Spymaster

The Dragon Corsairs #1

by Margaret Weis

A bold new swashbuckling fantasy adventure set in the land of the exciting Dragon Brigade trilogy.

Politics, court intrigue, and piracy combine in this gripping fantasy adventure. On a world already riven by the ancient hatred between the Rosian and Freyan empires, privateers of each nation have long preyed on the ships of the other. What few realize is that a sinister cabal controlled by a rogue dragon is not only behind this piracy, but is organizing criminal enterprises all over the world.

As one privateer and her dragon corsairs try to keep their enterprise afloat, they are caught up in a conspiracy hatched by the cabal . . . and threatened by a mysterious magic crafter who works in the shadows.

Freya, in turmoil because of the accidental death of the heir to the throne, is also deeply in debt. Sir Henry Wallace, their master spy, is charged with replenishing the treasury by inviting dragons from Travia to make Freya their home—a decision that will have disastrous consequences for everyone involved.

In a riveting novel of pulse-pounding suspense, the ruthless conspiracy of humans and dragons plots against Sir Henry and the Dragon Corsairs.. And waiting in the wings, planning to throw everything in turmoil, is a young man known as Prince Tom, who claims to be Freya's true and rightful king.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Steampunk, Fiction, Pirates, Adult, Adventure

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2017

About the author

Margaret Edith Weis is an American fantasy and science fiction author of dozens of novels and short stories. At TSR, Inc., she teamed with Tracy Hickman to create the Dragonlance role-playing game (RPG) world. She is founding CEO and owner of Sovereign Press, Inc and Margaret Weis Productions, licensing several popular television and movie franchises to make RPG series in addition to their own.
In 1999, Pyramid magazine named Weis one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, saying she and Hickman are "basically responsible for the entire gaming fiction genre". In 2002, she was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame in part for Dragonlance.

Reviews

[Brittny · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're reading through the reviews, taking note of the one star reviews in particular, and you're trying to figure out if this book is worth it or not, then my review is for you. I'm here as someone who loves this story and wants to help indecisive people understand if this book is for them.

In my opinion, for whatever it's worth, the book is fantastic. Excellent writing, detailed world, interesting characters that are both impressive and flawed (some people just want to read a story with a perfect Mary Sue protagonist, you won't find that here), and lots of twists and turns.

The part of the book that makes some people give it bad reviews is the drama and intrigue, which isn't exciting to them. While I completely understand how this book wouldn't be a good fit for certain people, I don't think the bad reviews for these opinions is fair. The book is titled Spymaster, and clearly explains the politics and intrigue in its synopsis. It isn't misleading at all.

To conclude, when asking yourself if this book is right for you, keep in mind what the book is. Yes it has steampunk and dragon elements, but there is a lot of "boring" politics as well. I wouldn't normally like something like this, but I found it charming, pulling me in quickly as I flipped each page. It can be a bit much to try to keep track of all the people and where they're from, but no one seemed to mind when Game of Thrones had this same thing going on. I like the challenge of trying to piece something complex together. It's far more satisfying to read this way.

Hope this is helpful to anyone who is on the fence. :)

[Cam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DNF at the two hundred page mark. I kept waiting for the story to take off - and just ran out of patience. There's setting up characters and the history of the world - and there's boring the reader to death as you bury them in historical & background information.
This had a lot of potential, but the read & the world wasn't gripping enough for me to care about. And Kate, billed as our main H, well, not that many early chapters are devoted to her - and the ones that she is in, she doesn't come off well in - immature, money-grubbing, prepared to sell her morales and soul - always crossing her fingers that it won't go that far like some little kid. She buried herself and those around her in debt and favours to leg-breakers and then is surprised when she is threatened and made to do things that she doesn't want to do. Grr, childish and naive - what little glimpse I caught of the character.
Not the story the blurb or the great cover enticed me to expect.

[Sana]

This better be good because THAT cover is to die for :heart eyes:

[Cresta · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a while, regency England with a steampunk twist with high fantasy elements such as dragons added in as well.

Lots of politics (as this focuses on spying!) And sympathetic characters that you can both relate to and one specific one you want to shake for being stupid! The whole time though I was rooting for everyone and hoping for the best!

Cannot WAIT to read book 2!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Building a new steampunk fantasy series Weis and Krammes have hit an all time high with the “Spymaster” the first in the “Dragon Corsairs”. Exciting with pirates, court intrigue, magic and dragons the plot opens with trouble in Freya which is on the verge of bankruptcy, experiencing the accidental death of the heir to the throne and faced with a conspiracy to fill the vacancy.

