Saturday, December 28, 2019

Short and Simple Reviews: The Lotus Wars Series by Jay Kristoff

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.
Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)
Today I have some short reviews for the Lotus Wars series!


Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire. 
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Review
So, I recently reread this book. For some odd reason, I never picked up the sequel. Flash forward seven years and here I am. (I am pretending that I do not know why I never picked up the sequel. I know why. It was because I was scared of all the horrible things that were going to happen!) When I first read this book it was a solid 5 stars, now it has dropped a star. I am not sure why I cannot give it the full 5 stars because this still is a fantastic book. It has a fantastic premise, it uses Japanese mythology very well, it is well-written, and its genre is so different that it cannot be placed within one genre. I think my reasoning for lowering my rating is for how slugged the book is with information (which is why I am so glad I reread this before attempting Kinslayer) and how quickly characters get in relationships. Still, this book builds a very interesting world (and a dark one at that) and it does not pull punches. Overall, I still think this is a great book.
I hereby give this book
4 Stars
Meaning: It was amazing!




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A SHATTERED EMPIRE
The mad Shōgun Yoritomo has been assassinated by the Stormdancer Yukiko, and the threat of civil war looms over the Shima Imperium. The Lotus Guild conspires to renew the nation’s broken dynasty and crush the growing rebellion simultaneously – by endorsing a new Shōgun who desires nothing more than to see Yukiko dead.

A DARK LEGACY
Yukiko and the mighty thunder tiger Buruu have been cast in the role of heroes by the Kagé rebellion. But Yukiko herself is blinded by rage over her father’s death, and her ability to hear the thoughts of beasts is swelling beyond her power to control. Along with Buruu, Yukiko’s anchor is Kin, the rebel Guildsman who helped her escape from Yoritomo’s clutches. But Kin has his own secrets, and is haunted by visions of a future he’d rather die than see realized.

A GATHERING STORM
Kagé assassins lurk within the Shōgun’s palace, plotting to end the new dynasty before it begins. A waif from Kigen’s gutters begins a friendship that could undo the entire empire. A new enemy gathers its strength, readying to push the fracturing Shima imperium into a war it cannot hope to survive. And across raging oceans, amongst islands of black glass, Yukiko and Buruu will face foes no katana or talon can defeat.

  
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Review
While I loved the first book, I had difficulty getting into this one. The beginning of this book was slow. We are introduced to a lot of new characters and I was not sure what role they were playing yet. All the major characters are separated. Yukiko and Buruu are on their own separate journey. I kept wanting to put this one off to the side and read something else. It did not help that this is a very dark book and I frankly have been tired of reading dark books lately. But, I have had this book on my TBR for seven years and I kept putting it off because I knew for a fact that this book was going to destroy everyone. Thankfully I reread Stormdancer before picking this one up.

The plot did pick up eventually and while I was tired of all the death and destruction, and for that reason, I cannot say that I enjoyed this book, the plot got incredibly interesting. I will say that I am never fully sure of anyone's motives and what will happen in the book next. Although I feel like terrible things will always happen next.

Anyway, this is a solid sequel. I did not like this as much as the first book but I am reading the third book right away.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing



Endsinger (The Lotus Wars, #3)
A TREMBLING EARTH
The flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. With the Tiger Clan and their puppet Daimyo Hiro in tow, the Guild marches toward a battle for absolute dominion over the Isles.

A BROKEN REBELLION
Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the Kagé rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends in an effort to unite the country against the chi-mongers. But the ghosts of Buruu’s past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin’s betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war tearing the Imperium apart, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win.

A FINAL BATTLE
The traitor Kin walks the halls of Guild power, his destiny only a bloody knife-stroke away. Hana and Yoshi struggle to find their place in a world now looking to them as heroes. Secret cabals within the Lotus Guild claw and struggle; one toward darkness, the other toward light. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth.

There is nothing a mother won't do to keep her children by her side.

Nothing. 



Review
It took me over a week to read this book (which is unusual for me) and I felt like I was barely making any progress. Like the last book, this book has a slow beginning. The slow beginning made me feel like I was slogging through the text, and it probably did not help that I am not in the mood for a dark book right now and this is a dark book. This one also follows many different characters and while many are ones that we have met before, there are a lot of people to keep track of. The chapters are a little short, and there are many scene breaks (each scene usually following a different person). Of course, each break ended in a big moment and then we go through many pages of other people until we learn what actually happened. I think part of my frustration with this was that I was very busy this past week and felt like I had little time to read, so sometimes I had to give up on finding out what will happen another day.

Anyway, I am babbling a little bit. About 200 pages in, I finally got into the book and I read the last 200 pages in a day. Things really picked up at that point. It probably is no surprise that a lot does happen in this book and that really becomes clear a little before the midway point. We are never sure what is going to happen and how the characters are going to act. Kristoff really does not pull any punches. There were plenty of moments where I wondered how the series could possibly have a happy ending. The last section was intense, and I read through it very quickly. Overall, I did like this book. This was an incredibly dark, but unique series, and I am glad that I read it to its end.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing


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