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The Pillars of Reality #3
The Assassins of Altis
An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.
Trapped within the dead city of Marandur, Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain must escape both merciless barbarians and the pitiless Imperial Legion. Beyond those dangers lie the mightiest and most unforgiving powers in the world of Dematr: the Great Guilds that rule the world with iron fists.
Mari's Mechanics Guild and Alain's Mage Guild have always been enemies, but they are united in wanting to kill their rogue members before Mari can fulfill the ancient prophecy of being the one who will finally overthrow their power. Mari and Alain must risk those dangers because halfway across their world lies a place where truth has long been hidden. A place that could explain why their world's history begins abruptly, with no hints of what came before. A place where they might learn how the Mechanics Guild came to control all technology and how the Mages manage to alter reality temporarily. A place that might tell them how to achieve a task that appears to be impossible.
Never before have a Mage and a Mechanic worked together, and their combined talents offer their only hope. But she and Alain must first survive the deadly and implacable Assassins of Altis.
Trapped within the dead city of Marandur, Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain must escape both merciless barbarians and the pitiless Imperial Legion. Beyond those dangers lie the mightiest and most unforgiving powers in the world of Dematr: the Great Guilds that rule the world with iron fists.
Mari's Mechanics Guild and Alain's Mage Guild have always been enemies, but they are united in wanting to kill their rogue members before Mari can fulfill the ancient prophecy of being the one who will finally overthrow their power. Mari and Alain must risk those dangers because halfway across their world lies a place where truth has long been hidden. A place that could explain why their world's history begins abruptly, with no hints of what came before. A place where they might learn how the Mechanics Guild came to control all technology and how the Mages manage to alter reality temporarily. A place that might tell them how to achieve a task that appears to be impossible.
Never before have a Mage and a Mechanic worked together, and their combined talents offer their only hope. But she and Alain must first survive the deadly and implacable Assassins of Altis.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2015
105 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Jack Campbell
115 books3,030 followersJack Campbell is a pseudonym for American science fiction author John G. Hemry.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
John G. Hemry is an American author of military science fiction novels. Drawing on his experience as a retired United States Navy officer, he has written the Stark's War and Paul Sinclair series. Under the name Jack Campbell, he has written four volumes of the Lost Fleet series, and on his website names two more forthcoming volumes. He has also written over a dozen short stories, many published in Analog magazine, and a number of non-fiction works.
John G Hemry is a retired United States Navy officer. His father, Jack M. Hemry, also served in the navy and as John points out was a mustang. John grew up living in several places including Pensacola, San Diego, and Midway Island.
John graduated from Lyons High School in Lyons in 1974 then attended the US Naval Academy (Class of '78) where he was labeled 'the un-midshipman' by his roommates.
He lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids. His two eldest children are diagnosed as autistic and suffer from Neuro immune dysfunction syndrome (NIDS), an auto-immune ailment which causes their illness, but are progressing under treatment.
John is a member of the SFWA Musketeers whose motto reads: 'The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword, but the Wise Person Carries Both'.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
February 23, 2017
Pushing the series into some new directions, looking forward to seeing what comes next for sure! Can't help but grow attached to Mari and Alain, their relationship is actually pretty great and I appreciate how it's handled. This one in particular felt transitional, as the plot was a bit muddled and all over the place. But the world building is good, history finally being revealed, and what it's all leading up to seems promising. Highly suggest this series to those looking for good fantasy YA with steampunk elements and a healthy romance.
September 2, 2016
Re-read August 2016. Mari seems less annoying and more overwhelmed by her new status in this book. Alain seemed a bit like a doormat the first time through, but this time he's really much more of a support. This may be my favourite of the series - mainly because of the things they discover on the island of Altis. There are also new characters that join the pair that throw some new personalities into the mix. My favourites were Allie and the old couple at the mapmaker's shop.
Which, by the way, had me laughing so hard I nearly had a wreck as I drove and listened to this book. I'm upping my rating to 5 stars after this read.
This series is just wonderful.
The third book picks up the action with Mari and Alain as they get the heck outta Marandur. This book spends a lot of time on the road, as do it's two predecessors, with our main characters continually on the run from those who'd like to get rid of them. The action really never stops or lags and there's always something interesting about each stop they make along their way. Their goals change as well. There is the broad "storm is coming and we have to fix it" kind of thing, but there are smaller pursuits they are always chasing in order to reveal clues to the bigger picture.
The characters continue to develop as would be expected. In this particular book, Mari gets a bit annoying with the way she tends to jump to conclusions and be insecure in her relationship with Alain. He remains ever the supporter and defender. Poor guy, he even stops at one point and states that he's not sure what Mari expect for him to reply. She is decidedly the leader in the relationship, even doing some things without Alain's consent.
Mari is just kind of an emotional mess in this story as she comes to grips with who she is and how the mechanics of her relationship with Alain work. She acts her age and a bit younger.
I can't rave enough about the narration by MacLeod Andrews. He is just stellar.
Regardless, this is an amazing series that I will continue to follow. Already I want to know when the next book will be released. Is it now? How about now?
Which, by the way, had me laughing so hard I nearly had a wreck as I drove and listened to this book. I'm upping my rating to 5 stars after this read.
This series is just wonderful.
The third book picks up the action with Mari and Alain as they get the heck outta Marandur. This book spends a lot of time on the road, as do it's two predecessors, with our main characters continually on the run from those who'd like to get rid of them. The action really never stops or lags and there's always something interesting about each stop they make along their way. Their goals change as well. There is the broad "storm is coming and we have to fix it" kind of thing, but there are smaller pursuits they are always chasing in order to reveal clues to the bigger picture.
The characters continue to develop as would be expected. In this particular book, Mari gets a bit annoying with the way she tends to jump to conclusions and be insecure in her relationship with Alain. He remains ever the supporter and defender. Poor guy, he even stops at one point and states that he's not sure what Mari expect for him to reply. She is decidedly the leader in the relationship, even doing some things without Alain's consent.
Mari is just kind of an emotional mess in this story as she comes to grips with who she is and how the mechanics of her relationship with Alain work. She acts her age and a bit younger.
I can't rave enough about the narration by MacLeod Andrews. He is just stellar.
Regardless, this is an amazing series that I will continue to follow. Already I want to know when the next book will be released. Is it now? How about now?
July 2, 2016
Re-read May 2016
If you’ve read my reviews of the previous two books, The Dragons of Dorcastle and The Hidden Masters of Marandur, you know I’m crazy about this series and think every fantasy reader should read it (as long as you don’t mind a bit of romance, of course.)
At the end of the previous book, Alain & Mari are trapped in the dead city of Marandur. They found some answers they were looking for, but those answers created even more questions so Mari decides to travel to Altis, where she hopes to learn more. However, escaping Marandur and traveling to Altis proves almost impossible given the number of people who want these two dead. At this point, both guilds start to get an inkling of Mari’s identity and they will stop at nothing to make sure the prophesy doesn’t materialize.
In a sense, The Assassins of Altis is very similar to the last book – they are both on the road, running away from bad guys and gathering allies. But you see a momentum building in the story, where more information is revealed, the villains become more desperate in their attempts to kill Mari and more and more people learn of Mari’s identity and rush to help her cause.
This book is still much about Alain & Mari. There’s still PLENTY of action but Mari is struggling with being “the Daughter” and all the hard decisions she has to make. We also have ample proof of why Mari called herself “difficult” in the first book. She’s moodier, angrier, more impatient and recalcitrant than ever. Yes, her behavior is super annoying at times but the reader learns to give her some slack because how would YOU react if you learned you were supposed to save the world? Talk about responsibility!
I can't wait to see how it's all going to end!!
If you’ve read my reviews of the previous two books, The Dragons of Dorcastle and The Hidden Masters of Marandur, you know I’m crazy about this series and think every fantasy reader should read it (as long as you don’t mind a bit of romance, of course.)