Intertwined in the three integral plotlines is Master Spy Henry Wallace’s scheme to sell the Travian dragons titles and land in Freya for gold and to uncover the identity of a dragon assassin; a conspiracy to put Prince Tom on the Freyan throne; and Captain Kate Fitzmaurice’s struggle to get enough money to refit her ship the Victorie, obtain status as a privateer and regain the family estate only to have her plans thwarted by a criminal organization and a enigmatic magic crafter.

Fast-paced and action-packed with ship battles, conspiracies and a magical construct to kill dragons, intensity and suspense quickly escalate. Twisting and turning the tension is heightened with journalist Amelie Nettleship’s investigation of a criminal dragon mastermind; Sir Henry Wallace’s scheme to gain money for the royal coffers; and the Duchess of Caranaugh’s plan to replace the existing Freyan Queen with her son. Yet through all the swashbuckling adventures, politics and court designs, romances begin to blossom much to the consternation of Captain Kate who’s infatuated by a set of blue eyes, Prince Tom who can’t forget a feisty privateer, the spy Pip and a Rosian princess. Progressing quickly and smoothly this well-written and compelling tale flows to an exciting ending that promises a fascinating sequel.

Included among a host of compelling and multi-faceted characters is Captain Kate Gascoyne- Fitzmaurice a hardworking Freyan working as a wrecker after the death of her father who’s stubborn, impulsive, quick-thinking, loyal and courageous; charming and fun-loving Phillip Edward James Masterson (aka Pip) the Duke of Upper and Lower Milton; wealthy, famous and handsome Thomas Stanford Oberlein (Prince Tom) who’s intelligent, thoughtful, modest and gallant. But it’s the cruel, brutality of criminals like the conniving Greenstreet and dragon Coreg as well as the scheming, emotional and fiery Duchess of Caranaugh that add a dark chill to the adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed the “Spymaster” and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Cyn McDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

This just wasn't compelling. There isn't anything really *wrong* with it -- it's an interesting (though weird) world, with some good characters, magic, and decently imagined dragons. But politics. Intricate and vicious politics. Really not in the mood for it just now.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! But I really want the next one.....right now.

[Andrea Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is building up to be an epic series. Love the steampunk, pirate, dragons, and love stories going on and can't wait for the next book!

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book actually started getting good right at the end. Literally, the last chapter.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. Set in steampunk world with floating islands, sentient dragons, and pirates and full of political intrigue. This is my kind of fantasy!

[Steven Foot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first experience of the Dragon Brigade series and indeed of Margaret Weiss's work full stop. Having not read the original Dragon Brigade series which occupies the same universe as the Dragon Corsairs, I was thrown somewhat in at the deep end and left to figure out how the mechanics of this particular setting functioned. Things that had clearly happened in previous books such as the war with the Bottom Dwellers, Dalgren's desertion as well as certain key characters personal histories were a little lost on me but thankfully, due to the strength of the writing, it not hamper my enjoyment of the novel.

As far as fantasy goes and at a time when dark fantasy such as The Song of Ice and Fire series clearly dominate peoples interest, Spymaster was a fun filled romp that caters to both Steampunk enthusiasts and lovers of classical fantasy. It would be fair to say that as far as thematic tone goes, Spymaster has more in common with books such as The Lies of Locke Lamora in terms of humour and heart but lacks the punch needed to give it a fully rounded feel.

The plot is very much a bog standard affair of a dashing female Captain trying to make her way in the world and simply survive the hardships of life while at the same times trying to fulfill her own dreams in rebuilding her family name. Its a story and a theme that, while not breaking new ground, serves as a solid start and gives us all something to root for. Captain Kate's story is matched with that of a reluctant Crown Prince Thomas who is being pushed/bullied into a war he does not want any part of by meddling third parties and family members, all of whom are using him for there own aims.

It is quite clear where the story at large will eventually head in further books as Spymaster does a wonderful, if somewhat trope-ish, job of setting up the action for what is to come. This should not detract from readers enjoyment, both Kate and Thomas are well written reluctant heroes who anyone can get behind and other key figures such as Sir Henry, Dalgren and Pip all serve as great support cast in leading our heroes on their journey.

All in all, a worthwhile read if a little predictable and stale in places where the action needed to flow more

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A political intrigue/mystery with both fantasy and steampunk elements.

