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Twenty Palaces #3
Circle of Enemies
Former car thief Ray Lilly is now the expendable grunt of a sorcerer responsible for destroying extradimensional predators summoned to our world by power-hungry magicians. Luckily, Ray has some magic of his own, and so far it’s kept him alive. But when a friend from his former gang calls him back to his old stomping grounds in Los Angeles, Ray may have to face a threat even he can’t handle. A mysterious spell is killing Ray’s former associates, and they blame him. Worse yet, the spell was cast by Wally King, the sorcerer who first dragged Ray into the brutal world of the Twenty Palace Society. Now Ray will have to choose between the ties of the past and the responsibilities of the present, as he and the Society face not only Wally King but a bizarre new predator.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
June 29, 2014
Let me say right up front that my score on this book is strongly influenced by my meta-understanding that there will be no more books in the series. If there were going to me more this book would be much more satisfying.
I continue to like this world and found that the character development enjoyable and believable. There were very hard choices that had to be made in this book and they were handled well with a mix of dread and resolute determination. The understanding Ray had of his boss and the group he "works" for was also fleshed out.
I would read the next book in this series. Oh, wait... I can't.
I wish I could this is clearly a series that has a complex depth that has only been hinted at so far and it's a shame that we won't be learning more about it.
I continue to like this world and found that the character development enjoyable and believable. There were very hard choices that had to be made in this book and they were handled well with a mix of dread and resolute determination. The understanding Ray had of his boss and the group he "works" for was also fleshed out.
I would read the next book in this series. Oh, wait... I can't.
I wish I could this is clearly a series that has a complex depth that has only been hinted at so far and it's a shame that we won't be learning more about it.
August 30, 2012
Fast-paced, hard-hitting, and quite disturbing. Connolly pulls no punches with this latest in his very hard-edged magic noir series. I hope that somehow he is able to continue this series.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
May 20, 2012
Dang, I love these books. I'm so bummed the publisher had to cancel the series (and they seemed sorry about it too.) If the author decides to self-publish, I'll definitely keep buying this series.
As I quipped on Twitter, this book grabbed me like a facehugger from the Alien movies. It had me reading until late into the night (and wobbling with sleep-deprivation the next day.) The plot is gripping, and while the action moves quickly, the writing is so clean and skillful that you never get confused. The writing is almost invisible, in that sense. It's straightforward, yet accomplished, and it serves the story resolutely.
The protagonist also manages to be both likeable and somehow transparent, in that you wind up so swept up in the exciting events of the story that you almost forget it's him, not you, who is supposed to be witnessing it all. He's truly an everyman.
Not everyone would like the darkness some parts of this series has, but it's definitely a well-written, engaging set of stories. Imagine a very serious version of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, with weirder and scarier monsters, and you've got the right idea for what to expect here.
As I quipped on Twitter, this book grabbed me like a facehugger from the Alien movies. It had me reading until late into the night (and wobbling with sleep-deprivation the next day.) The plot is gripping, and while the action moves quickly, the writing is so clean and skillful that you never get confused. The writing is almost invisible, in that sense. It's straightforward, yet accomplished, and it serves the story resolutely.
The protagonist also manages to be both likeable and somehow transparent, in that you wind up so swept up in the exciting events of the story that you almost forget it's him, not you, who is supposed to be witnessing it all. He's truly an everyman.
Not everyone would like the darkness some parts of this series has, but it's definitely a well-written, engaging set of stories. Imagine a very serious version of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series, with weirder and scarier monsters, and you've got the right idea for what to expect here.
April 13, 2018
Много силен завършек на трилогията.
Точно когато започнах да се чудя дали Конъли няма да затъне в преразказване на един и същ сюжет – в малко градче се появявяа хищник и започва да тероризира местното население, появява се Рей и с много угризения си свършва работата. – авторът отново успя да ме изненада много приятно.
Третата книга започва с ударна заявка да разкрие всички премълчавани до сега тайни от миналото на Рей, когато в апартамента му се появява член от бившата му банда ,заявявайки, че заради него всичките му стари приятели ще измрат. Това повежда читателя към Ел Ей, където причината Рей да влезе в затвора – Уоли Кинг, се е развихрил сред бившото му обкръжение и дори е успял да постигне някакво тъмно споразумение с хищниците, целящо затриването на цялото човечество. Моралната дилема на Рей – да отнема човешки животи, за да спаси човечеството от нашествие от бездната – тук придобива брутални лични краски, когато му се налага да се разправи с хора с които е израстнал. По пътя той разкрива малко повече за същността на хищниците и покварата завладяла Двадесетте двореца.
Хари Конъли успешно лавира между това какво да разкрие на читателя и какво да остави на въображението му, завършвайки серията си точно на правилното място с леко отворен, но все пак категоричен финал. Във време на многотомни серии, рядко срещано явление е един автор да знае и да може да сложи точка на даден герой и сюжет. Има и една ретроспективна книжка от серията, която ще прочета, веднага щом я докопам, но тритомника ме остави изцяло с положитено мнение за автора. Следващата му поредица е епично фентъзи и още и се чудя, ама по-нататък със сигурност ще видя какви ги е забъркал и там.
Точно когато започнах да се чудя дали Конъли няма да затъне в преразказване на един и същ сюжет – в малко градче се появявяа хищник и започва да тероризира местното население, появява се Рей и с много угризения си свършва работата. – авторът отново успя да ме изненада много приятно.
Третата книга започва с ударна заявка да разкрие всички премълчавани до сега тайни от миналото на Рей, когато в апартамента му се появява член от бившата му банда ,заявявайки, че заради него всичките му стари приятели ще измрат. Това повежда читателя към Ел Ей, където причината Рей да влезе в затвора – Уоли Кинг, се е развихрил сред бившото му обкръжение и дори е успял да постигне някакво тъмно споразумение с хищниците, целящо затриването на цялото човечество. Моралната дилема на Рей – да отнема човешки животи, за да спаси човечеството от нашествие от бездната – тук придобива брутални лични краски, когато му се налага да се разправи с хора с които е израстнал. По пътя той разкрива малко повече за същността на хищниците и покварата завладяла Двадесетте двореца.
Хари Конъли успешно лавира между това какво да разкрие на читателя и какво да остави на въображението му, завършвайки серията си точно на правилното място с леко отворен, но все пак категоричен финал. Във време на многотомни серии, рядко срещано явление е един автор да знае и да може да сложи точка на даден герой и сюжет. Има и една ретроспективна книжка от серията, която ще прочета, веднага щом я докопам, но тритомника ме остави изцяло с положитено мнение за автора. Следващата му поредица е епично фентъзи и още и се чудя, ама по-нататък със сигурност ще видя какви ги е забъркал и там.
March 6, 2017
3.5 stars. I didn't realize this paranormal/urban fantasy series wasn't continued past this book. D'oh. The ending does leave things in an ok place, I guess. But still. Hmph.
August 14, 2018
I’m a recent fan of the Twenty Palaces series. The series is a little ‘rough around the edges’, but it’s a solid urban fantasy. It also has the advantage of being grittier and having a stronger horror component than other series in the sub-genre. This is a middle-book in the series . It follows the authors formula of vigilante justice against magic users who are not members of the Twenty Palaces cabal. In addition, it extends long-term plot lines. Note this is the last novel-sized book in the series with the original publisher. (The series was cancelled.) The author has since self-published some novella-sized books in the series. However, this book ends in a cliffhanger that may not be resolved.
