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The Castes and the OutCastes #3
A Warrior's Penance
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.
The thunderous conclusion to the award-winning fantasy epic...
Following Stronghold's destruction, Rukh and Jessira lead the ragged remnants of the OutCastes on the long march to Ashoka. There they seek sanctuary for her people, but in order to do so they must overcome unyielding law that demands exile for all ghrinas. Meanwhile, Hal'El Wrestiva - exposed and reviled as the Withering Knife murderer - escapes from Ashoka and hatches one final scheme to resuscitate his soiled reputation. The Virtuous, a newly formed organization full of certitude and strife, plots the destruction of House Shektan. And Li-Choke and the Baels launch a final desperate plan to save their kind as well as all of Humanity. But it is Rukh who must confront the harshest of choices. It is one that will cost him everything he loves but might also see to the salvation of his home. He cannot falter, for Suwraith has once again turned her ruinous intentions toward Ashoka.
The thunderous conclusion to the award-winning fantasy epic...
Following Stronghold's destruction, Rukh and Jessira lead the ragged remnants of the OutCastes on the long march to Ashoka. There they seek sanctuary for her people, but in order to do so they must overcome unyielding law that demands exile for all ghrinas. Meanwhile, Hal'El Wrestiva - exposed and reviled as the Withering Knife murderer - escapes from Ashoka and hatches one final scheme to resuscitate his soiled reputation. The Virtuous, a newly formed organization full of certitude and strife, plots the destruction of House Shektan. And Li-Choke and the Baels launch a final desperate plan to save their kind as well as all of Humanity. But it is Rukh who must confront the harshest of choices. It is one that will cost him everything he loves but might also see to the salvation of his home. He cannot falter, for Suwraith has once again turned her ruinous intentions toward Ashoka.
20 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 12, 2016
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About the author
Davis Ashura
22 books517 followersDavis Ashura is an author of such sublime depth and beauty that his works have been known to cause a tear to fall from the eyes of even the hardest of hearts.
Just kidding.
But he does write.
This humble writer, who refers to himself in the third person, resides in North Carolina, sharing a house with his magnificent wife who somehow overlooked Davis’ eccentricities and married him anyway. As proper recompense for her sacrifice, Davis then unwittingly turned his magnificent wife into a nerd-girl. To her sad and utter humiliation, she knows exactly what is meant by ‘Kronos’. Living with them are their two rambunctious boys, both of whom have at various times helped turn Davis’ once lustrous, raven-black hair prematurely white (it sure sounds prettier than the dirty gray it actually is). And of course, there is the obligatory strange, adopted cats (all authors have cats-it's in the by-laws). One eats everything placed before him and the other has the world's stinkiest breath.
When not working – nay laboring – in the creation of works of fiction so grand that hardly anyone has read a single word of them, Davis practices medicine, but only when the insurance companies tell him he can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
July 18, 2016
A good ending to a great series with a few flaws that made the final entry less enjoyable than it could have been.
* * * SPOILERS AHEAD * * *
The major issues that I had with this entry to the castes and the outcastes revolve around Mira and Jaresh. No, I do not just mean the relationship between the two, although I do have a point on that, but rather their roles in the book.
Mira's role in A Warrior's Penance is basically that she died as a result of the events at the end of the second book, and that's it. Mira was a POV character for the previous 2 novels, and I find it in poor taste that such an important character is essentially killed off between the 2nd and 3rd books. She does not die at the end of the second book, but is instead gravely wounded and this is even confirmed in the summary at the start of the 3rd novel. It just feels like a disappointing way to remove an important character from the story.
In addition to the way she was killed, Mira's death does not have much of an impact on the characters or story either. In the prologue we see Rector dwelling on her final words to him (which would have been better placed at the end of the 2nd novel to make the death feel more impactful), but after that it is hardly mentioned. We do not get to see Bree, her best friend and another pov character, show her grief to the loss, nor do we get to see how Mira's mother, the relentless and seemingly cruel mother, show how she would deal with the death of her daughter. Instead, story skips over Bree's period of mourning and kills of Mira's mother off screen as well in a flash back. Even Jaresh, who was in love with Mira, only remarks on the death two or three times in the book, and neither occasion really gives the impression of that love other than a mention of a slight shift towards sorrow on his face. Instead, he falls in love with another woman in what feels like a forced manner.
