S. Thomas Russell

I'd read Moontide and Magic Rise a few years ago, and it was so original, so innovative and rich that it blew me away. I'd enjoyed it immensely and I thought this earlier duology would be a good read too. But I was disappointed.

While the setting was somewhat fresh, the novel was too impersonal and played safe to achieve anything truly memorable. It feels unpolished and lacks direction, with so many characters yet none of them being in the least fleshed out or even followed closely to care about. They were mostly living clichés, speaking and acting in extremely predictable manners that it felt like a chore to read the book to its end.

Subplots were few for a novel of such length and and they lacked impact. The major threat of the duology never felt important because there was no one to really care about.

I didn't enjoy it. Go read Sean Russell's Moontide and Magic Rise instead. It's a brilliant work and better than most fantasy novels out there.… (plus d'informations)

Taken together as a whole, this duology is a winner. It is a long, slow burn in a created world of very accessible people and politics.

Readers in search of plentiful action and Star Wars-scale intrigue will be disappointed, however; focus is constrained mostly to small stages within the greater conflict to tell the story with much weight put upon conversations, asides, and the trappings of civilization themselves. In many ways, this is similar to Arkady Martine's 2019 masterpiece, "A Memory Called Empire." The complex denouement here went in unexpected directions as well, making the steps that follow the military climax as significant and dicey as the war itself.

The character developments of the many central cast are a fractal dance, as they affect one another's orbits and deflect into new patterns. The female characters are constrained to behave in ways available to them in their culture but still play dynamic roles with their own agendas: nice. Best of all for me was that individual choice, decisions made and followed, supersedes notions of fate and destiny throughout. It was easy to become invested in several of the characters (i.e., Komawara, for the win!) and therefore engaged through all the little stops and starts of the overall flow.… (plus d'informations)

Another great Age of Sail novel by S. Thomas Russell. The change of scenery to the Caribbean allows for some new story elements, and some interesting plot twists and events make for an engaging adventure. Only criticism would be some unoriginal (but well-handled) plot elements, and a feeling that some of the descriptions of engagements were rushed and not as detailed. However, the description of the position of ships in battle -- an important element -- was as good or better than ever in terms of clarity generally. The rousing and exciting concluding chapters -- I could hardly put it down near the end -- make up for any criticisms.

I rate Russell second only to C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series (of which I have read all), and better than what I have read of Alexander Kent's Bolitho (one book read) and O'Brian (gave up partway through the second book). Will await the next outing anxiously!… (plus d'informations)

It's Horatio Hornblower meets Elizabeth Bennet. It's a great combination, and Russell has somehow managed to do very well with both genres. Excellent crafted scenes at sea in the Age of Sail, matching the best of a C.S. Forester with the with the witty banter found in a Jane Austen back on shore in the English countryside.
I don't understand those who might criticize it for this. Regardless of which you may prefer or be more familiar with, if you open yourself to something new it's the best of both worlds.… (plus d'informations)