the door. (c)
Q:
The wine and the ale flowed freely, and the revelers, both men and women, seemed to have abandoned anything approaching morals or common sense. Many had also abandoned important parts of their attire, though everyone I could see still had on a mask of one sort or another. (c)
Q:
Q:
The only way to be truly sure it was safe was to have somebody else open it with me in another room, but what can I say? The list of people I would use that way had grown remarkably short. (c)
Q:
I briefly considered slapping the lid back on and just living with the curiosity, but even as I was thinking it, I put three fingers into the loop and lifted up. (c)
Q:
You’d wind up sitting on your hands in some inn or public room when you could be here, trying to blow up half the city. (c)
Q:
Over the last year, I’d decided to limit myself to two knives on my person at any one time in an effort to better play the respectable woman of business role. It wasn’t easy. I felt, if not naked, at least under-dressed. (c)
Q:
Some people keep talismans. Some kids have a favorite doll. Knives comfort me, and I needed a bit of comfort, coming back to Bellarius. Don’t judge. (c)
Q:
Have I mentioned my suspicious nature? (c)
Q:
I’m a woman. I get to change my mind. Get used to it. (c)
Q:
I prefer any possible enemy to be as stupid as mossy rocks. (c)
Q:
Everybody in Hardside knew where to find her. It made it easier to avoid her. (c)
Q:
“You broke a Blade forged by a goddess, powerful enough, perhaps, to cleave the world in twain. I would very much like to know how you managed such a feat.”
“I expressed my dislike for it using harsh language.” (c)
Q:
Handing out sound advice is generally a thankless task even with rational people. Try it with a mage sometime. (c)
Q:
“Um. That. Powerful and mysterious people appearing and disappearing, talking to you like you were a barrel full of gunpowder sitting next to a bonfire.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,,,,Nobody talks to barrels. That would be crazy.” (c)
Q:
Were these traps set to keep me out, or keep me in, or just to do me in, whichever way I was going? (c)
Q:
So I have monsters on both sides of my heritage. (c)
Q:
“My father was unpredictable.” By which I meant irrational, which was a nice way of saying half-crazy. Among other things. (c)
Q:
Mysterious, powerful, nameless entities toying with my life kind of scared me spitless. (c)
Q:
Storm winds had started to blow in my soul. (c)
Q:
I’m not really up to date on the love lives of dead gods, sorry. (c)
Q:
I prefer to do the impossible before the unpleasant. (c)
Q:
“Do you remember the Cataclysm?”
“Why do people always ask me that? How Kerf-damned old do I look?” (c)
Q:
What the renegade Philosophers who caused the Cataclysm a thousand years ago desired most was to understand the workings of reality itself. What they did not realize, sadly, is that which is observed is changed by the very fact of its observation. (c)
Q:
“I planned my assault with great care. Much good it did me.”
“You flew into a window and tried to burn the Telemarch to a crisp. You call that planning?” (c)
Q:
That is the most spectacularly stupid idea I have ever heard in my life. (c)
Q:
I’ve got better, and less insane, things to do with my time. (c)
Q:
I put up with it until it got old. Which was about three seconds. (c)
Q:
Being able to tap that power didn’t make me a mage. It made me a disaster waiting to happen. (c)
Q:
I was, apparently, perched on the stone railing of a long balcony. To my right was the Bay of Bellarius, sparkling in the sun. To my left, graceful, stone arches and beyond them a big room. In the room was a big, white block of stone. Glowing runes chased each other across its surface. (c)
Q:
Would you have liked it better if I’d said, ‘Hello niece, I’m your long-lost uncle. By the way, I’m also a revolutionary leader, a middling mage, and I’ve got a sideline in hunting those responsible for the Purge. You know, on my idle days?’ (c)
Q:
I’ve no idea what exactly they were rioting about. I doubt they did either.
…
“I see. Is there a particular reason for that anarchy, or is it just an excess of high spirits?” (c)
Q:
“Amra my dear… We need to talk about your ideas on gardening.” ...
“Why’s that?”
“They are disturbing.” (c)
Q:
“…And the friend you came here to help?”
“He’s fine. He’ll be trying to kill me any time now, but he’s fine.”
“Well then. What’s next on the agenda?” (c)
Q:
“Amra?”
“Yes?”
“How do I put this delicately? You are very much a grown woman, but I’m not sure you should be let out of the house on your own any more.” (c)
Q:
“Can I ask why we’re about to kill the most powerful mage on the Dragonsea?”
“Sure. If we don’t, the whole city will explode come morning.
“Given the state it’s in right now, I’m not sure how you could tell the difference.”
“Easy. Right now, there’s a mountain. In the morning, there’ll only be a smoking hole in the ground.” (c)
Q:
“You really are hard on knives … If I was Kalara’s Knife, Amra Thetys, I’d be very, very worried.” (c)
Q:
They were an ugly, hard, not-very-nice lot, but they were not, on the whole, stupid. Well, except for Moron. ...
“You’d kill me just because somebody named Moron Fishhead didn’t like your leadership style? Really?” (c)
Q:
Nobody wants to be associated with an idiot. (c)
Q:
“Really? I was being sarcastic.”
Really. I was being factual. (c)
Crackgods, i.e. cracked gods, literally.
Walls for magic, the internal ones.
I loved charming names for streets:
- Ink Street, where all the ‘scribes, copyists, chandlers, and accountants’ live.
- Street of Owls...
I didn't particulartly like the honorific reference for 'Doma', which seems to have been coined from the Latin 'Domina'. I get the why and how this derivation took place but sort of don't like it.
My pet peeves aside, the whole thing was juicy and charming, in the Tad Williams and Mercedes Lackey way.
Q:
Someone quick-witted.
Someone with an almost inhuman will to survive.
Someone who could inspire loyalty, even love.