This leads me to my second point of Jarseh in this novel. He is still a POV character, but he gets far less time in that area than he did in the previous books. The majority of his POV sections seem to have been given over to Rukh, which is understandable since he is the main character of the series, but I feel that Rukh is a far less relatable character.
Rukh is someone who is essentially good at everything. He's physically gifted, he's smart, he's wise, he's caring, he's forgiving, and he can even put aside his hatreds and biases when he needs to. The only downsides that he has is that he can seem arrogant to those who don't know him, and that he can be a little thick headed and stubborn at times. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Rukh is a bad character, but he is not one that is easy for readers to relate to.
Jaresh on the other hand is a character that is easy to relate to. He is a person who wants to fit into a family where he will never be as good as any of the others in their given profession all because of his birth. This is commented on multiple times in the first book and it is clear that it bothers him. Despite this, Jarseh works hard to become as skilled as possible and he succeeds to a fair degree by managing to join the army despite all that was was holding him back.
It is for these reasons that I find Jarseh much more relatable and likeable than Rukh. Which is why I found it disappointing when Jaresh didn't get as much POV time in this book. There were so many things that the author could have done with the character that just feel glossed over. How does Jarseh deal with the fact that he now has the talents of the warrior caste? How do those who were his superior in skill treat him now that he can be their equal or better because of it? How does Jaresh cope with the death of the woman that he loved? None of these really get answered to any significant degree in the book, which leaves Jaresh feeling like a secondary character.
This brings me to my final point in that the complete severing of the Mira and Jaresh relationship was decidedly disappointing. This is more of a personal preference than an actual criticism, but the relationship that the who had in the previous novels was really quite compelling. In the first book it was a forbidden love that neither would act on because of societal rules and their own sense of honor. Their relationship in A Warrior's Knowledge is essentially a telling of how two people who have broken up, but are still forced to be in one another's lives deal with it, and I felt that the book demonstrated that fairly well. The third book completely cuts the relationship between the two by killing Mira. This would not have been as much of a let down if the book spent a little time on how this affected Jaresh, but as I mentioned earlier it did not.
There were so many other avenues that this book could have taken with the relationship between these two than just killing Mira. The book could have easily left her a cripple from the wound that she sustained and it could have focused on how that would change their relationship. However, this was instead given to another character, and don't get me wrong it was done well, but it just feels silly to push the same basic situation on to another character when you already have one. Another angle that Mira and Jaresh could have gone was to continue with their 'forbidden' relationship. One could argue that this was already being done by Rukh and Jessira, but the dynamic between the two are very different. Jessira was an outcaste, so while frowned upon, their relationship could be explained away by the people of the city. Mira and Jaresh however, were both upstanding and honorable members of their city, and it would have been very interesting to see the reactions to such a thing with everything that was going on.
To butcher a quote from one of my favorite authors, "It is not a storytellers job to tell people how to think, but rather to give them something to think upon." These things that were left out or cut short from the book feel like there was a great deal that the author could have given the reader to think about, but instead chose not to, and I find that more than a little disappointing.
Despite these complaints that I posted I still feel that the story was a good one, and very glad to have read the book. I definitely recommend this series to any epic fantasy lover.
* * * SPOILERS AHEAD * * *
The major issues that I had with this entry to the castes and the outcastes revolve around Mira and Jaresh. No, I do not just mean the relationship between the two, although I do have a point on that, but rather their roles in the book.
Mira's role in A Warrior's Penance is basically that she died as a result of the events at the end of the second book, and that's it. Mira was a POV character for the previous 2 novels, and I find it in poor taste that such an important character is essentially killed off between the 2nd and 3rd books. She does not die at the end of the second book, but is instead gravely wounded and this is even confirmed in the summary at the start of the 3rd novel. It just feels like a disappointing way to remove an important character from the story.
