What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mapmakers Trilogy #3
The Crimson Skew
It is late August 1892, and Sophia Tims is coming home from a foreign Age, having risked her life in search of her missing parents. Now she is aboard ship, with a hard-earned, cryptic map that may help her find them at long last.
But her homecoming is anything but peaceful. Threatening clouds hang over New Orleans harbor. Sinkholes have been opening in Boston, swallowing parts of the city whole. Rogue weirwinds tear up the Baldlands. Worst of all, New Occident is at war, led by a prime minister who will do anything to expand the country westward. He has blackmailed Sophia's beloved uncle Shadrack into drawing the battle maps that will lead countless men and boys including Sophia's best friend, Theo to their deaths.
As Sophia puzzles out her next move, Shadrack is peeling back layers of government intrigue, and Theo is bracing himself to fight. A red fog of war is rising, and New Occident's future hangs in the balance . . .
But her homecoming is anything but peaceful. Threatening clouds hang over New Orleans harbor. Sinkholes have been opening in Boston, swallowing parts of the city whole. Rogue weirwinds tear up the Baldlands. Worst of all, New Occident is at war, led by a prime minister who will do anything to expand the country westward. He has blackmailed Sophia's beloved uncle Shadrack into drawing the battle maps that will lead countless men and boys including Sophia's best friend, Theo to their deaths.
As Sophia puzzles out her next move, Shadrack is peeling back layers of government intrigue, and Theo is bracing himself to fight. A red fog of war is rising, and New Occident's future hangs in the balance . . .
464 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2016
42 people are currently reading
1845 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
August 2, 2016
I may have to re-read this book and re-write this review at some point in the future, because at the moment I’m not sure whether it’s a very good book or an incredibly profound and very good book. I would hate to do it any disservice with a review that seems less enthusiastic than my rhapsodic raves about The Glass Sentence and The Golden Specific, yet here I find myself beginning with equivocations and qualifications instead of ebullience, so that may speak for itself.
Make no mistake that this is a very good book. S. E. Grove is a writer with a glorious command of language, sophisticated prose that often seems effortless and occasionally flows into sublime, characters who are nearly infinitely varied and incredibly likeable, villains who are complex psychologically and terrifying in their actions and threats, and more plot lines that will surprise you than any other ten randomly selected YA or all-ages writers combined. So what keeps me from being positive that I love this book like its predecessors and like I hoped to? Perhaps the fact that the ending is idealistic to the point that even I (a girl who has been called innocent, naïve, and idealistic too many times to count) might conclude that it wrapped up a very smart and often excitingly complex fantasy story with too simple a bow.
Then again, I believe that the entire world might just be as good as it could possibly be if every single person would abide by the single principle of never doing to another person what you would not want done to you. This book made me conclude that its author may share my sentiments, and perhaps she is among the braver of souls in the world, suggesting that no matter how complex human nature and conflicts may be, it might be best at least to attempt to turn to such a simple, straightforward, and absolute moral premise in order to navigate them. I say that this is brave because among intellectuals, such views are not popular. There’s always someone ready to tell you that an issue is more complicated than you could possibly comprehend… and I don’t find myself eager to stand up at a cocktail party and say things that get called naïve, foolish, simplistic, or even outright stupid.
Grove writes characters who wish to live in harmony with all other living creatures, and whose attempts to do so reward them with extraordinary connections and experiences. All along I have been on board with their stories, and have rejoiced with them at the wonders they have beheld. But The Crimson Skew suggests that the world as a whole is far closer to ready to accept a peace-love-and-harmony perspective than I believe it to be. I’m idealistic about what would be ideal; I’m not at all idealistic about human nature. Thus I find the end of this book somewhat frustrating in its fairy tale level of happy ending for both the characters and the world.
Early in the book, Sophia meets a fortune teller who informs her that her future is not set… that there are many possible paths. She describes four of the paths that seem the most likely and compelling. “[The first] is a dangerous path. Along it, you will seek vengeance for a friend you have loved. The vengeance takes you into darkness, into a world of terrible deeds. By the end of this path, some of those deeds are your own.” Second, “This path is less likely, but you will find it alluring… It is the path of knowledge. Along it, you will become the greatest cartologer of the known world… But with knowledge comes peril… You will find yourself a fugitive, an exile, and your knowledge becomes a great burden.” Then: “Now, this path… is safer. It is the path of prosperity. There is happiness, though there is less knowledge. Your cartology fades into the background and your life becomes firmly anchored in the material world. Exploration and profit. Treasure and adventure. This path holds only trivial dangers and many pleasures. But I see a vein of discontent pulsing through the pleasure… Be warned, this path will bring you happiness, but it may not bring you fulfillment.”
