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Dragonoak #3
Dragonoak: Gall and Wormwood
The third book in the Dragonoak series.
Rowan’s journey has taken her across oceans and through ruined Kingdoms. Years have passed since she spent her days exiled to the farmland around her village, and she’s finally where it all started: Thule, the Kingdom’s capital, where those responsible for so much death and destruction hold power.
Their allies are few and far between and with no armies to fall back on, Rowan and her companions are charged with taking down Rylan and confronting Agados, ever looming on the horizon. Even with a recently resurrected phoenix to light the way, an end seems more out of reach than ever.
Rowan’s journey has taken her across oceans and through ruined Kingdoms. Years have passed since she spent her days exiled to the farmland around her village, and she’s finally where it all started: Thule, the Kingdom’s capital, where those responsible for so much death and destruction hold power.
Their allies are few and far between and with no armies to fall back on, Rowan and her companions are charged with taking down Rylan and confronting Agados, ever looming on the horizon. Even with a recently resurrected phoenix to light the way, an end seems more out of reach than ever.
747 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2017
43 people are currently reading
464 people want to read
About the author
Sam Farren
9 books166 followersSam Farren started writing the way many young authors do: they really, really wanted to post some fanfiction. After dabbling in both transformative and original works for many years, they developed a passion for representing queer women of all sorts in fantasy worlds. Their debut novel, Dragonoak: The Complete History of Kastelir, is the first instalment in a fully-written trilogy, spanning both years and continents.
Born and raised in the south-east of England, Sam currently resides in Oxford, with a charming pile of royal pythons, Tofu, Twix and Toffee. They are currently living the much coveted life of a poor student, and deeply appreciates any and all support via her published works.
Born and raised in the south-east of England, Sam currently resides in Oxford, with a charming pile of royal pythons, Tofu, Twix and Toffee. They are currently living the much coveted life of a poor student, and deeply appreciates any and all support via her published works.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 28, 2017
I waited over a year for this book. It was such a tough wait, checking almost daily for any updates. I have never wanted a book so badly in my life. It was such a relief when I finally got my hands on this book. This is the third and finale book in the Dragonoak series. This was my favorite epic fantasy series ever. This book was everything I waited and hoped for, and was an excellent ending to the series. I must admit, it is bittersweet. I'm sad to say goodbye to this great cast of characters. I am happy to hear Farren, will be writing a prequel of sorts, adventures of some of the characters long before Dragonoak takes place. I'm ready to settle in for another wait, and will read anything else that Farren writes.
I don't want to give anything away, but this series is about dragons, pirates, necromancers, pane, friends, love, adventures, tragedies. These books will make you feel, book 2 will even make you cry. They will also make you smile and connect to some of the better written characters around. You read about a battle scene, and you don't have to worry about two main characters living through it, you have to worry about 10. The world building and the cast of people Farren has imagined, is just wonderful.
If you are a fantasy fan, I can not recommend these books enough. Book 1 does start a little slow, but once it hits the gas, this series is fantastic. This is an epic series, and the books must be read in order, start with Dragonoak: The Complete History of Kastelir, if you are interested.
I don't want to give anything away, but this series is about dragons, pirates, necromancers, pane, friends, love, adventures, tragedies. These books will make you feel, book 2 will even make you cry. They will also make you smile and connect to some of the better written characters around. You read about a battle scene, and you don't have to worry about two main characters living through it, you have to worry about 10. The world building and the cast of people Farren has imagined, is just wonderful.
If you are a fantasy fan, I can not recommend these books enough. Book 1 does start a little slow, but once it hits the gas, this series is fantastic. This is an epic series, and the books must be read in order, start with Dragonoak: The Complete History of Kastelir, if you are interested.
June 8, 2017
Holy hell, I've finished. This entire series is like childbirth labor minus the pain and I'm glad it's over. Not that it isn't a great series and that this third book doesn't deliver. This is actually pretty excellent and this book ends the series on a stronger note than how it started. It's just that the author puts her characters through the wringer and doesn't let up and that type of anxiety and holding my breath doesn't make for the most fun of reading experiences...at least for me.
Do I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. Is this a standalone? No way. You need to start from the beginning.
There is so much going on in this book and the author did a great job of bringing all elements of such an intricate plot together in such a cohesive way. The pacing is steady but slower in the first half of the story and the second half kicks into a fast-paced action. The book is rich throughout in characterization, setting, world building, mythology, et al. I won't give any spoilers but I will say that the ending was both realistic and satisfying though I didn't have a super happy happy feeling once I hit the last page, either.
On a side note, for those that have been curious or are waiting for it, we get a big dose of Kondo-Kana and the story behind the Bloodless Lands which I liked. We also get the full cast of characters coming to one location and that was great.
What makes this series stand out is its abundance of lead and minor characters that are mostly female, all of them are in a leadership/strong role of some kind even if their personality is on the meek side and ALL personalities are completely distinct. That's quite a feat. There's also a breadth of diversity in sexualities, ethnicities, races, and gender identification. At least two of the characters are always assigned they/their/them pronouns. And none of those identifications are token or relegated to the more minor characters. That's also outstanding.
As for stars I put this somewhere between 4.5 and 5 stars. The quality is high, in general, and absolutely stellar as a kindle unlimited. What brings it down a bit for me is completely personal:
1) I do just find the read emotionally exhausting so it does take away from pure pleasure reading for me and
2) I really wish we got more interactions between Rowan and Claire that were more intimate. Because there are so many characters and there is so much action moving through the plot Rowan's interactions with all of the characters are fleeting yet are numerous AND somehow still significant...BUT, whenever Rowan and Claire got to be alone the story amped up to me and those moments were so few and far between I wish we got to spend more time with just them together.
Yes, a hearty recommendation for this book and the series as a whole.
Do I recommend the book? Yes, absolutely. Is this a standalone? No way. You need to start from the beginning.
There is so much going on in this book and the author did a great job of bringing all elements of such an intricate plot together in such a cohesive way. The pacing is steady but slower in the first half of the story and the second half kicks into a fast-paced action. The book is rich throughout in characterization, setting, world building, mythology, et al. I won't give any spoilers but I will say that the ending was both realistic and satisfying though I didn't have a super happy happy feeling once I hit the last page, either.
On a side note, for those that have been curious or are waiting for it, we get a big dose of Kondo-Kana and the story behind the Bloodless Lands which I liked. We also get the full cast of characters coming to one location and that was great.
What makes this series stand out is its abundance of lead and minor characters that are mostly female, all of them are in a leadership/strong role of some kind even if their personality is on the meek side and ALL personalities are completely distinct. That's quite a feat. There's also a breadth of diversity in sexualities, ethnicities, races, and gender identification. At least two of the characters are always assigned they/their/them pronouns. And none of those identifications are token or relegated to the more minor characters. That's also outstanding.
As for stars I put this somewhere between 4.5 and 5 stars. The quality is high, in general, and absolutely stellar as a kindle unlimited. What brings it down a bit for me is completely personal:
1) I do just find the read emotionally exhausting so it does take away from pure pleasure reading for me and
2) I really wish we got more interactions between Rowan and Claire that were more intimate. Because there are so many characters and there is so much action moving through the plot Rowan's interactions with all of the characters are fleeting yet are numerous AND somehow still significant...BUT, whenever Rowan and Claire got to be alone the story amped up to me and those moments were so few and far between I wish we got to spend more time with just them together.
Yes, a hearty recommendation for this book and the series as a whole.
February 28, 2017
I'm enchanted. What a beautiful last book to this series. I could not put it down and even when I had to, the characters followed me into every day life.
Instead of diminishing the already diverse world and cast of Dragonoak, we get not only deeper insights into the characters who we have come to cherish and love, but we are introduced to ever more "people" we start caring about. Characters that have remained a little one-dimensional, due to Rowan's perception of them, flesh out and become more complicated, more likable, more everything. I consider it no small feat that many of the conflicts that have come up throughout the series are resolved in a believable and kind way, without everything being pink ponies and rainbows at the end.