In addition to the way she was killed, Mira's death does not have much of an impact on the characters or story either. In the prologue we see Rector dwelling on her final words to him (which would have been better placed at the end of the 2nd novel to make the death feel more impactful), but after that it is hardly mentioned. We do not get to see Bree, her best friend and another pov character, show her grief to the loss, nor do we get to see how Mira's mother, the relentless and seemingly cruel mother, show how she would deal with the death of her daughter. Instead, story skips over Bree's period of mourning and kills of Mira's mother off screen as well in a flash back. Even Jaresh, who was in love with Mira, only remarks on the death two or three times in the book, and neither occasion really gives the impression of that love other than a mention of a slight shift towards sorrow on his face. Instead, he falls in love with another woman in what feels like a forced manner.
This leads me to my second point of Jarseh in this novel. He is still a POV character, but he gets far less time in that area than he did in the previous books. The majority of his POV sections seem to have been given over to Rukh, which is understandable since he is the main character of the series, but I feel that Rukh is a far less relatable character.
Rukh is someone who is essentially good at everything. He's physically gifted, he's smart, he's wise, he's caring, he's forgiving, and he can even put aside his hatreds and biases when he needs to. The only downsides that he has is that he can seem arrogant to those who don't know him, and that he can be a little thick headed and stubborn at times. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Rukh is a bad character, but he is not one that is easy for readers to relate to.
Jaresh on the other hand is a character that is easy to relate to. He is a person who wants to fit into a family where he will never be as good as any of the others in their given profession all because of his birth. This is commented on multiple times in the first book and it is clear that it bothers him. Despite this, Jarseh works hard to become as skilled as possible and he succeeds to a fair degree by managing to join the army despite all that was was holding him back.
It is for these reasons that I find Jarseh much more relatable and likeable than Rukh. Which is why I found it disappointing when Jaresh didn't get as much POV time in this book. There were so many things that the author could have done with the character that just feel glossed over. How does Jarseh deal with the fact that he now has the talents of the warrior caste? How do those who were his superior in skill treat him now that he can be their equal or better because of it? How does Jaresh cope with the death of the woman that he loved? None of these really get answered to any significant degree in the book, which leaves Jaresh feeling like a secondary character.
This brings me to my final point in that the complete severing of the Mira and Jaresh relationship was decidedly disappointing. This is more of a personal preference than an actual criticism, but the relationship that the who had in the previous novels was really quite compelling. In the first book it was a forbidden love that neither would act on because of societal rules and their own sense of honor. Their relationship in A Warrior's Knowledge is essentially a telling of how two people who have broken up, but are still forced to be in one another's lives deal with it, and I felt that the book demonstrated that fairly well. The third book completely cuts the relationship between the two by killing Mira. This would not have been as much of a let down if the book spent a little time on how this affected Jaresh, but as I mentioned earlier it did not.
There were so many other avenues that this book could have taken with the relationship between these two than just killing Mira. The book could have easily left her a cripple from the wound that she sustained and it could have focused on how that would change their relationship. However, this was instead given to another character, and don't get me wrong it was done well, but it just feels silly to push the same basic situation on to another character when you already have one. Another angle that Mira and Jaresh could have gone was to continue with their 'forbidden' relationship. One could argue that this was already being done by Rukh and Jessira, but the dynamic between the two are very different. Jessira was an outcaste, so while frowned upon, their relationship could be explained away by the people of the city. Mira and Jaresh however, were both upstanding and honorable members of their city, and it would have been very interesting to see the reactions to such a thing with everything that was going on.
To butcher a quote from one of my favorite authors, "It is not a storytellers job to tell people how to think, but rather to give them something to think upon." These things that were left out or cut short from the book feel like there was a great deal that the author could have given the reader to think about, but instead chose not to, and I find that more than a little disappointing.
Despite these complaints that I posted I still feel that the story was a good one, and very glad to have read the book. I definitely recommend this series to any epic fantasy lover.
July 26, 2016
4.5 stars
I definitely loved this book!
RTC
I definitely loved this book!
RTC
July 15, 2017
This was a very good conclusion to a trilogy I enjoyed immensely. I love the world Davis Ashura created in these books and how our character ultimately changed that world for the better in so many ways. In addition to the fun fantasy trappings, this series is a commentary on the need for humans to be more open-minded. It is also a deeply human story on all levels. There's plenty of action and plenty of magic. But there are also trips to plays, nights in restaurants, and quiet days with family.
At times, I wanted the story to be a bit faster-paced, but these deeply human and mostly ordinary events made my bond with the characters even stronger. I felt for the characters, even for some of the characters who weren't such good people.