“And then there is this path. It seems dangerous, but I cannot tell you what the dangers are. It seems fulfilling, but I cannot describe the forms of fulfillment. What I see is a pattern: losses followed by discoveries; grief followed by intense joy; bewilderment followed by a font of certain knowledge. This is a complex path.”
Thus, I feel like on page 76 (of the hardcover) S. E. Grove has described a realistically complex life and outright told you that Sophia is going to (willingly and rightly) choose the complex path with dangers and grief and bewilderment and loss alongside the happiness and knowledge… yet at the end of the book she pulls back from her own emotional intelligence tempered with realism and just says “But look over here! Happy Ending!” (Fireworks, rose petals, love, and secret chocolate. Yey.)
And on the grand scale, she seems to have done the same thing with the world as a whole, which I’m sure you will agree is even more unrealistic than such a happy ending for one or two very smart, kind, lovable individuals. I mean, think about it… we’ve had the New Testament around to read for a couple thousand years. That hasn’t made humanity spiritually mature and kind. The Upanishads haven’t fared much better at it, nor has The Quran. Atlas Shrugged didn’t convince the world to live in an objectivist paradise. Ender’s Game didn’t get us to live with universal peace, love and understanding. One girl with a kaleidoscope ain’t gonna get it done, either.
I wish she could.
I wish I could just give in and be happy with the lovely fairy tale ending of this book and the idealistic world it depicts. Maybe I’m just especially sad today, especially cynical… but I am going tentatively to say that I do not feel or think (instinct or more measured thought) that Ms Grove quite earned the ending she chose for the book. I didn’t believe so many things involving so many people could all go so right. I didn’t believe that so many people could be their best.
And yet I would have been devastated if Sophia, Theo, Goldenrod, Errol, Cas, Biitersweet, Nosh, and Datura didn’t get happy endings. (I like Shadrack, Miles, Calixta, Burr, Wren, Smokey, Nettie and Winnie, as well, but they’re not the ones for whom I would have cried had there been a fatality or two in what might be considered a slightly more realistic ending.) So maybe in the course of writing this review I’ve talked myself into thinking I should just shut up and love this book. Which perhaps means that I should start over and just say “I love this beautiful, brave, imaginative well-crafted book with its beautiful soul and wonderful ideas! Buy it NOW!”
But I think I’ll leave it this way so it’s a little bit more of an opening for conversation here. However, I will restate my conclusion:
This is a beautiful, brave, imaginative, well-crafted book with a beautiful soul and wonderful ideas. Since it’s third in a trilogy, you can go back and check out my reviews of The Glass Sentence and The Golden Specific to find out more details about the characters, themes, and imagery. I doubt anyone needs more information of that nature about book three.
So if you haven’t done it already, read this whole series. It’s one of my most fond recommendations of all time. But read it when you're at your most receptive to something innocent and lovely and idealistic. Try to leave the cynicism and despair at the gate. This book will make you want to be your best and live in a world of imagination and beauty, and I hope you all feel that it enriches your life, at least a little bit.
Make no mistake that this is a very good book. S. E. Grove is a writer with a glorious command of language, sophisticated prose that often seems effortless and occasionally flows into sublime, characters who are nearly infinitely varied and incredibly likeable, villains who are complex psychologically and terrifying in their actions and threats, and more plot lines that will surprise you than any other ten randomly selected YA or all-ages writers combined. So what keeps me from being positive that I love this book like its predecessors and like I hoped to? Perhaps the fact that the ending is idealistic to the point that even I (a girl who has been called innocent, naïve, and idealistic too many times to count) might conclude that it wrapped up a very smart and often excitingly complex fantasy story with too simple a bow.
Then again, I believe that the entire world might just be as good as it could possibly be if every single person would abide by the single principle of never doing to another person what you would not want done to you. This book made me conclude that its author may share my sentiments, and perhaps she is among the braver of souls in the world, suggesting that no matter how complex human nature and conflicts may be, it might be best at least to attempt to turn to such a simple, straightforward, and absolute moral premise in order to navigate them. I say that this is brave because among intellectuals, such views are not popular. There’s always someone ready to tell you that an issue is more complicated than you could possibly comprehend… and I don’t find myself eager to stand up at a cocktail party and say things that get called naïve, foolish, simplistic, or even outright stupid.