The author is very sparse with the amount of backstory included. I recommend reading Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) (my review) before this book and before starting the series. Note this is the first of the self-published novella’s mentioned above.
Prose was OK. It’s workman-like. Dialog was better than descriptive prose. This is the third book in the series, and the author can be seen to be getting progressively better as a writer. While the author has been improving his craft, he’s also been sanitizing it. The first published book in the series Child of Fire (Twenty Palaces, #1) (my review), contained profanity and references to some of the darker aspects of prison life. It’s now gone. That is unfortunate. I thought the use of profanity was authentic and tasteful.
Action scenes were well handled. Also, I did not detect any continuity errors.
There is no sex (except at the end), or drug and alcohol usage, but there is ample violence in this story. With regard to sex, alcohol and drug addiction the story is YA.
That the protagonist, a healthy young man recently out of prison eschews sexual relations is peculiar. In this book we learn he was 'protected' in prison at considerable expense and was not traumatized. That he’s just uninterested in sex without any explanation is unrealistic. However at the end, "He gets the girl, but lets her go". Also, that nobody in the story drinks or smokes, despite important scenes taking place in bars and hangouts is likewise peculiar. Note that the protagonist does drink at least one beer. However, it’s with food.
Violence is moderately detailed. It’s: edged weapons, firearms and physical. Most of the physical violence is horror-related. The Lovecraft-style horror preferred by the author is typically brutal. For example, some demons in this story are fond of exsanguination. Body count is moderate. I'm frankly relieved that it’s not genocidally high as in previous books.
Major characters include members of the Twenty Palaces; a magocracy keeping magic out of the hands of muggles, and their opponents. There is also a rogue sorcerer, his summoned demons and criminal muggles. In this series, demons are re-badged as Predators. In-general characterization is good-enough. Although, the character development of the protagonist has stopped. (It’s the third book.)
The series continues with the single POV of the protagonist: Ray Lilly. He’s a a smarter than average ex-con who has been ensorcelled and dragged into the magic demimonde. In this story he continues to be ambivalent about being a Twenty Palaces agent. Annalise Powliss is a magical Terminator and Lilly’s boss. She continues some development as Lilly’s mentor. I like the Powliss character. All the bad guys are within the series stereotypes. They include: an evil sorcerer and clueless magic-dazed muggles. There are also thugs, but oddly no other members of the non-magical demimonde like: pimps, hookers, grifters, and other hangers-on. The evil sorcerer, Wally King is a high school acquaintance of Lilly. Having read Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) would be helpful in understanding King’s role. The magic-dazed muggles are all members of the car-theft crew from Lilly's previous life. They could have used more work. In particular, the women who were Lilly's friends and lovers were a bit thin. There are a number of minor characters, but they amount to Los Angeles NPCs. Demons in the series have species. Typically each book has had a single demon species. This book contains several. The number of different type of demons and the demons themselves in this story were more interesting than the single demons found in each previous story.
Plot picks-up weeks or months after the events of Game of Cages (Twenty Palaces, #2) (my review). Lilly gets lured back to L.A. to help out the members of the car theft ring that landed him in prison. They have somehow gotten themselves involved with magic through the sorcerer King.
The change of venue from the Pac NorthWest to LA is different. Although, I don’t get the impression the author had ever spent a lot of time in LA. For example, the notorious LA traffic doesn't seem to exist in the story.
Things progress according to the series’ MO: Lilly travels to LA, there are demons there, carnage ensues, Lilly and Powliss exterminate the magical infestation. Long term plot lines are advanced. In the process Lilly learns a lot about the Twenty Palaces and the magical demimonde. However in this case, there is a Final Solution to the Twenty Palaces promised in a cliffhanger ending.
Connolly’s original publisher declined to publish any more books in the series after this one. There is an interesting post on the author’s blog describing the circumstances in gory detail. I didn’t realize this was an unpopular series? Oddly, some of the explanations given for why the books didn’t sell were why I liked the series. However, as promised on the blog, the author has been self-publishing stories in the series. For example, Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5). The series isn’t completely dead, but it’s not as active as it once was. In retrospect, the publication of the Twenty Palaces series is cautionary tale of how not to get started as a series writer. I frankly thought that the author’s problems started with the first book. I write about this in my Game of Cages (Twenty Palaces, #2) review.
This book has all the characteristics common to the Twenty Palaces series. Story-wise there is nothing exceptional about this story from the previous book. I'm a little disappointed with the YA-ish turn in the series. This book gets two stars--- that’s’ not bad by me for an intermediate book in a series. What is bad is that the series goes on life support with this book. Note there have been two self-published novellas since this story was published: the very good Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) and The Twisted Path: A Twenty Palaces Novella. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely the series will be rapidly advancing or even finished anytime soon. A pity. The series showed promise.
I’ll likely be reading the most recent self-published novella in the series: The Twisted Path.
Readers who are interested in this type of story and haven’t read it already should checkout: The Devil You Know.
The author is very sparse with the amount of backstory included. I recommend reading Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) (my review) before this book and before starting the series. Note this is the first of the self-published novella’s mentioned above.
Prose was OK. It’s workman-like. Dialog was better than descriptive prose. This is the third book in the series, and the author can be seen to be getting progressively better as a writer. While the author has been improving his craft, he’s also been sanitizing it. The first published book in the series Child of Fire (Twenty Palaces, #1) (my review), contained profanity and references to some of the darker aspects of prison life. It’s now gone. That is unfortunate. I thought the use of profanity was authentic and tasteful.
Action scenes were well handled. Also, I did not detect any continuity errors.
There is no sex (except at the end), or drug and alcohol usage, but there is ample violence in this story. With regard to sex, alcohol and drug addiction the story is YA.
That the protagonist, a healthy young man recently out of prison eschews sexual relations is peculiar. In this book we learn he was 'protected' in prison at considerable expense and was not traumatized. That he’s just uninterested in sex without any explanation is unrealistic. However at the end, "He gets the girl, but lets her go". Also, that nobody in the story drinks or smokes, despite important scenes taking place in bars and hangouts is likewise peculiar. Note that the protagonist does drink at least one beer. However, it’s with food.
Violence is moderately detailed. It’s: edged weapons, firearms and physical. Most of the physical violence is horror-related. The Lovecraft-style horror preferred by the author is typically brutal. For example, some demons in this story are fond of exsanguination. Body count is moderate. I'm frankly relieved that it’s not genocidally high as in previous books.
Major characters include members of the Twenty Palaces; a magocracy keeping magic out of the hands of muggles, and their opponents. There is also a rogue sorcerer, his summoned demons and criminal muggles. In this series, demons are re-badged as Predators. In-general characterization is good-enough. Although, the character development of the protagonist has stopped. (It’s the third book.)