Overall, this series is a very good read and proof that there is some great self-published fantasy out there. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 9/10
At times, I wanted the story to be a bit faster-paced, but these deeply human and mostly ordinary events made my bond with the characters even stronger. I felt for the characters, even for some of the characters who weren't such good people.
Overall, this series is a very good read and proof that there is some great self-published fantasy out there. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 9/10
December 15, 2016
I don't usually write reviews, but for some reason after finishing this trilogy I just have the urge...
Overall opinion of the entire series? Solid, compelling, with a rich world lush with history, lore, and culture set in a pretty unique world compared to most other fantasy novels. My opinion on the third installment? Dissapointing.
A slow and extremely uneventful first half (barring the Fate of the OutCastes and the anticlimactic Virtuous subplot), compiled with a jarring deus ex machina ending that renders most of what the characters have accomplished throughout the series as insignificant, because apparently all the problems are solved through "the willingness to serve."
On top of that, interesting and fascinating subplots and characters (Chimera POVs, Hal'El) fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion after two novels of buildup.
Regardless, I'd still recommend the series to any fans of fantasy. Just be weary of the final installment.
Overall opinion of the entire series? Solid, compelling, with a rich world lush with history, lore, and culture set in a pretty unique world compared to most other fantasy novels. My opinion on the third installment? Dissapointing.
A slow and extremely uneventful first half (barring the Fate of the OutCastes and the anticlimactic Virtuous subplot), compiled with a jarring deus ex machina ending that renders most of what the characters have accomplished throughout the series as insignificant, because apparently all the problems are solved through "the willingness to serve."
On top of that, interesting and fascinating subplots and characters (Chimera POVs, Hal'El) fail to deliver a satisfying conclusion after two novels of buildup.
Regardless, I'd still recommend the series to any fans of fantasy. Just be weary of the final installment.
July 28, 2016
I read this book over the period of about a week (despite what the log here shows). I feel like it was a satisfying conclusion to the story and I did enjoy the trilogy as a whole. My only issue with this series is the character Rukh Shektan. I feel like he is such a massive "mary sue" that he drags down the series.
If people avoid books due to absurd main characters that are good at everything then I would strongly recommend avoiding this book. However, if you can get past that and just enjoy the world and story in a general sense then this is the book for you.
If people avoid books due to absurd main characters that are good at everything then I would strongly recommend avoiding this book. However, if you can get past that and just enjoy the world and story in a general sense then this is the book for you.
February 27, 2019
4/5
A Warrior's Penance is a pretty solid but flawed conclusion of The Castes and the OutCastes trilogy. Following the conclusion of A Warrior's Knowledge this book continues the story of Rukh Shektan and his family to survive Suwraith, the Sorrow Bringer. However, the pieces have been set on the chessboard and the final confrontation cannot be avoided.
There are some writing issues present. For some reasons, Ashura seems to like telling an exact sequence of an event from different perspectives. I have this impression that he might have liked all versions of the sequence and decided to include all of them to paint the whole picture. While this is good to flesh out the thoughts and nuances of the present characters, this technique also reads extremely repetitive and doesn't progress the narrative. Since you'll be already aware of the upcoming event, the tension is lost and the pacing is halted. I think it would be so much engaging if Ashura had split the perspectives and distributed them within strictly one sequence.
Ashura is extremely good in depicting camaraderie and daily life of his characters. Small banters are also pretty enjoyable. Cross-cultural dialogue and friction are depicted and addressed well in this book. This results in slow burning first half which I didn't really mind. Yet, there are still lingering convenience and contrivance in terms of unfolding of events. Some things still fall easily into place for the sake of the plot progression .
Rukh Shektan is a fairly competent and solid main character. Yet, typical to power fantasy subgenre, he's somewhat too perfect. His only weakness is recklessness and even this reads like a virtue in some parts. The most important thing is Rukh is never wrong or making mistakes. By making him never stumbles, his growth as the main character is stunted. He remains as an ideal, untouchable warrior despite his own denial.