Someone with the ability to overcome desperate, brutal situations against hopeless odds. (c)
Q:
The Knife observed with keen interest the children who flooded the city, found no aid, and, crushed by the weight of destitution, desperation, and hunger, became petty thieves, then cunning criminals, then—as often as not—cold-eyed killers. But most keenly, it observed the handful that became consummate survivors. Those who died were not, of course, mourned though the Knife remembered them. The Knife remembered everything. (c)
Q:
I was home alone, savoring a nice Gol-Shen red and rereading Dubbuck’s epic and amusing Iron Witch, when someone came knocking at the door. (c)
Q:
The wine and the ale flowed freely, and the revelers, both men and women, seemed to have abandoned anything approaching morals or common sense. Many had also abandoned important parts of their attire, though everyone I could see still had on a mask of one sort or another. (c)
Q:
Q:
The only way to be truly sure it was safe was to have somebody else open it with me in another room, but what can I say? The list of people I would use that way had grown remarkably short. (c)
Q:
I briefly considered slapping the lid back on and just living with the curiosity, but even as I was thinking it, I put three fingers into the loop and lifted up. (c)
Q:
You’d wind up sitting on your hands in some inn or public room when you could be here, trying to blow up half the city. (c)
Q:
Over the last year, I’d decided to limit myself to two knives on my person at any one time in an effort to better play the respectable woman of business role. It wasn’t easy. I felt, if not naked, at least under-dressed. (c)
Q:
Some people keep talismans. Some kids have a favorite doll. Knives comfort me, and I needed a bit of comfort, coming back to Bellarius. Don’t judge. (c)
Q:
Have I mentioned my suspicious nature? (c)
Q:
I’m a woman. I get to change my mind. Get used to it. (c)
Q:
I prefer any possible enemy to be as stupid as mossy rocks. (c)
Q:
Everybody in Hardside knew where to find her. It made it easier to avoid her. (c)
Q:
“You broke a Blade forged by a goddess, powerful enough, perhaps, to cleave the world in twain. I would very much like to know how you managed such a feat.”
“I expressed my dislike for it using harsh language.” (c)
Q:
Handing out sound advice is generally a thankless task even with rational people. Try it with a mage sometime. (c)
Q:
“Um. That. Powerful and mysterious people appearing and disappearing, talking to you like you were a barrel full of gunpowder sitting next to a bonfire.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,,,,Nobody talks to barrels. That would be crazy.” (c)
Q:
Were these traps set to keep me out, or keep me in, or just to do me in, whichever way I was going? (c)
Q:
So I have monsters on both sides of my heritage. (c)
Q:
“My father was unpredictable.” By which I meant irrational, which was a nice way of saying half-crazy. Among other things. (c)
Q:
Mysterious, powerful, nameless entities toying with my life kind of scared me spitless. (c)
Q:
Storm winds had started to blow in my soul. (c)
Q:
I’m not really up to date on the love lives of dead gods, sorry. (c)
Q:
I prefer to do the impossible before the unpleasant. (c)
Q:
“Do you remember the Cataclysm?”
“Why do people always ask me that? How Kerf-damned old do I look?” (c)
Q:
What the renegade Philosophers who caused the Cataclysm a thousand years ago desired most was to understand the workings of reality itself. What they did not realize, sadly, is that which is observed is changed by the very fact of its observation. (c)
Q:
“I planned my assault with great care. Much good it did me.”
“You flew into a window and tried to burn the Telemarch to a crisp. You call that planning?” (c)
Q:
That is the most spectacularly stupid idea I have ever heard in my life. (c)
Q:
I’ve got better, and less insane, things to do with my time. (c)
Q:
I put up with it until it got old. Which was about three seconds. (c)
Q:
Being able to tap that power didn’t make me a mage. It made me a disaster waiting to happen. (c)
Q:
I was, apparently, perched on the stone railing of a long balcony. To my right was the Bay of Bellarius, sparkling in the sun. To my left, graceful, stone arches and beyond them a big room. In the room was a big, white block of stone. Glowing runes chased each other across its surface. (c)
Q:
Would you have liked it better if I’d said, ‘Hello niece, I’m your long-lost uncle. By the way, I’m also a revolutionary leader, a middling mage, and I’ve got a sideline in hunting those responsible for the Purge. You know, on my idle days?’ (c)
Q:
I’ve no idea what exactly they were rioting about. I doubt they did either.
…
“I see. Is there a particular reason for that anarchy, or is it just an excess of high spirits?” (c)
Q:
“Amra my dear… We need to talk about your ideas on gardening.” ...
“Why’s that?”
“They are disturbing.” (c)
Q:
“…And the friend you came here to help?”
“He’s fine. He’ll be trying to kill me any time now, but he’s fine.”
“Well then. What’s next on the agenda?” (c)
Q:
“Amra?”
“Yes?”
“How do I put this delicately? You are very much a grown woman, but I’m not sure you should be let out of the house on your own any more.” (c)
Q:
“Can I ask why we’re about to kill the most powerful mage on the Dragonsea?”
“Sure. If we don’t, the whole city will explode come morning.
“Given the state it’s in right now, I’m not sure how you could tell the difference.”
“Easy. Right now, there’s a mountain. In the morning, there’ll only be a smoking hole in the ground.” (c)
Q:
“You really are hard on knives … If I was Kalara’s Knife, Amra Thetys, I’d be very, very worried.” (c)
Q:
They were an ugly, hard, not-very-nice lot, but they were not, on the whole, stupid. Well, except for Moron. ...
“You’d kill me just because somebody named Moron Fishhead didn’t like your leadership style? Really?” (c)
Q:
Nobody wants to be associated with an idiot. (c)
Q:
“Really? I was being sarcastic.”
Really. I was being factual. (c)
August 13, 2019
Previous rating: 8 stars.
New rating: 12 stars. Because duh and and stuff.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: Amra Thetys is the most unjustly overlooked Fantasy series in the history of Viciously Overlooked Fantasy Series (VOFS™). Not only is it one of my top 5 favorite Fantasy series ever, it is also one of my top 5 favorite Fantasy series ever. I kid you not. I think this could possibly mean that Amra Thetys is a fairly enjoyable series. But hey, I could be wrong. Hahahahaha. Just kidding. When have I ever been wrong? “Never,” you say? Yep, sounds about right.
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: evil, sentient knives + rotting heads + hahahaha + chop chop chop slice slice slice + best revoltingly juvenile sidekick ever + malevolent fog + Boom Poof Gone Magic (BPGM™) + obscure, mentally damaged deities + Amra’s very special take on, um, gardening + decaying flesh and ropes of intestines and tentacles, oh my! + yummy revenge and delicious vengeance and stuff + rabid goats + “Never trust kids who are cute as baskets full of kittens” + kinda sorta reluctant anti-heroes + “gesture, sparks, boom” + liars and traitors and assholes, oh yeah! + good, obedientdoggies Stones + bang and smoke = fresh corpse (now that’s my kind of maths) +
“Holgren-fucking-Angrado”
=
• Book 1: The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Good Eye ★★★★★
• Book 4: The Thief Who Wasn't There ★★★★★
• Book 5: The Thief Who Went to War ★★★★★
• Short stories: The Last God ★★★★★
[Original review]
Actual rating: 8 ← were you expecting anything less?
