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Tatterwing #3
The Haunts & the Hackles
"I’m the one known as Tatterwing. The one who meddled too far within the cloven book, turning the world dark. Turning it into a place that frightens even me. I did this. I called death to every door. The dog with yellowed eye lurks in this marsh because of what I’ve done.
I wish I had the answers to this riddle, or that I understood what’s happened. To this day, I don’t. There is no way to turn back time, to unmake my own mistakes.
We live and die in this dark place now. We hunt the beast of yellowed eye because of the whispers in every village, in every realm. That the beast is part of the riddle. He’s part of whatever it is I’ve done. So for now at least, my road is clear: This beast will die in my clutches—unless I die in his."
I wish I had the answers to this riddle, or that I understood what’s happened. To this day, I don’t. There is no way to turn back time, to unmake my own mistakes.
We live and die in this dark place now. We hunt the beast of yellowed eye because of the whispers in every village, in every realm. That the beast is part of the riddle. He’s part of whatever it is I’ve done. So for now at least, my road is clear: This beast will die in my clutches—unless I die in his."
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 7, 2018
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 9, 2020
First book of the new year and one I'd been looking forward to reading.
It took me a little longer than expected, especially for a short book, but there are a couple of good reasons for that. The chapters are short and I find chapter ends to be a natural point to put a book down. That wasn't a bad thing though. If there's one thing that stands out to me about the Tatterwing series is that nothing is wasted. The imagery is perfect at conjuring up the bleak shadowy world the characters inhabit, and I can't think of a single chapter where nothing happened or was drawn out for the sake of it. Every time I set it aside, the pages read left a vivid memory and a definite step forward in the story. It never felt rushed and the pacing was on point.
I had one minor issue - the artwork. I love it, don't get me wrong, the stylised renders of the odd scene were honestly breathtaking. However, I do feel they took me out of the flow mid scene to admire them and would have worked much better at the end of the chapter as a sort of ooooo moment once the action had passed. That said, there were I think only three or four in total and they really were excellent depictions of the world (as in I wish I could get them big enough to use as a desktop excellent).
Overall, I really liked it and will continue to recommend the series to people (more so once it's completed). I've got the next ready to go but like this one, I'm going to wait for a good time to savour it.
It took me a little longer than expected, especially for a short book, but there are a couple of good reasons for that. The chapters are short and I find chapter ends to be a natural point to put a book down. That wasn't a bad thing though. If there's one thing that stands out to me about the Tatterwing series is that nothing is wasted. The imagery is perfect at conjuring up the bleak shadowy world the characters inhabit, and I can't think of a single chapter where nothing happened or was drawn out for the sake of it. Every time I set it aside, the pages read left a vivid memory and a definite step forward in the story. It never felt rushed and the pacing was on point.
I had one minor issue - the artwork. I love it, don't get me wrong, the stylised renders of the odd scene were honestly breathtaking. However, I do feel they took me out of the flow mid scene to admire them and would have worked much better at the end of the chapter as a sort of ooooo moment once the action had passed. That said, there were I think only three or four in total and they really were excellent depictions of the world (as in I wish I could get them big enough to use as a desktop excellent).
Overall, I really liked it and will continue to recommend the series to people (more so once it's completed). I've got the next ready to go but like this one, I'm going to wait for a good time to savour it.
October 2, 2020
This is where the dark part of the dark fantasy really starts to seep through. No more cute squirrels or swallows with sass - no, we're into much creepier territory than that. How could you expect anything else from a YA series about moral greyness as surprisingly nuanced as this? It is both slightly frightening and very much amazing.
After the events of Ochrim, it's been up to Owyn, Marlin and the slowly recovering Rowan to seek help for Medo. Their journey takes them back to the swamps where it all began, back to her homeland that like everywhere else in the Torn Realms has been afflicted by a sudden and deadly sickness. The skies weep, moths flutter endlessly, the shadowed places of the world begin to stir... And the big bad wolf prowls. What is this new monster that haunts their steps? And what can Medo, newly fearing her own darkness, do about it? As ever, there's more to this all than meets the eye, some bigger game being played that will have consequences for all. Not least poor Medo...
I don't know how even to express my love of how well developed this story is. There is so much lore and history woven into it, so many strange cultures and magics and hidden things where legends everyone knows have been twisted far beyond the truth. I'm getting His Dark Materials vibes from all the spine-tingling machinations that simmer beneath the surface. There may be a few times here where I wished a little more of this background had been hinted at earlier (particularly something about Medo's swamp witch-folk who we get to know so much more here) but generally it's all been foreshadowed so smoothly you barely noticed it happening. You want a series with substance? You got it.