For a final installation of a series, A Warrior's Penance left me wanting. There are many lore and worldbuilding elements to be resolved. In the end of the day, it seems that Purebloods are the superior people compared to the OutCastes after all and I'm not quite sure what to feel about the message delivered here. The Withering Knife plays an important role in building the sense of finality, yet its origin and true natures are never revealed. The origin of Book of First Movement, First Mother, and First Father could've also been fleshed out in more details. Same with the origins of 'Mistress Arisa' and Suwraith's own motivation.
And speaking of Suwraith's own drive, I feel it's still left underdeveloped and weak. The issues she raises for exterminating humanity is never really explored and addressed within the universe. This makes her read like a mere mad demigoddess instead of a villain with purpose.
Despite my complaints, A Warrior's Penance still delivers a conclusive and substantial story. The action scenes are all-time high and the subplots are addressed pretty neatly.
Conclusion
In the end of the day, The Castes and the OutCastes is still a solid trilogy about culture and prejudice. It has flaws on fairly many spots, but it manages to deliver a compelling narrative with, paraphrasing Ashura, masala of flavours.
A Warrior's Penance is a pretty solid but flawed conclusion of The Castes and the OutCastes trilogy. Following the conclusion of A Warrior's Knowledge this book continues the story of Rukh Shektan and his family to survive Suwraith, the Sorrow Bringer. However, the pieces have been set on the chessboard and the final confrontation cannot be avoided.
There are some writing issues present. For some reasons, Ashura seems to like telling an exact sequence of an event from different perspectives. I have this impression that he might have liked all versions of the sequence and decided to include all of them to paint the whole picture. While this is good to flesh out the thoughts and nuances of the present characters, this technique also reads extremely repetitive and doesn't progress the narrative. Since you'll be already aware of the upcoming event, the tension is lost and the pacing is halted. I think it would be so much engaging if Ashura had split the perspectives and distributed them within strictly one sequence.
Ashura is extremely good in depicting camaraderie and daily life of his characters. Small banters are also pretty enjoyable. Cross-cultural dialogue and friction are depicted and addressed well in this book. This results in slow burning first half which I didn't really mind. Yet, there are still lingering convenience and contrivance in terms of unfolding of events. Some things still fall easily into place for the sake of the plot progression .
Rukh Shektan is a fairly competent and solid main character. Yet, typical to power fantasy subgenre, he's somewhat too perfect. His only weakness is recklessness and even this reads like a virtue in some parts. The most important thing is Rukh is never wrong or making mistakes. By making him never stumbles, his growth as the main character is stunted. He remains as an ideal, untouchable warrior despite his own denial.
For a final installation of a series, A Warrior's Penance left me wanting. There are many lore and worldbuilding elements to be resolved. In the end of the day, it seems that Purebloods are the superior people compared to the OutCastes after all and I'm not quite sure what to feel about the message delivered here. The Withering Knife plays an important role in building the sense of finality, yet its origin and true natures are never revealed. The origin of Book of First Movement, First Mother, and First Father could've also been fleshed out in more details. Same with the origins of 'Mistress Arisa' and Suwraith's own motivation.
And speaking of Suwraith's own drive, I feel it's still left underdeveloped and weak. The issues she raises for exterminating humanity is never really explored and addressed within the universe. This makes her read like a mere mad demigoddess instead of a villain with purpose.
Despite my complaints, A Warrior's Penance still delivers a conclusive and substantial story. The action scenes are all-time high and the subplots are addressed pretty neatly.
Conclusion
In the end of the day, The Castes and the OutCastes is still a solid trilogy about culture and prejudice. It has flaws on fairly many spots, but it manages to deliver a compelling narrative with, paraphrasing Ashura, masala of flavours.
January 16, 2022
2 stars: Hard to get through but I was invested enough in Rukh and Jessira to finish the series. Disappointing to say the least after such a strong start in the first two books. Just a slog to get through at the end. Ashura has a writing style that is exciting and grabs your attention especially centering around Rukh and Jessira. However, while he developed my interest into the couple he hardly gave them any time. Instead, we were given the same fight scenes with slight twists as the previous parts of the series. It just became so repetitive towards the end.