Okay, here we go. Well, we are not actually going to go anywhere, to be honest. Nope nope nope. Why? Because I have nothing to say about this book. Nothing apart from this, that is:
I know, I know, I already said that in my review for book 2. Repeatedly. But what do you want me to do? Amra Thetys is so awesome that she leaves me slightly brain-dead and stuff. So don't blame me, blame Michael McClung. This is all his fault, obviously, and I am naught but an innocent bystander here.
[Half an hour passes]
Oh. You're still here? You're not waiting for me to actually write something about this book, are you? Oh. You are? Sigh ← in case you were wondering: yes, this is indeed me stalling because I have no idea what to say. Okay, let me try and do this in a coherent way , and without repeating everything I've alreadymentioned multiple times said in my previous reviews for this series. Yeah, I can do that. Of course I can. No biggie and stuff .
♥ Why I love this series in general and this instalment in particular.
✔ Because I love Amra. I love her voice. I love the way her character keeps evolving with each new instalment. I love how badass she is. I love how complex she is. I love how funny she is. I love how she keeps surprising me. Because yes, there are quite a few surprises here. But I won't tell you about them. Because, you know, spoilers. Where does that all take us, you ask? This is where: one more amazing instalment like this one and I'm snaching Amra Thetys for my very exclusive Ass-Kicking Girls Harem. I think she'll get along just fine with Kate Daniels, Shanti, Muse, Elise Kavanagh and the rest of their colleagues. Ha.
✔ Because I love that the setting for each book keeps changing. Michael McClung builds Amra's world bits by bits and it's fantastic. Because it's keep things interesting. Because it all comes together progressively, book after book. And it's never boring. This instalment is *very* different from the previous ones and I love it just as much, if not more. Here Amra returns to Bellarius, where she was born and spent her nightmarish childhood. And it's fantastic ← yes, I know I've already said that but please bear with me, I'm trying to make a point here. Thank you. It's fantastic because we get to know Amra much more intimately. We find out why and how she became the person she is today, the Ultimate Survivor. Pretty amazing stuff.
✔ Because I love ALL the characters in this series, evil nemesis and random bad guys included. Come to think of it, there seem to be more evil nemesis and random bad guys than characters with good, pure intentions, which is just how I like it. Obviously. Now, about Holgren (Amra's very cool sidekick and now "lover," as she likes to call him ← still no coma-inducing romance in sight, thank Kerf!). Apparently, some readers were disappointed that Holgren was away for the better part of this story. Me? I honestly didn't mind. Then again I didn't mind Curran being away in Magic Breaks. Or Shanti and Cayan being apart in Hunted. Because (I said it before and I'll say it again, it's my new favorite motto): we're not in this for the lovey doveycrap stuff people! We're here for the gruesome fights, weird creatures and generally epic shit. Yes we are. Besides, Holgren is now busy blowing things up, how cool is that? Besides, the next instalment will be a Holgren POV, how cool is that? Besides, Amra gets herself a very cool kid sidekick in this instalment, how cool is that? In fact, I loved Keel (the very cool kid sidekick) and his very cool/very funny interactions with Amra so much I hope he comes back in book 4. All in all, you could say the slightly super cool cast of characters is slightly super cool. Yes, you could say that.
✔ Because I love the absolute awesomeness of it all: suicidal sparrows! Dangerous kitten girls! Knives-knives-knives! Chuckles (not as funny as it sounds)! The underestimated power of leaves! Gestures-Sparks-Boom! Delusional/slightly mentally unbalanced/ill-intentioned gods and goddesses! Flicking your fingers and saying "your turn!" Cool-creatures-yay! Blood-and-gore-yay! And let's not forget about the severed heads! I think Amra is developing some kind of fetish here, hahahaha! Yes yes yes, I bloody love it all.
By the way, here's another YES for you: YES, I am aware that I haven't said much about the plot. But that's because it wouldn't make much sense to those who haven't read the series ← great excuse, isn't it? What can I say, I'm a clever girl. Hey, actually here's a second excuse for you: I can't say much about the plot because spoilers and stuff. Ha.
➽ So. To make an absurdly long, ever-rambling review short: just READ THIS SERIES people, you'll be gleefully glad you did.
[Pre-review nonsense]
♦ ♦ Amra Thetys, the Ultimate Survivor ♦ ♦
► Let me tell you, it doesn't get much better than this. No it doesn't.
► And now I'm supposed to wait until October for the next instalment in the series?! You have got to be joking Michael McClung! Do you really think I have the patience to wait one whole month for a Holgren POV? You don't know me at all, do you? Things are about to get really ugly.
►► Crappy review to come
New rating: 12 stars. Because duh and and stuff.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: Amra Thetys is the most unjustly overlooked Fantasy series in the history of Viciously Overlooked Fantasy Series (VOFS™). Not only is it one of my top 5 favorite Fantasy series ever, it is also one of my top 5 favorite Fantasy series ever. I kid you not. I think this could possibly mean that Amra Thetys is a fairly enjoyable series. But hey, I could be wrong. Hahahahaha. Just kidding. When have I ever been wrong? “Never,” you say? Yep, sounds about right.
➽ And the other moral of this reread is: evil, sentient knives + rotting heads + hahahaha + chop chop chop slice slice slice + best revoltingly juvenile sidekick ever + malevolent fog + Boom Poof Gone Magic (BPGM™) + obscure, mentally damaged deities + Amra’s very special take on, um, gardening + decaying flesh and ropes of intestines and tentacles, oh my! + yummy revenge and delicious vengeance and stuff + rabid goats + “Never trust kids who are cute as baskets full of kittens” + kinda sorta reluctant anti-heroes + “gesture, sparks, boom” + liars and traitors and assholes, oh yeah! + good, obedient
• Book 1: The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids ★★★★★
• Book 2: The Thief Who Spat in Luck's Good Eye ★★★★★
• Book 4: The Thief Who Wasn't There ★★★★★
• Book 5: The Thief Who Went to War ★★★★★
• Short stories: The Last God ★★★★★
[Original review]
Actual rating: 8 ← were you expecting anything less?