Kate is a wanna-be pirate, raised by her father, Morgan (deceased), and Olaf, who proved to be a better father. She is also the heroine of the "Captain Kate and her Dragon Brigade" stories, an embellishment of her life, though, yes, she does have a dragon, Dahlgren, as a friend and compatriot.

Tom is royal-blooded, possibly the one with the most likely claim to the Freyan throne - though the Queen disagrees. His mother, however, has been laying plans since his birth, and now he's of an age where he could possibly try to take the Freyan throne.

Pip is a spy who knows both of them, despite the two of them never having met, sent by the Freyan great spy-master, Henry Wallace, to spy first on Aligoes, where Kate makes her home, and then directly to Tom, to find out how much of a threat he could be to Freya.

Henry is trying desperately to keep Freya from imploding, what with its lack of funds, it's need to reinforce its army and its strongholds, and the impending possible civil war over the lack of a true heir to the crown now that the Queen's son and grandchild have died.

All of their paths will intersect if the Faithful, an underground sect brimming with the promise of setting the 'true heir' on the throne and deposing the current Queen in Freya, can pull all their strings just the right way.

I enjoyed this novel! Kate is a delightfully engaging character with an astounding streak of truly bad luck (at least partially in her own making). Tom sees things far more clearly than a lot of the people around him. Pip decides to throw his lot in with others in hopes of making his country a better place, even if this might mean he could be considered a traitor to those whom he had pledged his allegiance might feel differently. And Henry feels as if he needs to keep on one path to save his country from downfall.

The first in a new series, though the second series in this world, Weis and Krammes have created an intriguing world with floating islands, dragons, and magic.

[Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining not-really-a-pirate tale in a fantasy world with magic and dragons and spymasters, of course. Magic is intertwined with almost all aspects of like, like construction, and separated into two spheres - human and dragon. The heroine is a young wrecker who aspires to improve her lot in life after her father and grandfather destroyed their fortunes and thereby hers. She's a salvager with aspirations and some honor lingering in her hopes. She works a floating archipelago, trying to earn enough to outfit an old warship and join a legitimate aerial navy. All the neighboring kingdoms are trying to take control of the islands and fight their own age-old battles. One such has the titular Spymaster, who is trying to control a succession crisis but failing more and more as the tale progresses. The Pretender, a young officer named Prince Tom, is sort of a competent version of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the Spymaster sends one of his agents to thwart his attempts to become king. Prince Tom is a rather upstanding fellow, though, and unwittingly converts the spy. There's a criminal subplot, too, and more intrigue and action. It's a fun story, and I'll keep reading as the series unfolds. BTW, I have not read the prior trilogy in this universe, so not sure how it fits in, but the allusions to it are enough to pique my interest. For me, there's something special about a good dragon series, so certainly for those in a similar mindset.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book completely by chance, and my attention was caught because it seemed to feature pirates, dragons, and spies -- and, not to put too fine a point on things, that is kind of everything I ever ask for in fantasy books. The fact that I enjoyed the book as much as I did is almost too good to be true.

The plot is twisty and well-paced and hops from character to character to keep you abreast of what everyone is up to (but without the uber-annoying tendency of many books to switch POVs *just* when things were starting to get interesting with someone else; Weis and Krammes really do an amazing job of actually finding decent places to switch from character to character, so that you can actually enjoy and be engaged with the next plotline without being infuriated that you just left a major moment of action behind).

But what really sold this book to me where the characters. Captain Kate is unquestionably my favorite -- she is daring and clever and full of crazy plans (which work as often as they don't, which I love; at least she *tries*). She's terribly curious and thinks well on her feet and often gets into trouble; she's very human, both self-serving and bravely selfless, and I love her for being truly complex.

But there's also Miss Amelia, an investigative journalist unlike any character I've ever encountered in a fantasy novel, who comes in at a very close second. And let's not forget best buddies Thomas and Phillip, one a technical prince unsure if he wants the throne, the other the spy sent to betray him who comes to believe in Thomas's cause and develop a real friendship whether he means to or not. Enemies-turned-friends is kinda my ultimate jam, so I can't say I didn't love them both to bits.

I even liked Sir Henry and his complex characterization (is he a good man? CAN he be?), although I often wanted to shoot him into the sun in regards to his treatment of his wife. As if it's not bad enough that he was in his early forties when he married her as a teenager (yes yes YES I know that's how it worked in medieval times, but *there is a dragon on the front cover of this book this is NOT HERE*, and we need to let go of the "let's put the problematic historical stuff in our fantasy novel!!" trope because I'm sick of it) ... but for bonus fun, his pet name for her is "Mouse." He even will tell her on multiple occasions not to worry herself over World Events when she should be resting and relaxing; the only way it could've been more condescending is if ... actually, I can't figure out how they could've made it more condescending, it was pretty bad. I am kind of hoping he dies at some point, to be honest.