The characters are coming along too, though in this book they're more divided than ever. We hear from Owyn and Sinder as well as Medo in alternating chapters, and so get to know their inner voices more. Each of them face moral quandaries, and the writing conveys their views without ever feeling overly introverted or preachy. No one, not the lawful or the chaotic, comes out on top. We're allowed to draw our own conclusions while having our hearts broken by the situations Medo and Owyn find themselves stuck in. With Rowan finally coherent (well, mostly), her iciness is shining through (it makes you wonder just who she really was, and how it squares with her being some kind of hero...) Getting to know some faces from the past was also a welcome return.
The villains fit into the lawful/chaotic spectrum nicely... Or not so nicely, as it should be. Are they evil? What makes a baddie the bad guy? Again, this series makes you question everything, and never lets you forget that allies and enemies can change at the drop of a hat. Really, surprisingly nuanced.
Now while I would say it stays in the mature reader YA category, there are some mild horror moments and quite challenging issues that arise, especially towards the end when decisions must be made and actions taken. Basically, a very complex heartache o'clock. There are also a few swear words creeping in which I didn't notice so much earlier on (nothing excessive; the odd sh*t in the heat of the moment). I also did struggle myself to keep up with the more trippy action sequences when Black Magic warps character perceptions, but that could just be me and I got the gist of it in the end.
The cover is shockingly gorgeous. As are the internal illustrations. An e-reader screen doesn't do them justice. I've only just found out you can view them all here and really urge you to do so - amazing!
TL:DR; Dark! Grippingly, hauntingly, eerily dark. Full of plot twists and nuance, legend and lore... and heartache. An incredible slow-simmer of a story that shows no sign of turning off the heat. The ending may be another perfect pause rather than a cliffhanger, but still it just leaves you wanting more.
After the events of Ochrim, it's been up to Owyn, Marlin and the slowly recovering Rowan to seek help for Medo. Their journey takes them back to the swamps where it all began, back to her homeland that like everywhere else in the Torn Realms has been afflicted by a sudden and deadly sickness. The skies weep, moths flutter endlessly, the shadowed places of the world begin to stir... And the big bad wolf prowls. What is this new monster that haunts their steps? And what can Medo, newly fearing her own darkness, do about it? As ever, there's more to this all than meets the eye, some bigger game being played that will have consequences for all. Not least poor Medo...
I don't know how even to express my love of how well developed this story is. There is so much lore and history woven into it, so many strange cultures and magics and hidden things where legends everyone knows have been twisted far beyond the truth. I'm getting His Dark Materials vibes from all the spine-tingling machinations that simmer beneath the surface. There may be a few times here where I wished a little more of this background had been hinted at earlier (particularly something about Medo's swamp witch-folk who we get to know so much more here) but generally it's all been foreshadowed so smoothly you barely noticed it happening. You want a series with substance? You got it.
The characters are coming along too, though in this book they're more divided than ever. We hear from Owyn and Sinder as well as Medo in alternating chapters, and so get to know their inner voices more. Each of them face moral quandaries, and the writing conveys their views without ever feeling overly introverted or preachy. No one, not the lawful or the chaotic, comes out on top. We're allowed to draw our own conclusions while having our hearts broken by the situations Medo and Owyn find themselves stuck in. With Rowan finally coherent (well, mostly), her iciness is shining through (it makes you wonder just who she really was, and how it squares with her being some kind of hero...) Getting to know some faces from the past was also a welcome return.
The villains fit into the lawful/chaotic spectrum nicely... Or not so nicely, as it should be. Are they evil? What makes a baddie the bad guy? Again, this series makes you question everything, and never lets you forget that allies and enemies can change at the drop of a hat. Really, surprisingly nuanced.
Now while I would say it stays in the mature reader YA category, there are some mild horror moments and quite challenging issues that arise, especially towards the end when decisions must be made and actions taken. Basically, a very complex heartache o'clock. There are also a few swear words creeping in which I didn't notice so much earlier on (nothing excessive; the odd sh*t in the heat of the moment). I also did struggle myself to keep up with the more trippy action sequences when Black Magic warps character perceptions, but that could just be me and I got the gist of it in the end.
The cover is shockingly gorgeous. As are the internal illustrations. An e-reader screen doesn't do them justice. I've only just found out you can view them all here and really urge you to do so - amazing!
TL:DR; Dark! Grippingly, hauntingly, eerily dark. Full of plot twists and nuance, legend and lore... and heartache. An incredible slow-simmer of a story that shows no sign of turning off the heat. The ending may be another perfect pause rather than a cliffhanger, but still it just leaves you wanting more.
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