Raven Stratagem

Reread February 2021

Rereading this book was interesting. It felt like we spent a good two-thirds to three-quarters spinning our wheels doing nothing. (Is this middle book syndrome?) When things finally picked up, I remembered why I enjoyed it so much the first time. Because the last hundred or so pages are easily five stars. (The first two hundred or so might make it over three stars, but that's not a guarantee.)

I still find two chapters odd - the one completely out of place and unneeded and the other completely off-putting. (See original review for more on this.)

Finally, I just have to make mention of the Hafn: the ‘enemy.' For me, they are used a little too much as just a filler enemy. In the first book there was a clear goal Cheris and Jedao were working towards and the Hafn were kind of an afterthought.

In this book, the Hafn seem like...they're there, but they're there because Jedao needs someone to fight. I mean, the Hafn are not fleshed out at all in the first two books and, even after focusing on fighting them for a full book and their presence looming over the first book - I kind of feel that they are just going to disappear and not be at all important to the resolution to the series.

That all being said, I am very curious about the finale and am rather excited for it.

My rating is still four stars, kind of equalizing my feelings for the first two thirds and the latter third. (Side note: I like Ninefox Gambit more.)


Original Review

Pretty much love this story. The only thing keeping it from being a five star read for me is two chapters that were out of place, one following an entirely new character and the other following someone that had only been mentioned up until that point. And really, all those two chapters served to do was highlight just how crappy this world is and the hell Jedao went through. (Again, because of course we didn't get enough of that in the first book.

Let's see... Oh, yeah, and I realized reading this book that, while it is strong sci-fi, it is also a dystopian in space. So, yeah.

(Kind of burying the lead, but one of the main POV characters in this book is trans. And I'm still pretty sure that everyone in this world is at least a little bi/pan.)