Review: Wowie wow wow wowzers!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 19, 2014
I hardly know where to start.The worlds of Andrea K Höst are often expansive, and I think these take the cake.  You want swooping visas and alternate physics that work perfectly with the storyline instead of being gratuitous?  You want to exercise your brain while some characters exercise theirs and take advantage of challenging landscapes?  You got it.  Imagine a plot-driven Tolkien.Depth of emotion and characters are right there with the planetscapes:  You love 'em, you hate 'em . . . I started highlighting (Kindle-style) all the bits that made me crack up out loud.  You might need a kleenex or two, too.  I'm also impressed the author strikes a good balance between what is likely given the world and circumstances vs. what's most convenient to the story.  She really makes it work.I hate internal inconsistency of plot, and there was none to be found here.  No grammar issues, either (unless explained by the in-story author or speaker of the time).  It is a solid, loveable story.  Feel-good, too, though it takes some time to get there.If you like other Andrea K Höst stories, you'll like this one.  And if you've read more than one, yes:  all the things you've come to expect are there.  I won't spoil it for anyone else!I do wish it were easier to flip back to the glossery of terms and people (I get all my Tsurs mixed up!) and flip back to your spot in Kindle, but there are worse things.  X-ray was broken for 2/3 of the books, but that's a small thing, too.  The story far outshines any grumbles.That's all you get.  For the rest, you need to read the books!  It's worth it:  I had to read all 3 in one go, staying awake two nights to do so.  SO.  GOOD.I think this is my favorite of hers, but Champion of the Rose is pretty far up there, too.  I *think* I'm glad I read Champion of the Rose first, but I'll also go out on a limb and suggest that my eye-rolling male SFF readers would enjoy the Touchstone series better.Happy reading!