Grove writes characters who wish to live in harmony with all other living creatures, and whose attempts to do so reward them with extraordinary connections and experiences. All along I have been on board with their stories, and have rejoiced with them at the wonders they have beheld. But The Crimson Skew suggests that the world as a whole is far closer to ready to accept a peace-love-and-harmony perspective than I believe it to be. I’m idealistic about what would be ideal; I’m not at all idealistic about human nature. Thus I find the end of this book somewhat frustrating in its fairy tale level of happy ending for both the characters and the world.
Early in the book, Sophia meets a fortune teller who informs her that her future is not set… that there are many possible paths. She describes four of the paths that seem the most likely and compelling. “[The first] is a dangerous path. Along it, you will seek vengeance for a friend you have loved. The vengeance takes you into darkness, into a world of terrible deeds. By the end of this path, some of those deeds are your own.” Second, “This path is less likely, but you will find it alluring… It is the path of knowledge. Along it, you will become the greatest cartologer of the known world… But with knowledge comes peril… You will find yourself a fugitive, an exile, and your knowledge becomes a great burden.” Then: “Now, this path… is safer. It is the path of prosperity. There is happiness, though there is less knowledge. Your cartology fades into the background and your life becomes firmly anchored in the material world. Exploration and profit. Treasure and adventure. This path holds only trivial dangers and many pleasures. But I see a vein of discontent pulsing through the pleasure… Be warned, this path will bring you happiness, but it may not bring you fulfillment.”
“And then there is this path. It seems dangerous, but I cannot tell you what the dangers are. It seems fulfilling, but I cannot describe the forms of fulfillment. What I see is a pattern: losses followed by discoveries; grief followed by intense joy; bewilderment followed by a font of certain knowledge. This is a complex path.”
Thus, I feel like on page 76 (of the hardcover) S. E. Grove has described a realistically complex life and outright told you that Sophia is going to (willingly and rightly) choose the complex path with dangers and grief and bewilderment and loss alongside the happiness and knowledge… yet at the end of the book she pulls back from her own emotional intelligence tempered with realism and just says “But look over here! Happy Ending!” (Fireworks, rose petals, love, and secret chocolate. Yey.)
And on the grand scale, she seems to have done the same thing with the world as a whole, which I’m sure you will agree is even more unrealistic than such a happy ending for one or two very smart, kind, lovable individuals. I mean, think about it… we’ve had the New Testament around to read for a couple thousand years. That hasn’t made humanity spiritually mature and kind. The Upanishads haven’t fared much better at it, nor has The Quran. Atlas Shrugged didn’t convince the world to live in an objectivist paradise. Ender’s Game didn’t get us to live with universal peace, love and understanding. One girl with a kaleidoscope ain’t gonna get it done, either.
I wish she could.
I wish I could just give in and be happy with the lovely fairy tale ending of this book and the idealistic world it depicts. Maybe I’m just especially sad today, especially cynical… but I am going tentatively to say that I do not feel or think (instinct or more measured thought) that Ms Grove quite earned the ending she chose for the book. I didn’t believe so many things involving so many people could all go so right. I didn’t believe that so many people could be their best.
And yet I would have been devastated if Sophia, Theo, Goldenrod, Errol, Cas, Biitersweet, Nosh, and Datura didn’t get happy endings. (I like Shadrack, Miles, Calixta, Burr, Wren, Smokey, Nettie and Winnie, as well, but they’re not the ones for whom I would have cried had there been a fatality or two in what might be considered a slightly more realistic ending.) So maybe in the course of writing this review I’ve talked myself into thinking I should just shut up and love this book. Which perhaps means that I should start over and just say “I love this beautiful, brave, imaginative well-crafted book with its beautiful soul and wonderful ideas! Buy it NOW!”
But I think I’ll leave it this way so it’s a little bit more of an opening for conversation here. However, I will restate my conclusion:
This is a beautiful, brave, imaginative, well-crafted book with a beautiful soul and wonderful ideas. Since it’s third in a trilogy, you can go back and check out my reviews of The Glass Sentence and The Golden Specific to find out more details about the characters, themes, and imagery. I doubt anyone needs more information of that nature about book three.
So if you haven’t done it already, read this whole series. It’s one of my most fond recommendations of all time. But read it when you're at your most receptive to something innocent and lovely and idealistic. Try to leave the cynicism and despair at the gate. This book will make you want to be your best and live in a world of imagination and beauty, and I hope you all feel that it enriches your life, at least a little bit.