At the end of the previous book, Alain & Mari are trapped in the dead city of Marandur. They found some answers they were looking for, but those answers created even more questions so Mari decides to travel to Altis, where she hopes to learn more. However, escaping Marandur and traveling to Altis proves almost impossible given the number of people who want these two dead. At this point, both guilds start to get an inkling of Mari’s identity and they will stop at nothing to make sure the prophesy doesn’t materialize.
In a sense, The Assassins of Altis is very similar to the last book – they are both on the road, running away from bad guys and gathering allies. But you see a momentum building in the story, where more information is revealed, the villains become more desperate in their attempts to kill Mari and more and more people learn of Mari’s identity and rush to help her cause.
This book is still much about Alain & Mari. There’s still PLENTY of action but Mari is struggling with being “the Daughter” and all the hard decisions she has to make. We also have ample proof of why Mari called herself “difficult” in the first book. She’s moodier, angrier, more impatient and recalcitrant than ever. Yes, her behavior is super annoying at times but the reader learns to give her some slack because how would YOU react if you learned you were supposed to save the world? Talk about responsibility!
I can't wait to see how it's all going to end!!
February 18, 2017
I love where the story goes in this one.
August 10, 2016
Oh my God, I get it! The two protagonists love each other so much that they would rather sacrifice themselves than watch the other die. I understood this the first time they said it… And the second… And the third… All the way through to the 3000th time they said it. I really don't need to hear it again, especially not every single time they face a dangerous situation, sometimes up to 3 to 4 times per chapter.
That little rant out of the way and I can get on with the rest of this review.
Assassins of Altis is the third book in the Pillars of Reality series. Said series started really strongly but wavered in quality a little in the second book. I am sad to report that this book was more in line with the disappointing second of novel than it was with the excellent first. The issues with stilted dialogue and repetitive conversations continue in this book and times there were some pacing issues as well. That's not to say that the book was slow but rather that sometimes it just felt a little flat.
However once again Jack Campbell has not been wasting any time in moving the story forward. We finish the novel considerably further on than where we started it and that is always a good thing.
That being said, some of the big reveals and events we've been waiting for were not exactly what I've been hoping for. Things like the hidden past of the world was a bit obvious and underwhelming, while the long awaited advancement in certain relationships were very anticlimactic.
Overall, this is a middle of the range book. It's worth a read and doesn't put me off the rest of the series, but I still hope that there are better things to come.
That little rant out of the way and I can get on with the rest of this review.
Assassins of Altis is the third book in the Pillars of Reality series. Said series started really strongly but wavered in quality a little in the second book. I am sad to report that this book was more in line with the disappointing second of novel than it was with the excellent first. The issues with stilted dialogue and repetitive conversations continue in this book and times there were some pacing issues as well. That's not to say that the book was slow but rather that sometimes it just felt a little flat.
However once again Jack Campbell has not been wasting any time in moving the story forward. We finish the novel considerably further on than where we started it and that is always a good thing.
That being said, some of the big reveals and events we've been waiting for were not exactly what I've been hoping for. Things like the hidden past of the world was a bit obvious and underwhelming, while the long awaited advancement in certain relationships were very anticlimactic.
Overall, this is a middle of the range book. It's worth a read and doesn't put me off the rest of the series, but I still hope that there are better things to come.
July 17, 2016
Each successive volume in "The Pillars of Reality" is growing increasingly repetitive. "Assassins" felt like a long sequence of scenes where the main characters introduce themselves to reactions of astonishment and awe, followed by yet another rehashing of the story up until then. Placed in between these scenes are reiterations of the romance between the main characters so as to ensure that we never go too many pages without a recapitulation of some sort. If these tedious rehashings were edited down to bearable levels, we'd be left with a novella, a fairly decent one to be sure, but there simply is not enough new content to constitute a full novel here. I'm debating between the "in for a penny, in for a pound," and "cut your losses" philosophies with regard to the continuance of this series.
May 20, 2017
Each one of these is better than the previous, at least so far. I'm enjoying the series a good bit and am invested in how it turns out.
I do, however, find the MC's "character flaws" a bit obvious in terms of the author's need to have something for the character to grow through. It kind of embodies a lot of the things I don't particularly enjoy about YA as a genre. Spending time in the head of a teenager isn't enjoyable for me, and watching someone immature allow their own immature baggage to get in the way isn't enjoyable for me either.
Still, the author is getting the MC through these things, slowly. I just think that they are a bit pedestrian and diminish the story. Otherwise, it's quite good.
I do, however, find the MC's "character flaws" a bit obvious in terms of the author's need to have something for the character to grow through. It kind of embodies a lot of the things I don't particularly enjoy about YA as a genre. Spending time in the head of a teenager isn't enjoyable for me, and watching someone immature allow their own immature baggage to get in the way isn't enjoyable for me either.
Still, the author is getting the MC through these things, slowly. I just think that they are a bit pedestrian and diminish the story. Otherwise, it's quite good.
August 4, 2015
I cannot believe someone wrote a two star review. I have now read and listened to all three books please read them in order! The scope of this series is heading toward classic status. A world where one part is all science (Mechanics) & another all mystical(Mage) rules the majority which is known as commons. Ahh, BTW this book reveals the reasons behind this. But you know you want to read, right?
April 13, 2020
So it’s now in the third of these books that I see the series being labeled as YA, and I am resigned to read all of them, despite deliberately not looking to read YA originally. That’s how they get ya! Ya think you’re safely reading some exciting fantasy with teenagers on an adventure and growing as pe- WAIT A MINUTE! They got me with the YA! Like assassins! Of Altis.
This book was the most interesting of the three, and after reading it I realize I think it was one long chase. I think they must have visited five cities, all while being pursued. So one point for pacing, I’ll say it was at a brisk clip. I enjoy that the people confronting them aren’t considered bags of meat they can harm, the characters show concern for those that wish them harm and not to harm in kind. There’s also some interesting ideas here, there’s a theme of what freedom means, and how it is to be achieved, including overthrowing a dominant powers by two major parties. Hmmmmmm. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
I don’t know how to feel about a wild twist halfway through the book. I’m not smart enough to see what was coming in the characters pursuit of answers, and it was simultaneously brilliant, disappointing and really fucking stupid.
I found the dialogue pretty awful this time. It feels like an old person like me trying to approximate what they imagine the coolest teen and a talking rock would say.
You Know I’m reading the next one. This one gets four assassins out of five,
This book was the most interesting of the three, and after reading it I realize I think it was one long chase. I think they must have visited five cities, all while being pursued. So one point for pacing, I’ll say it was at a brisk clip. I enjoy that the people confronting them aren’t considered bags of meat they can harm, the characters show concern for those that wish them harm and not to harm in kind. There’s also some interesting ideas here, there’s a theme of what freedom means, and how it is to be achieved, including overthrowing a dominant powers by two major parties. Hmmmmmm. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
I don’t know how to feel about a wild twist halfway through the book. I’m not smart enough to see what was coming in the characters pursuit of answers, and it was simultaneously brilliant, disappointing and really fucking stupid.
I found the dialogue pretty awful this time. It feels like an old person like me trying to approximate what they imagine the coolest teen and a talking rock would say.
You Know I’m reading the next one. This one gets four assassins out of five,
August 7, 2019
After book one I listen to this series one after another and so this will be a "series review" to be copied and pasted for each of the following books. I am glad I did it this way because this author has chosen to embrace the cliff hanger approach in this series. Personally I detest cliff hangers in novels- books are supposed to provide a story, including a resolution. In these books the over all story vastly overshadows the stories told in the individual books, so much so that I think it would be fair to say that this entire series should have been condensed into one actually good book. The only counterbalance to that argument is that the author creates some truly moving moments in these books and those moments spring organically from the great deal of character development and world building in this series. That is a great compliment to any author since so few are actually capable of it. Still the author's overall story construction is greatly lacking.