The theme of acceptance and of the mindful use of power is successfully continued and brought to a (at least for me) very good conclusion. I sat there teary eyed for the last chapters. I think this series carries a very strong message and is a really good story.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this in the future.
Instead of diminishing the already diverse world and cast of Dragonoak, we get not only deeper insights into the characters who we have come to cherish and love, but we are introduced to ever more "people" we start caring about. Characters that have remained a little one-dimensional, due to Rowan's perception of them, flesh out and become more complicated, more likable, more everything. I consider it no small feat that many of the conflicts that have come up throughout the series are resolved in a believable and kind way, without everything being pink ponies and rainbows at the end.
The theme of acceptance and of the mindful use of power is successfully continued and brought to a (at least for me) very good conclusion. I sat there teary eyed for the last chapters. I think this series carries a very strong message and is a really good story.
I'm sure I'll be revisiting this in the future.
February 5, 2018
I could live in this universe forever...
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
October 11, 2022
Since this is the last book in the series my review will cover both the book and the series.
Gall and Wormwood: 5 stars
Dragonoak series: 5 stars
I am absolutely surprised by the utmost care that went into ending this series. Farren took their time to make sure the story ended organically where they wanted it to. This was a beast of a book that took over 10 hours of reading time and it was exactly what was needed. Each character felt like they were featured in their own way, not just plot devices to help tie off the story.
Farren's writing improved immensely between this book and the two others in the series. I didn't notice any overly confusing parts because the information was being withheld until a big reveal. I also appreciated that non-relevant parts were quickly summarized. It did make for some odd time jumps, sometimes days or weeks would go by in the span of a sentence, but I did appreciate not going overboard with the extra detailed high fantasy descriptions just to fill in space.
Lots of different rep including queer, lesbian, gay, polyam, trans, and disabled characters. If you are looking for a diverse fantasy read this is one of the few that I can say actually truly has a diverse cast with many characters' diversity being intersectional.
I will mention that the fantasy element does have a few references to our world, especially with units of measurement, time, and even some clothing descriptions. In general, I do feel like this takes me out of the story when I see it. I did get used to this as I progressed through each book, but if this is something that bothers you take note.
Gall and Wormwood: 5 stars
Dragonoak series: 5 stars
I am absolutely surprised by the utmost care that went into ending this series. Farren took their time to make sure the story ended organically where they wanted it to. This was a beast of a book that took over 10 hours of reading time and it was exactly what was needed. Each character felt like they were featured in their own way, not just plot devices to help tie off the story.
Farren's writing improved immensely between this book and the two others in the series. I didn't notice any overly confusing parts because the information was being withheld until a big reveal. I also appreciated that non-relevant parts were quickly summarized. It did make for some odd time jumps, sometimes days or weeks would go by in the span of a sentence, but I did appreciate not going overboard with the extra detailed high fantasy descriptions just to fill in space.
Lots of different rep including queer, lesbian, gay, polyam, trans, and disabled characters. If you are looking for a diverse fantasy read this is one of the few that I can say actually truly has a diverse cast with many characters' diversity being intersectional.
I will mention that the fantasy element does have a few references to our world, especially with units of measurement, time, and even some clothing descriptions. In general, I do feel like this takes me out of the story when I see it. I did get used to this as I progressed through each book, but if this is something that bothers you take note.
March 3, 2017
Holy. Shit.
I just finished the book and that is all I can say about it at this point. I love this series so much and I actually had to take 5 minutes to collect myself - I even teared up a bit!
I have never left a review for a book before, but not leaving a review for this book would have been an injustice. I recommend the series to anyone and everyone!
I just finished the book and that is all I can say about it at this point. I love this series so much and I actually had to take 5 minutes to collect myself - I even teared up a bit!
I have never left a review for a book before, but not leaving a review for this book would have been an injustice. I recommend the series to anyone and everyone!
May 8, 2018
I had a harder time reading this one !
Probably because of the stalling, bickering, and then profoundly inane way the conflict evolves.
Still, some moment were catching, some characters shows new interesting sides.
And I loved the two small novella pebbled into it. Those were really interesting.
Probably because of the stalling, bickering, and then profoundly inane way the conflict evolves.
Still, some moment were catching, some characters shows new interesting sides.
And I loved the two small novella pebbled into it. Those were really interesting.
June 29, 2020
“My life has been so much gall and wormwood, yet I wish I had made a record of it before this.”
The plot went off the rails in this one, and the book was too long, and certain things weren't explained enough, or were just kind of confusing, and one plot point was very irksome... AND I DON'T CARE THAT MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ITS CHARACTERS SO MUCH.
Just based on characters and relationships and romance? I loved this series with my whole entire heart. I really think I ought to have reread the fist book before I continued, as that might have helped with my confusion on a lot of things. If you read this in close succession (which I recommend), you probably won't have the same problems I did. But again, the characters are where this shines. Rowan, Claire and Kouris are going to stay with me for a long time.
The plot went off the rails in this one, and the book was too long, and certain things weren't explained enough, or were just kind of confusing, and one plot point was very irksome... AND I DON'T CARE THAT MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK AND ITS CHARACTERS SO MUCH.
Just based on characters and relationships and romance? I loved this series with my whole entire heart. I really think I ought to have reread the fist book before I continued, as that might have helped with my confusion on a lot of things. If you read this in close succession (which I recommend), you probably won't have the same problems I did. But again, the characters are where this shines. Rowan, Claire and Kouris are going to stay with me for a long time.
August 11, 2020
I did it! That was a ride...not the rollercoaster kind that goes up and down allowing some reprieve from the anticipation, but one where it continues to go up and up, building with so much tension that you’re left wondering when you can ever breathe again.
There is so much substance to this series! Farren writes in the end how their original intention for dragonoak didn’t include a necromancer or a lot of the super lovable secondary characters. All the characters in this story MADE this book for me! Farren did a great job of filling me with anxiety with Katja’s part that I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a character more (except for maybe Joffrey from GOT). Kouris’ character is so endearing, my heart just melts for her. I crave more of her story. There are a lot of intersecting relationships which I guess doesn’t stray too far from the actual lesbian world...but a few times I had to pause and re-read because I didn’t pick up on the nuances right away.
I don’t think I could read this series again because it felt heavy emotionally, but definitely glad for the adventure.
There is so much substance to this series! Farren writes in the end how their original intention for dragonoak didn’t include a necromancer or a lot of the super lovable secondary characters. All the characters in this story MADE this book for me! Farren did a great job of filling me with anxiety with Katja’s part that I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a character more (except for maybe Joffrey from GOT). Kouris’ character is so endearing, my heart just melts for her. I crave more of her story. There are a lot of intersecting relationships which I guess doesn’t stray too far from the actual lesbian world...but a few times I had to pause and re-read because I didn’t pick up on the nuances right away.
I don’t think I could read this series again because it felt heavy emotionally, but definitely glad for the adventure.
February 7, 2021
This series was the first I’ve ever read that so casually and welcomingly included relationships and identities of all kinds, and it was so incredibly refreshing and beautiful for it. I grew to love every one of the wide cast of characters, although at times I found the main protagonist to be... frustrating.
I understand that all of the characters dealt with their own traumas. Rowan had plenty to tackle throughout the series that caused her to act in the ways that she did and while I understand the reasoning it doesn’t make reading it easier when there are so many things that could have been fixed or prevented by even minor action on her part.
That said, I enjoyed this series incredibly and the ending was well worth any frustration leading to it. If you’ve somehow stumbled upon this review before picking up any of the previous books I’d urge you to read the whole trilogy as it truly was a delight.
