Book Review: The Spirit War

Publication Date: June 2012
by Orbit
Genre: Fantasy
Source: library

All Eli Monpress wanted was the biggest bounty in the world. He never meant to have obligations, or friends, but master swordsman Josef Leichten and Nico, the daughter of the dead mountain, have saved Eli's life too many times to be called anything else. But, when a friend upsets your plans and ruins all your hard work, what's a thief to do?
After years of running from his birthright, Josef is forced to return home and take up his title as prince. War is coming for humans and spirits between the Immortal Empress and the Council of Thrones, and Josef's little island is right in the middle. But conquest isn't the Empress's only goal, she has a personal vendetta against a certain thief.
What started as a simple side trip to help a friend is rapidly turning into the most dangerous job of Eli's career, but he can't back out now, not when Josef needs him. But when you're under attack from all sides, even the world's greatest thief can find himself cornered, and it's going to take all the fast talking Eli can muster to survive the next few days.

I feel like this was maybe a little uneven in the pacing. Like it started off a little slow, but the last part of the book was a little too much at once. It was still good, in any case.

We get a lot of backstory on Josef, which I've been wanting for a long time, since the beginning of the series, basically. After reading this one, I found that the characters I already liked, I grew to like even more, and the annoying characters continued to annoy me. I wouldn't mind if they went away.

The setting is very good, and I think I will be remembering the Immortal Empresses war ships for a long time. There are some crazy things happening in the world of Eli Monpress, and I'm very interested to see how it all plays out.

As a side note, the words smug, smirk, and sneer are some of my least favorite in the English language, and Rachel Aaron loves to use all three. It probably wouldn't bother most readers in the least, but I have a somewhat odd aversion to these words (I don't really know why), and I really notice them.

One big bonus is that the cover of this one is a whole lot better than the previous three. I really disliked those, and this one, while not anything fantastic is loads better.

I still would definitely recommend this series for fun fantasy adventure.

Review: The Spirit Eater

Book Details

Title: The Spirit Eater (The Legend of Eli Monpress)

Author: Rachel Aaron

Genre: fantasy

Page Count: 440

Publishing Info: November 30, 2010 by Orbit

My Review

Why I read it: 3rd in series

The Plot: With the pressure on after his success in Gaol, Eli Monpress, professional thief and degenerate, decides it's time to lie low for a bit. Taking up residence in a tiny seaside village, Eli and his companions seize the chance for some fun and relaxation.
Nico, however, is finding it a bit hard. Plagued by a demon's voice in her head and feeling powerless, she only sees herself as a burden. Everyone's holiday comes to an untimely close, though, when Pele arrives to beg Eli's help for finding her missing father.
But there are larger plans afoot than even Eli can see, and the real danger, and the solution, may lie with one of his own and her forgotten past.

The Characters: The third book in The Legend of Eli Monpress seemed to be less about Eli as a main character and more of an ensemble book, which is good because I think focusing solely on Eli for too long could get old.  We are also introduced to some new good characters in this one.  My problem is that Miranda really annoys me, and she's one of the main characters.  I liked her better in book two, but it seems like here she has reverted to her previous annoying behavior. 

The Setting: I like the settings in these books.  The first book was very limited in the setting--it took place in a very small area, but as the series progresses we are learning more and more about the world, and I'm very interested.

A Sample of the Writing: 
The great hall of the Shapers had been flung open to let in the wounded.  Shaper wizards, their hands still covered in soot from their work, ran out into the blowing snow to help the men who came stumbling onto the frosted terrace through a white-lined hole in the air.  Some fell and did not rise again, their long, black coats torn beyond recognition.  These the Shapers rolled onto stretchers that, after a sharp order, stood on their own and scrambled off on spindly wooden legs, some toward the waiting doctors, others more slowly toward the cold rooms, their unlucky burdens already silent and stiff.

Who Should Read This? This series is best suited for fans of adventure fantasy.

Final Thoughts: I didn't love this one as well as the rest of the series.  It was still good, but I feel like some parts of the plot keep getting recycled, especially the parts with Josef, who is a great character, but the story seems a little one-note when it comes to him.  I will definitely continue on with the series, and it's becoming one of my favorite fantasy series.   

Grade: B

Cover Thoughts: I think it's pretty clear that the publishers are going for uniformity with these covers, which doesn't really make them as good as they could be, but if you like your series covers to match, I guess it's a good thing.