Okay, here we go. Well, we are not actually going to go anywhere, to be honest. Nope nope nope. Why? Because I have nothing to say about this book. Nothing apart from this, that is:
I know, I know, I already said that in my review for book 2. Repeatedly. But what do you want me to do? Amra Thetys is so awesome that she leaves me slightly brain-dead and stuff. So don't blame me, blame Michael McClung. This is all his fault, obviously, and I am naught but an innocent bystander here.
[Half an hour passes]
Oh. You're still here? You're not waiting for me to actually write something about this book, are you? Oh. You are? Sigh ← in case you were wondering: yes, this is indeed me stalling because I have no idea what to say. Okay, let me try and do this in a coherent way , and without repeating everything I've already
♥ Why I love this series in general and this instalment in particular.
✔ Because I love Amra. I love her voice. I love the way her character keeps evolving with each new instalment. I love how badass she is. I love how complex she is. I love how funny she is. I love how she keeps surprising me. Because yes, there are quite a few surprises here. But I won't tell you about them. Because, you know, spoilers. Where does that all take us, you ask? This is where: one more amazing instalment like this one and I'm snaching Amra Thetys for my very exclusive Ass-Kicking Girls Harem. I think she'll get along just fine with Kate Daniels, Shanti, Muse, Elise Kavanagh and the rest of their colleagues. Ha.
✔ Because I love that the setting for each book keeps changing. Michael McClung builds Amra's world bits by bits and it's fantastic. Because it's keep things interesting. Because it all comes together progressively, book after book. And it's never boring. This instalment is *very* different from the previous ones and I love it just as much, if not more. Here Amra returns to Bellarius, where she was born and spent her nightmarish childhood. And it's fantastic ← yes, I know I've already said that but please bear with me, I'm trying to make a point here. Thank you. It's fantastic because we get to know Amra much more intimately. We find out why and how she became the person she is today, the Ultimate Survivor. Pretty amazing stuff.
✔ Because I love ALL the characters in this series, evil nemesis and random bad guys included. Come to think of it, there seem to be more evil nemesis and random bad guys than characters with good, pure intentions, which is just how I like it. Obviously. Now, about Holgren (Amra's very cool sidekick and now "lover," as she likes to call him ← still no coma-inducing romance in sight, thank Kerf!). Apparently, some readers were disappointed that Holgren was away for the better part of this story. Me? I honestly didn't mind. Then again I didn't mind Curran being away in Magic Breaks. Or Shanti and Cayan being apart in Hunted. Because (I said it before and I'll say it again, it's my new favorite motto): we're not in this for the lovey dovey
✔ Because I love the absolute awesomeness of it all: suicidal sparrows! Dangerous kitten girls! Knives-knives-knives! Chuckles (not as funny as it sounds)! The underestimated power of leaves! Gestures-Sparks-Boom! Delusional/slightly mentally unbalanced/ill-intentioned gods and goddesses! Flicking your fingers and saying "your turn!" Cool-creatures-yay! Blood-and-gore-yay! And let's not forget about the severed heads! I think Amra is developing some kind of fetish here, hahahaha! Yes yes yes, I bloody love it all.
By the way, here's another YES for you: YES, I am aware that I haven't said much about the plot. But that's because it wouldn't make much sense to those who haven't read the series ← great excuse, isn't it? What can I say, I'm a clever girl. Hey, actually here's a second excuse for you: I can't say much about the plot because spoilers and stuff. Ha.
➽ So. To make an absurdly long, ever-rambling review short: just READ THIS SERIES people, you'll be gleefully glad you did.
[Pre-review nonsense]
♦ ♦ Amra Thetys, the Ultimate Survivor ♦ ♦
► Let me tell you, it doesn't get much better than this. No it doesn't.
► And now I'm supposed to wait until October for the next instalment in the series?! You have got to be joking Michael McClung! Do you really think I have the patience to wait one whole month for a Holgren POV? You don't know me at all, do you? Things are about to get really ugly.
►► Crappy review to come
September 25, 2021
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The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids ★★★★
The Thief Who Spat In Luck’s Good Eye ★★ 1/2
The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate ★★★★
Up to this point in the story I felt there was something missing in this series and I think I found it in this third entry in the series which is also the best so far! After the catastrophic downfall that was book two, I found myself enjoying the book very much again and rooting for Amra and the rest of the characters.
The problem was that book two felt like an amateurish book but this book has the writing of a professional. There was a lot among those 200-something pages and it really raised the bar again. I am glad I did not give up on this series. The prose was much more polished in this one and it was good from page one till the last page.
I was super excited for book 2 because it was Amra and Holgren book but I think as in book 1 these characters work better as a main character and a supporting character. Holgren does not have much “page time” in this book but I think that certainly worked for the best. There were a lot of secondary characters that I enjoyed, Keel was a very interesting sidekick and I also liked how we got more backstories for the characters we already know.
The pacing was fast and I still can not wrap my head around how much was packed into this. It had a lot of things going on and it all made sense and came together towards the end (I loved how it ended). I think the next book will be Holgren’s book which is equally exciting and scary because I don’t want my experience with book two again but I have a feeling it will be good!
“Money doesn’t make anybody better than anybody else. But it can make servants out of those who believe it does.”
The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids ★★★★
The Thief Who Spat In Luck’s Good Eye ★★ 1/2
The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate ★★★★
Up to this point in the story I felt there was something missing in this series and I think I found it in this third entry in the series which is also the best so far! After the catastrophic downfall that was book two, I found myself enjoying the book very much again and rooting for Amra and the rest of the characters.
The problem was that book two felt like an amateurish book but this book has the writing of a professional. There was a lot among those 200-something pages and it really raised the bar again. I am glad I did not give up on this series. The prose was much more polished in this one and it was good from page one till the last page.
I was super excited for book 2 because it was Amra and Holgren book but I think as in book 1 these characters work better as a main character and a supporting character. Holgren does not have much “page time” in this book but I think that certainly worked for the best. There were a lot of secondary characters that I enjoyed, Keel was a very interesting sidekick and I also liked how we got more backstories for the characters we already know.
The pacing was fast and I still can not wrap my head around how much was packed into this. It had a lot of things going on and it all made sense and came together towards the end (I loved how it ended). I think the next book will be Holgren’s book which is equally exciting and scary because I don’t want my experience with book two again but I have a feeling it will be good!
“May all the dead gods take pity on anything that stands in my way, for I will not.”