I am also not a fan of naive good guy approach where the MC lets bad guys go and hopes for the best. In one case this proves a big win for the MC since one of the bad guys turns out to be the uncle of her newest friend and eventually an important supporter. Still, it was incredibly stupid at the time since the uncle was actively trying to assassinate the MC and every other time the MC does this they just end up fighting the same people again. Plus this also leads to things like the good guy not attacking first even though they are in a fight to the death for the survival of the planet and it makes perfectly good sense to do so.
The author convincingly sets up a convenient conclusion throughout the books, showing repeatedly how the rulers of the great guilds view themselves as absolutely powerful and treat their rank and file as servants and, in some cases, worse. The leaders of the guilds, so entrenched in their own power, have forgotten that their power is based on what their rank and file can do. Still the conclusion was bizarrely convenient [spoiler follows, but only a small one since the resolution was telegraphed, but not in a bad way]. The MC fights one major battle with the powers that be and ends up getting everything she was fighting for while laying in bed unconscious afterwords.
This paragraph will contain a spoiler but since it is about the worst aspect of the book it is something I would have been fine having spoiled for me so I encourage you to read on. Still you should skip to the next paragraph if you truly hate spoilers: So the mages in this world are told that affection for others will eliminate their ability to do magic. Secondary MC, Alain, discovers this to be false very early on. From that point on it is continually hinted, reasoned and in one case outright predicted, that this will lead to some big magical breakthrough. The break through, however, doesn't come until the MC (Mari) has already won everything and so is arguably meaningless. [SOME REAL SPOILERS HERE] In the context of the book it isn't meaningless because it saves Mari's life and Mari's job, it turns out, wasn't just to overthrow the guilds but ensure the overthrow doesn't result in chaos. Still, the big breakthrough is completely underwhelming and doesn't even make sense in the context of the magic of the book. Mages can only effect the "world illusion" directly, so not themselves or others. Alain's big break though is to essentially become Mari allowing him to heal her, but since Alain can't heal himself, THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
For some unknown reason the author has chosen to make a stupid miscommunication story line central to this series. Mages receive visions of the future but every time Alain tries to tell Mari about THE KEY VISION OF HER FUTURE she mistakes it for him wanting to talk about their relationship so, of course, Mari tells Alain she knows all about what he wants to talk about and that they shouldn't discuss it. This happens repeatedly. In several books. I didn't make a note of when this stupidity is finally resolved but my guess is late in book 3. That would mean that essentially half this series includes a seriously stupid story line. Removing this story line alone would have made this series significantly better.
I truly hate stories where everything depends on one character and yet they stupidly continue to risk their lives by doing things like fighting on the front lines unnecessarily. This series has this problem but it handles it as well as it can be handled. The MC's decisions to take risks are continually challenged and the MC viably defends her choices.
Finally, the whole series felt unnecessarily drawn out although this is a debatable point. The thorough character development and world building lead to some very poignant scenes but I honestly believe this series would have been significantly better at half the length.
Bottom line: The series was worth the read, but with significant flaws (I'm looking at you cliff hangers). Individually these books are probably not worth the read.
I am also not a fan of naive good guy approach where the MC lets bad guys go and hopes for the best. In one case this proves a big win for the MC since one of the bad guys turns out to be the uncle of her newest friend and eventually an important supporter. Still, it was incredibly stupid at the time since the uncle was actively trying to assassinate the MC and every other time the MC does this they just end up fighting the same people again. Plus this also leads to things like the good guy not attacking first even though they are in a fight to the death for the survival of the planet and it makes perfectly good sense to do so.
The author convincingly sets up a convenient conclusion throughout the books, showing repeatedly how the rulers of the great guilds view themselves as absolutely powerful and treat their rank and file as servants and, in some cases, worse. The leaders of the guilds, so entrenched in their own power, have forgotten that their power is based on what their rank and file can do. Still the conclusion was bizarrely convenient [spoiler follows, but only a small one since the resolution was telegraphed, but not in a bad way]. The MC fights one major battle with the powers that be and ends up getting everything she was fighting for while laying in bed unconscious afterwords.
This paragraph will contain a spoiler but since it is about the worst aspect of the book it is something I would have been fine having spoiled for me so I encourage you to read on. Still you should skip to the next paragraph if you truly hate spoilers: So the mages in this world are told that affection for others will eliminate their ability to do magic. Secondary MC, Alain, discovers this to be false very early on. From that point on it is continually hinted, reasoned and in one case outright predicted, that this will lead to some big magical breakthrough. The break through, however, doesn't come until the MC (Mari) has already won everything and so is arguably meaningless. [SOME REAL SPOILERS HERE] In the context of the book it isn't meaningless because it saves Mari's life and Mari's job, it turns out, wasn't just to overthrow the guilds but ensure the overthrow doesn't result in chaos. Still, the big breakthrough is completely underwhelming and doesn't even make sense in the context of the magic of the book. Mages can only effect the "world illusion" directly, so not themselves or others. Alain's big break though is to essentially become Mari allowing him to heal her, but since Alain can't heal himself, THIS MAKES NO SENSE.
For some unknown reason the author has chosen to make a stupid miscommunication story line central to this series. Mages receive visions of the future but every time Alain tries to tell Mari about THE KEY VISION OF HER FUTURE she mistakes it for him wanting to talk about their relationship so, of course, Mari tells Alain she knows all about what he wants to talk about and that they shouldn't discuss it. This happens repeatedly. In several books. I didn't make a note of when this stupidity is finally resolved but my guess is late in book 3. That would mean that essentially half this series includes a seriously stupid story line. Removing this story line alone would have made this series significantly better.
I truly hate stories where everything depends on one character and yet they stupidly continue to risk their lives by doing things like fighting on the front lines unnecessarily. This series has this problem but it handles it as well as it can be handled. The MC's decisions to take risks are continually challenged and the MC viably defends her choices.
Finally, the whole series felt unnecessarily drawn out although this is a debatable point. The thorough character development and world building lead to some very poignant scenes but I honestly believe this series would have been significantly better at half the length.
Bottom line: The series was worth the read, but with significant flaws (I'm looking at you cliff hangers). Individually these books are probably not worth the read.
September 22, 2025
Now we're talking! After 2.5 books of hint dropping, we finally get to the origin story of Dematr. A quote I recently heard comes to mind: science is magic we understand, magic is science we don't yet understand. The love story also took a nice next step.
February 27, 2018
Another good installment in this series. I've noticed that frequently the title comes to play toward the end of the book. That was certainly the case here again.
I'm glad Marie and Alain aren't solo anymore. It was time for this to start moving forward. I listened to the audiobook. MacLeod Andrews (who did Sanderson's Steelheart series) is fabulous as always.
4 1/2 stars
I'm glad Marie and Alain aren't solo anymore. It was time for this to start moving forward. I listened to the audiobook. MacLeod Andrews (who did Sanderson's Steelheart series) is fabulous as always.
4 1/2 stars
September 30, 2018
4 stars. Good continuation but at a few points seemed a little padded/slow
September 5, 2021
OK the love story is kinda cute now! The main story plot is developing nicely and I really enjoy this Universe. Onto the next book it is then!
February 15, 2016
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The Pillars of Reality, by author Jack Campbell, is a series that continues to engage and entertain me. Book 3, the Assassins of Altis sees our heroes, a Mage named Alain, and a Mechanic named Mari, continue their quest to root out what has so clearly gone wrong with the world they live in. The two have become unlikely lovers, and this entree sees the two take that dynamic to the next likely step.
I cannot stress enough how oddly refreshing it is for a non-YA fantasy book to actually follow two characters in love, without splitting them up at some stage. The two are integral to each other's survival. And this book really puts the strength and malice of the Mechanics Guild against them. We see a lot more of their ingenuity as a duo in this read than we have in previous novels.