September 9, 2018
YES YES YES a thousand times YES. Perfect ending to the series. I am beyond happy.
Also NO ROMANCE BLESS PRAISE
Also NO ROMANCE BLESS PRAISE
August 10, 2016
I was disappointed with the ending of this trilogy. The main characters (Sophia, Theo and Shadrack) remain separated as they were in previous books, but the transition between the characters seem labored to me in many parts. Sophia spends much of her time being shepherded by other gifted people who face dangers to shield her, and then she comes up with some amazing insight. I liked the three sisters, who were much different than their reputation, Birke (the canoe), and the moose. Author SE Grove did not really explain the world she built or the nature of the eras. I feel her anti-war message could have been stronger with more world development and less dream-state.
Read
June 12, 20233.5
I don't think this is the book's fault so much as my own. I was under anxiety medication while reading this, so obviously I was in and out of sleep. I do remember some parts being a bit boring and I don't know if it was me or the actual book, specially Sophia's parts for some reason. other things were sort of confusing but I did loved reading about the other characters, with their own storytelling and endeavors they were all just so much fun and hilarious together. still full of adventure, humor, and heartbreaking moments these books were so much fun read and that conclusion was really lovely.
I don't think this is the book's fault so much as my own. I was under anxiety medication while reading this, so obviously I was in and out of sleep. I do remember some parts being a bit boring and I don't know if it was me or the actual book, specially Sophia's parts for some reason. other things were sort of confusing but I did loved reading about the other characters, with their own storytelling and endeavors they were all just so much fun and hilarious together. still full of adventure, humor, and heartbreaking moments these books were so much fun read and that conclusion was really lovely.
February 24, 2023
Took me a while to get into this last one, but seriously, the series is definitely worth reading. But of course I would say that, due to the fact that this series is one of my faves. Anywho- READ IT.
March 14, 2024
not enough shadrack, too many war crimes 😂
Read
October 20, 2020A very enjoyable series.
Want to read
November 14, 2015 November 14, 2015
We have a naaaaaaaaame!
The Crimson Skew
Yay! Now we need a cover and blurb! And, like, total confirmation that .
We have a naaaaaaaaame!
The Crimson Skew
Yay! Now we need a cover and blurb! And, like, total confirmation that .
December 31, 2015
Such a great ending to this trilogy!!! Many questions are answered & left me with a satisfied feeling at the end. Highly recommend this entire series.
I got a copy of this through my job.
I got a copy of this through my job.
July 20, 2016
I debated between 2 and 3 stars. Honestly...disappointing.
August 31, 2024
8/30: ow ow OW I FULLY BLOCKED THE TURTLEGROVE SCENES OUT OF MY MEMORY SOMEHOW
I think it's hilarious that people meet Sophia and Theo and go "I've only had them for a day but if anything happened to them I'd kill everyone and then myself." Genuinely how do they pick up people who are so helpful. I mean hey shoutout I love them all but this is WILD
I really loved reading the excerpts attributed to Sophia at chapter beginnings. I know I said this before about the series but Grove's history background shines through so clearly in these books and I, a fellow history major, am obsessed with it. The intertwining of an academic exploration of storytelling in this Disrupted world and the journey our protagonists are on is lovely to me. Also it slaps so hard that Sophia's gone on to scholarly pursuits and writing these books.
I uhh don't really know what to think about the gung-ho HEA we got here I know not entirely for Sophia since her parents but there was resolution there either way and a way forward. I mean heck yeah they get hope and love and they manage to stop this insane war but it is truly coincidences slotting into place attributed to the Climes. Very much quick wrapups with literally everyone ever where in the world did the Metls come from HELP ofc Sophia & Theo & Nettie & Winnie would be explorer buddies. Um worldbuilding was kinda insane bro the heck you mean the Elodean sisters have their own Age and the Turtleback Grove old one is doing all this. THE WORLD INTO MEMORIES?? I did NOT!!! pick up on this previously! This is actually insane what! also gotta love how we find out about gems being sticky for memories 2/3rds into the last book of this trilogy yell. Maxine's fortune telling on top of the Ausentinia maps was interesting ,, I told myself I wouldn't talk more about the way time works in these books since the literal objective is that it DOESN'T for Sophia lmaoaoao. Mark of Iron being a compass is slay though.