... but no book is perfect, and Kate and Miss Amelia more than make up for my other quibbles. There are dragons and pirates and spies and double-crosses, and magic and flying sailing ships, and characters to care about.

I *really* liked this. Will definitely be picking up Book Two.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first step in starting a new fantasy series is to figure out the rules of the world. Is there magic and how does it work? There are dragons, but are there other magical beasts? Are there races other than humans? What is the political landscape between people groups?

This book makes you work for that information, which was annoying as they gave it out over a long period of time. But once you have that baseline established it is a good setting for a story. It was engaging and the characters were interesting to follow. Really good 3 star story and worth the read if long and slow moving. Enjoyed it. Going to continue the series.

Here’s the basic world parameters:
Magic - you’re born with it and they use written magical symbols to create it or they say the words for simple spells
The breath of God - it’s a mist that floats around. Being below it is dangerous so they fly around in there steampunk style ships with balloons and tanks filled with this breath. Ships use propellers and sails to move.
There are guns but few other machines.
Dragons, wyverns, and griffins but no other beasts mentioned.
Humans are the primary race. They mention “bottom dwellers” from a war fought a time ago but unsure if they’re human or another race. Very vague.
There are countries that are not openly fighting but politically opposed to each other. Lots of intrigue and spying, political manipulation.

[Jessy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not get far at all (maybe the 30th page? Maybe a little further? Who knows.). Is it a trifle unfair to give it one star when I didn't give it much of a chance? Perhaps, but I felt two stars would have been a lie, and I rarely decide not to give a book a rating once I've taken a stab at it. In this case, there was no connection. I didn't feel the excitement or adventure or even the potential for it. I was already skimming passages and the dialogue was a snoozefest. To be honest, I felt a little let down based on what the blurb led me to believe I would be getting. I do have one note...

I think I've maybe read one Margaret Weis book in my life, but I can't remember which one or if I even liked it. Sooooo, that being said, I love dragons, but not sure I'm into the whole dragon-using-human-speech thing. Is this her thing? I don't understand it. How do they use human speech? Wouldn't their anatomy--their bone and muscle structure--work against that? Or, at the very least, wouldn't they have some kind of speech characteristic that sets them apart? I don't know, it just felt weird and unnatural to me; I couldn't wholeheartedly buy into her (and Krammes'?) dragon concept. Then again, if I had been more responsive to the actual story writing, maybe I wouldn't have objected to this aspect so readily. (I still would have found it slightly weird, though.)

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spymaster by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes
Home Run! I really enjoyed this book. I know the correct order is to give a brief, non-spoiler overview of the book and then delve into the techniques and characters without giving away the plot. Never being consistently correct has been the hallmark of my life.
This story takes place in a world where dragons are respected citizens in some countries and monsters in others. The mode of transportation between countries is characterized by balloons. Think wooden ships with sails but also with balloons and air screws which are similar to propellers. Within a country various fantastic beast are used for transport. The mood is a mix of medieval society, Victorian era and steam punk leavened with magic.
Kate or Captain Kate is the main protagonist who incidentally is somewhat amoral. She has her own code of ethics which differs from society’s code. Kate has an inordinate loyalty to her crew who helped to raise her when her father brought her on his ship.
Dalgren is her best friend who also happens to be a dragon.
This story was well crafted and although I am not familiar with Krammes work, I go back to the Dragon Lance and Darksword series with Weis.
I really enjoyed this book and am gong to start the second volume in the trilogy today!

[Rebel Scum · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a lot of potential and at the start I really enjoyed the characters and intrigue, but as it went on, it lost me and I got bored. The descriptions seemed second hand- starting from a point beyond a first time reader's initial understanding of in-world mechanics by throwing words like 'air tanks' or 'helm' around- described without thoroughly giving real 'from scratch' explanations about these unknown items. I understand that diving right into the world is good for fast-paced writing, and often explains itself as it goes along, but Spymaster is not a fast paced book and doesn't do a very good job at explaining itself as it goes along. This was one of my main reasons for DNF'ing. It was, to put it simply, hard to understand.
Apart from the incomplete descriptions, the world building was fairly good and I was genuinely interested in where the plot was taking me. But after a while it started to wander and as no clear purpose seemed to assert itself, I avoided the book for about a week or so. Finally I realised I was avoiding it and decided to flip though to see if it got better. Maybe I was wrong, but it didn't seem to. So I gave it back to the library. Three plus stars for potential, one and a half stars for execution.