But not only are they a good match for each other in the sense that they can play off each other's unique abilities. They bring out the best in each other, helping them find truth where the Great Guilds have hid it from them and the world. We see our heroes confront what they so eagerly need them to, to help them push onward. Most particularly, in this case, Mari - and what has held her emotionally back since she joined the Guild.
I've made mention in previous reviews of this series that I almost didn't expect certain issues I had with it to be resolved in subsequent novels. Well now I fear the exact opposite. We actually learn so much in a quick (but begrudgingly necessary) infodump near the end of the novel about the origins of the world and Guilds, that I worry there won't be any major revelations at the actual close of the series. But that remains to be seen.
It is planned as a six book series, each book debuting first on Audible's audiobook streaming service. 4 novels have been released to date. If you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly recommend it. It bends genre in unique ways, without ever really trying to. It's delightful, exciting, and full of adventure - something missing from much of today's fantasy fiction.
I'm starting to really get annoyed at the titling for each book though. Only a small portion of each novel (generally the last 10%) actually has anything to do with it. Kinda jarring for me, for whatever reason. Minor gripe.
The Pillars of Reality, by author Jack Campbell, is a series that continues to engage and entertain me. Book 3, the Assassins of Altis sees our heroes, a Mage named Alain, and a Mechanic named Mari, continue their quest to root out what has so clearly gone wrong with the world they live in. The two have become unlikely lovers, and this entree sees the two take that dynamic to the next likely step.
I cannot stress enough how oddly refreshing it is for a non-YA fantasy book to actually follow two characters in love, without splitting them up at some stage. The two are integral to each other's survival. And this book really puts the strength and malice of the Mechanics Guild against them. We see a lot more of their ingenuity as a duo in this read than we have in previous novels.
But not only are they a good match for each other in the sense that they can play off each other's unique abilities. They bring out the best in each other, helping them find truth where the Great Guilds have hid it from them and the world. We see our heroes confront what they so eagerly need them to, to help them push onward. Most particularly, in this case, Mari - and what has held her emotionally back since she joined the Guild.
I've made mention in previous reviews of this series that I almost didn't expect certain issues I had with it to be resolved in subsequent novels. Well now I fear the exact opposite. We actually learn so much in a quick (but begrudgingly necessary) infodump near the end of the novel about the origins of the world and Guilds, that I worry there won't be any major revelations at the actual close of the series. But that remains to be seen.
It is planned as a six book series, each book debuting first on Audible's audiobook streaming service. 4 novels have been released to date. If you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly recommend it. It bends genre in unique ways, without ever really trying to. It's delightful, exciting, and full of adventure - something missing from much of today's fantasy fiction.
I'm starting to really get annoyed at the titling for each book though. Only a small portion of each novel (generally the last 10%) actually has anything to do with it. Kinda jarring for me, for whatever reason. Minor gripe.
Grab this in:
Audible | Paperback | Kindle
August 3, 2015
4.5 Stars
Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat
The Assassins of Altis is the third book in The Pillars of Reality series by Jack Campbell. This audiobook is narrated by MacLeod Andrews.
The Pillars of Reality is a series that gets better and better with each new book. I remember listening to first book and liking it. I also remember listening to second book and liking it even more. I can honestly say it was the same case with The Assassins of Altis.
The Assassins of Altis starts right where The Hidden Masters of Marandur (second book) ended. Mechanic Mari and her loyal companion, Mage Alain, have gotten the information they needed from Marandur and now need to continue their journey. Their next stop is Altis. To get there, first they need to evade the border patrol around Marandur and find a way to reach Altis, something that becomes more difficult with time. The Mechanics Guild has found a way to follow their steps and will do its best to stop them once and for all. Luckily for them, they find allies in unexpected places.
There is a lot of character growth in this installment. Mari is finally accepting the idea of being The Daughter that will unite the guilds and the commons. She is also coming to terms with her feelings for Alain and what being in a relationship with him entails. In this book, Mari also realizes the many lies her guild told her and the extremes they are willing to go to keep their secrets and the blind loyalty of its members.
Alain continues to grow and evolve. Seeing his transformation for an unfeeling, cold-hearted young man to the funny, caring one he is slowly becoming is a funny treat. I really liked him; I think he is my favorite character in the series. I loved how he is finding his sense of humor and how he is with Mari when she behaves a little bit irrational.
Their relationship really moves forward in this installment. They are where they need to be; seeing them come to that place was not only very sweet but also hilarious at times.
There are new characters introduced in The Assassins of Altis, some are unexpected, some we knew from previous books. Mari and Alain are finding allies and their numbers are rising slowly. This is great because they need all the help they can get.
The world building is further developed in this installment. We not only visit new places and new people, we also learned about the origins of the guilds and how everything started. I can’t say much without giving spoilers away, let me just say I was pleasantly surprised with this new discovery.
As with previous installments, MacLeod Andrews does an excellent job bringing to life the characters and the story. The voices he does for the characters are distinctive and he uses the perfect inflections to convey the intentions of the characters. I can’t imagine anybody else narrating this series.
The Assassins of Altis is a great addition to a great series and one I recommend to fantasy fans, especially if you like your fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. I recommend you to listen to this series instead of reading it. I also recommend you to listen to these books in order to get the full effect of the amazing and very imaginative world Jack Campbell has created.
I’m looking forward to the release of next book (audiobook) in the series.
Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat
The Assassins of Altis is the third book in The Pillars of Reality series by Jack Campbell. This audiobook is narrated by MacLeod Andrews.
The Pillars of Reality is a series that gets better and better with each new book. I remember listening to first book and liking it. I also remember listening to second book and liking it even more. I can honestly say it was the same case with The Assassins of Altis.
The Assassins of Altis starts right where The Hidden Masters of Marandur (second book) ended. Mechanic Mari and her loyal companion, Mage Alain, have gotten the information they needed from Marandur and now need to continue their journey. Their next stop is Altis. To get there, first they need to evade the border patrol around Marandur and find a way to reach Altis, something that becomes more difficult with time. The Mechanics Guild has found a way to follow their steps and will do its best to stop them once and for all. Luckily for them, they find allies in unexpected places.
There is a lot of character growth in this installment. Mari is finally accepting the idea of being The Daughter that will unite the guilds and the commons. She is also coming to terms with her feelings for Alain and what being in a relationship with him entails. In this book, Mari also realizes the many lies her guild told her and the extremes they are willing to go to keep their secrets and the blind loyalty of its members.
Alain continues to grow and evolve. Seeing his transformation for an unfeeling, cold-hearted young man to the funny, caring one he is slowly becoming is a funny treat. I really liked him; I think he is my favorite character in the series. I loved how he is finding his sense of humor and how he is with Mari when she behaves a little bit irrational.
Their relationship really moves forward in this installment. They are where they need to be; seeing them come to that place was not only very sweet but also hilarious at times.
There are new characters introduced in The Assassins of Altis, some are unexpected, some we knew from previous books. Mari and Alain are finding allies and their numbers are rising slowly. This is great because they need all the help they can get.
The world building is further developed in this installment. We not only visit new places and new people, we also learned about the origins of the guilds and how everything started. I can’t say much without giving spoilers away, let me just say I was pleasantly surprised with this new discovery.
As with previous installments, MacLeod Andrews does an excellent job bringing to life the characters and the story. The voices he does for the characters are distinctive and he uses the perfect inflections to convey the intentions of the characters. I can’t imagine anybody else narrating this series.
The Assassins of Altis is a great addition to a great series and one I recommend to fantasy fans, especially if you like your fantasy with a touch of sci-fi. I recommend you to listen to this series instead of reading it. I also recommend you to listen to these books in order to get the full effect of the amazing and very imaginative world Jack Campbell has created.
I’m looking forward to the release of next book (audiobook) in the series.
August 8, 2015
This series is amazing, and this, the third book, continues with the same excellence of the first two. I find the world and the plot to be interesting and not quite like anything I’ve read before, and I’m enjoying the slow reveal. The main reason that the slowness of that reveal doesn’t bother me in the slightest is that I’m enjoying the ride.