August 4, 2016
This last installment in a cast and the outcast series was sorely disappointing. In the first two novels, the main characters were very smart, and figuring out what was really going on. Now we have cardboard cutouts of these characters who are just going through things as it comes. I will not give away any spoilers however, there is a scene in this book where the main character Rook travels to the city of hammer and the second novel to recover the book of movement where all of the first fathers story is told in this book. He only read part of it in the second novel, and the third novel, you completely forget all about it all of a sudden. I swear, this book was atrocious. It was so bad, I could not even finish it. I gave it three stars because the first two was really good. I feel The author just decided to throw a bunch of ideas together with no connections. He must have really wanted to get this book done at any cost. I do not recommend this series. Do not waste your time.
February 11, 2017
Meanders a bit compared to the first two books. A lot of the multiple point of views are redundant and add no value to the story and instead serves to drag it on and on.
My biggest pet peeve with this series is Ashura's obsession with introducing a whole lot of nonsensical jargon to the point where it's difficult to follow. Sure, I get that all fantasy and scifi has world building elements and jargon associated with them, but this series is excessively self indulgent to its detriment.
In addition, I'd say that maybe 30% of this series is either Suwraith talking to herself or her monsters repeating the whatsit prayer or Rukh and Jessira getting or needing to get a room. It's a whole lot of words for a whole lot of zero plot advancement.
Disappointed with this series overall.
My biggest pet peeve with this series is Ashura's obsession with introducing a whole lot of nonsensical jargon to the point where it's difficult to follow. Sure, I get that all fantasy and scifi has world building elements and jargon associated with them, but this series is excessively self indulgent to its detriment.
In addition, I'd say that maybe 30% of this series is either Suwraith talking to herself or her monsters repeating the whatsit prayer or Rukh and Jessira getting or needing to get a room. It's a whole lot of words for a whole lot of zero plot advancement.
Disappointed with this series overall.
August 9, 2016
Very solid ending to this series! I enjoyed each book throughout this journey especially the characters and magic system. It is somewhat difficult to say this was a 'perfect 5-star novel' as plot threads and relationships fell into place a bit too easily (a standard issue even with the greatest fantasy series). However, the investment you have in this universe more than makes up for it. I would describe this series as a solid, well-constructed light epic fantasy story and I am glad I was able to jump in!!
October 19, 2025
A pretty good ending to an overall great series. Slight spoiler, if you have read the first Mistborn trilogy, the ending felt very similar. I didn’t really like the ending of that as well. I feel like it could have gone so many different ways but it ended with this mystical finale that felt too grand and almost an easy way to end it. Overall the book was great. The ending just wasn’t what I was hoping for and I left with a couple of questions and feeling like there were some minor holes in the storyline. But again, really fun story and would highly recommend to any fantasy readers.
July 23, 2019
Rating 3.5 stars
This series started out really well. I really liked the first book. The second book wasn't quite as good but it was still very good. This book was just okay. The tension between the Outcasts and the purebloods in the first 2 books just wasn't there anymore in this book. I think the author really tired to drag things out in this book as well. It was about twice as long as it should have been. This was still a very good series but it ended with a whimper instead of a bang.
This series started out really well. I really liked the first book. The second book wasn't quite as good but it was still very good. This book was just okay. The tension between the Outcasts and the purebloods in the first 2 books just wasn't there anymore in this book. I think the author really tired to drag things out in this book as well. It was about twice as long as it should have been. This was still a very good series but it ended with a whimper instead of a bang.
August 25, 2016
Finished this a few days ago, it was a fairly strong ending and a good solid epic fantasy trilogy.
March 21, 2018
I really liked the first book and a half, but this has just gotten to be such a slog. The author delights in meaningless conversation, and at this point it feels like there’s nothing left. This has been a problem throughout the series - early on in the first book we were overexamining Jaresh being in the way of a cart and the agony of the resulting apology - but now it feels like there’s nothing left to keep me going. Just so much meaningless talking. It’s all filler. There’s a fun story buried under all this stuff somewhere, but it’s getting steadily harder to get there. Worse, we understand the world now. That shameless exposition was annoying early on, but also there’s a crazy homicidal storm god flying around killing people and we kinda needed some context. Now everything has already been spelled out, but we’re still forced to deal with the same characters having the same boring dialogue, or worse, politicking.
This last book has really ruined this series for me, it just became too much. Three stars overall because I had a lot of fun reading this at first.
This last book has really ruined this series for me, it just became too much. Three stars overall because I had a lot of fun reading this at first.