Absolutely feral about Theo's character arc, thanks!! Metaphorically lying facedown on the floor about the one bit on p368 :D me when the boy who's spent his whole life saving himself has other people to save him so he stays on his own terms... guys. I'm going crazy! I love the Theo/Sophia dynamic so much btw even though they're separated for SO LONG BROOOO (the reunion scene is something that's been stuck in my head for years :D)
the Elodeans are all cool in general this is like 100C green strength except also really deadly I LOVE YOU NOSH!
should've read this book 5 days earlier man.. would've been so slay.
--
SOPHIA AND THEO AND BITTERSWEET AND CASANOVA AND DATURA LKSFJLA:FHSF:G
and everybody else.
I think it's hilarious that people meet Sophia and Theo and go "I've only had them for a day but if anything happened to them I'd kill everyone and then myself." Genuinely how do they pick up people who are so helpful. I mean hey shoutout I love them all but this is WILD
I really loved reading the excerpts attributed to Sophia at chapter beginnings. I know I said this before about the series but Grove's history background shines through so clearly in these books and I, a fellow history major, am obsessed with it. The intertwining of an academic exploration of storytelling in this Disrupted world and the journey our protagonists are on is lovely to me. Also it slaps so hard that Sophia's gone on to scholarly pursuits and writing these books.
I uhh don't really know what to think about the gung-ho HEA we got here I know not entirely for Sophia since her parents but there was resolution there either way and a way forward. I mean heck yeah they get hope and love and they manage to stop this insane war but it is truly coincidences slotting into place attributed to the Climes. Very much quick wrapups with literally everyone ever where in the world did the Metls come from HELP ofc Sophia & Theo & Nettie & Winnie would be explorer buddies. Um worldbuilding was kinda insane bro the heck you mean the Elodean sisters have their own Age and the Turtleback Grove old one is doing all this. THE WORLD INTO MEMORIES?? I did NOT!!! pick up on this previously! This is actually insane what! also gotta love how we find out about gems being sticky for memories 2/3rds into the last book of this trilogy yell. Maxine's fortune telling on top of the Ausentinia maps was interesting ,, I told myself I wouldn't talk more about the way time works in these books since the literal objective is that it DOESN'T for Sophia lmaoaoao. Mark of Iron being a compass is slay though.
Absolutely feral about Theo's character arc, thanks!! Metaphorically lying facedown on the floor about the one bit on p368 :D me when the boy who's spent his whole life saving himself has other people to save him so he stays on his own terms... guys. I'm going crazy! I love the Theo/Sophia dynamic so much btw even though they're separated for SO LONG BROOOO (the reunion scene is something that's been stuck in my head for years :D)
the Elodeans are all cool in general this is like 100C green strength except also really deadly I LOVE YOU NOSH!
should've read this book 5 days earlier man.. would've been so slay.
--
SOPHIA AND THEO AND BITTERSWEET AND CASANOVA AND DATURA LKSFJLA:FHSF:G
and everybody else.
May 5, 2017
Electronic ARC provided by Edelweiss.
This is a relatively satisfying conclusion to what I think is one of the most original and fun children's fantasy trilogies of the past several years. Sophia remains a likeable and sympathetic main character as her adventures take her through a fantastical version of the Midwest and the Great Lakes. The world building is creative, characters are nicely varied, and there is not a hint of romance anywhere in the trilogy.
My biggest issue with "The Crimson Skew" is that so many of the characters introduced in the two previous volumes end up sidelined here. There is so much going on, and the need to focus on finishing up Sophia's particular story means that there are several interesting sub-plots that feel like they are dropped without enough attention. I find the world of the Mapmaker's trilogy fascinating, and it seems as if the author had tons of ideas and tried too hard to cram them all into a single trilogy instead of focusing more on Sophia and then saving characters like Errol, Wren, and Calixta for later books. That said, I hope that Grove will continue to write books in this universe. There are more stories that can be told here and I will read them as they are released.
This is a relatively satisfying conclusion to what I think is one of the most original and fun children's fantasy trilogies of the past several years. Sophia remains a likeable and sympathetic main character as her adventures take her through a fantastical version of the Midwest and the Great Lakes. The world building is creative, characters are nicely varied, and there is not a hint of romance anywhere in the trilogy.