It’s the characters, see. Alain and Mari are both marvelous characters, and their relationship, which makes up the core of the story, is fantastic. Mari is strong, capable, kind, and brave. She’s everything you’d want in a “strong female protagonist” without the qualities that make so many other such protagonists annoying (she’s not promiscuous, she accepts help when it’s needed, she doesn’t rush headlong into dangerous situations for no reason—in other words, she’s strong and independent without constantly needing to prove it). Alain is marvelously different from the “tough alpha male” type that it sometimes seems I can’t get away from in books. Raised to shun all emotion, he initially comes across a lot like Data from Star Trek. (And Data is one of my favorite characters ever, so this is a fantastic thing.) Like Data, there is a lot about human interaction that he doesn’t understand and Mari has to keep explaining to him. This provides many, many moments of laugh-out-loud humor.
The relationship that develops between the two characters, from enemies to friends to more, is just a joy to watch unfold. They respect and love each other, and while they find each other attractive, that never overshadows their friendship. This is not a lust-at-first-sight romance. This is a slow build. A healthy relationship. The kind of relationship that I can really get behind and root for. It’s great to see how Mari teaches Alain to feel and care about people again, how Alain helps temper Mari’s occasional reckless tendencies and over-emotionality. They make each other better people, and only together do they even have a hope of facing the many challenges and dangers set before them. I really just cannot overstate how much I love these two characters, both individually and as a couple.
This series reminds me a lot of two others: the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld and the Vampire Empire series by Clay and Susan Griffith. Both of those stories also exist in a steampunky fantasy world and star young men and women who are strong and brave and funny and whose relationship is healthy and founded on trust, respect, and friendship.
Lastly, a note on the audiobook. This series seems to be primarily available in audio and in paperback only as an afterthought (I believe it’s also available as an e-book, if you’re into that). I highly recommend the audiobook. You can get it through Audible or as an MP3 CD from Amazon for a very reasonable price. The narrator, MacLeod Andrews, does a stellar job. He brings such perfect life to each character and every moment of fear, awkwardness, and humor. His performance makes an already great book amazing.
(There's a longer version of this review on Reanne Reads)
It’s the characters, see. Alain and Mari are both marvelous characters, and their relationship, which makes up the core of the story, is fantastic. Mari is strong, capable, kind, and brave. She’s everything you’d want in a “strong female protagonist” without the qualities that make so many other such protagonists annoying (she’s not promiscuous, she accepts help when it’s needed, she doesn’t rush headlong into dangerous situations for no reason—in other words, she’s strong and independent without constantly needing to prove it). Alain is marvelously different from the “tough alpha male” type that it sometimes seems I can’t get away from in books. Raised to shun all emotion, he initially comes across a lot like Data from Star Trek. (And Data is one of my favorite characters ever, so this is a fantastic thing.) Like Data, there is a lot about human interaction that he doesn’t understand and Mari has to keep explaining to him. This provides many, many moments of laugh-out-loud humor.
The relationship that develops between the two characters, from enemies to friends to more, is just a joy to watch unfold. They respect and love each other, and while they find each other attractive, that never overshadows their friendship. This is not a lust-at-first-sight romance. This is a slow build. A healthy relationship. The kind of relationship that I can really get behind and root for. It’s great to see how Mari teaches Alain to feel and care about people again, how Alain helps temper Mari’s occasional reckless tendencies and over-emotionality. They make each other better people, and only together do they even have a hope of facing the many challenges and dangers set before them. I really just cannot overstate how much I love these two characters, both individually and as a couple.
This series reminds me a lot of two others: the Leviathan trilogy by Scott Westerfeld and the Vampire Empire series by Clay and Susan Griffith. Both of those stories also exist in a steampunky fantasy world and star young men and women who are strong and brave and funny and whose relationship is healthy and founded on trust, respect, and friendship.
Lastly, a note on the audiobook. This series seems to be primarily available in audio and in paperback only as an afterthought (I believe it’s also available as an e-book, if you’re into that). I highly recommend the audiobook. You can get it through Audible or as an MP3 CD from Amazon for a very reasonable price. The narrator, MacLeod Andrews, does a stellar job. He brings such perfect life to each character and every moment of fear, awkwardness, and humor. His performance makes an already great book amazing.
(There's a longer version of this review on Reanne Reads)
November 6, 2017
Sadly, Mari's character is increasingly poorly written. After becoming the overly attached girlfriend in book 2, she descended into a spiral of irrationality while carrying the hyperspace mallet. What she says isn't making sense half of the time. Her dialogue is mainly composed of snapping and yelling with many exclamation marks. I get that she has things to say but if only she delivered some of that in a more dignified way, I'd respect her more. Many times, she is petty. Her reasoning is flawed for someone who thinks herself as smart as she does and half the time she wants or says conflicting things. She started off with saying that S'san asked her to stop and think before reacting but now she isn't doing that at all.
It's true that she's under pressure but she's extremely annoying. She believes she's very smart and better than Alain, e.g. because she knows what the word parallel means and he doesn't. But she never bothers to teach him things, snaps at him all the time, she's insecure and jealous in a very annoying way while playing her sexuality in a pushy way, and seems determined to get a vengeance on Alain for her own shortcomings. Fine, characters have flaws and it's normal but I think the writer has a small problem with writing a strong female lead. Perhaps he just doesn't understand how a strong intelligent woman, albeit a young one, would react.
On the other hand, while she doesn't have almost any practical skill, Alain is almost carrying all the action by himself. In fact, it's his courage and determination to see the prophecy come true that drives this book. By now, he came to his full mage persona, is brave, resourceful, and a bit of a gambler. With his deadpan mannerisms, survival skills, wisdom beyond his years, history knowledge, quick wit, endless patience, and occasional humor, he's one of the best characters ever written. He's better than Kelsier. The prophecy should've been about the son of Jules, not about the daughter.
It's possible that MacLeod Andrews is a bit guilty for how annoying Mari is. I listened to the book and, although I love his work, his interpretation of Mari makes her sound childish and conceited. Perhaps more annoying than she necessarily is.
It's true that she's under pressure but she's extremely annoying. She believes she's very smart and better than Alain, e.g. because she knows what the word parallel means and he doesn't. But she never bothers to teach him things, snaps at him all the time, she's insecure and jealous in a very annoying way while playing her sexuality in a pushy way, and seems determined to get a vengeance on Alain for her own shortcomings. Fine, characters have flaws and it's normal but I think the writer has a small problem with writing a strong female lead. Perhaps he just doesn't understand how a strong intelligent woman, albeit a young one, would react.
On the other hand, while she doesn't have almost any practical skill, Alain is almost carrying all the action by himself. In fact, it's his courage and determination to see the prophecy come true that drives this book. By now, he came to his full mage persona, is brave, resourceful, and a bit of a gambler. With his deadpan mannerisms, survival skills, wisdom beyond his years, history knowledge, quick wit, endless patience, and occasional humor, he's one of the best characters ever written. He's better than Kelsier. The prophecy should've been about the son of Jules, not about the daughter.
It's possible that MacLeod Andrews is a bit guilty for how annoying Mari is. I listened to the book and, although I love his work, his interpretation of Mari makes her sound childish and conceited. Perhaps more annoying than she necessarily is.
June 24, 2019
Stronger than the second entry in this series (The Hidden Masters of Marandur). In this episode, the whiny teenage love-angst is muted, although not entirely gone. The previous two books had Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain as co-protagonists, with the narrative focus split roughly equally between them. In this book, Mari is effectively the sole protagonist. I can't remember even a single chapter narrated from Alain's point of view. This is a bit disappointing, as Alain is the more interesting character of the two. But Mari is the Chosen One, so the shift is not really surprising.