I understand that all of the characters dealt with their own traumas. Rowan had plenty to tackle throughout the series that caused her to act in the ways that she did and while I understand the reasoning it doesn’t make reading it easier when there are so many things that could have been fixed or prevented by even minor action on her part.
That said, I enjoyed this series incredibly and the ending was well worth any frustration leading to it. If you’ve somehow stumbled upon this review before picking up any of the previous books I’d urge you to read the whole trilogy as it truly was a delight.
March 26, 2017
The Grande Finale of this trilogy. It's still exhausting to keep track of who is in love with who.
Rowan's constant struggle to not use her powers is admirable. It is debatable whether to kill one to save many or not. Especially if you have no other means to prevent it. But as Yoda said: Easy it is, the way to the dark side.
Just a little disappointment over the epilogue. That could have been a story on its own.
Rowan's constant struggle to not use her powers is admirable. It is debatable whether to kill one to save many or not. Especially if you have no other means to prevent it. But as Yoda said: Easy it is, the way to the dark side.
Just a little disappointment over the epilogue. That could have been a story on its own.
April 23, 2017
I felt like my head was in a strain and my heart was being squeezed in my chest reading this book. And it is by no means bad. This is the finale of the bundle of sadness, happiness, dragons and fire in book 1 and 2, and the greatest wrap up you can ever wish to have.
While book 1 and 2 are more character-driven and less world-affecting plot points (credit where credit is due, the one world-affecting plot point in each of those books is enough to blow minds away with thrill), Gall and Wormwood is definitely a perfect mix of both characters' personal struggles and an engrossing war-torned storyline. By putting our cast in relevant stressful situations, Sam inflicts characters' developments as well as puts the plot in motion.
Rowan has come a long way since book 1, and seeing her going through and living on with so much is both a bitter and wonderful experience. She stands by her morals, despite guilts and temptations. She learns about the nature of her necromancy, she copes with it and never lets anyone chase her away for it anymore (her friends also make sure of that, lovely people). There are also more and more befallen Claire, with her brother being her enemy and all. I love the conversations Claire, Rowan and Kouris have, there are outbursts of stress, despairs, callings for comfort and finally, recoveries.
Sam also gives more interactions with former distant characters, letting us know that there are more beneath the surface. With subtle gestures and dialogues, the characters give each other strength, supports, explore the ideas of love and relationships. They open themselves up to each other, and it is so real how they talk and interact that those moments never fail to waver my heart. The theme of love, of recovering from damages, of fighting against prejudices and being objectified, all are being presented gloriously, inspiringly well in the characters and their lovable exchanges.
All of the above are mixed up with power struggles for the throne, the wars - past and current, then ended with a breath-taking climax. Our questions about necromancy, about what truly happened in the legends are all answered. The climax is the final realization that put all truths out there, while being a gripping event with strong actions and emotions from Rowan herself. The plotlines of Ro finding out about the Necromancy Wars and Rylan invading Thule blend in together all well and dandy. The quick actions and the suspenseful events grip my attention all the way through. The book ends in the most heart-warming way I can ever wish for, every lingering problems solved pleasantly and brilliantly.
There are a whole lot more great things I haven't mentioned, because it would take forever then. Dragonoak is a damn amazing series, one that causes shivers and tears for harsh struggles and happiness alike. It deserves all the love in the world for what it did. This magic is real here guys, and it's gay too!
While book 1 and 2 are more character-driven and less world-affecting plot points (credit where credit is due, the one world-affecting plot point in each of those books is enough to blow minds away with thrill), Gall and Wormwood is definitely a perfect mix of both characters' personal struggles and an engrossing war-torned storyline. By putting our cast in relevant stressful situations, Sam inflicts characters' developments as well as puts the plot in motion.
Rowan has come a long way since book 1, and seeing her going through and living on with so much is both a bitter and wonderful experience. She stands by her morals, despite guilts and temptations. She learns about the nature of her necromancy, she copes with it and never lets anyone chase her away for it anymore (her friends also make sure of that, lovely people). There are also more and more befallen Claire, with her brother being her enemy and all. I love the conversations Claire, Rowan and Kouris have, there are outbursts of stress, despairs, callings for comfort and finally, recoveries.
Sam also gives more interactions with former distant characters, letting us know that there are more beneath the surface. With subtle gestures and dialogues, the characters give each other strength, supports, explore the ideas of love and relationships. They open themselves up to each other, and it is so real how they talk and interact that those moments never fail to waver my heart. The theme of love, of recovering from damages, of fighting against prejudices and being objectified, all are being presented gloriously, inspiringly well in the characters and their lovable exchanges.
All of the above are mixed up with power struggles for the throne, the wars - past and current, then ended with a breath-taking climax. Our questions about necromancy, about what truly happened in the legends are all answered. The climax is the final realization that put all truths out there, while being a gripping event with strong actions and emotions from Rowan herself. The plotlines of Ro finding out about the Necromancy Wars and Rylan invading Thule blend in together all well and dandy. The quick actions and the suspenseful events grip my attention all the way through. The book ends in the most heart-warming way I can ever wish for, every lingering problems solved pleasantly and brilliantly.
There are a whole lot more great things I haven't mentioned, because it would take forever then. Dragonoak is a damn amazing series, one that causes shivers and tears for harsh struggles and happiness alike. It deserves all the love in the world for what it did. This magic is real here guys, and it's gay too!
March 6, 2017
In this book Rowan seems a lost child again, helpless and easy to be pushed around. Despite her power, she never chooses the easy way out, rather scarifying herself than going against who she is, what she believes. Her stubbornness makes me so freaking mad but I do admire her for it. I'd normally prefer smart, strong-willed, badass women for narratives, yet in Farren's world there's no lack for those; I think that's what makes Rowan so special. Heck, the ending is also something realistic, perfectly suitable for this genre. There maybe magic, but magic doesn't ensure a happy ever after ending: there are still scars that should heal over time, and scars that will never leave. For me, every book in Dragonoak series brings a different feeling: book 1 bright and tranquil, book 2 dark and emotional, book 3 (with all the fights and intertwining relationships) is a bit fast and hazy like a dream, a story among many, a forgotten part of history. Make feel kind of sad to say goodbye :(
January 11, 2019
A great end to the series. There were some things I'd have liked more of (that's the romantic in me), but in general I loved everything in this book.
It's impressive I didn't just love the first in the series but its sequels as well. Very well done.
It's impressive I didn't just love the first in the series but its sequels as well. Very well done.
June 22, 2025
I was dazed after reading the last book. For days. Even the epilogue had a funky lingering effect like an echo in my mind.
I felt it deeply in so many ways. Awesome stuff.
I felt it deeply in so many ways. Awesome stuff.
May 9, 2021
Just an endless stressful tale with a protagonist who’s so annoyingly weak.
July 12, 2017
4.5 stars
You know that despondent feeling you get when you've just finished a great piece of media and you don't know what to do with your life? If I had to guess, that's happened to me with %5-%10 of the series I've read, and this is one of them. These books are really awesome. Even if they aren't absolutely perfect, I'm attached enough to the characters and their stories that I can forgive almost any other issue I have with them. So maybe my rating is more biased than usual? (Humans after all, are made of bias.) I'm not really sure.
Now, I didn't really start out loving this third book. The first third felt too fast-paced to me, and it seemed like there was a good amount of expositional catch-up, which annoys me. I always reread at least the book before a new one in a series comes out, so the hand-holding feels tedious to me. That said, this book is massive and I know not everyone likes rereading, so I get it even if I don't like it. After that first third things start to slow down and there are fewer things to exposit over, so I was really able to get into it then.
The story itself was a nice end to Rowan's character arc and while there are some things I didn't like, on the whole I enjoyed it immensely. I don't think I can talk about this book without spoilers, so all I'll say is that it's more of the same quality storytelling you'd expect from this author.
I'm looking forward to later books about Bosma.
These are some of my (roughly chronological) thoughts and comments:
I still wish there was a map provided.