The series continues with the single POV of the protagonist: Ray Lilly. He’s a a smarter than average ex-con who has been ensorcelled and dragged into the magic demimonde. In this story he continues to be ambivalent about being a Twenty Palaces agent. Annalise Powliss is a magical Terminator and Lilly’s boss. She continues some development as Lilly’s mentor. I like the Powliss character. All the bad guys are within the series stereotypes. They include: an evil sorcerer and clueless magic-dazed muggles. There are also thugs, but oddly no other members of the non-magical demimonde like: pimps, hookers, grifters, and other hangers-on. The evil sorcerer, Wally King is a high school acquaintance of Lilly. Having read Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) would be helpful in understanding King’s role. The magic-dazed muggles are all members of the car-theft crew from Lilly's previous life. They could have used more work. In particular, the women who were Lilly's friends and lovers were a bit thin. There are a number of minor characters, but they amount to Los Angeles NPCs. Demons in the series have species. Typically each book has had a single demon species. This book contains several. The number of different type of demons and the demons themselves in this story were more interesting than the single demons found in each previous story.
Plot picks-up weeks or months after the events of Game of Cages (Twenty Palaces, #2) (my review). Lilly gets lured back to L.A. to help out the members of the car theft ring that landed him in prison. They have somehow gotten themselves involved with magic through the sorcerer King.
The change of venue from the Pac NorthWest to LA is different. Although, I don’t get the impression the author had ever spent a lot of time in LA. For example, the notorious LA traffic doesn't seem to exist in the story.
Things progress according to the series’ MO: Lilly travels to LA, there are demons there, carnage ensues, Lilly and Powliss exterminate the magical infestation. Long term plot lines are advanced. In the process Lilly learns a lot about the Twenty Palaces and the magical demimonde. However in this case, there is a Final Solution to the Twenty Palaces promised in a cliffhanger ending.
Connolly’s original publisher declined to publish any more books in the series after this one. There is an interesting post on the author’s blog describing the circumstances in gory detail. I didn’t realize this was an unpopular series? Oddly, some of the explanations given for why the books didn’t sell were why I liked the series. However, as promised on the blog, the author has been self-publishing stories in the series. For example, Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5). The series isn’t completely dead, but it’s not as active as it once was. In retrospect, the publication of the Twenty Palaces series is cautionary tale of how not to get started as a series writer. I frankly thought that the author’s problems started with the first book. I write about this in my Game of Cages (Twenty Palaces, #2) review.
This book has all the characteristics common to the Twenty Palaces series. Story-wise there is nothing exceptional about this story from the previous book. I'm a little disappointed with the YA-ish turn in the series. This book gets two stars--- that’s’ not bad by me for an intermediate book in a series. What is bad is that the series goes on life support with this book. Note there have been two self-published novellas since this story was published: the very good Twenty Palaces (Twenty Palaces 0.5) and The Twisted Path: A Twenty Palaces Novella. Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely the series will be rapidly advancing or even finished anytime soon. A pity. The series showed promise.
I’ll likely be reading the most recent self-published novella in the series: The Twisted Path.
Readers who are interested in this type of story and haven’t read it already should checkout: The Devil You Know.
February 2, 2023
It's a real shame that this is the last book in the series. Fortunately, it ends on a good note, with no major cliffhangers. Unfortunately, there are some tantalizing hints about where the series might have gone, given a chance.
There was a lot of great character development for Ray, and surprisingly, Annalise. I also like how the author makes the secondary character's actions understandable, even though, like Ray, I wanted to slap most of them silly and yell what were you thinking?! I could feel the sheer desperation most of them were going through, and the clinging to that somehow, they could get out of the mess they'd created for themselves.
That's one of the things that makes the writing so intense - the stakes are so high for everyone, especially the innocent bystanders. No one can afford to lose, yet someone has to.
I'm sad there won't be any more books in this series, but I will definitely be checking out Harry Connolly's other books.
ETA:The series has continued and now has 5 books! I'm so excited!
There was a lot of great character development for Ray, and surprisingly, Annalise. I also like how the author makes the secondary character's actions understandable, even though, like Ray, I wanted to slap most of them silly and yell what were you thinking?! I could feel the sheer desperation most of them were going through, and the clinging to that somehow, they could get out of the mess they'd created for themselves.
That's one of the things that makes the writing so intense - the stakes are so high for everyone, especially the innocent bystanders. No one can afford to lose, yet someone has to.
I'm sad there won't be any more books in this series, but I will definitely be checking out Harry Connolly's other books.
ETA:The series has continued and now has 5 books! I'm so excited!
January 18, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. If you like action packed books that move swiftly, yet still give you enough details to picture the scene, this is a series you should take a look at.
I jumped into book 3 by accident off my book list. I don't remember where the recommendation came from, if you recommended it to me, please remind me and my apologies for forgetting!
I will backtrack to Book 1 and read these from the beginning.
Those of you in mourning for Harry Dresden since Butcher is ending his series, give this one a try. It hits a lot of the same notes that appeal to me about Dresden but definitely has its own flavor and texture.
I jumped into book 3 by accident off my book list. I don't remember where the recommendation came from, if you recommended it to me, please remind me and my apologies for forgetting!
I will backtrack to Book 1 and read these from the beginning.
Those of you in mourning for Harry Dresden since Butcher is ending his series, give this one a try. It hits a lot of the same notes that appeal to me about Dresden but definitely has its own flavor and texture.
January 23, 2020
I still don't know how this series got on my to read list, but I really like it. It's a little darker than I normally like, but written such that it's not so horrific I have to quit. The plots are interesting, the trials seem actually difficult, and the characters actually seem to be in danger. Overall, I would recommend, I hope the series gets finished, and I would love to have audio books released for books 2 and 3 for my friends who don't read.
December 30, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/circle-o...
The third installment in Harry Connolly’s Twenty Palaces series, Circle of Enemies returns us once again to the story of Ray Lilly. Continuing in the footsteps of its predecessors, Circle of Enemies is full of wonderfully gritty realism and a completely morally ambiguous protagonist who is a lot of fun to follow.
This time, it’s personal
Yes, the tagline is cheesy, but it’s the best way to sum up the initial premise of the novel. An ex-convict, Ray has survived more during his time with the Twenty Palace Society than any “wooden man” probably should have. Up to this point, Ray has been able to tough it out and has bounced back from everything thrown at him reasonably well. However, when members of his old gang back in Los Angeles begin falling victim to magical attack, the personal stakes are raised—and not only because Ray is being blamed for the attacks. A little bit of digging reveals that Wally King, the sorcerer who thrust Ray into this mess in the first place, is behind the attacks. Ray has to make a decision between his past and his responsibilities—and he has to do it fast, as the threat of Wally King and a bizarre new predator barrels ever closer.
There will be blood
As I mentioned, Circle of Enemies follows in the footsteps of it’s predecessors. This remains no less true in regards to the sheer amount of violence in the novel. There is a lot of it in Circle of Enemies, with people being murdered pretty much right and left. However, it’s not killing just for killing’s sake; most every death impacts the plot—if not necessarily Ray—in some significant way. And it’s not sugar coated. It is stark, blatant, and bloody. Connolly does a good job of keeping the violence interesting and plot-related, but if you’re not a fan of uber-violent novels, this may not be the thing for you. It didn’t bother me much, though.
Insights abound
Circle of Enemies is less physically action-oriented than the first two novels in the series. By its very nature, it is a lot more character-driven as we gain glimpses of Ray’s powerful and personal reactions to the events unfolding around him. Not only that, but he has gained a measure of morality over the course of the series, feeling guilt over some of the events that took place during Child of Fire and Game of Cages. All of these things make Ray more believable as a character, not to mention more human. On top of all that, this book bears witness to the evolving relationship between Ray and Annalise. It is no longer the boss-minion relationship of the first novel, but something… different, and it was a delight to see things unfold.