My biggest issue with "The Crimson Skew" is that so many of the characters introduced in the two previous volumes end up sidelined here. There is so much going on, and the need to focus on finishing up Sophia's particular story means that there are several interesting sub-plots that feel like they are dropped without enough attention. I find the world of the Mapmaker's trilogy fascinating, and it seems as if the author had tons of ideas and tried too hard to cram them all into a single trilogy instead of focusing more on Sophia and then saving characters like Errol, Wren, and Calixta for later books. That said, I hope that Grove will continue to write books in this universe. There are more stories that can be told here and I will read them as they are released.
September 13, 2017
I mostly liked this. It was bogged down with the same types of problems the other books were--information overload, too many characters and subplots to juggle. The prose was lovely, but it felt more complex than a middle-grade book (but maybe high standards are a good thing). The ending with Sophia's parents was bittersweet but probably for the best. I was hoping for more of an emotional resolution with Sophia, Shadrack, and (particularly) Theo, though, and didn't get it, and that was a letdown. (Especially Theo--I didn't need a romantic aspect to the book, but when they met Sophia thought he was the handsomest boy she'd ever see, and by the time the trilogy ended Theo was 16 and Sophia was 14 or 15 and it seemed like we were set up for more than we ended with. Which I was okay with, but I felt like it should have been addressed somehow. Or not made a fuss about at the beginning.)
October 24, 2016
Strangely and sadly anti-climactic. The second one had such great villains that I was almost terrified when I started reading this because of what might happen. But I needn't have worried. No, not everything ends perfectly, but there really didn't seem to be any villains at all and I felt no tension or excitement during any moment of the story, except perhaps some brief moments regarding Theo's storyline. Other than that things just...got resolved. And there really wasn't any teamwork, or chemistry with the characters which was most disappointing of all, as I love them all so much from the previous two.
April 10, 2016
The world building and characterisations are still spectacular and the new characters--especially Nosh--are well worth getting to know. However, the ending didn't always feel organic to what had come before and the downfall of Broadgirdle and the end of the war felt rushed and almost too easy. Still, it's a delightful trilogy that is perfect for middle grade readers who want something more meaty than most Middle Reader fantasy and, really, for anyone who enjoys being immersed in a unique world with characters worth rooting for.
August 1, 2020
3 1/2 stars. I am reviewing all three books of the Mapmakers Trilogy at once because most readers will want to read it as if it was a single story split into three books. The Glass Sentence (book 1) and The Golden Compass (book 2) have significant climaxes that end the portion of the story told in those books but leave significant loose ends that are not finished until the next book(s). Books 2 and 3 pick up where the previous books ended.
The fantasy world is based on our own world except that there was a “great disruption” prior to book 1 where the world split into large regions called “ages” where each age reverted to different historic periods. For example, the region we call the United States from the east coast to about mid continent and including a little of southern Canada is now called New Occident and is historically similar to the time just before the industrial revolution. What we call Europe is known as the Papal States and corresponds to the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Oddly, each of these ‘ages’ uses a different time-keeping system with a different number of hours in a day though explorers can move across boundaries and calendar dates don’t seem to be affected. Although chapters include a date and time, I didn’t see any purpose for the times (hours and minutes) to be different in different ages.
The other big element in these books is the unusual maps which could include memories and feelings. Mapmakers were called “cartologers” and you had to have special learned abilities to be able to read the maps. Maps made of different materials such as paper, metal, glass, etc. had different properties and required different skills to access them. Once inside a map, the reader could look around and move through time and space to find other information.
The writing is good and the story flows well. The main character is a young girl who is being raised by her grandfather who is a famous cartologer. Sophia’s parents went missing on an exploration trip and Sophia spends all three books attempting to find out what happened to them.
The fantasy world is based on our own world except that there was a “great disruption” prior to book 1 where the world split into large regions called “ages” where each age reverted to different historic periods. For example, the region we call the United States from the east coast to about mid continent and including a little of southern Canada is now called New Occident and is historically similar to the time just before the industrial revolution. What we call Europe is known as the Papal States and corresponds to the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Oddly, each of these ‘ages’ uses a different time-keeping system with a different number of hours in a day though explorers can move across boundaries and calendar dates don’t seem to be affected. Although chapters include a date and time, I didn’t see any purpose for the times (hours and minutes) to be different in different ages.
The other big element in these books is the unusual maps which could include memories and feelings. Mapmakers were called “cartologers” and you had to have special learned abilities to be able to read the maps. Maps made of different materials such as paper, metal, glass, etc. had different properties and required different skills to access them. Once inside a map, the reader could look around and move through time and space to find other information.