So does Svargan use the Latin alphabet, or was Kouris spelling her name in Mesomium? Or do they both use the same alphabet?
I probably should have mentioned this two books ago, but would it not have been easier, in a way, for Claire to just wait until she assumed the throne to change the kingdom's policy on dragons? It would have been excruciating and horrible to not do anything, yes, (although not for long because the king dies—but that's hindsight speaking,) but weighed against the relative possibility of war, genocide, and kingdom destruction, doesn't that make it the better choice? Considering what a giant idiot Rylan apparently is and the unrest Kastelir was in to begin with? And maybe she couldn't have realized how likely the dice would fall where they did, but change from within is generally easier than revolution, right? But then on the other hand she definitely wouldn't have been able to tell the people anything about it because who would trust anyone remotely complicit in that? And then even if she did clean it up quietly people would wonder where the hell the dragons went, so some would look into it, maybe find evidence eventually, and overthrow her for covering it up. So I guess revolution is the only way she gets to stay queen in the long run without always looking over her shoulder, but I'd expect real people to be more Machiavellian than Claire. She's a goddamn saint of a politician.
I probably should've asked this earlier too, but do healers help with gender transitions? Do they help queer couples get pregnant somehow or is there some sort of culture of utilitarian sex on Bosma?
Who was the dragon-corrupting necromancer before Iseul? He was only captive for like, 30 years and this dragon thing has been going on for centuries, right? How many necromancers did Felheim usually have at a time? Did a necromancer ever die before a replacement could be found? What would Felheim have done in a situation like that?
Why is Rowan basically the only person who can come up with worthwhile ideas?
How did Agados come to be what it is? It's so different from everything else around it, culturally and linguistically. What was separating them from the rest of Asar before their wall? How old is their wall anyway?
You know, for how representative and egalitarian this world is in lots of ways—gender, sexuality, disability, neuroatypicality, chemical dependence, mental illness, and probably other ways I'm not thinking of right now—it seems like everybody who has parents has parents who don't hate each other. That's some lucky shit. I'm kind of bitter actually. (Yay! Story time!) My parents were both married and divorced to other people long before they got pregnant with me, had a shotgun wedding, then thirteen years and two more kids later wasted their live's savings for the pleasure of doing it all over again. (I was honestly fine with it, as being raised by people who do nothing but scream at each other is fucking hell, but wasting all that money has caused lots of stress.) My point is it doesn't seem realistic to me. In America children of divorce are everywhere. Are marriages in England happier than the ones in America? Or do people "stay together for the kids" more over there? I don't really know. The divorce part isn't all that important; it's just parents, who have children, but are no longer together for some reason other than death. I don't think anyone fits that description, except possibly Varn, or Nasrin, or Gavern (don't remember exactly,) or maybe Katya in a way, but not really. I hope I don't come off as whiny by saying this, and I give this series props for being as equal-minded as it is, but this shit affects a kid deeply and I wish there were characters who had to deal with that too. Plus, you'd think there'd be more divorces in a society with so few taboos.
Agados seems to represent our own world, which works in some ways. In other ways I don't see it, like the comparison between the Agadian's planned cities and their conservatism. That just seems arbitrary to me. And how they're more technologically advanced because of their strict social norms (I think that was it.) That may be part of it, but I think it's mostly because they've enslaved the pane living there, which honestly isn't all that different from what Felheim was doing, just on a larger scale.
Wait, I thought Claire was sent to the mountains when she was nineteen, but by that point she was already a full-fledged knight, dating Eden, and had had that painful "there are always dragons" incident that ultimately led to her alcoholism and the breakup of her engagement? I thought she was sent to the pane village because of her naïveté and lack of discipline, not because her mother couldn't find it in herself to be a supportive parent. Was that the only time she was sent to the mountains? Because if that's how it was then there really wasn't enough angst or sadness or regret when Claire told Rowan about this trip in the first book—I checked! It's an almost humorous moment where we can only assume Claire was a wild child who needed reigning in, and present-day Claire was vaguely embarrassed about the whole thing! These two trips to the mountains can't be one and the same, but Claire or Rowan didn't elaborate so all I can do is assume she was referring to that one time she did elaborate about her time in the mountains!
Why are necromancers and healers so weirdly connected? Why do they seem like natural enemies? Why are they so opposite with the sensing, and the nausea, and the void-repellence?
I thought it was the absence of feeling that makes necromancers feel weird to healers. Like everybody feels solid and real except necromancers, so those healers wouldn't be able to know something was up until they were able to see Rowan and realize the discrepancy between their eyes and their healer powers. So just because Rowan is nauseous doesn't mean those healers can feel her. Right? Right?? Oh, but then Katya did say once that she knew right when a necromancer stepped into Isin, so what do I know about anything. It seems sort of contradictory though, or at least the way I'm understanding it.
I wonder if democracy has been invented in this world yet. Hasn't it occurred to anyone yet? Maybe in the Southern Hemisphere? Perhaps on an archipelago with many city states so a direct democracy would be physically feasible in a time of low technology? I'm kidding—that's just Greece— but you get my point. Isn't that what brought down Kastelir, at least in part? That the kings and queen weren't listening and wouldn't step down? All of these countries are kingdoms—Felheim, Canth, Agados, Myros, and probably Ridgeth too. I know there was a time in history when most governments were monarchies but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
So what exactly is Yin Zhou? How developed is her continent? Like, real world level? How has the rest of the world not fallen to empire and manifest destiny? Is it the magic or something? How do Kondo Kana and Yin Zhou know each other?
I hope I'm not the only one who didn't realize Kouris and Rowan (and possibly Claire too?) were more than platonic. I feel a bit dumb for not seeing it. The polyamorous aspect of this world's societies was more present in this book, so it surprised me. Not completely I guess, they make sense together. Looking back, their interactions in the past two books are more gray-area or romantic than best-friend-platonic, so I suppose it was my bias towards monogamy that made me see it that way. Still, I sorta wish Kouris got together with Kidira again, but this probably makes more sense.
Ah. Reis and Claire have similar demeanors, both struggle with addiction, and both had devastating leg injuries. And they were both adopted! Normally I'd be bashing a situation like this for being too unbelievable, but I like the idea so much that I just can't. They make sense as siblings.
But... wouldn't a void be black? As in nothingness, even the presence of light? Maybe not, I'm no authority on these things.
So there have always been very few necromancers, and we can only assume that they're born to completely random humans, so my question is this: Did Isjin only have enough light left for say, fourteen necromancers at once, and so every time one of those fourteen dies their light gets given back and then another necromancer is somehow born elsewhere? Would that mean necromancers are infertile, or do they just have ordinary babies when they procreate? What is the mechanism behind this? Why did Kondo Kana always know she was different but Rowan had to get mauled by a wolf to figure it out? Well, Kondo Kana could be called an unreliable narrator, but still. Is this genetic or environmental? Or is it like, beyond genetic in a mystical, magical way?
Don't pane have orange blood or did Kondo Kana forget?
Where the hell is Thryce? Or was, I guess. Who're they? I only vaguely remember that country being mentioned in the first book like, once.
It just hit me. This Kastelirian refugee crisis is quite apropos of our world isn't it? It's actually kind of nice I only just noticed, makes me think about it all a bit differently.
It doesn't surprise me that Atthis wasn't really dead. I expect these things at this point.
What are all the other Knights in the kingdom doing? The first book gave me the impression that there were like, nine to twelve of them. Were they sent to the Kastelirian front? But there were still dragon attacks going on back then... Are they all just sitting on their asses now? Have they all died.
Well, that was somewhat predictable. This could only have ended in explosions, what with the gunpowder trade between Canth and Agados, and the Agadian endorsement of Rylan. And of course they slipped in wearing the same uniforms. That's subterfuge 101 right there.