Why should you read this book?
Harry Connolly has done it again, folks. Circle of Enemies is hands-down my favorite of the Twenty Palaces series thus far. It is a novel full of dark realism, gritty violence, and a fantastic magic system. But more than that, it is a novel of deep insight and character development. As always, if you are new to the series, I suggest reading books one and two first, but you won’t be lost if you begin with this novel. All in all, a very fun and entertaining ride well worth your time.
Now, this is where I must be the bearer of bad news. If you haven’t yet heard, Circle of Enemies was the last Twenty Palaces novel under contract, and that contract was not renewed. Connolly has said that it will be the last Twenty Palaces novel for now, and he is currently moving on to other things. I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Connolly, for your time and effort in sharing your stories with us. It has been a wonderful journey. Here’s to the next one.
The third installment in Harry Connolly’s Twenty Palaces series, Circle of Enemies returns us once again to the story of Ray Lilly. Continuing in the footsteps of its predecessors, Circle of Enemies is full of wonderfully gritty realism and a completely morally ambiguous protagonist who is a lot of fun to follow.
This time, it’s personal
Yes, the tagline is cheesy, but it’s the best way to sum up the initial premise of the novel. An ex-convict, Ray has survived more during his time with the Twenty Palace Society than any “wooden man” probably should have. Up to this point, Ray has been able to tough it out and has bounced back from everything thrown at him reasonably well. However, when members of his old gang back in Los Angeles begin falling victim to magical attack, the personal stakes are raised—and not only because Ray is being blamed for the attacks. A little bit of digging reveals that Wally King, the sorcerer who thrust Ray into this mess in the first place, is behind the attacks. Ray has to make a decision between his past and his responsibilities—and he has to do it fast, as the threat of Wally King and a bizarre new predator barrels ever closer.
There will be blood
As I mentioned, Circle of Enemies follows in the footsteps of it’s predecessors. This remains no less true in regards to the sheer amount of violence in the novel. There is a lot of it in Circle of Enemies, with people being murdered pretty much right and left. However, it’s not killing just for killing’s sake; most every death impacts the plot—if not necessarily Ray—in some significant way. And it’s not sugar coated. It is stark, blatant, and bloody. Connolly does a good job of keeping the violence interesting and plot-related, but if you’re not a fan of uber-violent novels, this may not be the thing for you. It didn’t bother me much, though.
Insights abound
Circle of Enemies is less physically action-oriented than the first two novels in the series. By its very nature, it is a lot more character-driven as we gain glimpses of Ray’s powerful and personal reactions to the events unfolding around him. Not only that, but he has gained a measure of morality over the course of the series, feeling guilt over some of the events that took place during Child of Fire and Game of Cages. All of these things make Ray more believable as a character, not to mention more human. On top of all that, this book bears witness to the evolving relationship between Ray and Annalise. It is no longer the boss-minion relationship of the first novel, but something… different, and it was a delight to see things unfold.
Why should you read this book?
Harry Connolly has done it again, folks. Circle of Enemies is hands-down my favorite of the Twenty Palaces series thus far. It is a novel full of dark realism, gritty violence, and a fantastic magic system. But more than that, it is a novel of deep insight and character development. As always, if you are new to the series, I suggest reading books one and two first, but you won’t be lost if you begin with this novel. All in all, a very fun and entertaining ride well worth your time.
Now, this is where I must be the bearer of bad news. If you haven’t yet heard, Circle of Enemies was the last Twenty Palaces novel under contract, and that contract was not renewed. Connolly has said that it will be the last Twenty Palaces novel for now, and he is currently moving on to other things. I cannot thank you enough, Mr. Connolly, for your time and effort in sharing your stories with us. It has been a wonderful journey. Here’s to the next one.
October 29, 2011
Got this book as a first reads giveaway from Goodreads. Happening to win this particular book was fortunate since I'd been aiming to read it anyway.
There's a lot of urban fantasy out there these days. There are also a lot of paranormal romances out there. Often it can be hard to tell the difference or mark exactly where a book crosses the line in subgenre. With Connolly's Twenty Palaces series that's not a problem in the slightest. This uber-violent take no prisoners series is the furthest thing from romance. If you have an antipathy for sexy furballs and sparkly vamps, don't mind a high body count and enjoy fast-paced action, then this may be just the thing for you.
The first and second books in this series were good, but I have to say this third book brought some needed dimension to the protagonist. Rather than have Ray out in the middle of nowhere facing a town of strangers, he's back in his haunts from his former life, facing old friends and associates and dealing with more magical fallout.
I'll be honest here and admit you've got to be willing to put up with a lot of violence, plenty of people murdered or killed and no attempt to sugar coat it. Connolly has us look at his world through a relatively unforgiving lens where most of the individuals are tarnished. Ray Lily's an interesting character to be following. Certainly he's no saint, but he holds to certain shreds of morality where he can. He's still very human and readers will like him for that. This third book gives him the background that was missing in the other two books, fleshing him out more and providing him with some difficult choices.
I like the way the magical system and monsters work within this series; it's a fresh take that takes readers away from well trod tropes. I'm not a huge fan of uber violent books, but this one manages to keep me reading nevertheless. Each time it surprises me. The story telling has to be doing a damn good job to convince me to move past the body count. Overall I don't have much quibble with this third book except for a few areas of overkill on narration.
Ray goes on a few too many times about how cold-blooded Annalise is, and how she'd kill everyone. While I understand bringing it up for those readers new to the series, one or two references would be enough. Beyond that, is, well, overkill. We know what she's like, and if readers didn't get it by then, her actions "on screen" would be enough to confirm it. Likewise, Ray repeats himself a bit too often on how bad the predators are. I think after the first time, most of the readers will comprehend the threat. But these are minor quibbles. I'll be looking for the 4th book if Connolly takes this series further. I'd like to see what Ray Lily will do next!
There's a lot of urban fantasy out there these days. There are also a lot of paranormal romances out there. Often it can be hard to tell the difference or mark exactly where a book crosses the line in subgenre. With Connolly's Twenty Palaces series that's not a problem in the slightest. This uber-violent take no prisoners series is the furthest thing from romance. If you have an antipathy for sexy furballs and sparkly vamps, don't mind a high body count and enjoy fast-paced action, then this may be just the thing for you.
The first and second books in this series were good, but I have to say this third book brought some needed dimension to the protagonist. Rather than have Ray out in the middle of nowhere facing a town of strangers, he's back in his haunts from his former life, facing old friends and associates and dealing with more magical fallout.
I'll be honest here and admit you've got to be willing to put up with a lot of violence, plenty of people murdered or killed and no attempt to sugar coat it. Connolly has us look at his world through a relatively unforgiving lens where most of the individuals are tarnished. Ray Lily's an interesting character to be following. Certainly he's no saint, but he holds to certain shreds of morality where he can. He's still very human and readers will like him for that. This third book gives him the background that was missing in the other two books, fleshing him out more and providing him with some difficult choices.
I like the way the magical system and monsters work within this series; it's a fresh take that takes readers away from well trod tropes. I'm not a huge fan of uber violent books, but this one manages to keep me reading nevertheless. Each time it surprises me. The story telling has to be doing a damn good job to convince me to move past the body count. Overall I don't have much quibble with this third book except for a few areas of overkill on narration.