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

A girl raised by her dad on his ship grows up to be a pirate and becomes involved in dastardly matters of politics and attracts the attention of a prince. Pretty standard fantasy stuff is going on here. The novel doesn't stand out among others of this type, but the prose is good, the characters are interesting, and the story moves along nicely. I had some issues with the setting, specifically the physics and magic system. Somehow, in this world, massive objects, such as large rocks and islands, can float, so that ships can sail around, over, and under them. Other objects, such as people, which are, on average, less massive, seem to be subject to the same kinds of gravitational forces we're all familiar with. I never could figure out how this was supposed to work. Yes, I know, this is fantasy and the explanation is, "It's magic," but I'm the kind of skeptical curmudgeon who needs a bit more than that. Which brings me to the magic system. I never got a feel for the capabilities and limitations of the one created for this story. Perhaps all of this was explained in other books set in the same world, but as I didn't read those, I was left clueless. It's still a fun read and I'll be reading the next one in the trilogy.

[Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story featuring politics, court intrigue, dragons, steampunk flying ships, swashbuckling, piracy, spies, and conspiracies...and it focuses heavily on the politics and court intrigue, of course. Why oh why, book?

I also grew disappointed with our main strong character lady, Kate. Rather than moving the plot along, she simply fell into situation after situation, many of which were forced upon her with threats to her or her crew. After a while, you'd think she'd wise up and try to escape her circumstances, but instead she focused on the offered reward every time. In some cases, she tried to think of ways she could obtain the reward without fully doing the task she accepted to do. Those plans failed of course every time, but she didn't learn. By the end of the book she was as unlucky as she'd been all book long, with zero character development. Along the way she has a dragon and an older mentor who worry about her and try to keep her reasonable, but she just doesn't listen. She seemed to think herself immune to consequences, even though she kept dealing with bad consequences over and over...I was just kinda disappointed.

This story is set in the Dragon Brigade world, but I've never read any of those. Maybe they would have more of what I was expecting.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a rare piece of luck I found the first book in a fantasy series on the shelf in the library - usually I find I'm starting in the middle of a series and am lost. So far the series is very similar to the dragon series by Naomi Novik - set in a world very obviously based on 19th century Britain, but with dragons. Why set a fantasy book on another planet if you're just going to copy the setting, culture, clothes, transportation, and so on from a historical time period on Earth? I hate having to constantly Google what words like "reticule" mean. Another complaint is that there are far too many characters to keep track of, especially when some go by multiple names. On the plus side, the plot is fast-moving and exciting, though rather complicated. Since this is the first book in the series, I also wish the authors would have explained more about the "Breath of God" - all I could figure out is that instead of oceans, this planet has fog or mists? And magic, and dragons, but otherwise just like 19th century Europe. Someone with more knowledge of European history than I could probably identify each of the countries in the book with their corresponding Earth countries - I think Freya is meant to be Britain, but I'm not positive.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to my husband for telling me to read this book! First off the cover is gorgeous it is quite long but well worth it. The characters all have very interesting personalities and keep you hooked there is Sir Henry Wallace who is the original spy master of the country Freya who people call dangerous There's Kat who is a real kick ass character who is a pirate a prince named Thomas who doesn't want to be king but his mother is pushing for it there's Pip also known as "Philip" who has to spy on Thomas but ends up being his friend. There's Kat's dragon Dalgren also a crime lord dragon as well the writing along is amazing where the characters say a lot "Bloody hell" or "Good god" There's another female character named Amelia who is a writer who writes Kat's stories to help her out she is one kick ass lady " A lady should carry an umbrella at all times she says It can be used as a weapon for the rain and the sun, she also carries knifes too. This book is full of adventure some romance betrayal and friendship I am looking forward to the next book =)

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather slow-moving book, that combines action with politics.

There are a few plotlines: Kate is basically a rogue, who wants to sail around and earn back Barwich Manor (her family home). She's skilled at seamanship; however, she's in debt to Greenstreet. Kate is impulsive but a good friend.

Sir Henry Wallace is the spymaster of the country of Freya, who is facing a liquidity crisis (they have no money) and a succession crisis (they have no heir). Then Prince Tom, who is being held up as the rightful heir to the Freyan throne.