Is Reis' pistol a flintlock ignition? Real world pirates used those, I think. They were pretty inefficient though; it took forever to reload, there was only one shot, god help you if your gunpowder got wet, and if even one thing was less than perfect it would probably misfire. Pirates would carry around as many guns as they could before a fight because reloading was impossible. Blades were more useful overall. But I'm just imagining everyone stopping and crouching down whenever Reis needed to reload. Unless their gun is some kind of revolver? Would revolvers have been invented in Canth yet? Well, anything I happen to know about firearms comes from either 8th grade History or random Wikipedia binges, so I dunno.
There is pretty much nothing redeemable about Rylan. I don't understand how someone can be so willfully ignorant in the face of so much goddamn evidence. Did he develop a delusional disorder at some point? That's the only reasonable explanation I can think of. Despite how he apparently used to be and despite his lingering affection for Claire he seems sort of one-note to me.
I know Haru Taiki and Kondo Kana probably had time to make up while everyone else was rag-tag-guerrilla-warfare-ing their way around the castle, but I wish we could have seen that conversation. Even though this is a first person narrative and that would require either some bullshit or a heavy dose of spatial gymnastics.
Hmm. I kinda thought that might happen with Katya, the long-con-double-cross. There were several clues. Stabbing Rylan in the neck was a surprise, though in retrospect maybe it shouldn't have been. She does have a propensity to stab the people she's angry with. It kind of sucks that she'll be a hero in the history books, but lots of horrible people are remembered like that so it makes sense.
Ahh... By the time Iseul died Katya had already alluded to the "fact" that necromancers don't go to the Forest Within so I knew to find it weird that he was happy to die, but that didn't occur to me. Kudos, Sam Farren! I didn't expect that twist!
So was Rowan able to counter Halla's voiding... by believing in herself? Is that what that was? How does knowing you get to go to the Forest Within translate into necromantic power? Was she always that powerful? Is necromantic potency all an illusion based on self-confidence? Am I missing something?
I like Atthis and Rowan's Dad as a couple. That they can find love in each other after losing their partners is heartwarming. And now Rowan and Kidira are family, right? That makes me smile. I like their dynamic best of all. I hope they end up as genuine friends later on.
Did one of the necromancers bring back the Mansels in the end?
I like that this series was a first person account like a fictional memoir, as opposed to most other first person narratives that just... are. I always wonder, "Does this protagonist just narrate their entire life in their head? Do they know they're in a book?" Somehow I like that Rowan was self-aware when she told this story.
What a bittersweet epilogue. I don't like thinking about a time when characters I'm attached to are dead and gone. It's just... existentially depressing. And it drives home the fact that this is the end of Rowan's story. On the other hand there's an afterlife in this universe, and necromancers do in fact go there, so at least everyone is still all still together. Except Oak, maybe? That's kind of sad...
Now I wonder about everything that happened in between... Why did Kouris die in Canth? How come the castle in Thule is ruins less than 500 years out?What happened to Felheim between the last chapter and the epilogue? And the rest of the world? Did Claire, Rowan, and Kouris have any kids? So many loose ends for me to wonder about...
You know that despondent feeling you get when you've just finished a great piece of media and you don't know what to do with your life? If I had to guess, that's happened to me with %5-%10 of the series I've read, and this is one of them. These books are really awesome. Even if they aren't absolutely perfect, I'm attached enough to the characters and their stories that I can forgive almost any other issue I have with them. So maybe my rating is more biased than usual? (Humans after all, are made of bias.) I'm not really sure.
Now, I didn't really start out loving this third book. The first third felt too fast-paced to me, and it seemed like there was a good amount of expositional catch-up, which annoys me. I always reread at least the book before a new one in a series comes out, so the hand-holding feels tedious to me. That said, this book is massive and I know not everyone likes rereading, so I get it even if I don't like it. After that first third things start to slow down and there are fewer things to exposit over, so I was really able to get into it then.
The story itself was a nice end to Rowan's character arc and while there are some things I didn't like, on the whole I enjoyed it immensely. I don't think I can talk about this book without spoilers, so all I'll say is that it's more of the same quality storytelling you'd expect from this author.
I'm looking forward to later books about Bosma.
These are some of my (roughly chronological) thoughts and comments:
I still wish there was a map provided.
So does Svargan use the Latin alphabet, or was Kouris spelling her name in Mesomium? Or do they both use the same alphabet?
I probably should have mentioned this two books ago, but would it not have been easier, in a way, for Claire to just wait until she assumed the throne to change the kingdom's policy on dragons? It would have been excruciating and horrible to not do anything, yes, (although not for long because the king dies—but that's hindsight speaking,) but weighed against the relative possibility of war, genocide, and kingdom destruction, doesn't that make it the better choice? Considering what a giant idiot Rylan apparently is and the unrest Kastelir was in to begin with? And maybe she couldn't have realized how likely the dice would fall where they did, but change from within is generally easier than revolution, right? But then on the other hand she definitely wouldn't have been able to tell the people anything about it because who would trust anyone remotely complicit in that? And then even if she did clean it up quietly people would wonder where the hell the dragons went, so some would look into it, maybe find evidence eventually, and overthrow her for covering it up. So I guess revolution is the only way she gets to stay queen in the long run without always looking over her shoulder, but I'd expect real people to be more Machiavellian than Claire. She's a goddamn saint of a politician.
I probably should've asked this earlier too, but do healers help with gender transitions? Do they help queer couples get pregnant somehow or is there some sort of culture of utilitarian sex on Bosma?
Who was the dragon-corrupting necromancer before Iseul? He was only captive for like, 30 years and this dragon thing has been going on for centuries, right? How many necromancers did Felheim usually have at a time? Did a necromancer ever die before a replacement could be found? What would Felheim have done in a situation like that?
Why is Rowan basically the only person who can come up with worthwhile ideas?
How did Agados come to be what it is? It's so different from everything else around it, culturally and linguistically. What was separating them from the rest of Asar before their wall? How old is their wall anyway?
You know, for how representative and egalitarian this world is in lots of ways—gender, sexuality, disability, neuroatypicality, chemical dependence, mental illness, and probably other ways I'm not thinking of right now—it seems like everybody who has parents has parents who don't hate each other. That's some lucky shit. I'm kind of bitter actually. (Yay! Story time!) My parents were both married and divorced to other people long before they got pregnant with me, had a shotgun wedding, then thirteen years and two more kids later wasted their live's savings for the pleasure of doing it all over again. (I was honestly fine with it, as being raised by people who do nothing but scream at each other is fucking hell, but wasting all that money has caused lots of stress.) My point is it doesn't seem realistic to me. In America children of divorce are everywhere. Are marriages in England happier than the ones in America? Or do people "stay together for the kids" more over there? I don't really know. The divorce part isn't all that important; it's just parents, who have children, but are no longer together for some reason other than death. I don't think anyone fits that description, except possibly Varn, or Nasrin, or Gavern (don't remember exactly,) or maybe Katya in a way, but not really. I hope I don't come off as whiny by saying this, and I give this series props for being as equal-minded as it is, but this shit affects a kid deeply and I wish there were characters who had to deal with that too. Plus, you'd think there'd be more divorces in a society with so few taboos.
Agados seems to represent our own world, which works in some ways. In other ways I don't see it, like the comparison between the Agadian's planned cities and their conservatism. That just seems arbitrary to me. And how they're more technologically advanced because of their strict social norms (I think that was it.) That may be part of it, but I think it's mostly because they've enslaved the pane living there, which honestly isn't all that different from what Felheim was doing, just on a larger scale.