Ray goes on a few too many times about how cold-blooded Annalise is, and how she'd kill everyone. While I understand bringing it up for those readers new to the series, one or two references would be enough. Beyond that, is, well, overkill. We know what she's like, and if readers didn't get it by then, her actions "on screen" would be enough to confirm it. Likewise, Ray repeats himself a bit too often on how bad the predators are. I think after the first time, most of the readers will comprehend the threat. But these are minor quibbles. I'll be looking for the 4th book if Connolly takes this series further. I'd like to see what Ray Lily will do next!
June 10, 2012
I'm not a fan of gritty/noir investigations, but boy does author Harry Connolly know how to draw you in and leave you no room for attention wandering.
I really enjoyed the first two books, but only at the 4 star level. I think this the first time in my reading career I've ever given a 5 start review to the third book in a series when the other two were 4 stars.
If you like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Atticus, and you haven't hung out yet with Connolly's Ray Lily, then you're totally missing out.
Ray is a wooden man; basically the red shirt of the Twenty Palaces Society. He goes in and distracts the bad guys so the mages can destroy them. Needless to say, this isn't a long-lived profession. Ray has just come off of book two where a lot of people were killed in the collateral damage of destroying a bunch of predators.
Ray is sick of death, and unhappy with how Twenty Palaces and his boss, Annalise, seem to have no compunction about killing off innocents to save the world from the predators.
An old friend pops in and tells him "I'm dying and its your fault", disappears, and sets Ray on a path back to his Southern California roots as a small time car thief. But all the members from his gang seem to have gained a special power, and are mixed up with an old enemy of Ray.
Predators are on the loose, and Ray has to face the heartbreaking question of whether the ends justifies the means in a personal way.
That is what makes this book stand out from the others. Not only do we get the non-stop action, the clever use of Ray's "ghost knife" in fights, and delve deeper into the secrets and background of both Ray himself and the Twenty Palaces society, but we get more fleshed out moral quandries both from Ray, and a bit of humanity from Annalise.
I've heard this is the last, contracted book in the series, and I for one am sad to see Ray go just when he was blossoming. Still, the ending has a satisfying potential for Ray to play a bigger part in Twenty Palaces (as he seems to be the only one getting results these days according to Annalise) and some loose ends are tied up.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like gnoshing on a bag of Wasabi peas for the addictive action and gradual, spicy heat of the layered moral quandries
I really enjoyed the first two books, but only at the 4 star level. I think this the first time in my reading career I've ever given a 5 start review to the third book in a series when the other two were 4 stars.
If you like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden or Kevin Hearne's Atticus, and you haven't hung out yet with Connolly's Ray Lily, then you're totally missing out.
Ray is a wooden man; basically the red shirt of the Twenty Palaces Society. He goes in and distracts the bad guys so the mages can destroy them. Needless to say, this isn't a long-lived profession. Ray has just come off of book two where a lot of people were killed in the collateral damage of destroying a bunch of predators.
Ray is sick of death, and unhappy with how Twenty Palaces and his boss, Annalise, seem to have no compunction about killing off innocents to save the world from the predators.
An old friend pops in and tells him "I'm dying and its your fault", disappears, and sets Ray on a path back to his Southern California roots as a small time car thief. But all the members from his gang seem to have gained a special power, and are mixed up with an old enemy of Ray.
Predators are on the loose, and Ray has to face the heartbreaking question of whether the ends justifies the means in a personal way.
That is what makes this book stand out from the others. Not only do we get the non-stop action, the clever use of Ray's "ghost knife" in fights, and delve deeper into the secrets and background of both Ray himself and the Twenty Palaces society, but we get more fleshed out moral quandries both from Ray, and a bit of humanity from Annalise.
I've heard this is the last, contracted book in the series, and I for one am sad to see Ray go just when he was blossoming. Still, the ending has a satisfying potential for Ray to play a bigger part in Twenty Palaces (as he seems to be the only one getting results these days according to Annalise) and some loose ends are tied up.
This Book's Snack Rating: Like gnoshing on a bag of Wasabi peas for the addictive action and gradual, spicy heat of the layered moral quandries
September 23, 2016
This is very good. I just wished that the series continued. Shame, such a good story...
September 19, 2011
I was about to give up on this series after the last book(Game of Cages). It was a grim series to start with and it looked to just keep getting grimmer. Well, I'm glad I didn't give up, because Circle of Enemies is a really good book. And it is a bit lighter in tone(but don't take that to mean it's a bundle of laughs). Ray is not an upbeat character and probably never will be.
Ray is back in sunny southern California because members of the car-heist gang he used to belong to have acquired some magic and they say Ray is killing them. Ray is confused, to say the least. Arne and his crew can become invisible, thanks to the predators draped over them. And Wally King, a former high school acquaintance of Ray's is the one with the power to call the predators. This is really bad news.
Wally has serious magical ability and a desire to destroy the world by letting in all the predators. So it is up to Ray and his boss Annelise to stop Wally. The handicap is that Ray would like to save Arne and the rest if he can and Annelise's philosophy is kill now, to heck with any innocent bystanders. And so far, Wally is proving very hard to kill...
By the end of the book it is obvious that, with the next book, the author will be turning even further away from the formula of the first two--and that's good news for this reader.
Ray is back in sunny southern California because members of the car-heist gang he used to belong to have acquired some magic and they say Ray is killing them. Ray is confused, to say the least. Arne and his crew can become invisible, thanks to the predators draped over them. And Wally King, a former high school acquaintance of Ray's is the one with the power to call the predators. This is really bad news.
Wally has serious magical ability and a desire to destroy the world by letting in all the predators. So it is up to Ray and his boss Annelise to stop Wally. The handicap is that Ray would like to save Arne and the rest if he can and Annelise's philosophy is kill now, to heck with any innocent bystanders. And so far, Wally is proving very hard to kill...
By the end of the book it is obvious that, with the next book, the author will be turning even further away from the formula of the first two--and that's good news for this reader.
September 22, 2011
Once again, Harry Connolly comes up with bizarre monsters and impossible choices for his hero Ray Lilly to struggle against.
I like this series. It's different from most UF that I read -- these aren't your typical monsters, and Ray is often left so much in the dark that my heart really goes out to the guy. On the other hand, his "ghost knife" often seems like the Ginsu knife of the magic world -- it slices, it dices, it can do anything the plot requires of it. So at times Ray seems very underpowered, while at other times he seems overpowered. Still, I suppose that's part of the point of the books. He's just a clueless schmuck trying to blunder through some really weird things the best he can.
This book didn't seem to hold together quite as well as the first two in the series, but it was still enjoyable. I have heard a vague rumor that the publisher may be dropping this series, but I hope we get to see how Ray continues to develop as he learns more about the Society and gains more power to move within it.
I like this series. It's different from most UF that I read -- these aren't your typical monsters, and Ray is often left so much in the dark that my heart really goes out to the guy. On the other hand, his "ghost knife" often seems like the Ginsu knife of the magic world -- it slices, it dices, it can do anything the plot requires of it. So at times Ray seems very underpowered, while at other times he seems overpowered. Still, I suppose that's part of the point of the books. He's just a clueless schmuck trying to blunder through some really weird things the best he can.
This book didn't seem to hold together quite as well as the first two in the series, but it was still enjoyable. I have heard a vague rumor that the publisher may be dropping this series, but I hope we get to see how Ray continues to develop as he learns more about the Society and gains more power to move within it.