December 26, 2025
We return to the brutal and bloody world of Amra Thetys in the third novel in this series. I enjoyed this one far more than book two - there was much less body horror and much more typical, dark fantasy. There are still meddling gods, ancient artefacts (also meddling), magic, and a colourful cast of characters with wit as razor sharp as their knives.
I loved the Hag, the gods, the well of power, the consequences, the influence and manipulation, and how Amra faced everything head on. She has come a long way from book one, and it’s been wonderful to see her grow as a character (and with her own power), though quite how this series will continue, I’m not sure!
It was a pretty short book, though my reading was slow due to general year-end tiredness. I imagine most readers could get through this over an afternoon or two.
Really glad I returned to the series, and am excited to see where things go next!
I loved the Hag, the gods, the well of power, the consequences, the influence and manipulation, and how Amra faced everything head on. She has come a long way from book one, and it’s been wonderful to see her grow as a character (and with her own power), though quite how this series will continue, I’m not sure!
It was a pretty short book, though my reading was slow due to general year-end tiredness. I imagine most readers could get through this over an afternoon or two.
Really glad I returned to the series, and am excited to see where things go next!
February 9, 2018
I love Amra. This really has already become one of my favourite series!
New city, new adventure, new side character and more insane things happening!
As expected this one once again was really fast paced, fun, entertaining, grim and yet easy read! I breezed through it in just two days and am already halfway into the next one...
If you haven't tried this series yet, I strongly recommend you go and rectify that error soon! :)
New city, new adventure, new side character and more insane things happening!
As expected this one once again was really fast paced, fun, entertaining, grim and yet easy read! I breezed through it in just two days and am already halfway into the next one...
If you haven't tried this series yet, I strongly recommend you go and rectify that error soon! :)
May 25, 2021
"How do I put this delicately? You are very much a grown woman, but I'm not sure you should be let out of the house on your own anymore."
Haha, I always have such a good time with Amra Thetys and the anarchy that seems to follow her everywhere - this was my favourite instalment in the series so far!
Haha, I always have such a good time with Amra Thetys and the anarchy that seems to follow her everywhere - this was my favourite instalment in the series so far!
November 25, 2024
This excellent series continues with Amra Thetys returning to her roots and facing all her personal demons in some manner. It ends on a cliffhanger but it's a worthy one, and if you're reading this far you would have continued anyway.
I can't praise the first book enough. But although they're still marvelous, the next two haven't quite brought me to same high. What's missing wasn't in the first book either, but it wasn't needed there. The problem is the speed with which McClung plows through emotional moments. There's a lot of potential there, excellent material to build it from, but any emotional punch seems to have to come from the reader. You're going to have to stop and linger in it on your own where it's called for, because these books don't give those moments time to breathe. They manage to pack in as many exciting events and story developments as books twice their length, but I need them to slow down now and then and sit with the emotion.
I'm jumping quickly into the next one regardless because otherwise there's so much to love: joy in the characters, brutal and unforgiving magic, entrancing gods, beyond-sinister artifacts, loyalty, kittens, birdies, stabbing people through their eyes directly into their brains . . . what's not to love?
I can't praise the first book enough. But although they're still marvelous, the next two haven't quite brought me to same high. What's missing wasn't in the first book either, but it wasn't needed there. The problem is the speed with which McClung plows through emotional moments. There's a lot of potential there, excellent material to build it from, but any emotional punch seems to have to come from the reader. You're going to have to stop and linger in it on your own where it's called for, because these books don't give those moments time to breathe. They manage to pack in as many exciting events and story developments as books twice their length, but I need them to slow down now and then and sit with the emotion.
I'm jumping quickly into the next one regardless because otherwise there's so much to love: joy in the characters, brutal and unforgiving magic, entrancing gods, beyond-sinister artifacts, loyalty, kittens, birdies, stabbing people through their eyes directly into their brains . . . what's not to love?
April 23, 2019
🔪 "Amra Is The Stuff of Awesome" BR with the MacHalo Asylum 🔪
Suffice to say I am losing my mind. What the hell?!?!
P.S.: Amra was doing the "Snapping-Poof You Are Gone" before it was cool. Thanos should put Amra in his Acknowledgements. (ヅ)
“I’ll wait if it’s all the same to you. I prefer to do the impossible before the unpleasant.”
@51% - Ch. 15
Suffice to say I am losing my mind. What the hell?!?!
P.S.: Amra was doing the "Snapping-Poof You Are Gone" before it was cool. Thanos should put Amra in his Acknowledgements. (ヅ)
June 26, 2019
A fantastic enjoyable read, from start to finish.
One of best series ever.
One of best series ever.
May 6, 2021
Awesome series...!
May 13, 2018
These put me in the spirit of the classic serial fantasy adventures such as Conan or Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Lots of action, immaginative characters with great names and justified violence.
This ends in a cliffhanger and I'm already devouring book four; narrated by Amra's lover, mage and designer of guns, Holgren.
This ends in a cliffhanger and I'm already devouring book four; narrated by Amra's lover, mage and designer of guns, Holgren.
October 2, 2020
I just really like these books and I’ve had a shitty, tiring week. Amra really brought some joy to my late nights before passing out.
May 20, 2019
Amra's narration remains the top attraction, her being a sort of Raymond Chandler soiled hero with the voice to match. Her outside is thorns, her inside is undealt-with pain and trauma, and at her very core is a bit of incandescent nobility and a lot of anger.
The city of Bellarius--Amra's birthplace--is a rougher and more interesting city than the less-detailed Lucernis. Bellarius's politics, its very geography, is built into the many threads of the plot. All of which, of course, eventually wrap around Amra personally and head towards an inevitable and devastating confrontation.
McClung again infuses the story with a twisty inventiveness that freshens the staple ideas of "hardscrabble metropolis" and "magical cataclysm" and "warrior of prophecy" and even "dying days of Magic in the world". I hope this setting has many more stories to it.
The city of Bellarius--Amra's birthplace--is a rougher and more interesting city than the less-detailed Lucernis. Bellarius's politics, its very geography, is built into the many threads of the plot. All of which, of course, eventually wrap around Amra personally and head towards an inevitable and devastating confrontation.
McClung again infuses the story with a twisty inventiveness that freshens the staple ideas of "hardscrabble metropolis" and "magical cataclysm" and "warrior of prophecy" and even "dying days of Magic in the world". I hope this setting has many more stories to it.
February 25, 2025
4.5 stars
That ending!