Wait, I thought Claire was sent to the mountains when she was nineteen, but by that point she was already a full-fledged knight, dating Eden, and had had that painful "there are always dragons" incident that ultimately led to her alcoholism and the breakup of her engagement? I thought she was sent to the pane village because of her naïveté and lack of discipline, not because her mother couldn't find it in herself to be a supportive parent. Was that the only time she was sent to the mountains? Because if that's how it was then there really wasn't enough angst or sadness or regret when Claire told Rowan about this trip in the first book—I checked! It's an almost humorous moment where we can only assume Claire was a wild child who needed reigning in, and present-day Claire was vaguely embarrassed about the whole thing! These two trips to the mountains can't be one and the same, but Claire or Rowan didn't elaborate so all I can do is assume she was referring to that one time she did elaborate about her time in the mountains!
Why are necromancers and healers so weirdly connected? Why do they seem like natural enemies? Why are they so opposite with the sensing, and the nausea, and the void-repellence?
I thought it was the absence of feeling that makes necromancers feel weird to healers. Like everybody feels solid and real except necromancers, so those healers wouldn't be able to know something was up until they were able to see Rowan and realize the discrepancy between their eyes and their healer powers. So just because Rowan is nauseous doesn't mean those healers can feel her. Right? Right?? Oh, but then Katya did say once that she knew right when a necromancer stepped into Isin, so what do I know about anything. It seems sort of contradictory though, or at least the way I'm understanding it.
I wonder if democracy has been invented in this world yet. Hasn't it occurred to anyone yet? Maybe in the Southern Hemisphere? Perhaps on an archipelago with many city states so a direct democracy would be physically feasible in a time of low technology? I'm kidding—that's just Greece— but you get my point. Isn't that what brought down Kastelir, at least in part? That the kings and queen weren't listening and wouldn't step down? All of these countries are kingdoms—Felheim, Canth, Agados, Myros, and probably Ridgeth too. I know there was a time in history when most governments were monarchies but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
So what exactly is Yin Zhou? How developed is her continent? Like, real world level? How has the rest of the world not fallen to empire and manifest destiny? Is it the magic or something? How do Kondo Kana and Yin Zhou know each other?
I hope I'm not the only one who didn't realize Kouris and Rowan (and possibly Claire too?) were more than platonic. I feel a bit dumb for not seeing it. The polyamorous aspect of this world's societies was more present in this book, so it surprised me. Not completely I guess, they make sense together. Looking back, their interactions in the past two books are more gray-area or romantic than best-friend-platonic, so I suppose it was my bias towards monogamy that made me see it that way. Still, I sorta wish Kouris got together with Kidira again, but this probably makes more sense.
Ah. Reis and Claire have similar demeanors, both struggle with addiction, and both had devastating leg injuries. And they were both adopted! Normally I'd be bashing a situation like this for being too unbelievable, but I like the idea so much that I just can't. They make sense as siblings.
But... wouldn't a void be black? As in nothingness, even the presence of light? Maybe not, I'm no authority on these things.
So there have always been very few necromancers, and we can only assume that they're born to completely random humans, so my question is this: Did Isjin only have enough light left for say, fourteen necromancers at once, and so every time one of those fourteen dies their light gets given back and then another necromancer is somehow born elsewhere? Would that mean necromancers are infertile, or do they just have ordinary babies when they procreate? What is the mechanism behind this? Why did Kondo Kana always know she was different but Rowan had to get mauled by a wolf to figure it out? Well, Kondo Kana could be called an unreliable narrator, but still. Is this genetic or environmental? Or is it like, beyond genetic in a mystical, magical way?
Don't pane have orange blood or did Kondo Kana forget?
Where the hell is Thryce? Or was, I guess. Who're they? I only vaguely remember that country being mentioned in the first book like, once.
It just hit me. This Kastelirian refugee crisis is quite apropos of our world isn't it? It's actually kind of nice I only just noticed, makes me think about it all a bit differently.
It doesn't surprise me that Atthis wasn't really dead. I expect these things at this point.
What are all the other Knights in the kingdom doing? The first book gave me the impression that there were like, nine to twelve of them. Were they sent to the Kastelirian front? But there were still dragon attacks going on back then... Are they all just sitting on their asses now? Have they all died.
Well, that was somewhat predictable. This could only have ended in explosions, what with the gunpowder trade between Canth and Agados, and the Agadian endorsement of Rylan. And of course they slipped in wearing the same uniforms. That's subterfuge 101 right there.
Is Reis' pistol a flintlock ignition? Real world pirates used those, I think. They were pretty inefficient though; it took forever to reload, there was only one shot, god help you if your gunpowder got wet, and if even one thing was less than perfect it would probably misfire. Pirates would carry around as many guns as they could before a fight because reloading was impossible. Blades were more useful overall. But I'm just imagining everyone stopping and crouching down whenever Reis needed to reload. Unless their gun is some kind of revolver? Would revolvers have been invented in Canth yet? Well, anything I happen to know about firearms comes from either 8th grade History or random Wikipedia binges, so I dunno.
There is pretty much nothing redeemable about Rylan. I don't understand how someone can be so willfully ignorant in the face of so much goddamn evidence. Did he develop a delusional disorder at some point? That's the only reasonable explanation I can think of. Despite how he apparently used to be and despite his lingering affection for Claire he seems sort of one-note to me.
I know Haru Taiki and Kondo Kana probably had time to make up while everyone else was rag-tag-guerrilla-warfare-ing their way around the castle, but I wish we could have seen that conversation. Even though this is a first person narrative and that would require either some bullshit or a heavy dose of spatial gymnastics.
Hmm. I kinda thought that might happen with Katya, the long-con-double-cross. There were several clues. Stabbing Rylan in the neck was a surprise, though in retrospect maybe it shouldn't have been. She does have a propensity to stab the people she's angry with. It kind of sucks that she'll be a hero in the history books, but lots of horrible people are remembered like that so it makes sense.
Ahh... By the time Iseul died Katya had already alluded to the "fact" that necromancers don't go to the Forest Within so I knew to find it weird that he was happy to die, but that didn't occur to me. Kudos, Sam Farren! I didn't expect that twist!
So was Rowan able to counter Halla's voiding... by believing in herself? Is that what that was? How does knowing you get to go to the Forest Within translate into necromantic power? Was she always that powerful? Is necromantic potency all an illusion based on self-confidence? Am I missing something?
I like Atthis and Rowan's Dad as a couple. That they can find love in each other after losing their partners is heartwarming. And now Rowan and Kidira are family, right? That makes me smile. I like their dynamic best of all. I hope they end up as genuine friends later on.
Did one of the necromancers bring back the Mansels in the end?
I like that this series was a first person account like a fictional memoir, as opposed to most other first person narratives that just... are. I always wonder, "Does this protagonist just narrate their entire life in their head? Do they know they're in a book?" Somehow I like that Rowan was self-aware when she told this story.
What a bittersweet epilogue. I don't like thinking about a time when characters I'm attached to are dead and gone. It's just... existentially depressing. And it drives home the fact that this is the end of Rowan's story. On the other hand there's an afterlife in this universe, and necromancers do in fact go there, so at least everyone is still all still together. Except Oak, maybe? That's kind of sad...
Now I wonder about everything that happened in between... Why did Kouris die in Canth? How come the castle in Thule is ruins less than 500 years out?What happened to Felheim between the last chapter and the epilogue? And the rest of the world? Did Claire, Rowan, and Kouris have any kids? So many loose ends for me to wonder about...
October 17, 2022
devoured in loch kishorn, in torridon youth hostel and on the flight back to london :) lesbians and dragons what else do you need
January 21, 2020
An excellent read, and I'm overcome with that bittersweet feeling when a good story comes to an end. Gall and Wormwood does a great job of bringing the ensemble cast together, each member having their small moment to shine. The conflicts in the trilogy are also resolved rather well (though there's one head I wish had rolled), even though I could have gone for more, nothing is left hanging in the air. I'll miss these friends and Bosma as a whole.
