June Books 4) The Assassin's Edge
4) The Assassin's Edge, by Juliet E. McKenna
The fifth in Juliet McKenna's Einarinn series, of which I am a moderate fan (see third and fourth books previously). Once again, competently done, and most of the threads from the first four books pulled together (though I did want to hear more of the lascivious island race from book #2). Among McKenna's strengths (others are mentioned in my previous reviews) are decent battle scenes - just enough detail to make you feel that it's a confusing, violent situation to be in, without at the same time confusing the reader (or at least this reader). There's also a wonderfully described bath scene. And the final confrontations with the bad guys are most satisfying. I was slightly surprised, though it's not really a criticism, by the low-key tone of the final wrap-up chapters after the plot is basically over; I'd somehow expected something more dramatic after five books and 2500 pages. But perhaps McKenna is just trying to tell us that life goes on.
The fifth in Juliet McKenna's Einarinn series, of which I am a moderate fan (see third and fourth books previously). Once again, competently done, and most of the threads from the first four books pulled together (though I did want to hear more of the lascivious island race from book #2). Among McKenna's strengths (others are mentioned in my previous reviews) are decent battle scenes - just enough detail to make you feel that it's a confusing, violent situation to be in, without at the same time confusing the reader (or at least this reader). There's also a wonderfully described bath scene. And the final confrontations with the bad guys are most satisfying. I was slightly surprised, though it's not really a criticism, by the low-key tone of the final wrap-up chapters after the plot is basically over; I'd somehow expected something more dramatic after five books and 2500 pages. But perhaps McKenna is just trying to tell us that life goes on.