I'm curious (or worried) about how the subsequent books will play out. From a structural standpoint, this book pushes the plot past the typical 3/4 mark. Mild **spoiler alert**. In The Assassins of Altis, Mari's main personal crisis gets solved: she realizes she's been believing a lie about her family, she reconciles with them, and is emotionally freed both to marry Alain and to embrace her identity as the Chosen One. It seems like one more book would be sufficient to bring the story to a climax and wrap up the narrative arc. Since there are three more books in the series, I'm concerned the next two will drag the plot out.
Violence: PG
Language: G
Sexuality: A very suggestive PG.
I'm curious (or worried) about how the subsequent books will play out. From a structural standpoint, this book pushes the plot past the typical 3/4 mark. Mild **spoiler alert**. In The Assassins of Altis, Mari's main personal crisis gets solved: she realizes she's been believing a lie about her family, she reconciles with them, and is emotionally freed both to marry Alain and to embrace her identity as the Chosen One. It seems like one more book would be sufficient to bring the story to a climax and wrap up the narrative arc. Since there are three more books in the series, I'm concerned the next two will drag the plot out.
Violence: PG
Language: G
Sexuality: A very suggestive PG.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2017
The writing issues in book 2 unfortunately flow over into book 3. The main protagonist is polarizing and portrayed as a whiney immature person who can't control her temper, often resulting in full out childish tantrums. This would not normally be a problem , as we are all humans and often weighed down by the stress caused by the burden of what is expected of us. The author however takes this to a higher level of annoyance, often distracting from the storyline just to make it absolutely clear as often as he possibly can that Mari is very whiney and immature due to the stress of people wanting her to be something she does not wish to be. Again as in book 2, her whinyness comes out far too often and most of her outbursts and temper tantrums could have been written out with out affecting the storyline.
As in book 2, if you can get past the distracting immature nature of the main protagonist, the book is quite enjoyable. You start to learn more of the history of their world as well as many mysteries that were once hidden revealed. I would have rated this book with 4 stars, but the negatives were once again too much to give this anything higher than 3 stars.
There is one more thing in this book I found distracting, it appears the author writing this book has a lot of similarities between it and another Fantasy series. It is not uncommon to see things like this happen, but it still bothers me to read a book that reminds me a lot of a book I read many years ago.
As in book 2, if you can get past the distracting immature nature of the main protagonist, the book is quite enjoyable. You start to learn more of the history of their world as well as many mysteries that were once hidden revealed. I would have rated this book with 4 stars, but the negatives were once again too much to give this anything higher than 3 stars.
There is one more thing in this book I found distracting, it appears the author writing this book has a lot of similarities between it and another Fantasy series. It is not uncommon to see things like this happen, but it still bothers me to read a book that reminds me a lot of a book I read many years ago.
June 7, 2017
Book three. Massive spoilers for The Dragons of Dorcastle and The Hidden Masters of Marandur ahead.
It openes with Mari and Alain fleeing Marandur with their loot of volumes. And on the road to the current capital Palandur, because all roads lead to Palandur. More trouble with Mechanics and Mages and Imperials along the way as they start to piece together what they can do with the destiny. There's rumors of the prophecied daughter -- some of which they recognize -- and more rumors about a legendary vampiric empress.
Along the way of their attempts to find the way, there occurs an angry girl who is reconciled by the notion that something is so romantic; a secret tower; confirmation of the first books hints that this is a far-future planet (without explaining away the Mages as science); Alain's asking the significance of certain golden rings; sinking a ship; Alain's successfully passing himself off as a Mechanic (briefly); and more.
It openes with Mari and Alain fleeing Marandur with their loot of volumes. And on the road to the current capital Palandur, because all roads lead to Palandur. More trouble with Mechanics and Mages and Imperials along the way as they start to piece together what they can do with the destiny. There's rumors of the prophecied daughter -- some of which they recognize -- and more rumors about a legendary vampiric empress.
Along the way of their attempts to find the way, there occurs an angry girl who is reconciled by the notion that something is so romantic; a secret tower; confirmation of the first books hints that this is a far-future planet (without explaining away the Mages as science); Alain's asking the significance of certain golden rings; sinking a ship; Alain's successfully passing himself off as a Mechanic (briefly); and more.
May 15, 2017
Alain & Mari
4 stars
Listen June 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trapped within the dead city of Marandur, Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain must escape both merciless barbarians and the pitiless Imperial Legion. Beyond those dangers lie the mightiest and most unforgiving powers in the world of Dematr: the Great Guilds that rule the world with iron fists.
Mari's Mechanics Guild and Alain's Mage Guild have always been enemies, but they are united in wanting to kill their rogue members before Mari can fulfill the ancient prophecy of being the one who will finally overthrow their power. Mari and Alain must risk those dangers because halfway across their world lies a place where truth has long been hidden. A place that could explain why their world's history begins abruptly, with no hints of what came before. A place where they might learn how the Mechanics Guild came to control all technology and how the Mages manage to alter reality temporarily. A place that might tell them how to achieve a task that appears to be impossible.
Never before have a Mage and a Mechanic worked together, and their combined talents offer their only hope. But she and Alain must first survive the deadly and implacable Assassins of Altis.
4 stars
Listen June 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trapped within the dead city of Marandur, Master Mechanic Mari and Mage Alain must escape both merciless barbarians and the pitiless Imperial Legion. Beyond those dangers lie the mightiest and most unforgiving powers in the world of Dematr: the Great Guilds that rule the world with iron fists.
Mari's Mechanics Guild and Alain's Mage Guild have always been enemies, but they are united in wanting to kill their rogue members before Mari can fulfill the ancient prophecy of being the one who will finally overthrow their power. Mari and Alain must risk those dangers because halfway across their world lies a place where truth has long been hidden. A place that could explain why their world's history begins abruptly, with no hints of what came before. A place where they might learn how the Mechanics Guild came to control all technology and how the Mages manage to alter reality temporarily. A place that might tell them how to achieve a task that appears to be impossible.
Never before have a Mage and a Mechanic worked together, and their combined talents offer their only hope. But she and Alain must first survive the deadly and implacable Assassins of Altis.
October 16, 2015
Finally things are picking up. I thought that this book series was going to conclude as a trilogy but it seems that Jack Campbell is just getting started. I believe many more books are to come. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait.
This book really begins to start the revolution that the first two books are building up to. What I like about this book is that you begin to discover which characters with be in the inner circle of the revolution.
If I had one complaint, it's that the two main characters lay it a little thick with their admiration of each other. Also, Mage Alain always seems to be good for only one or two spells. They need to beef up his skill as he holds the title for prodigy Mage.
This book really begins to start the revolution that the first two books are building up to. What I like about this book is that you begin to discover which characters with be in the inner circle of the revolution.
If I had one complaint, it's that the two main characters lay it a little thick with their admiration of each other. Also, Mage Alain always seems to be good for only one or two spells. They need to beef up his skill as he holds the title for prodigy Mage.
April 5, 2016
I need more!
July 15, 2018
This story is the third book in a fantastic epic fantasy series called The Pillars of Reality. I absolutely loved it!
Mari is a fantastic character, and I liked her from the moment she was introduced. I love her determination to do the right thing, even at the cost of her own life. She is now a nineteen-year-old Master Mechanic, though her guild is determined to take her life as she poses a threat to their hold on the world of Dematr. Mari has been foreseen by Mages to be 'The Daughter of Jules' and fated to free the world of Dematr from the tyranny of both the Guilds - Mechanics and Mages - and to unite the Mechanics, Mages and Commons against said Guilds. As she tries to accept her role, she finds herself on another dangerous mission while trying to avoid death at the hands of assassins.
Mage Alain is also a fantastic character. I liked him a lot from the start. He was one of the youngest Acolytes to achieve Mage status at the age of seventeen. He has been taught from a young age not to show or feel any emotions and that the world he lives in is an illusion, where nothing is real. I love how this character has grown as the series has progressed. He tries to show more emotion, even though his Guild had virtually beaten it out of him. He hides a dry wit under that emotionless mask.