May 30, 2020
I am disappointed. Throughout this series there has been an abundance of unnecessary writing that added nothing to the series. During the first and second books I figured that all of the wordy bla bla bla was building to something in a later book. But no. The series never ascends to a new level or takes an unexpected turn. On top of a poor plot the author also maintained an inability to describe anything, including things that were completely made up so the reader wouldn’t have any other frame of reference.
Pros:
-While the first 2/3 of this book is long and pointless, the last third picks up nicely once Rylan attacks
- Yay international relations.
Cons:
- Micheal: why was he even a character? He never contributes anything to the story. This series would be stronger without the pages of pointless whining about this annoying character.
-Kidera: I understand that this character grows throughout the series but she never apologizes or even admits that she was a raciest, murderous monster during her reign. She mercilessly hunts down and brutally murders necromancers and then does a sudden 180 with little explanation and is suddenly ok with Rowan being a necromancer. Realizing that murder has millions is bad and that Rylan has to be stopped does not undo the things she did in the past.
Kouris: I always pictured Rowan and Kouris’s relationship to be maternal, similar to a mother cuddling and comforting their child. Kouris all of a sudden becomes a romantic interest in this book which didn’t really seem to fit. Plus more than anything it made me sad to see such a warm platonic relationship end. It was one of my favorite aspects of this book that the two characters could be so loving and physically demonstrative of their affection without it needing to be a romantic relationship.
Katja: WTF. This bitch’s “plan” made no sense. If she truly was planning on betraying Rylan all along she could have killed him before any gunpowder was buried and non of the war in Thule had to happen. I think it’s an oversight by the author for any character to be deluded into thinking Katja is at all heroic. Also what even happens to her in the end? Does she just remain a unpleasant houseguest/sort of prisoner? Does she go rule a new territory? I hope Varn didn’t forget to stab her in the face.
The trip to Agados: This was a drawn out, pointless way to introduce Halla as a character. It would be different if the diplomatic mission had any affect on Agados giving troops to Rylan. But overall it was just a messy attempt to introduce the new plot line of Halla.
Clair’s leg: Kouris confirmed that a necromancer was able to grow back her eyes. Rowan could have grown back Clair’s leg, or the author is changing the rules of this universe and it is annoying.
The whole plot: So everything happens in this book by stupid chance. Clair decides that instead of stopping the malicious use of dragons since she is already heir to the throne is best done by asking a foreign kingdom for help? What could they have done? The plan wasn’t to start a war so what did she expect to happen? She could have just stopped using the dragons as queen. Then her stupid brother Rylan decides that the only reason a kingdom would meet with a foreign representative is to plan to over throw a third kingdom??? None of this book makes sense. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to write a book but this author has a lot to learn.
Pros:
-While the first 2/3 of this book is long and pointless, the last third picks up nicely once Rylan attacks
- Yay international relations.
Cons:
- Micheal: why was he even a character? He never contributes anything to the story. This series would be stronger without the pages of pointless whining about this annoying character.
-Kidera: I understand that this character grows throughout the series but she never apologizes or even admits that she was a raciest, murderous monster during her reign. She mercilessly hunts down and brutally murders necromancers and then does a sudden 180 with little explanation and is suddenly ok with Rowan being a necromancer. Realizing that murder has millions is bad and that Rylan has to be stopped does not undo the things she did in the past.
Kouris: I always pictured Rowan and Kouris’s relationship to be maternal, similar to a mother cuddling and comforting their child. Kouris all of a sudden becomes a romantic interest in this book which didn’t really seem to fit. Plus more than anything it made me sad to see such a warm platonic relationship end. It was one of my favorite aspects of this book that the two characters could be so loving and physically demonstrative of their affection without it needing to be a romantic relationship.
Katja: WTF. This bitch’s “plan” made no sense. If she truly was planning on betraying Rylan all along she could have killed him before any gunpowder was buried and non of the war in Thule had to happen. I think it’s an oversight by the author for any character to be deluded into thinking Katja is at all heroic. Also what even happens to her in the end? Does she just remain a unpleasant houseguest/sort of prisoner? Does she go rule a new territory? I hope Varn didn’t forget to stab her in the face.
The trip to Agados: This was a drawn out, pointless way to introduce Halla as a character. It would be different if the diplomatic mission had any affect on Agados giving troops to Rylan. But overall it was just a messy attempt to introduce the new plot line of Halla.
Clair’s leg: Kouris confirmed that a necromancer was able to grow back her eyes. Rowan could have grown back Clair’s leg, or the author is changing the rules of this universe and it is annoying.
The whole plot: So everything happens in this book by stupid chance. Clair decides that instead of stopping the malicious use of dragons since she is already heir to the throne is best done by asking a foreign kingdom for help? What could they have done? The plan wasn’t to start a war so what did she expect to happen? She could have just stopped using the dragons as queen. Then her stupid brother Rylan decides that the only reason a kingdom would meet with a foreign representative is to plan to over throw a third kingdom??? None of this book makes sense. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to write a book but this author has a lot to learn.
May 6, 2024
I'm really sorry that I have to say this, especially since I loved the first two books... but this was total shit.
There was nothing more that boring political talk, ocasionaly interrupted by unbearably long monologs about someones past that had no impact on the plot what so ever.
The self loathing from both main characters got old very quickly. I swear both Rowan with her 'everyone hates me, so I should leave' and Clair with her 'I'm a worthless drunk' each had like 6 emotional breakdowns durring this book, wich in the end kinda made them both pretty annoying.
The whole book was just - cry about our past trauma, then talk strategy for next 50 pages, travel to far away land to meet someone, talk strategy with them for 50 pages, monolog about our past for another 70 pages, repeat...
It definitely wouldn't have been safed, but the book surely would at least be readable if it was 300 - 400 pages shorter .
The only thought that kept me from leaving this book was that with all this unnecessary fluff and "preparations" for the big finale, the ending surely will be epic... It wasn't. There wasn't really much of a final battle at all! All that waiting for nothing. And even durring the very few moments of some acction, were everything should have felt exciting about what will happend next, ofcourse... let's just stop for a second and talk more. Talk with Rylan, with the Mansels, with Aren... just don't move the plot too fast. We wouldn't want to overwhelm the reader with something actually happening after 500 pages of nothing.
I was dying. Never have reading felt more like such a chore. Normaly, I finnish a book like this in less that a weak... this took me almost 3 months, and I managed to finnish it only by mosty skipping the second half.
I don't know what happend, and I am honestly depressed by this.
...such a dissapointment.
There was nothing more that boring political talk, ocasionaly interrupted by unbearably long monologs about someones past that had no impact on the plot what so ever.
The self loathing from both main characters got old very quickly. I swear both Rowan with her 'everyone hates me, so I should leave' and Clair with her 'I'm a worthless drunk' each had like 6 emotional breakdowns durring this book, wich in the end kinda made them both pretty annoying.
The whole book was just - cry about our past trauma, then talk strategy for next 50 pages, travel to far away land to meet someone, talk strategy with them for 50 pages, monolog about our past for another 70 pages, repeat...
It definitely wouldn't have been safed, but the book surely would at least be readable if it was 300 - 400 pages shorter .
The only thought that kept me from leaving this book was that with all this unnecessary fluff and "preparations" for the big finale, the ending surely will be epic... It wasn't. There wasn't really much of a final battle at all! All that waiting for nothing. And even durring the very few moments of some acction, were everything should have felt exciting about what will happend next, ofcourse... let's just stop for a second and talk more. Talk with Rylan, with the Mansels, with Aren... just don't move the plot too fast. We wouldn't want to overwhelm the reader with something actually happening after 500 pages of nothing.
I was dying. Never have reading felt more like such a chore. Normaly, I finnish a book like this in less that a weak... this took me almost 3 months, and I managed to finnish it only by mosty skipping the second half.
I don't know what happend, and I am honestly depressed by this.
...such a dissapointment.