October 19, 2011
If Circle of Enemies were made into a film and marketed by the wrong people, the tagline would definitely read: "This time it's personal." Still, in a nutshell, that's what makes the third Twenty Palaces novel stand out from the other two. Rather than protagonist Ray Lilly running around meeting new people in a new place, he's back to his old haunts trying to figure out why one of his old group of friends is accusing him of killing them all. This one has all the things that made the first two books great, with an extra helping of background on both Ray and the Twenty Palaces Society that a lot of readers (including me) have been waiting for.
Connolly announced that this is going to be the last in the series (for now), but I certainly hope he returns to these characters at some point in the future so we can enjoy more of this fantastic universe.
Connolly announced that this is going to be the last in the series (for now), but I certainly hope he returns to these characters at some point in the future so we can enjoy more of this fantastic universe.
September 11, 2011
Harry Connolly is one of the most innovative new voices in Urban Fantasy, and I wish his sales numbers reflected how mind-blowingly awesometasticsauce his books are. Harry creates original monsters that are truly formidable, not just because they appear difficult to defeat, but because they are so strange and alien that those fighting them often have no idea what their weaknesses are, or if those who fall prey to the monsters have any chance of being saved. This series is gritty and brutal and uncompromising and impossible to put down!
September 19, 2011
An excellent book! Better even than the first two! I love to see a series just get better and better because you know the next book is going to be an even bigger treat!
In this book the protagonists prove who they really are. The villains die, the world is safe and the good guys finally decide to make the world a better place.
I highly recommend this novel!
In this book the protagonists prove who they really are. The villains die, the world is safe and the good guys finally decide to make the world a better place.
I highly recommend this novel!
March 1, 2013
That this series was dropped and all prospects of a fourth book appear to be gone is an absolute tragedy. It's so rare to find a series which holds back explanations instead of just infodumping all the intricacies of the world. And having your good guys be mass murders and homicidal vigilantes is not something that you see much of. This series was unique all round so of course it gets dropped.
November 14, 2011
Circle of Enemies is number three of the series and, IMHO, the very best so far.
September 6, 2011
Connolly is really hitting his stride with this series- some jaw-dropping, wtf-just-happened moments in this book, and a super satisfying ending. Can't wait for the next one!
March 19, 2012
The best so far. I'm looking forward to more from this author. These stories seem to get better as they go. Please tell me there will be more.
September 3, 2012
Very sorry to discover that the series was cancelled after this episode.
February 23, 2013
I am extreamly that there is no sequal to this series. I really enjoyed this series so far and I was looking forward to the next book. Hopefully in the future the series will continue.
September 9, 2020
4/5
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
Ce tome ci est le dernier tome de la trilogie. C’est une série qui aurait pu se poursuivre, vu que même si il y a une fin satisfaisante dans ce tome ci, c’était une fin qui pouvait amener à une suite car très ouverte. L’auteur explique dans son blog qu’il ne peux pas se permettre de continuer la série car il est lent pour écrire et que les ventes ne sont pas suffisantes, même avec un éditeur derrière lui.
Du coup il a terminé ce qui aurait du être juste le premier arc de sa série, et si jamais il change de façon de faire ou qu’il peut se le permettre, il écrira la suite. Mais rien n’est sur bien sur pour l’instant.
Autant prévenir, si je n’avais pas spécifiquement dit ça avant, ce tome ci est vraiment très sanglant et gore. Il y avait déjà beaucoup de morts dans les précédents, mais ici c’était particulièrement violent je trouve.
On est sur un tome particulier dans lequel le héros, Ray Lilly, ex-condamné, retourne dans sa ville de naissance pour retrouver son gang d’enfance car il soupçonne celui ci d’être en lien avec de la magie.
Il se doutait qu’il aurait à revenir a un moment ou un autre, vu que c’est à l’époque de son appartenance à ce gang qu’il a lui même été en contact avec les prédateurs et qu’il a été en prison, pour finir dans la Twenty Palace Society à sa sortie.
Pour rappel les Prédateurs sont des entités d’un autre monde, du vide inter-spacial. Personne ne sait vraiment d’ou ils viennent. A l’origine un humain est entré en contact avec eux. Il a écrit tout ce qu’il c’est passé et son livre à voyagé. De nombreux autres humains l’ont imité ensuite. Les prédateurs, si ils sont contenus, peuvent apporter de nombreux bénéfice. Toute la magie présente sur terre vient d’eux. Chaque prédateur a ses spécificités et il en existe de nombreux.
Historiquement les premiers sorts étaient puissants, ils pouvaient contenir les prédateurs sans gros souci. Mais plus ils sont recopiés, plus ils deviennent « lâches » si on veut. Et à l’heure actuelle les textes et donc les sorts existants sont tellement loin de ceux d’origine qu’ils ont 90% de chance de lâcher le prédateur sur terre après une courte période plutôt que de le contenir.
Mais pourquoi sont-ils si dangereux, ces prédateurs?
Et bien, parce qu’ils sont affamés. Ils ont tout mangé chez eux, il n’y a plus rien de comestible. Et quand ils débarquent chez nous, c’est le grand buffet. Sachant qu’ils sont dans certaines circonstancies capable d’eux même d’ouvrir des portails vers chez eux, leur nombre peut très rapidement dégénérer exponentiellement. Et bien sur, la source de protéine la plus abondante est l’humain, du coup ils deviennent leur cible numéro un.
Ajoutez à ça des capacités surnaturelles, comme pouvoir se rendre invisible, se téléporter, envoûter les masses, mettre le feu à volonté … vous obtenez une vraiment menace pour la planète.
C’est la qu’intervient la Twenty Palace society, une société secrète qui est chargée de récupérer tout les écrits magiques dangereux pour éviter que la Terre soit submergée de prédateurs. Mais le problème c’est qu’un (ou plusieurs) de leur membres les a trahis il y un siècle et est parti avec les plus puissants des textes : les manuscrits originaux. Depuis la sociéty est en déclin et a du mal à faire face.
Ce tome commence quand Ray a la visite soudaine de sa meilleure amie /mentor de ses années d’ado, à l’époque ou il volait des voitures et dealait un peu. Celle ci apparaît brusquement dans son appartement et se met à le taper en lui disant qu’elle est morte à cause de lui, et que toute sa bande est dans le même cas. Puis aussi brusquement qu’elle est arrivée, elle disparaît …
Il n’en faut pas plus à Ray pour comprendre que son ancienne bande est tombée dans la magie.
Mais arrivé sur place les choses sont bizarre car tous semblent vivant et ne pas comprendre ce qui se passe. D’ailleurs des faits étranges ont lieu dans le coin, des cambriolages sans rien de volé, des objets qui disparaissent mystérieusement, une femme violée par l’homme invisible.
Pour Ray il est clair que des prédateurs sont dans le coin. Mais ou? Qui lui ment? Qui est impliqué? Comment faire en sorte que la Twenty Palace Society ne tue pas tout ses anciens amis par simple suspicion? Il va devoir enquêter rapidement et trouver le pot au roses avant que la cavalerie débarque.
Ce tome avait donc une autre ambiance que les précédents. Dans les premiers tomes il pouvait se permettre d’être froid, et d’agir sans hésiter. Mais cette fois ci le cœur de Ray est dans la balance, tout ses anciens amis sont la et risquent la mort.
Du coup à force de vouloir sauver tout le monde, Ray est indécis et le pire arrive tout le temps. Il est mou, il se laisse prendre par son sentimentalisme alors même qu’il sait qu’il n’y a pas d’autre choix. Il a du mal à ne pas redevenir l’adolescent influençable qu’il était à l’époque ou il les connaissait, il retombe dans les même travers en les laissant tout gérer. C’est le seul point qui m’a un peu moins plu dans ce tome.
Après ce n’était pas handicapant et ça donne aussi d’autres failles à ce personnage atypique, ça le rend plus humain si on veut. Mais c’est vrai que j’avais envie de lui crier dessus des fois, histoire de le réveiller.
Comme je le disais au début, ce tome ci regorge de scènes d’action ou les massacres se multiplient. Jamais les prédateurs n’ont été aussi proche d’être libérés en masse et pour tout gérer il va falloir se débarrasser de pas mal de monde … En tout cas je ne regrette pas d’avoir lu cette série, elle a une sacré ambiance !
https://delivreenlivres.home.blog/202...
Ce tome ci est le dernier tome de la trilogie. C’est une série qui aurait pu se poursuivre, vu que même si il y a une fin satisfaisante dans ce tome ci, c’était une fin qui pouvait amener à une suite car très ouverte. L’auteur explique dans son blog qu’il ne peux pas se permettre de continuer la série car il est lent pour écrire et que les ventes ne sont pas suffisantes, même avec un éditeur derrière lui.
Du coup il a terminé ce qui aurait du être juste le premier arc de sa série, et si jamais il change de façon de faire ou qu’il peut se le permettre, il écrira la suite. Mais rien n’est sur bien sur pour l’instant.
Autant prévenir, si je n’avais pas spécifiquement dit ça avant, ce tome ci est vraiment très sanglant et gore. Il y avait déjà beaucoup de morts dans les précédents, mais ici c’était particulièrement violent je trouve.
On est sur un tome particulier dans lequel le héros, Ray Lilly, ex-condamné, retourne dans sa ville de naissance pour retrouver son gang d’enfance car il soupçonne celui ci d’être en lien avec de la magie.
Il se doutait qu’il aurait à revenir a un moment ou un autre, vu que c’est à l’époque de son appartenance à ce gang qu’il a lui même été en contact avec les prédateurs et qu’il a été en prison, pour finir dans la Twenty Palace Society à sa sortie.
Pour rappel les Prédateurs sont des entités d’un autre monde, du vide inter-spacial. Personne ne sait vraiment d’ou ils viennent. A l’origine un humain est entré en contact avec eux. Il a écrit tout ce qu’il c’est passé et son livre à voyagé. De nombreux autres humains l’ont imité ensuite. Les prédateurs, si ils sont contenus, peuvent apporter de nombreux bénéfice. Toute la magie présente sur terre vient d’eux. Chaque prédateur a ses spécificités et il en existe de nombreux.
Historiquement les premiers sorts étaient puissants, ils pouvaient contenir les prédateurs sans gros souci. Mais plus ils sont recopiés, plus ils deviennent « lâches » si on veut. Et à l’heure actuelle les textes et donc les sorts existants sont tellement loin de ceux d’origine qu’ils ont 90% de chance de lâcher le prédateur sur terre après une courte période plutôt que de le contenir.
Mais pourquoi sont-ils si dangereux, ces prédateurs?
Et bien, parce qu’ils sont affamés. Ils ont tout mangé chez eux, il n’y a plus rien de comestible. Et quand ils débarquent chez nous, c’est le grand buffet. Sachant qu’ils sont dans certaines circonstancies capable d’eux même d’ouvrir des portails vers chez eux, leur nombre peut très rapidement dégénérer exponentiellement. Et bien sur, la source de protéine la plus abondante est l’humain, du coup ils deviennent leur cible numéro un.
Ajoutez à ça des capacités surnaturelles, comme pouvoir se rendre invisible, se téléporter, envoûter les masses, mettre le feu à volonté … vous obtenez une vraiment menace pour la planète.
C’est la qu’intervient la Twenty Palace society, une société secrète qui est chargée de récupérer tout les écrits magiques dangereux pour éviter que la Terre soit submergée de prédateurs. Mais le problème c’est qu’un (ou plusieurs) de leur membres les a trahis il y un siècle et est parti avec les plus puissants des textes : les manuscrits originaux. Depuis la sociéty est en déclin et a du mal à faire face.
Ce tome commence quand Ray a la visite soudaine de sa meilleure amie /mentor de ses années d’ado, à l’époque ou il volait des voitures et dealait un peu. Celle ci apparaît brusquement dans son appartement et se met à le taper en lui disant qu’elle est morte à cause de lui, et que toute sa bande est dans le même cas. Puis aussi brusquement qu’elle est arrivée, elle disparaît …
Il n’en faut pas plus à Ray pour comprendre que son ancienne bande est tombée dans la magie.
Mais arrivé sur place les choses sont bizarre car tous semblent vivant et ne pas comprendre ce qui se passe. D’ailleurs des faits étranges ont lieu dans le coin, des cambriolages sans rien de volé, des objets qui disparaissent mystérieusement, une femme violée par l’homme invisible.
Pour Ray il est clair que des prédateurs sont dans le coin. Mais ou? Qui lui ment? Qui est impliqué? Comment faire en sorte que la Twenty Palace Society ne tue pas tout ses anciens amis par simple suspicion? Il va devoir enquêter rapidement et trouver le pot au roses avant que la cavalerie débarque.
Ce tome avait donc une autre ambiance que les précédents. Dans les premiers tomes il pouvait se permettre d’être froid, et d’agir sans hésiter. Mais cette fois ci le cœur de Ray est dans la balance, tout ses anciens amis sont la et risquent la mort.
Du coup à force de vouloir sauver tout le monde, Ray est indécis et le pire arrive tout le temps. Il est mou, il se laisse prendre par son sentimentalisme alors même qu’il sait qu’il n’y a pas d’autre choix. Il a du mal à ne pas redevenir l’adolescent influençable qu’il était à l’époque ou il les connaissait, il retombe dans les même travers en les laissant tout gérer. C’est le seul point qui m’a un peu moins plu dans ce tome.
Après ce n’était pas handicapant et ça donne aussi d’autres failles à ce personnage atypique, ça le rend plus humain si on veut. Mais c’est vrai que j’avais envie de lui crier dessus des fois, histoire de le réveiller.
Comme je le disais au début, ce tome ci regorge de scènes d’action ou les massacres se multiplient. Jamais les prédateurs n’ont été aussi proche d’être libérés en masse et pour tout gérer il va falloir se débarrasser de pas mal de monde … En tout cas je ne regrette pas d’avoir lu cette série, elle a une sacré ambiance !
April 29, 2019
Circle of Enemies is the third and final book in the Twenty Palaces series written by Harry Connolly and centered on Ray Lilly, a wooden man, which is a decoy expected to die to allow a sorcerer to deal with a predator or enemy sorcerer.
A mysterious message calls Ray Lily from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, where he finds the remaining members of his old gang have been touched by magic and the Twenty Palace Society has them marked for death. As Ray hunts the source of the magic, he encounters an old frenemy and begins questioning the Society's motives.
Ray already regrets having harmed innocents on the Society's orders, his struggle with his history, his debt to and fear of the Society and the need to protect the world from magical predators elevates this series well above its peers.
Circle of Enemies is written rather well. The narrative has a morally complex and deeply disturbing adventure with the Twenty Palace Society in the midst of it. It is also action packed and rather quick to read as the drama flows rather well.
Overall, the Twenty Palaces series is written rather well. The series is a grim, dark noir series, filled with action and violence, staring an ex-con that was saved by the Twenty Palace Society and now serves them as a disposable wooden man. In a world of magic, Ray Lily is a person without who goes toe-to-toe with the darkest of magic.
All in all, Circle of Enemies is written rather well and is a rather good conclusion to be a wonderful series.
A mysterious message calls Ray Lily from the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles, where he finds the remaining members of his old gang have been touched by magic and the Twenty Palace Society has them marked for death. As Ray hunts the source of the magic, he encounters an old frenemy and begins questioning the Society's motives.
Ray already regrets having harmed innocents on the Society's orders, his struggle with his history, his debt to and fear of the Society and the need to protect the world from magical predators elevates this series well above its peers.
Circle of Enemies is written rather well. The narrative has a morally complex and deeply disturbing adventure with the Twenty Palace Society in the midst of it. It is also action packed and rather quick to read as the drama flows rather well.
Overall, the Twenty Palaces series is written rather well. The series is a grim, dark noir series, filled with action and violence, staring an ex-con that was saved by the Twenty Palace Society and now serves them as a disposable wooden man. In a world of magic, Ray Lily is a person without who goes toe-to-toe with the darkest of magic.
All in all, Circle of Enemies is written rather well and is a rather good conclusion to be a wonderful series.
April 27, 2021
I think this was, in many ways, the best book in this series, which is why it's a shame that Del Rey seems to have dropped the series.
A lot of the threads have pulled together in this book in ways that are partially built on the first two, but more importantly our protagonist Ray Lilly has developed a great sense and force of agency that drives the plot forward in important ways and also reveals a lot more about the magic of this world and how it functions (or doesn't). That's something that's been missing a bit from the earlier work.
It's still a brutal, ugly world that Connolly has constructed; even our protagonists are brutal murderers and they know it. The difference is that Ray and Annalise know just how much worse things could be and finally we start to see what their limits are as they have some real conversations. They've got good reason for taking these predators out by any means necessary, because they're literally killing machines who will ravage the planet if they go unchecked...but where does it end? For the first time, Ray is seriously thinking about it and it's good.
The dip into Ray's past with his old gang of car thieves and associates is interesting, but mostly for how it frames up the rest of this. These aren't good people either, and I like how Ray's loyalty only goes so far especially as he starts to understand how most of these folks would sell him out for a pack of Luckies and not think twice about it.
Very good book, especially if you enjoy playing on the dirty end of the field in your books.
A lot of the threads have pulled together in this book in ways that are partially built on the first two, but more importantly our protagonist Ray Lilly has developed a great sense and force of agency that drives the plot forward in important ways and also reveals a lot more about the magic of this world and how it functions (or doesn't). That's something that's been missing a bit from the earlier work.
It's still a brutal, ugly world that Connolly has constructed; even our protagonists are brutal murderers and they know it. The difference is that Ray and Annalise know just how much worse things could be and finally we start to see what their limits are as they have some real conversations. They've got good reason for taking these predators out by any means necessary, because they're literally killing machines who will ravage the planet if they go unchecked...but where does it end? For the first time, Ray is seriously thinking about it and it's good.
The dip into Ray's past with his old gang of car thieves and associates is interesting, but mostly for how it frames up the rest of this. These aren't good people either, and I like how Ray's loyalty only goes so far especially as he starts to understand how most of these folks would sell him out for a pack of Luckies and not think twice about it.
Very good book, especially if you enjoy playing on the dirty end of the field in your books.
December 23, 2023
I am a bit torn about this book. It mostly follows in the same vein as the last two with a lot of death and dark moments. There are more predators in this one though, but I have a few problems with the story.
One, I felt like the whole portal thing is just the author's way of nerfing Ray. Otherwise, this novel would have been over very soon.
Second, you're telling me that one decided to look at the most obvious spot for one of the most treasured items in the world for 200 years. It was the first thing I would have done.
Third, I felt it throughout the book, but it was really shoved in the face at the end how the author was attempting to jump on the Woke-Wagon. The European domination of the world isn't even 300 years old; how would they dominate a society whose members lived far longer? And that stuff about women. 🤮🤮🤮 The world's gender differences are, among other things, rooted in biology, and in a world where a woman can squash a man like a tin can, such attitudes wouldn't exist.
I would still probably read one more book to see where the series is going.
One, I felt like the whole portal thing is just the author's way of nerfing Ray. Otherwise, this novel would have been over very soon.
Second, you're telling me that one decided to look at the most obvious spot for one of the most treasured items in the world for 200 years. It was the first thing I would have done.
Third, I felt it throughout the book, but it was really shoved in the face at the end how the author was attempting to jump on the Woke-Wagon. The European domination of the world isn't even 300 years old; how would they dominate a society whose members lived far longer? And that stuff about women. 🤮🤮🤮 The world's gender differences are, among other things, rooted in biology, and in a world where a woman can squash a man like a tin can, such attitudes wouldn't exist.
I would still probably read one more book to see where the series is going.
June 8, 2021
With friends like these, who needs enemies? - This book is objectively three stars, but it runs a little too dark for my taste and lacks the cheesy action movie one-liners that I have come to expect in the novels from this genre. Plus, I got irritated with the things you discovered about Arne, because he was the only character I actually liked. I'm sure some of that was due to not reading the earlier novels, but I never felt like Ray (you know, the main character you are supposed to like and side with) was much more than a hired gun, affirmed by the fact that when he locates something valuable, he goes running to his boss, despite telling us throughout the whole novel that she had questionable morals. So he trusts her with one of the most dangerous things available? It doesn't make any sense and the whole ending to the series is frustrating, although not entirely the author's fault because it sounds like he had other books planned before his series got quashed.
May 12, 2017
Great book
I read so many "supernatural/paranormal" books, rarely is the main character a guy. So that was nice and fresh. The books (all three) are gritty and fast paced. Usually I'm reading to the end knowing it'll end in some vague form of temporarily happy ever after. But once you start you feel obligated to finish it. There was no happy ever after coming at the end of these books, but there didn't need to be. The details themselves pull you into the story. You turn the page for the next page, not for the end. The resolution feels good. You don't need a happily ever after. It still has a character who has some sort of power or magic and is coming up from things behind, but then that's what we all want, right? A protagonist we could be without needing money, education, and so on. Just wits and a little something to make us special.
I read so many "supernatural/paranormal" books, rarely is the main character a guy. So that was nice and fresh. The books (all three) are gritty and fast paced. Usually I'm reading to the end knowing it'll end in some vague form of temporarily happy ever after. But once you start you feel obligated to finish it. There was no happy ever after coming at the end of these books, but there didn't need to be. The details themselves pull you into the story. You turn the page for the next page, not for the end. The resolution feels good. You don't need a happily ever after. It still has a character who has some sort of power or magic and is coming up from things behind, but then that's what we all want, right? A protagonist we could be without needing money, education, and so on. Just wits and a little something to make us special.
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