September 16, 2020
There is a great deal to like in this book and it was a satisfying conclusion to the series. The mystery of the Withering Knife, adding what amounts to a murder mystery in the middle of a fantasy was an interesting addition and once again the action scenes are masterful. The trope of the Withering Knife holding the souls (? personalities?) of those it killed was fantastic and explained Suwraith's multiple personalities and all the pieces came together.
What took it from 5* was the strange way the story ran from hot to cold, one minute it's flying along, great action and interaction between characters and then it would suddenly stop as people had long philosophical discussions or the chimera just rambled a lot.
In conclusion the whole series was a good read, perhaps needing a bit of judicial pruning for the slow spots but all the main POV, including the animal ones, were solid. The story line and world building were fantastic and I'm really looking forward to reading more in this world.
What took it from 5* was the strange way the story ran from hot to cold, one minute it's flying along, great action and interaction between characters and then it would suddenly stop as people had long philosophical discussions or the chimera just rambled a lot.
In conclusion the whole series was a good read, perhaps needing a bit of judicial pruning for the slow spots but all the main POV, including the animal ones, were solid. The story line and world building were fantastic and I'm really looking forward to reading more in this world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2020
As always a heavy book to read, this one is more tended to drama that the other two, it doesn't bounce locations as the others but is heavier in POV shift centering in more characters. Now I loved the ending but it was a struggle to get there, really at one point I don't know if I hated or loved the author, hated because of what happened with the characters or loved him because he made me care so much for this characters. Some charatcers were lost along the way and even though they weren't part of the main storyline their lost was felt by those that we cared. The villains of this story were the master piece because they all considered themselves the heros, they believed in their cause. So even though it wasn't hard to not support them, it was understandable their position.
May 14, 2019
I read his later-stuff first (the William Wilde series) and they were fine... I just wasn't crazy-impressed by the story/character development. I was MUCH more impressed by this book/series - I don't know if the author has more familiarity/love for these characters or what but I felt like this story was much more tightly-written, as well as the characters feeling more organic. If you liked the William Wilde books, I believe you'll like these as well if not more! If you're starting reading this author's work here, it would be interesting to see what you think as you move forwards!
May 31, 2018
A Warrior's Penance
I do loved this series. The storyline is so very unique. The characters are some that could be real friends and hated enemies. I laughed and cried all throughout the story. This is the first series I have by this author, and I think he is a wonderful writer. What could be better than to have mixed breed animals that talk digging your footsteps. Great story and a must read.
I do loved this series. The storyline is so very unique. The characters are some that could be real friends and hated enemies. I laughed and cried all throughout the story. This is the first series I have by this author, and I think he is a wonderful writer. What could be better than to have mixed breed animals that talk digging your footsteps. Great story and a must read.
December 8, 2020
A delightful ending to an amazing series. Everything is so well balanced and well told. I can’t stress enough how much I felt in love with this world and it’s characters. The only downside is that I wish the epilogue had a few (500) more pages. 😜 what an amazing story! What a wonderful adventure. And what a more than satisfying wrap for an amazing series! I loved it more that I could put it into words.
June 28, 2021
well now overall this was a great series which I enjoyed overall for the most part. I was the caste system for which I didn't really care too much about. As for the ending, it was a surprising one that I for one wasn't expecting as it was different than that for which I was used to would I recommend the series? Yes most definitely even with the caste system. The series was well thought out and well written.
February 26, 2024
A solid end to the series, giving me greater understanding after the snippets I've seen in flashbacks in a different series.
A nice series to read, enjoyed the characters, and whilst it may not be the most tricky and surprising or twisty of books, still a strong cornerstone to build off. I'd compare it to War of Broken Mirrors in terms of it being classic fantasy initial series which other series build off for a wider world.
A nice series to read, enjoyed the characters, and whilst it may not be the most tricky and surprising or twisty of books, still a strong cornerstone to build off. I'd compare it to War of Broken Mirrors in terms of it being classic fantasy initial series which other series build off for a wider world.
October 18, 2020
A brilliant ending to an amazing series
The author did an amazing job with this final book. Artfully navigating through different characters’ perspectives to create a single narrative that was masterful in its execution. Fantastic series and I hope he continues to write more of these characters and this world he has created. Ready to explore the universe he has created.