 

Review: The Spirit Rebellion

Book Details

Title: The Spirit Rebellion (The Legend of Eli Monpress)

Author: Rachel Aaron

Genre: Fantasy

Page Count: 456

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 26, 2010

My Review

Why I read it: Second in a series

The Plot: I've got to start taking notes when I read, especially when it's taking me so long between reading and reviewing.  In this second book of the Eli Monpress series, Eli is still working on getting a higher bounty on his head.  We find out a little bit more about what motivates him, and there is a little more depth to the story, with some surprises and foreshadowing too.  The target this time is the Duke of Gaol's citadel, which has been advertised as thief proof.  This proves too much of a temptation for Eli, so of course he sets off to rob it.  And of course, things don't go exactly as planned.

The Characters: I really love the characters in this series.  Eli is a character that I can really root for, even if he is a bit over the top at times.  I really want these characters to succeed, except maybe Miranda in her plans to catch and arrest Eli.  That would take away a lot of the fun.  As the series progresses, it seems that we're digging a little deeper into the lives of the characters, which is good since the first was a little more plot driven.

The Setting: There's nothing too spectacular about the setting here.  It seems to be pretty standard fantasy stuff.  I do still like that everything has a spirit, which makes it so that wizards can communicate with anything.  Rachel Aaron really had a good idea there, and she utilizes it well.

A Sample of the Writing:

High in the forested hills where no one went, there stood a stone tower.  It was a practical tower, neither lovely nor soaring, but solid and squat at only two stories.  It's enormous blocks were hewn from the local stone, which was of an unappealing, muddy color that seemed to attract grime.  Seeing that, it was perhaps fortunate that the tower was overrun with black-green vines.  They wound themselves around the tower like thread on a spindle, knotting the wooden shutters closed and crumbling the mortar that held the bricks together, giving the place an air of disrepair and gloomy neglect, especially when it was dark and raining, as it was now.

 

Who Should Read This? Fantasy fans who are into adventure and fun, and aren't looking for anything especially deep or serious.

Final Thoughts: I'm really loving this series, and I think it's getting better and better.  It's just nice, easy reading with no extra junk that doesn't need to be there.  I'm looking forward to the third book, and will definitely keep following this author.

Grade: A

Cover Thoughts: If I thought the cover to the first book was misleading, this one is even more so.  When I saw it, I thought the book was going to be about Miranda, especially when the tagline reads "What she gets away with is madness".  The taglines on these books are really cheesy, and they don't even really go along with the series.  This book is still very much centered around Eli, although Miranda is still there, as well as the other supporting characters.

The Spirit Thief Review

Book Details

Title: The Spirit Thief (The Legend of Eli Monpress)
Author: Rachel Aaron
Genre: fantasy
Page Count: 320
Publishing Info: Orbit, October 1, 2010

My Review
Why I read it: kept seeing it reviewed all over
The Plot: At first glance this sounds like a lot of other books I've read.  A thief who is so good that he can do anything and get out of any scrape?  It sounded a bit like The Thief (The Queen's Thief, Book 1) or The Lies of Locke Lamora.  I mean, in The Thief, we start out in pretty much exactly the same place--with our hero locked up figuring out how to escape.  But there's an interesting magic system here that makes it different.  Every single thing has a spirit, from trees to sand to doors, and wizards can hear and talk to the spirits.  So, our main character, Eli is looking for a way to increase the bounty on his head, and the fastest way he knows how to do that is to kidnap a king, and he's able to sweet talk just about any spirit into doing whatever he wants.  Craziness ensues.
The Characters: At first I was pretty sure I wouldn't like Eli.  He seemed a little too good at everything.  But it turns out that Eli wasn't quite as strong as I first suspected.  He had weaknesses and flaws, which made him a better character, and surprisingly, I really liked him.  Yes, he was snarky and a little full of himself, but he was also funny and interesting.  I also really liked Josef, the swordsman who is a part of Eli's gang, and would like to know more of his backstory.  There really aren't very many characters in this one, but that's part of what makes it nice.  You never get confused about who is who. 
The Setting: The story takes place in the fictional kingdom of Mellinor, and never really goes beyond that.  We start out in the castle, and the whole story takes place within a few miles of it.  It never feels stagnant though, and the scope feels broader than what we're given.
Who Should Read This? Fans of fantasy, especially lighter fantasy that includes humor.
Final Thoughts: I was a little leary of this one at the start, but it turns out that I really liked it and thought it was a lot of fun.  I'm glad that the second and third books are already out so I don't have to wait to continue on with the series.
Grade: A-
Cover Thoughts: The cover for this one is a bit deceiving.  It looks like it might be an urban fantasy or something, not the fun adventure fantasy that it is.  If you're turned off by the cover, ignore it and give this one a go anyway.