Snagged book 4 immediately upon completion. I really enjoyed both books in this series leading up to this point, but this one was different. It definitely stood out. We get more background on Amra which in my opinion led to more of a connection with her character and this world. The first two books definitely did not leave on a cliffhanger this large, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing this world through Holgren's eyes in the next installment.
I really love this series and so happy that it was recommended to me. It is definitely an interesting world that blends both high and low fantasy elements seamlessly. It could be a re-examination of our own world in a different universe, but could very well have taken place many years in the past or many years in the future depending on your viewpoint. It has immaculate characterization, plenty of action and tension, and superb worldbuilding, everything I want my fantasy reads to have. I wish that I hadn't let so much time lapse between reading book 2 and this installment because my mind definitely became rusty and I forgot some key information. I have already decided to re-read this series again once I've finished, but will read them all back to back.
Thanks to Sarah for pointing me in the direction of this gem of a fantasy series. I wish it were more well-known because it is awesome!
That ending!
Snagged book 4 immediately upon completion. I really enjoyed both books in this series leading up to this point, but this one was different. It definitely stood out. We get more background on Amra which in my opinion led to more of a connection with her character and this world. The first two books definitely did not leave on a cliffhanger this large, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing this world through Holgren's eyes in the next installment.
I really love this series and so happy that it was recommended to me. It is definitely an interesting world that blends both high and low fantasy elements seamlessly. It could be a re-examination of our own world in a different universe, but could very well have taken place many years in the past or many years in the future depending on your viewpoint. It has immaculate characterization, plenty of action and tension, and superb worldbuilding, everything I want my fantasy reads to have. I wish that I hadn't let so much time lapse between reading book 2 and this installment because my mind definitely became rusty and I forgot some key information. I have already decided to re-read this series again once I've finished, but will read them all back to back.
Thanks to Sarah for pointing me in the direction of this gem of a fantasy series. I wish it were more well-known because it is awesome!
March 6, 2015
The grisly contents of an anonymous package sends Amra on a reluctant journey to her homeland, Bellarius, where her quest to settle an old debt with a childhood friend sets the stage for another exciting and mysterious adventure.
This third installment in the fantastic Amra Thetys series delves deeper than ever before into the history of our favorite thief-turned-heroine, exploring the horrors of Amra's childhood in Bellarius while also revealing some secrets of her incredible destiny.
Michael McClung continues to amaze me with this brilliantly conceived and artfully executed fantasy series...a constantly compelling blend of gritty realism, sword and sorcery action, and sly humor. These stories are true treasures, must-reads for lovers of the fantasy genre.
This third installment in the fantastic Amra Thetys series delves deeper than ever before into the history of our favorite thief-turned-heroine, exploring the horrors of Amra's childhood in Bellarius while also revealing some secrets of her incredible destiny.
Michael McClung continues to amaze me with this brilliantly conceived and artfully executed fantasy series...a constantly compelling blend of gritty realism, sword and sorcery action, and sly humor. These stories are true treasures, must-reads for lovers of the fantasy genre.
February 9, 2020
The best so far!
Amra is solo this time around. When someone from the past turns up, Amra decides she must return to the city of her birth. She soon finds she may have been lured into a trap. Quite a few threads are woven building to a climax that left me shocked and very eager for book four.
Recommended!
Amra is solo this time around. When someone from the past turns up, Amra decides she must return to the city of her birth. She soon finds she may have been lured into a trap. Quite a few threads are woven building to a climax that left me shocked and very eager for book four.
Recommended!
December 20, 2017
An excellent 3rd book in the Amra Thetys series. in this adventure Amra returns to her childhood home where we discover more about her past and she discovers more about herself. All whilst battling godlings and mad mages - splendid!
April 8, 2020
The fact that this series is so underrated is one of life's biggest mysteries, alongside the creation of the universe itself (overdramatic much ?). I just don't get it. This is epic fantasy at its finest, it's such a rewarding read while having such a good time-invested / mind-blowing-and-heart wrenching-and-everything-you-might-want-in-a-book ratio (yes, I'm looking at you, Malazan), and yet it is so. freaking. underrated. It's almost as much of a crime as this ending - seriously, how can this ending not being punished by law ?
So, yeah. If you like fantasy and haven't picked up this series yet, seriously, what are you doing with your life ?
So, yeah. If you like fantasy and haven't picked up this series yet, seriously, what are you doing with your life ?
June 19, 2020
Entertaining.
It’s a fine line that fantasy writers walk between plot tension and characters power. Too powerful a character and the plot risks being too easy. Too weak and it’s not believable. All good fantasy writers find a way to balance opposing forces. This book is not the best, but does well enough to make the story compelling.
It’s a fine line that fantasy writers walk between plot tension and characters power. Too powerful a character and the plot risks being too easy. Too weak and it’s not believable. All good fantasy writers find a way to balance opposing forces. This book is not the best, but does well enough to make the story compelling.
October 31, 2023
Як і перша, ця книга серії дуже сподобалась. Епічне фентезі + мій улюблений Лінч. Амра Тетіс дуже крута героїня, з важкою долею та класним коханим. Ця пара могла б перевернути світ, якби мали опору. Сил на двох у них вдосталь. Але вони адекватні, тому таким не займаються. На відміну від сотень душ вбитих дітей, які прагнуть помсти. Місто, яке "породило" Амру, яке вона ладна забути, потребує її. І їй не залишається нічого, як віддати борг, і повернутись до "витоків".
Після другої книги думав буде спад. Але оця, третя, порадувала. Чекаю тепер українського перекладу вже на четверту книгу. Одна з найкращих фентезі серій евар.
Дякую добрим людям, що перекладають такі от діаманти
Після другої книги думав буде спад. Але оця, третя, порадувала. Чекаю тепер українського перекладу вже на четверту книгу. Одна з найкращих фентезі серій евар.
Дякую добрим людям, що перекладають такі от діаманти
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2020
This represented a return to form in my opinion after the second book. Amra faces a smaller scale mystery and more human foes, at least at first, in a tale closer to the first book which I enjoyed more. Minus half a star for the ending which does not resolve the plot arc.
June 23, 2020
Loved this book! Glad we got to learn a bit about Amra's past and why she doesn't have very fond memories of her homeland. What a horrible place it was to grow up in.
But a cliffhanger ending? Really?
But a cliffhanger ending? Really?
April 29, 2021
Amra and Holgren is the power couple my heart needs.