The author did an amazing job with this final book. Artfully navigating through different characters’ perspectives to create a single narrative that was masterful in its execution. Fantastic series and I hope he continues to write more of these characters and this world he has created. Ready to explore the universe he has created.
November 3, 2020
I loved books 1 and 2, but both had slow parts which drug the book down. This book avoids that problem and is captivating from start to finish. My only complaint is that a few minor questions are left unresolved
[spoiler]
Who is Mistress Aria? What happened to First Mother?
[/spoiler]
I am hoping some of that will be addressed in the next series.
[spoiler]
Who is Mistress Aria? What happened to First Mother?
[/spoiler]
I am hoping some of that will be addressed in the next series.
December 7, 2020
I liked this series but there are a few wholes that I wish were addressed. What was life like before the first Mother and Father? What were they that made them all but immortal? What happened to their daughter to make her the way she was? Where did the Whithering Knife come from? Too many unanswered questions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2021
4.5/5 stars
Overall I really enjoyed this series. Sometimes I thought it changed perspectives too many times but overall a very enjoyable read. As someone who lived in India for a couple of years I loved the influence on the peoples culture that came from that. I recommend this series to anyone who wants a good fantasy read without fear of bad tropes that pervade dark fantasy books.
Overall I really enjoyed this series. Sometimes I thought it changed perspectives too many times but overall a very enjoyable read. As someone who lived in India for a couple of years I loved the influence on the peoples culture that came from that. I recommend this series to anyone who wants a good fantasy read without fear of bad tropes that pervade dark fantasy books.
July 13, 2021
Excellent
A truly excellent series. I absolutely loved it. Gripping from page one all the way through to the last. A complex and nuanced world with fantastic characters that touched my heart. I don't want to say goodbye I'm pouting now. The true mark of really wonderful books. Thank you
A truly excellent series. I absolutely loved it. Gripping from page one all the way through to the last. A complex and nuanced world with fantastic characters that touched my heart. I don't want to say goodbye I'm pouting now. The true mark of really wonderful books. Thank you
Read
June 30, 2023This is early in the author's career so hopefully not indicative of his current talent.
This book desperately needs editing. The first third of the book sees only meetings, paperwork, walking to and from places, and gossip. It only glancingly approaches plot before quickly disengaging with it.
Beyond that, the book deals with the contentious subject of casteism and hammers home that while it's bad, it's the outcastes that are the real violent bigots. But that's okay, they don't have the intelligence or talent that high caste folks have, so it's hard to suppress their violent nature. If only they'd work together more often.
I skim finished it so I could see if the author ever fires the guns of the withering knife, the wellstone, or the cats copy pasting Kamehameha and kinda but not really
This book desperately needs editing. The first third of the book sees only meetings, paperwork, walking to and from places, and gossip. It only glancingly approaches plot before quickly disengaging with it.
Beyond that, the book deals with the contentious subject of casteism and hammers home that while it's bad, it's the outcastes that are the real violent bigots. But that's okay, they don't have the intelligence or talent that high caste folks have, so it's hard to suppress their violent nature. If only they'd work together more often.
I skim finished it so I could see if the author ever fires the guns of the withering knife, the wellstone, or the cats copy pasting Kamehameha and kinda but not really
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2019
Great story
I loved this story of acceptance and forgiveness. I always enjoy a story that I can’t see the ending a mile away and many times I wondered how in the world it could possibly work out. Very pleased with the ending.
I loved this story of acceptance and forgiveness. I always enjoy a story that I can’t see the ending a mile away and many times I wondered how in the world it could possibly work out. Very pleased with the ending.
January 30, 2020
Extremely well written, but oh, so boring. I experienced the same with Volume one of The Castes and the OutCastes, but that one picked up pace in the end, book two was pretty good... this one never managed to reel me in and it couldn't end soon enough. Quite sad really.
October 20, 2020
Fantastic
This story was fantastic. Interesting powers and development. Great relevant side plots and characters. As well as interesting character development. Just a fun world to play in thank you for writing this it was a joy to read.
This story was fantastic. Interesting powers and development. Great relevant side plots and characters. As well as interesting character development. Just a fun world to play in thank you for writing this it was a joy to read.
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