Book review
I missed Tris! Four books was far too long to go without her. But what a freaking pay off. Boy is she a fantastic, complicated, deeply fascinating young woman.
I love how clear it is that she is the intellectual in the group of four. She is always pondering the why and how of things and thinks of her brother and sisters in similar terms. They are her stability and her support. Without their connection, she would truly be formidable. But she relates to them not directly emotionally, she relates to them through the avenue with which she is comfortable: academics. Love it.
Niko is complex and wonderful, prissy and pompous but warm, wise and accessible at the same time. He makes fabulous appearances in this book, visually and otherwise. His presence constantly elevates and expands our understanding of Tris. Pretty fantastic. Elegantly done.
The plot is great, but I have to process it in bits.
Tris is tight with cash, unlike all her siblings, and of course the most fiscal responsibilities fall on her– not one but two students! But she doesn’t seem to mind because she’s so good with money. It’s just a normal part of her life, she isn’t overly bitter about it at this point. Of course she finds a student who has a very lucrative craft, if he could control his magic.
There is something special about the ages in this book. Having a student older than you is difficult just as having a teacher younger than you is difficult. The personalities are a great match. They are well matched against each other, and under Niko’s eye, it’s fascinating to see them face off against each other and also unite against any force. At the same time we have little four year old Glaki, tiny and not quite ready to learn about her magic yet.
While Tris is still learning new things, trying to scry wind — something almost no one has ever accomplished. Between those things– older student, younger teacher, pre-student and teaching yourself something new to extend your craft– there is a beauty in honoring process and age and the relationship between them both.
This society is set in a caste system. Tamora, as usual, doesn’t shy away from cultural differences and shocks, the beautiful and horrifying things of the beliefs of such a place. She honors the beliefs while exposing the ugly underbelly. She goes right for the jugular, no pun intended.
All of the above themes and elements are perfectly crafted together in a dazzling array with a slice through the center that is the central storyline:
A serial killer is killing performers at will, leaving no trace. At first it seems the customs are directly to blame for this as the crime scenes are cleansed physically, spiritually, and magically before investigation can really take place. But as things progress, the murderer uses this against them before scenes can be cleansed.
There is a lot of mastery of storytelling with this book. It’s just fantastic.
By the end, I am ready for way more of all of these characters. I love little Glaki, I love the glass dragon, I love Keth, and Tris and Niko. And I love love love the way they all go together. I am hungry for all the students and siblings to be together in one book. HUNGRY. I want to see how the family expands and shares their tales and experiences.
- Goodreads rating – 4.20
- REVIEW – Joanna