May 8, 2020
I love this trilogy! My heart is very heavy with the end of book three. I miss everyone already and it hasn’t even been a day since I finished it. I hope there will be more stories in this realm! Farren’s world building is outstanding! I feel like there are so many tales left to tell. I would love an adventure where the group from Canth are in some epic battle and our Asra friends take a trip on Oak to Canth to help Queen Nasrin and friends. A whole host of character in this book who’s stories deserve to be told. The characters are all engaging individuals that you can’t help but want to know everything about. I want a story on all of them! Queen Nasrin rise to the crown and meeting and falling in love with Kana! More on Lanta and Varn. I’d love to go further into the history of Akela and Kidira. There’s more in Kouris and Reis’s past and futures. Their pasts, meeting, the growth of their love, and future. Their is totally more to learn of Claire, Rowan, and Kouris. More of Laurs and Ash, Sen, and Halla. I just want more, more, more, and so very much more!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2020
First things first: Haru-Taiki is awesome and the early scenes with him are delightful!
As I expected, I'm already missing the characters. Claire, Kouris, Akela, Kidira, Varn, Reis - the cast is fantastic and I cannot write a review without congratulating Sam Farren on how diverse and inclusive their universe is! After the first book, Rowan also grew on me, though I still got the feeling that her inner conflicts got repetitive after a point, like she doesn't progress much from the second book until the end of the third. Also, her reticence in using necromancy is commendable, but I'd have liked to see more of her powers.
The characters' relationships - kudos to Claire and Rowan - is where the story truly shines. The plot has its good moments, but from the trilogy, I thought it was more... exhausting. It could've been shorter and focused more on certain chapters that weren't so well explored. Perhaps what troubled me more was how the war ended.
All this said, I conclude my read of the Dragonoak trilogy saying it's a story I super recommend to fans of Fantasy!
As I expected, I'm already missing the characters. Claire, Kouris, Akela, Kidira, Varn, Reis - the cast is fantastic and I cannot write a review without congratulating Sam Farren on how diverse and inclusive their universe is! After the first book, Rowan also grew on me, though I still got the feeling that her inner conflicts got repetitive after a point, like she doesn't progress much from the second book until the end of the third. Also, her reticence in using necromancy is commendable, but I'd have liked to see more of her powers.
The characters' relationships - kudos to Claire and Rowan - is where the story truly shines. The plot has its good moments, but from the trilogy, I thought it was more... exhausting. It could've been shorter and focused more on certain chapters that weren't so well explored. Perhaps what troubled me more was how the war ended.
All this said, I conclude my read of the Dragonoak trilogy saying it's a story I super recommend to fans of Fantasy!
June 3, 2024
It kind of pains me to not give this 5 stars. The world is insanely interesting, the characters uniquely compelling and it's so damn gay. There are multiple trans people AND they get to have a happy ending??? Never been done before.
However there were a few things that detracted from that:
1) The plot has a tendency to move quite conveniently. It's so common in this series, that a character goes to a place and runs into just the person they need for the plot along the way.
2) There were a few spelling mistakes and my english teacher would've been appalled with some of the grammar.
3) Some spoilery reasons:
The Katja plotline was annoying, which is more of criticism of the second book for introducing that into the story. But it was quite sad to see, that Rowan never really started to deal with her trauma. And not exploring the possibility of curing Claire's wounds with necromancy is such a wasted opportunity. It was obviously established that Claire wanted to be healed, but the only thing that happened was off page and apparently without Rowan's involvement.
However there were a few things that detracted from that:
1) The plot has a tendency to move quite conveniently. It's so common in this series, that a character goes to a place and runs into just the person they need for the plot along the way.
2) There were a few spelling mistakes and my english teacher would've been appalled with some of the grammar.
3) Some spoilery reasons:
The Katja plotline was annoying, which is more of criticism of the second book for introducing that into the story. But it was quite sad to see, that Rowan never really started to deal with her trauma. And not exploring the possibility of curing Claire's wounds with necromancy is such a wasted opportunity. It was obviously established that Claire wanted to be healed, but the only thing that happened was off page and apparently without Rowan's involvement.
February 15, 2019
WOW. This trilogy has been a wild and wonderful ride from start to finish!!
This final installment is a MASSIVE read, definitely one of the biggest books I've tackled in recent years.
Although I've greatly enjoyed following Rowan and Co. over the course of their (extensive) adventures, I do feel that this book in particular was just a wee bit more drawn out than it needed to be. Still had trouble keeping track of country and continent names as well, which led to a bit of confusion on my end when characters were discussing the locales.
I felt like certain events and characters definitely could have (and should have) had more "screen time" than others, and I felt a few pieces were missing or lacking at times, but overall it did not entirely detract from the immediate story.
For these reasons, I give the series 3.5 stars, but much closer to 4 as I genuinely enjoyed traveling to this world and getting to know the characters therein.
This final installment is a MASSIVE read, definitely one of the biggest books I've tackled in recent years.
Although I've greatly enjoyed following Rowan and Co. over the course of their (extensive) adventures, I do feel that this book in particular was just a wee bit more drawn out than it needed to be. Still had trouble keeping track of country and continent names as well, which led to a bit of confusion on my end when characters were discussing the locales.
I felt like certain events and characters definitely could have (and should have) had more "screen time" than others, and I felt a few pieces were missing or lacking at times, but overall it did not entirely detract from the immediate story.
For these reasons, I give the series 3.5 stars, but much closer to 4 as I genuinely enjoyed traveling to this world and getting to know the characters therein.
October 21, 2024
I fear the dislike that was growing for the protagonist did not at all wane while reading this final installment, actually quite the opposite. There’s a lot to say but there were just so many plot holes and once again I found myself annoyed at how frequently the dialogue (and intentional lack thereof) felt meaningless despite allllllll the words. Too many questionable actions. And the ending was as much of a let down as I’ve experienced reading a book. The action, if it can be called that, felt rushed…like I was being hurried along to some big satisfying ending. I liked the characters well enough but so much felt open and unexplored. I feel like the big “battle” could have happened muchhhhhhh earlier…it would have been more interesting to spend time in the aftermath. Ultimately, though, I just felt trapped in Rowan’s voice by the end of it. Def not a trilogy I would return to.
AND what is up with Katia? She’s just…forgiven and all is super chill? Bye this book was so frustrating.
AND what is up with Katia? She’s just…forgiven and all is super chill? Bye this book was so frustrating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2020
This was a wonderful concluding book to the Trilogy. I read the first two over a weekend and had to take a couple of days to get through this as I was back at work, but that just made it last a little longer. I read all 3 on KU and even though that was wonderful, I wonder whether books 2 and 3 will come out in print as I would buy them all for my library in a heartbeat. Sam Farren has created a beautiful world here populated with unique characters and is written in such a way you can't help fall a bit in love with them all (well, maybe not Katja - which is creepy because we share a name), but they are all 3D. When I read this series, I saw it like a movie playing in my head. If you like fantasy with queer elements, I really do recommend this.
April 4, 2018
The series is very enjoyable and I am glad that I picked it up off Amazon.
The intersectional feminist politics are refreshing and mostly manage to stay in the grey zone between subtle and heavy handed. It was very nice to see men get treated the way fantasy often treats women, as somewhat background and mostly not that important.
While there were some plot points that were a little confusing from a world building perspective, the only real complaint I have is that the novel really needed a couple more passes by an editor - it has more typos than is ideal.
All and all, good book and I heartily recommend it to anyone who doesn’t require their romance storylines to be heteronormative.
The intersectional feminist politics are refreshing and mostly manage to stay in the grey zone between subtle and heavy handed. It was very nice to see men get treated the way fantasy often treats women, as somewhat background and mostly not that important.
While there were some plot points that were a little confusing from a world building perspective, the only real complaint I have is that the novel really needed a couple more passes by an editor - it has more typos than is ideal.
All and all, good book and I heartily recommend it to anyone who doesn’t require their romance storylines to be heteronormative.
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