The latest I've read in The Series I've Been Reading Mostly Backwards, for Unknown Reasons.
After reading #4, and then #3, I suspected that I really should have read #1 first, in order to be properly introduced to the characters.
After reading it, I was correct.
Many vaguenesses are now explained. I do feel much more familiar with the characters.
However, while the book was entertaining and fun, it still wasn't great. Perhaps as a result of having two separate authors, I felt this was really two separate stories: one about Thom, who is assigned to give the rude, crude Dragon Squad Sensitivity Training, and one a gay love story between a young country boy and a jaded aristocrat.
Yes, the stories eventually come together, and all the characters meet, but for most of the book, they feel very separate.
And, while both of them were adequate entertainment, I also felt that both of them could have been done better. I still didn't get a vivid sense of the world around the characters, especially that of the enemy (the Ke-Han). I felt like too much of the story depended on references to our society, rather than truly creating another world.
This is a very pleasurable gay love story set in a well-built magical world. Yes, the love interest is a little too wonderful to be believed and yes, the female characters are shoved into the background, but there's nothing like this sort of boy meets boy plot--you'll have a wonderful afternoon of romance with this one.
The story was pretty fun but very slow. Nothing really important happens until like 200 pages in. For the most part, it read like fanfiction. Royston kept going on and on about his feelings and doubts and nothing was really pushing the story forward. You know, it's a good story but not exactly the best novel.
I do have to ask. Why were there no major female characters? There weren't even kind of important side female characters. :/ It just feels really misogynistic, even if that was unintentional.
I still enjoyed it though and I look forward to reading the next books to see if things improve. There's a lot of potential here.
Can't really say that I really like nor dislike this book. The story was interesting in it's on way, with how it rotated between the characters. But I honestly expected just a little more interaction and involvement with the dragons - Havemercy in particular. But you really don't even get to so much as 'meet' Havemercy til nearly halfway through the book - nor does she appear to be of major importance other than that she is Rook's dragon.
As stated before not a good read but not necessarily bad either. The development of the characters and relationships that develop through their interactions are in their own way interesting - though honestly I found Rook to be the most self-centered and crass of the four, but he does surprise you in the end.
Interesting new universe, vivid and likable characters. I loved this book!