I listened to this story in audio format, rather than read it. The story is once again narrated by MacLeod Andrews. He does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. Even Alain, who's voice is meant to be flat and emotionless comes across with subtle hints. You would think that Alain's voice would be monotonous, but it's not so. I love the way he brings all the characters to life with different accents, inflexions and tones. He even makes the women's voices sound perfect for each character. As for his narration, he read the story clearly and concisely, and his pacing was perfect. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.
This book continues a few weeks after the end of the second story and sees Mari and Alain travelling to the island of Altis, where a long-hidden secret has been kept. With both the Guilds chasing them and now the Imperial Legions for their incursion into Marandur, Mari and Alain face many dangers, including a deadly snow storm. However, what they find on Altis will change everything.
This story introduces a couple of new characters into the series. One is Mechanic Caylou (not sure of spelling as I listened to the story so have no reference and have spelt it phonetically - it could be Kayloo or another variation). He is one of Mari's friends from the Mechanics Guild, along with his girlfriend, Ally (who is mentioned in book two but not introduced). Another character introduced is, Mage Asha; this is a character who is hard to explain without giving spoilers. Suffice it to say, she was a friend of Alain's from their early acolyte days, before all the emotion was beaten out of them.
I love the world building in this series. It is familiar though strange at the same time. The reason for this becomes apparent as this story unfolds. The story is full of action, adventure, and danger and I found myself an emotional wreck at times. Have you ever read or listened to a story and felt completely emersed in it? This happened to me as I listened to this book. These characters have come to life for me and have become my friends. This book ends with a slight cliffhanger, and the audio version has a preview of the next book in the series, which I am now looking forward to reading/listening to. I will be listening to The Pirates of Pacta Servanda as soon as I can.
Jack Campbell has written a fantastic science fiction series. I have added him to my favourite author's list, as he's found a fan in me. I love his writing style, which is fast-paced and descriptive, and the flow of the story is good too.
Although there is now some mention of scenes of a sexual nature, it’s not shown. I do not, however, recommend this book to younger readers under the age of 15 due to some violence. I do, however, highly recommend this book if you love dark or epic fantasy, steampunk or action/adventure and supernatural/paranormal romance genres. - Lynn Worton
Mari is a fantastic character, and I liked her from the moment she was introduced. I love her determination to do the right thing, even at the cost of her own life. She is now a nineteen-year-old Master Mechanic, though her guild is determined to take her life as she poses a threat to their hold on the world of Dematr. Mari has been foreseen by Mages to be 'The Daughter of Jules' and fated to free the world of Dematr from the tyranny of both the Guilds - Mechanics and Mages - and to unite the Mechanics, Mages and Commons against said Guilds. As she tries to accept her role, she finds herself on another dangerous mission while trying to avoid death at the hands of assassins.
Mage Alain is also a fantastic character. I liked him a lot from the start. He was one of the youngest Acolytes to achieve Mage status at the age of seventeen. He has been taught from a young age not to show or feel any emotions and that the world he lives in is an illusion, where nothing is real. I love how this character has grown as the series has progressed. He tries to show more emotion, even though his Guild had virtually beaten it out of him. He hides a dry wit under that emotionless mask.
I listened to this story in audio format, rather than read it. The story is once again narrated by MacLeod Andrews. He does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. Even Alain, who's voice is meant to be flat and emotionless comes across with subtle hints. You would think that Alain's voice would be monotonous, but it's not so. I love the way he brings all the characters to life with different accents, inflexions and tones. He even makes the women's voices sound perfect for each character. As for his narration, he read the story clearly and concisely, and his pacing was perfect. I would definitely listen to more books read by this narrator.
This book continues a few weeks after the end of the second story and sees Mari and Alain travelling to the island of Altis, where a long-hidden secret has been kept. With both the Guilds chasing them and now the Imperial Legions for their incursion into Marandur, Mari and Alain face many dangers, including a deadly snow storm. However, what they find on Altis will change everything.
This story introduces a couple of new characters into the series. One is Mechanic Caylou (not sure of spelling as I listened to the story so have no reference and have spelt it phonetically - it could be Kayloo or another variation). He is one of Mari's friends from the Mechanics Guild, along with his girlfriend, Ally (who is mentioned in book two but not introduced). Another character introduced is, Mage Asha; this is a character who is hard to explain without giving spoilers. Suffice it to say, she was a friend of Alain's from their early acolyte days, before all the emotion was beaten out of them.
I love the world building in this series. It is familiar though strange at the same time. The reason for this becomes apparent as this story unfolds. The story is full of action, adventure, and danger and I found myself an emotional wreck at times. Have you ever read or listened to a story and felt completely emersed in it? This happened to me as I listened to this book. These characters have come to life for me and have become my friends. This book ends with a slight cliffhanger, and the audio version has a preview of the next book in the series, which I am now looking forward to reading/listening to. I will be listening to The Pirates of Pacta Servanda as soon as I can.
Jack Campbell has written a fantastic science fiction series. I have added him to my favourite author's list, as he's found a fan in me. I love his writing style, which is fast-paced and descriptive, and the flow of the story is good too.
Although there is now some mention of scenes of a sexual nature, it’s not shown. I do not, however, recommend this book to younger readers under the age of 15 due to some violence. I do, however, highly recommend this book if you love dark or epic fantasy, steampunk or action/adventure and supernatural/paranormal romance genres. - Lynn Worton
August 27, 2018
In this third book I found myself a bit more frustrated than I'd been in the previous two. That said, some of this frustration was balanced out.
On the one hand the perpetual focus on the main character's "uniqueness" or "awesomeness" has reached a point of seeming truly exaggerated. The overall worldbuilding sets her up as being awesome by virtue of, effectively, being a nice person in a world full of cruel people. The "great guilds" dynamic is one of two institutions so pointlessly focused on cruelty and self-destruction and so short-sighted in the act of those things as to not really be believable, and the main character is then meant to seem perfect in all ways in comparison. In the end neither the guilds nor the perfection of the main character seem really believable as a result.
That said, if meant for a younger audience this could work, and as such I found myself annoyed at the black-and-whiteness of the world, but also accepting it as likely meaning the target audience is younger than I'd understood and as such it makes sense.
The second frustration was the sappiness and exaggeratedness of the romance and comments of the primary couple. If they had one more argument about who would get to die for the other I was going to be sick, and the whole dynamic got seriously annoying! That said, the whole dynamic simultaneously seemed likely highly accurate for a teenage couple of their age, and as such I found myself deeply frustrated by it while also thinking that it was in fact likely very accurate, in which case my annoyance is at the immature behavior of teenagers as accurately represented here. I wouldn't have minded less of that being in the book, but I also appreciated that the author was being accurate in his portrayal.
This was also now and then broken with some dramatic scenes between the characters of real, meaningful, thoughtful growth and even a bit of wisdom about how people work and grow and develop and the inherently difficult problem of dealing emotionally with a messy world. For this purpose the accuracy of the teenage romance seemed just the firm basis for the accuracy of these moments.
The end result being that I still quite enjoyed the book, and that even the experience of encountering my frustrations was tempered by my understanding the choice that drove them.
On the one hand the perpetual focus on the main character's "uniqueness" or "awesomeness" has reached a point of seeming truly exaggerated. The overall worldbuilding sets her up as being awesome by virtue of, effectively, being a nice person in a world full of cruel people. The "great guilds" dynamic is one of two institutions so pointlessly focused on cruelty and self-destruction and so short-sighted in the act of those things as to not really be believable, and the main character is then meant to seem perfect in all ways in comparison. In the end neither the guilds nor the perfection of the main character seem really believable as a result.
That said, if meant for a younger audience this could work, and as such I found myself annoyed at the black-and-whiteness of the world, but also accepting it as likely meaning the target audience is younger than I'd understood and as such it makes sense.