The writing is good and the story flows well. The main character is a young girl who is being raised by her grandfather who is a famous cartologer. Sophia’s parents went missing on an exploration trip and Sophia spends all three books attempting to find out what happened to them.
October 4, 2018
This book was a mixed bag.
Awhile ago I requested my library purchase a copy because I wanted to read it. They did; out of the blue I was surprised with an email telling me this book was waiting for me. I had no time to go back and re-read the first two books in the trilogy, which would have been very helpful as the author assumes you know what's come before and doesn't waste time rehashing (usually I appreciate that but in this instance it would have been very helpful).
I was afraid from the beginning that I would feel lost throughout the book, as it's been a very long time since I visited this world. My fears were realized, and while I enjoyed the truly fantastic world that Grove built, and her flawless writing, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something.
What brought the rating down a few stars was the ending; it seemed rushed. The ceasefire was very convenient. Most upsetting was the complete anticlimax of Sofia's reunion with her parents. She spent her whole life (and all three books) searching for them. When she finally does find them, they are just spirits. She accepts it so calmly; it's a non issue. That seems unrealistic and unsatisfying.
However, the writing was absolutely amazing. It was worth reading this book just for that. The events of the previous two books didn't come back enough to help me understand the impact and urgency of this book, but the story was self-contained enough that it was enjoyable on its own. The setting, with memory maps and different Ages, was really unique.
So mixed bag. Maybe someday I'll go back and read this trilogy again, back to back so I can fully appreciate everything that comes to a head in this book. Perhaps the ending will strike me differently next time and I won't be disappointed. I would still recommend it for the writing and the setting.
Awhile ago I requested my library purchase a copy because I wanted to read it. They did; out of the blue I was surprised with an email telling me this book was waiting for me. I had no time to go back and re-read the first two books in the trilogy, which would have been very helpful as the author assumes you know what's come before and doesn't waste time rehashing (usually I appreciate that but in this instance it would have been very helpful).
I was afraid from the beginning that I would feel lost throughout the book, as it's been a very long time since I visited this world. My fears were realized, and while I enjoyed the truly fantastic world that Grove built, and her flawless writing, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something.
What brought the rating down a few stars was the ending; it seemed rushed. The ceasefire was very convenient. Most upsetting was the complete anticlimax of Sofia's reunion with her parents. She spent her whole life (and all three books) searching for them. When she finally does find them, they are just spirits. She accepts it so calmly; it's a non issue. That seems unrealistic and unsatisfying.
However, the writing was absolutely amazing. It was worth reading this book just for that. The events of the previous two books didn't come back enough to help me understand the impact and urgency of this book, but the story was self-contained enough that it was enjoyable on its own. The setting, with memory maps and different Ages, was really unique.
So mixed bag. Maybe someday I'll go back and read this trilogy again, back to back so I can fully appreciate everything that comes to a head in this book. Perhaps the ending will strike me differently next time and I won't be disappointed. I would still recommend it for the writing and the setting.
December 19, 2017
Have finally finished the concluding volume of this YA fantasy trilogy (had to wait on the library to order it!). It's an enjoyable read, but as with the second volume it doesn't quite reach the level of interest as the first. The ending, in particular, seems very crammed together and the political plot with Bracegirdle falls apart excessively easily, considering how he was set up in The Golden Specific as some sort of malign genius. Poor little Datura stands in for the creepy "villain" side of things here, though as with the Lachrima she's not really villainous (and is nowhere near as creepy as them either).
The world-building continues to be excellent, but as always the plot seems more of an excuse to show off said world-building (usually in a series of constant travelogues) than anything else. It's still moderately entertaining, but I'm forced to conclude that though I'd love to visit this world, I wouldn't bother to visit the characters. They're all very nice, but basically they're a tool for travelling and I could wander without them.
The world-building continues to be excellent, but as always the plot seems more of an excuse to show off said world-building (usually in a series of constant travelogues) than anything else. It's still moderately entertaining, but I'm forced to conclude that though I'd love to visit this world, I wouldn't bother to visit the characters. They're all very nice, but basically they're a tool for travelling and I could wander without them.
June 2, 2023
Gosh it’s so hard to let this series go 😭 It’s done, happy ending, everyone is happy and safe and it was such a wholesome ending. I love the characters so much 🥹 I actually wish the book was longer, some plot points felt quite short-ended, but I’m still rating it 5 stars cause I love this series and it’s so underrated TvT❤️ The amount of world-building filled with interesting facts, lore and tales makes this trilogy so much fun to read about. I’m so glad it’s now part into my life forever 🥰🥰
November 17, 2017
Oh how I wish more people have read this series so I had someone to talk to about it all. I continued to love the world that Grove built and I am sad to leave it, though with the epilogue I can continue to imagine all the adventures our heroes will have in the future.