The banter in this book *chefs kiss* witty and sharp.
This series continues to surprise and delight.
The banter in this book *chefs kiss* witty and sharp.
This series continues to surprise and delight.
February 5, 2019
Amra Thetys #3 goes back to the plot we discovered in #1 about the Eightfold Goddess. While the first 2 books gave us a good sense of her character, the third explores a lot of why and how she became that person. I loved how Amra swaggered into town, doing things nobody expected, creating mayhem through her ingenius. I am totally in love with her! 💚💚💚 But I did miss Holgren almost as much as Amra for the first 75% of the book because I love him and their ship. It's the sweetest.
"But I do believe in the efficacy of Holgren-fucking-Angrado."
As usual Amra astounded me with her cunning as she got the bottom of this new mystery. McClung made the end result dramatic, unexpected and also made me desperate for the next one...I mean come on, how could I not with this line:
"May all the gods take pity on anything that stands in my way, for I will not."
"But I do believe in the efficacy of Holgren-fucking-Angrado."
As usual Amra astounded me with her cunning as she got the bottom of this new mystery. McClung made the end result dramatic, unexpected and also made me desperate for the next one...I mean come on, how could I not with this line:
"May all the gods take pity on anything that stands in my way, for I will not."
November 9, 2021
4/5
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
[Chronique VO] Amra Thetys, book 3: The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate de Michael McClung
Fantasy
Une série peu connue que j'ai découvert grâce au SPFBO (self published fantasy blog off, un prix littéraire organisé chaque année comme une compétition entre 300 livres auto édité de Fantasy) et que je continue depuis avec grand plaisir.
Dans ce tome Amra, qui a décidé de se ranger et de vivre une vie tranquille au coté de son mage, reçoit un étrange colis : la tête de son ancien bourreau d’enfance dans une boite magique …
Evidemment c’est un choc pour elle. Elle a quitté cette vie depuis si longtemps qu’elle l’avait presque oublié. Elle est évidemment curieuse de savoir pourquoi celle ci se rappelle à elle d’un coup comme ça après tant d’années.
Qui a pu lui envoyer ça? Pourquoi?
En plus étant donné qu’elle a toujours vécu cachée, sans identité fixe, et que personne de son ancienne vie ne l’ai suivi la où elle est maintenant après qu’elle se soit enfuit, elle ne comprend pas non plus comment on a pu la tracer après tant d’années. Ce qui est inquiétant car la retrouver a surement demandé pas mal d’argent ou de temps …
Du coup elle ne traîne pas et décide de retourner à Bellarius, la ville de son enfance de l’autre coté de l’océan, pour enquêter.
Ha, un livre de fantasy de 250 pages, et qui se tient très bien, ça change et c’est plaisant je trouve ! En fait malgré son nombre de pages qui semble réduit pour de la fantasy, je trouve que les livres de cette série ont un rythme parfait. Dans le sens où on n’a pas l’impression de lire une novella ou un « petit livre »et qu’on n’est pas submergé d’action non plus. En fait ils donnent vraiment l’impression d’avoir lu bien plus que 250 pages.
Franchement j’ai vraiment bien apprécié ce tome.
On plonge dans le passé du personnage, et c’était vraiment agréable de découvrir d’ou vient le personnage parce que pour l’instant ça restait un sujet clos qu’on n’abordait pas du tout.
J’aime bien le principe de ce monde, qui fait très fantasy à l’ancienne avec de multiple dieux et entités magiques majeures qui sont vraiment présents et qui interfèrent tout le temps avec les humains.
Du coup le personnage d’Amra évolue pas mal entre le début et la fin de ce livre ci.
Et j’ai vraiment envie d’en savoir plus !
Encore une réussite dans cette petite série auto éditée que j’apprécie décidément au fil des tomes. Alors certes oui, on n’est pas sur de la « grande » fantasy épique, mais c’est tellement agréable que ça se lit tout seul.
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
[Chronique VO] Amra Thetys, book 3: The Thief Who Knocked on Sorrow’s Gate de Michael McClung
Fantasy
Une série peu connue que j'ai découvert grâce au SPFBO (self published fantasy blog off, un prix littéraire organisé chaque année comme une compétition entre 300 livres auto édité de Fantasy) et que je continue depuis avec grand plaisir.
Dans ce tome Amra, qui a décidé de se ranger et de vivre une vie tranquille au coté de son mage, reçoit un étrange colis : la tête de son ancien bourreau d’enfance dans une boite magique …
Evidemment c’est un choc pour elle. Elle a quitté cette vie depuis si longtemps qu’elle l’avait presque oublié. Elle est évidemment curieuse de savoir pourquoi celle ci se rappelle à elle d’un coup comme ça après tant d’années.
Qui a pu lui envoyer ça? Pourquoi?
En plus étant donné qu’elle a toujours vécu cachée, sans identité fixe, et que personne de son ancienne vie ne l’ai suivi la où elle est maintenant après qu’elle se soit enfuit, elle ne comprend pas non plus comment on a pu la tracer après tant d’années. Ce qui est inquiétant car la retrouver a surement demandé pas mal d’argent ou de temps …
Du coup elle ne traîne pas et décide de retourner à Bellarius, la ville de son enfance de l’autre coté de l’océan, pour enquêter.
Ha, un livre de fantasy de 250 pages, et qui se tient très bien, ça change et c’est plaisant je trouve ! En fait malgré son nombre de pages qui semble réduit pour de la fantasy, je trouve que les livres de cette série ont un rythme parfait. Dans le sens où on n’a pas l’impression de lire une novella ou un « petit livre »et qu’on n’est pas submergé d’action non plus. En fait ils donnent vraiment l’impression d’avoir lu bien plus que 250 pages.
Franchement j’ai vraiment bien apprécié ce tome.
On plonge dans le passé du personnage, et c’était vraiment agréable de découvrir d’ou vient le personnage parce que pour l’instant ça restait un sujet clos qu’on n’abordait pas du tout.
J’aime bien le principe de ce monde, qui fait très fantasy à l’ancienne avec de multiple dieux et entités magiques majeures qui sont vraiment présents et qui interfèrent tout le temps avec les humains.
Du coup le personnage d’Amra évolue pas mal entre le début et la fin de ce livre ci.
Et j’ai vraiment envie d’en savoir plus !
