Pretty Good

This is much like the 1st and 2nd book, just of course, it's a continuation of the story. The story ended with a few loose ends, unanswered questions, and a few cliff hangers, so I think there must be a 4th book in the pipeline, but I don't know. The only complaint I have is that there wasn't very much back story in the beginning to remindime what happened in the first two books. I had to restart the book 3 times after listening for two, or three hours, just for me to remember the different characters, and get up to speed. As for the narrator, I really like him and he does a great job.

3 people found this helpful

Erotic/Neurotic Escapades In A Flintlock Fantasy

As in both the previous books, both the author's craftsmanship and the narrator's excellent telling continue to be put on display in book 3. Unfortunately, so has the author's strange obsession with continued erotic encounters between Winter and Jane. Even worse, these romantic interludes have now regressed into arguments that come off like hissy fits. Since the romantic encounters only involve Winter (now a colonel leading a regiment of soldiers) and Mad Jane I'm left wondering whether the author has some fetish with lesbian love affairs?

I mean, seriously! If there was ever a novel that cemented the idea that fraternization between ranks needs to be prosecuted, this is it. On many occasions, these encounters caused significant problems while Winter was attempting to prosecute an ongoing war effort. A couple of times, Mad Jane got so emotional, she took her band of merry soldiers and went AWOL, once going on a drunk binge and scaring all the townspeople. Also, Winter is an emotional basket case with worry over her fear of loss of her lover. And don't even get me started on the absolute ludicrousness of Winter as a lowly ranker (like a private), going from ranker to sergeant to lieutenant to captain to colonel within a few years. Oh yeah, before I forget, we have a ranker by the name of Anne Marie who, single-handedly convinces a well-manned fortress of superior troop strength to surrender using only her feminine guile.

With that said, I am still very impressed with the author's skills at writing a wonderful fantasy novel for the rest of the story. Captain (now colonel) Marcus story arc is mostly interesting; albeit, considering how he defers (and prefers) to take orders than to make them, he seems like a weak link in most military encounters. Ranker Bobby (now sergeant) resurfaces but, oddly, only plays a minor role. Queen Raesinia continues to be instrumental in resisting the brutal coup d'etat in the background while Janus flirts in and out as general of the East Army in the war effort.

2 people found this helpful

Dark and rich with culture

This is an epic third book in a series. it blends very well from the first two while still being able to stand on its own.

Django creates a world with a rich and diverse culture with long evolving history and politics where the story plays out.

I may have to give this one a second listen when I finish the series to see what I can pick up on that I missed the first time.

Book 3 Doesn't Slow Down At All

Three books into this series and never a slow moment! I'm so excited to start book 4!
Great characters, pacing, and story 😊

The middle droops.

The story takes a dip and slows down turning the middle into a bit of a slog, but it picks back up shortly after.

amazing book

one of the best in the series so far and Poe is an excellent narrator.

One of the best series I've listened to.

The character development is strong and story line captivating. the reader, Richard Poe makes this easy to listen to and he does a great job with the characters. Never got tired of it for a minute.