The second frustration was the sappiness and exaggeratedness of the romance and comments of the primary couple. If they had one more argument about who would get to die for the other I was going to be sick, and the whole dynamic got seriously annoying! That said, the whole dynamic simultaneously seemed likely highly accurate for a teenage couple of their age, and as such I found myself deeply frustrated by it while also thinking that it was in fact likely very accurate, in which case my annoyance is at the immature behavior of teenagers as accurately represented here. I wouldn't have minded less of that being in the book, but I also appreciated that the author was being accurate in his portrayal.
This was also now and then broken with some dramatic scenes between the characters of real, meaningful, thoughtful growth and even a bit of wisdom about how people work and grow and develop and the inherently difficult problem of dealing emotionally with a messy world. For this purpose the accuracy of the teenage romance seemed just the firm basis for the accuracy of these moments.
The end result being that I still quite enjoyed the book, and that even the experience of encountering my frustrations was tempered by my understanding the choice that drove them.
October 9, 2017
3.5 stars overall for the book and series so far.
I'm really enjoying this series so far, but it's by no means a favorite. I love the world building and characters, but feel the story drags in some places and the romance is often a bit cheesy.
I do love the romance between Mari and Alain, but find myself rolling my eyes through a lot of their interactions and how overly dramatic their relationship is. Oddly enough I find Mari is the cause of s lot of this even though Alain is the one mostly providing the poetic, romantic comments. I think this is because Alain is so innocent and genuine that his statements become beautiful and sincere whereas Mari's decalarations are a bit lame and overdone. I get it, you're in love and will die for each other.
Actually, the main problem I have with the series is that a lot of the plot points are "overdone". I get it, Mari and Alain are in love, mages show no emotion, commons fear mechanic and mages, Mari is a natural leader and doesn't understand why people keep listening to her, etc, etc. I understand some of these points need to be repeated in each book and it may be because I'm reading them back to back that It's bothering me so much, but I still think it's overdone. The author just seems to be spending too much time repeating the same things than moving on with the story.
And while I wish for the story to move on a bit faster, I do like that Mari is taking her time to learn things and build up her strength. A lot of books seem to have their characters rush into conflicts and battles/wars without learning why things are the way they are or take the time to build up competent forces. It then feels very unrealistic when the protagonists defeat the antagonists. It's also nice to be able to travel with the characters to explore different parts of this world.
It's not a perfect series, but I am really enjoying it so far and hopefully the next books will improve on the few things I have a problem with. I've also been listening to this on audible and the narration is great.
I'm really enjoying this series so far, but it's by no means a favorite. I love the world building and characters, but feel the story drags in some places and the romance is often a bit cheesy.
I do love the romance between Mari and Alain, but find myself rolling my eyes through a lot of their interactions and how overly dramatic their relationship is. Oddly enough I find Mari is the cause of s lot of this even though Alain is the one mostly providing the poetic, romantic comments. I think this is because Alain is so innocent and genuine that his statements become beautiful and sincere whereas Mari's decalarations are a bit lame and overdone. I get it, you're in love and will die for each other.
Actually, the main problem I have with the series is that a lot of the plot points are "overdone". I get it, Mari and Alain are in love, mages show no emotion, commons fear mechanic and mages, Mari is a natural leader and doesn't understand why people keep listening to her, etc, etc. I understand some of these points need to be repeated in each book and it may be because I'm reading them back to back that It's bothering me so much, but I still think it's overdone. The author just seems to be spending too much time repeating the same things than moving on with the story.
And while I wish for the story to move on a bit faster, I do like that Mari is taking her time to learn things and build up her strength. A lot of books seem to have their characters rush into conflicts and battles/wars without learning why things are the way they are or take the time to build up competent forces. It then feels very unrealistic when the protagonists defeat the antagonists. It's also nice to be able to travel with the characters to explore different parts of this world.
It's not a perfect series, but I am really enjoying it so far and hopefully the next books will improve on the few things I have a problem with. I've also been listening to this on audible and the narration is great.
July 11, 2017
In my opinion, this is the book where the rubber starts to hit the road in Campbell's series. He seems rather determined to spend a decent amount of time focusing on Mari and Alain's relationship, especially their continued conversations about it. They never seem...wrong...but it does start to almost get annoying. I'm curious as to why he felt compelled to have the two talk about their relationship so much. It works, mostly. But I also felt many of the conversations could have been shortened or cut altogether and the story wouldn't have lost much at all.
But, on the other hand, Campbell knows how to write action, and this book delivers on it exceedingly well, especially in the final act. The developing exploration of the differences between the Mages and Mechanics is fascinating and a very intriguing element in this series. Campbell allows a sense of humor to show through in his writing in places, which is very refreshing and beautifully seasons the book.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed it, but would only encourage you to read/listen to it if you are interested in the entire series. If you are, it's a solid and exciting continuation. I would not recommend reading it as a standalone book (though Campbell covers enough backstory to help any new readers not be completely lost). I think I would have given the book 5 stars if Campbell had found a way to tell the story and develop the characters without so much relationship talk, but all in all it was an enjoyable listen and I very well may go back and re-listen to it in the future.
But, on the other hand, Campbell knows how to write action, and this book delivers on it exceedingly well, especially in the final act. The developing exploration of the differences between the Mages and Mechanics is fascinating and a very intriguing element in this series. Campbell allows a sense of humor to show through in his writing in places, which is very refreshing and beautifully seasons the book.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed it, but would only encourage you to read/listen to it if you are interested in the entire series. If you are, it's a solid and exciting continuation. I would not recommend reading it as a standalone book (though Campbell covers enough backstory to help any new readers not be completely lost). I think I would have given the book 5 stars if Campbell had found a way to tell the story and develop the characters without so much relationship talk, but all in all it was an enjoyable listen and I very well may go back and re-listen to it in the future.
April 25, 2021
First of the original series that I've enjoyed thoroughly and completely.
This part of the tale of Mari and Alain has given us the beginnings of relationships, of stories and meanings to characters and hints at things that are going on outside of the story we're following.
I love the parts where Mari is unintentionally building her army while just being herself and then being baffled why people are liking her, the casual grace and kindness she shows everyone is a decent medium to show "this girl is worth fighting and dying for"
There's things I most definitely want answered - the bonfire needs an explanation and I think I already know it...maybe - and the whole "how are they tracking us!?" was solved, called it easily, I mean we have the government listening to us on our communication devices, why not Demeatr?
There's not much I want to say was negative in this, I like the scenes in Mari's hometown, very heartwarming.
And I definitely love the goofy unintentional slip ups that Alain keeps making with Mari.
Though I do tend to dislike the "people don't see me as pretty why say that?!" aesthetic, I know that it's a typical thing to do in YA lit, but it was killed with Bella Swan and it needs to stay dead.
All in all it's a brilliant story and - outside of Destiny of - my favourite of the series of this wonderful world.
This part of the tale of Mari and Alain has given us the beginnings of relationships, of stories and meanings to characters and hints at things that are going on outside of the story we're following.
I love the parts where Mari is unintentionally building her army while just being herself and then being baffled why people are liking her, the casual grace and kindness she shows everyone is a decent medium to show "this girl is worth fighting and dying for"
There's things I most definitely want answered - the bonfire needs an explanation and I think I already know it...maybe - and the whole "how are they tracking us!?" was solved, called it easily, I mean we have the government listening to us on our communication devices, why not Demeatr?
There's not much I want to say was negative in this, I like the scenes in Mari's hometown, very heartwarming.
And I definitely love the goofy unintentional slip ups that Alain keeps making with Mari.
Though I do tend to dislike the "people don't see me as pretty why say that?!" aesthetic, I know that it's a typical thing to do in YA lit, but it was killed with Bella Swan and it needs to stay dead.
All in all it's a brilliant story and - outside of Destiny of - my favourite of the series of this wonderful world.
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