Encore une réussite dans cette petite série auto éditée que j’apprécie décidément au fil des tomes. Alors certes oui, on n’est pas sur de la « grande » fantasy épique, mais c’est tellement agréable que ça se lit tout seul.
July 23, 2018
Great read. As expected from the previous two volumes, it’s a fast paced, incident packed storyline centred on the POV, Amra, a no nonsense, streetwise, intelligent, aggressive, female lead.
What was unexpected is how the series is evolving, and giving, in my view, higher quality writing and more detailed stories, in the later books.
In Volume 1 we find Amra tackling boldly some fairly heavy magical and demonic ingredients in her adopted city. A good page turner. In Vol 2 a major change in venue to a distant land, with Amra aggressively and decisively interacting with demons, mages and even gods. Plus a romantic element that didn’t quite ring true for me.
But now in book 3 we get what was only lightly touched on in the earlier volumes, her backstory, as we are taken to her home city where she has to confront the traumatic events she suffered in her childhood.
I again found the story exciting and fast moving with Amra at her best in showing her appreciation of forces beyond her mortal abilities and dealing with them with intelligence. The story was deeper and more complex than in earlier volumes but linked in with some events especially in volume 1. The volumes are not ‘stand alone’. And we get more self reflection from Amra as she meets with people from her youth and relives childhood trauma. I appreciated her character and it’s backstory finally coming out. The romantic element is still there but I’ve learnt to live with it. She and her companion are almost ‘an old couple’ already, with a relationship more based on respect than youthful infatuation; the author uses its effect on her life in a rather sparing manner. One downside for me in this volume is that Amra’s very non-magical persona is being eroded as the series progresses. That fits in well with the broader story progresssion, but still a shame as she normally runs rings around the magical personalities and forces using her wit alone.
An unusual series for me. The individual books are shorter than in most series I’ve read recently. Easy to read, page turning, stories. The earlier volumes, although fun, perhaps lacked the character back stories. Now we are getting that side, and I’d say volume 3 was very much in the mainstream of good character led and gritty modern fantasy. Not sure whether the author planned the series development that way or whether he was ‘learning his trade’ and improving as he wrote.
Certainly moving onto volume 4.........
What was unexpected is how the series is evolving, and giving, in my view, higher quality writing and more detailed stories, in the later books.
In Volume 1 we find Amra tackling boldly some fairly heavy magical and demonic ingredients in her adopted city. A good page turner. In Vol 2 a major change in venue to a distant land, with Amra aggressively and decisively interacting with demons, mages and even gods. Plus a romantic element that didn’t quite ring true for me.
But now in book 3 we get what was only lightly touched on in the earlier volumes, her backstory, as we are taken to her home city where she has to confront the traumatic events she suffered in her childhood.
I again found the story exciting and fast moving with Amra at her best in showing her appreciation of forces beyond her mortal abilities and dealing with them with intelligence. The story was deeper and more complex than in earlier volumes but linked in with some events especially in volume 1. The volumes are not ‘stand alone’. And we get more self reflection from Amra as she meets with people from her youth and relives childhood trauma. I appreciated her character and it’s backstory finally coming out. The romantic element is still there but I’ve learnt to live with it. She and her companion are almost ‘an old couple’ already, with a relationship more based on respect than youthful infatuation; the author uses its effect on her life in a rather sparing manner. One downside for me in this volume is that Amra’s very non-magical persona is being eroded as the series progresses. That fits in well with the broader story progresssion, but still a shame as she normally runs rings around the magical personalities and forces using her wit alone.
An unusual series for me. The individual books are shorter than in most series I’ve read recently. Easy to read, page turning, stories. The earlier volumes, although fun, perhaps lacked the character back stories. Now we are getting that side, and I’d say volume 3 was very much in the mainstream of good character led and gritty modern fantasy. Not sure whether the author planned the series development that way or whether he was ‘learning his trade’ and improving as he wrote.
Certainly moving onto volume 4.........
October 31, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book, but I found it be nowhere near as good as the first two books. This was mainly because the author broke up the Amra and Holgren tag team for almost all of the book, leaving the sorcerer at home while she goes back to the city of her birth. Also, there's no great villain in this book, other than the nebulous presence of the mage that runs the city and wants Amra dead for some reason, and another of the Eightfold Goddess' Blades. Even worse, this book ended with a goofy cliffhanger, unlike the first two books that had great beginnings middles and ends. It was nice to see where Amra grew up, to learn more about her history, and meet family and friends, but a lot of those interactions were kind of odd. I could also feel a bit of a power-creep developing with Amra, as she seems to be getting more and more powerful/deadly in this book. She really never has to fight for her life as much in this book, and I again hated the end because it goes against everything we know about her character (I can't really say why as it'd be spoiler). The author skirts around her having so much power by being unable to control it, but I felt that it really changed her in a way I didn't love, although I still enjoyed reading some of the events.
So overall, I enjoyed the book, but I hate having to wait to continue the story as the book/series was picked up by a publisher, and this book didn't have a real ending. I'd still recommend people that read the first two books to read The Thief Who Knocked On Sorrow's Gate, but you shouldn't have crazy high expectations.
So overall, I enjoyed the book, but I hate having to wait to continue the story as the book/series was picked up by a publisher, and this book didn't have a real ending. I'd still recommend people that read the first two books to read The Thief Who Knocked On Sorrow's Gate, but you shouldn't have crazy high expectations.
August 18, 2016
This book was awesome. Amra continues to be the kick a** heroine that I crave in a fantasy novel. She's not all mushy gushy in love with the hero, she doesn't make stupid pull-my-hair-out-screaming decisions and doesn't rely on magic to fix all of her problems. I was a little bummed we don't get to see much of Holgren in this book, but Amra's new sidekick Keel keeps the entertainment level high. Again in this book we get more detail into Amra's background and I love it that McClung is releasing it to us a little at a time instead of in a huge character background avalanche like many books often do (and usually right in the middle of an action scene to just make it worse). I'm very excited to see where the next book goes and am anxiously counting down the days!
July 15, 2016
Great read.
A great, fast-paced series, with wonderfully sardonic characters and an interesting (if slightly trophy) cosmology. It suffers only from some fairly slipshod editing; the number of typos is a bit distracting.
A great, fast-paced series, with wonderfully sardonic characters and an interesting (if slightly trophy) cosmology. It suffers only from some fairly slipshod editing; the number of typos is a bit distracting.
December 20, 2015
It ends so with a cliffhanger and I hate it! When is the next one due?
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