Naturally, there's also a shadowy group behind the scenes - Greenstreet is linked to Coreg, the dragon. Prince Tom's mother is doing all she can to make him a king, including linking up with Coreg, while he's considerably less interested in the endeavour, preferring to lead a freer life.

There's sympathy for the characters, though I did feel that the novel moved rather slowly - there's no overall "conflict" that pushes the plot forward, just the short-term problems that they face.

[John M Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot like going back to revisit old friends. In the opening prologue seeing Stephano again, and onto other characters touched on through the series. With a big focus on Sir Henry Wallace, the titular Spymaster from the Dragon Brigade series. As per the previous series, the action scenes are really well done and intense. The story is really well done and fun, but ends on a bit of a Empire Strikes back note. I'm intrigued to see where the next one goes. I really hope to see more of Simon and Amelia, especially together. I would even love to see something like a Holmesian detective book or short story with these two, assuming they both survive this trilogy.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator did a really good job. Some of the names are pronounced differently than I had said them in my mind, but that's to be expected. My only issue with it is one character talks in really hushed tones, so I had to rewind and listen to his lines in a couple spots.

[Brian Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A swashbuckling tale of privateers and kingdoms at (undeclared) war! Kate is the captain of a salvage ship who dreams of restoring her childhood home (an estate lost by her gambling father and bankrupt noblewoman mother) and earning renown. She has one advantage that might help her: the friendship of a dragon she met as a girl (an invaluable asset, as dragons are almost unkillable and can take down a ship with ease).

With this and a bit of luck, she manages to set herself up as a privateer, while nations around her jockey for position and the criminal underworld see her as an asset to be used.

Some parts of the story dragged a bit, but it felt like a nice blend of classic naval adventure and fantasy. Some characters appear from previous series in this world, but this was nicely standalone.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no idea how I feel about this book. I mean the world that these authors created is fascinating and fully its own, but I am not sure how to feel about the characters or the plot. For me, there is no clear villain or hero, which bothers me to no end. When I am reading a book, I want clear lines on who I am suppose to cheer and who I am suppose to boo. I did not get that here. If anything I feel sorry for Kate who is just trying to get her family's manor back, but she is caught in this political intrigue. I also feel for Prince Tom, who does not like his mother's scheme for him to get the Freyan crown. With that said, I think I like Prince Tom and Kate, but overall I am not sure. I probably will have to read the entire trilogy to figure out what I think about this series.

[JMWeibel · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the most part a very boring book until the last ten or so chapters. I found myself able to put it down and forget about it. It also broke several cardinal sins in storytelling, such as info dumping backstory, worse yet by character A telling character B about character B's own family.

The very few action scenes were short and over so fast tension had no time to build. And none of the battles were real ship-to-ship actions, the big battles were just one ship blowing the crap out of another just sitting there. And apparently, nobody carries a sword even though they only had single fire firearms.

I'm going to give the next book a chance, as I said, the last ten or so chapters got much better and I'm hoping it carries over now that the world explanations should be through.

[Awyxm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spymaster follows a down on her luck salvager turned privateer (with her disgraced dragon friend) as she stumbles into conspiracy and the politics of royal succession. Despite the dragon and the use of magic, it is better to think of this as a steampunk book with fantasy elements than as a fantasy book. I found the personalities of the dragons to be too human for my taste, and the magic system wasn't very well explored. However, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters.

I thought the first half of this book was rather boring (hence the low score). While there was nothing expressly wrong with it, it just was missing some spark. However, the book picked up and became much better towards the end. The book ends on a cliffhanger, but will likely be directly continued in the sequel.

[Daniel Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although starting off a little heavy-handed with names, locations and allegiances, Spymaster tells the fantastical story of life in The Breath with a gradual pace and slow cadence. The entangling stories of the multiple characters is done well while taking into account travel time throughout the fictional world.

Captain Kate, Sir Henry Wallace and others are great well fleshed out characters with their own distinct traits and flaws, helping to really encapsulate the direness and excitement of their situation.

I had an enjoyable time reading this after getting sufficiently acquainted with the world provided.

[Mister E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: this is not the only book in this series.
It's a good way to set up the series. You get to know each of the characters and why they are cool, and why they're not. It also sets up the plot the way a first book should. I know some people don't like that the romance hasn't progressed at all, and there hasn't been a lot of big battles and conflicts, but those people don't have patience. I also liked the little struggles of each character and how their unique personalities weren't always obvious to each other. They also had different goals and they also failed many times. And had some victories too.