August 18, 2018
I love this series so much!
April 6, 2025
A bit darker than previous books. This one was harder for me to follow as I was listening to an audiobook version of it, and it was spread over a long period of time. Some fun new characters, but overall, it was just ok. The plot felt really slow, but again, that could've just been because I was listening to it.
January 20, 2021
I really enjoyed following the story of this book. I didn’t mind that there wasn’t much scientific explanation, I prefer the story. However, the language was a bit old making it a slow read. Overall, I really enjoyed the whole series and would recommend.
November 28, 2018
Just when I thought this series couldn't get any better, I read the final book. There was a nice sense of closure and it was hard to say goodbye to the characters; old and new. It was absolutely amazing.
August 14, 2021
I finished The Golden Specific with high hopes for the finale; between the shrouded motives of both the League of Encephalon Ages and Broadgirdle, I was excited to discover what the middle book of the trilogy was building up to. Unfortunately, while a decent read, The Crimson Skew did not live up to what I felt had been promised by the previous two books; indeed, I finished the novel and immediately looked online for news of a sequel I thought must surely be in the works, considering how much is left unanswered at the end of this finale.
Easily the biggest disappointment was the role (or lack thereof) players by the League of Encephalon Ages. At the start of The Crimson Skew, we're told about the Ars, and how the League manipulates Climes into serving them. However, this was wholly irrelevant to the plot, as was (as far as I can tell), the story of the storyteller who created a monster.
Broadgirdle gets a fairly satisfying conclusion, and I really like the end of Sophia's quest to find her parents (there is a concept at the end of the novel that I find very intriguing). However, in addition to the League, there are so many questions that are not given satisfying explanations. We never find out the exact circumstances leading to the Great Disruption. We never find out what was contained in the map Blanca gave to Sophia at the end of The Glass Sentence. What we did get was great; it just wasn't enough.
Easily the biggest disappointment was the role (or lack thereof) players by the League of Encephalon Ages. At the start of The Crimson Skew, we're told about the Ars, and how the League manipulates Climes into serving them. However, this was wholly irrelevant to the plot, as was (as far as I can tell), the story of the storyteller who created a monster.
Broadgirdle gets a fairly satisfying conclusion, and I really like the end of Sophia's quest to find her parents (there is a concept at the end of the novel that I find very intriguing). However, in addition to the League, there are so many questions that are not given satisfying explanations. We never find out the exact circumstances leading to the Great Disruption. We never find out what was contained in the map Blanca gave to Sophia at the end of The Glass Sentence. What we did get was great; it just wasn't enough.
April 21, 2018
I don’t think I can quite put it into words how disappointed I am in this series. It had soooo much potential with its original world but nothing was ever really, truly developed in depth and everything felt extremely basic and shallow.
The maps and the different Ages could have been much more fleshed out and several of the character felt like caricatures; there were too many characters for the plot and I felt never really got to know any of them as they appeared so sporadically and only seemed to serve the purpose of helping Sophia throughout her journey.
Also… What was that ending?! It was just way too neat and pretty, in my opinion.
The maps and the different Ages could have been much more fleshed out and several of the character felt like caricatures; there were too many characters for the plot and I felt never really got to know any of them as they appeared so sporadically and only seemed to serve the purpose of helping Sophia throughout her journey.
Also… What was that ending?! It was just way too neat and pretty, in my opinion.
August 30, 2016
The whole Mapmaker's Trilogy is a fascinating series. The setting is a world in which different parts of the world are in different time periods. Sophia TImms lives in New Occident which is essentially the East coast of North America. Her parents are explorers and are lost and she heads out to find them. Another thing that is very different and central to the stories are the maps. Some maps are physical, but others are memory maps. They are collected memories of the people that live in the area that the map depicts. It is a most unusual series. It is A juvenile series, but has such a complex plot and details that I am sure a teen or adult might appreciate this series.
January 11, 2016
A wonderful ending to this fantastic and fantastical series. All the books contain the best world building and I am very pleased to see it continue here. Gorgeous.
May 24, 2016
Great end to a fantastic trilogy.
July 17, 2022
Fifth time reading this book. I cried.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews