Status Updates From The Ruins of Ambrai (Exiles...

I got to the assault scene…and i did not expect an assault scene.

Gets better after the escape

Meh…. I think it got better? But im not interested. Where are the magicians?

Not to mention the main character, a child, doesn’t particularly evoke ‘child,’ but an adult recounting childhood without adding anything interesting for the perspective loss. Emotionless bohoo.

So far, I’ve only seen Sanderson do a slavery plot in a way that doesn’t tire and get on my nerves. Yes yes, brutality, power dynamics, small acts of secret kindness, stolen mercy, cool. It seems to override character work, and it’s truly always uninteresting. The carriage ride and bridge 4, the characters were solid. These…are trope stock.

Still thinking about “tarted up like a cheap cockie”. Melanie Rawn, you have much to answer for.

Now that I’m most of the way through the book, it strikes me as odd that it’s written in four POVs. We have three sisters, torn apart by tragedy, who now walk different paths in life….and also there’s a sexy bard here too. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a lovable scoundrel, but he’s a bit out of place. Especially odd that he’s the POV we start the book on. Didn’t want him to feel left out, I suppose.

Was really hoping that they’d make it through unburied. It was going pretty well for a book from the 90s.

I am not going to keep track of the family tree. If you tell me that these characters are cousins, I’ll believe you. I’ll play it even safer by just assuming everyone is related until proven otherwise.

I swear, I’m actually going to finish it this time

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