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- Verified Buyer
I couldn't put this book down. I'm astonished that a book with banking as a central device could be this riveting. I've tried analyzing why I love this series, but I think other reviewers have said it better than I can so I'll just distill what I thought most striking about this book.The author's lyrical use of language continues to impress me, even move me in the moments of pathos. Almost poetic turns of phrase here and there glint like gold in a newly discovered vein in the rock.The changes in POV were not jarring, in fact I looked forward to them, with that feeling of pleasure I get finding a piece that I've been looking for in a 1000-pc. puzzle, that smug satisfaction when I fit the piece into its place. And everything had a place in the whole -- the multi-dimensional characters, their particular threads in the plot as they maneuver through the war, their dialogues, the wry humor, even a dragon whose human-like failings made him one of the most refreshing approaches to dragon lore that I've read. As some reviewers have mentioned, the author turns cliched tropes on their heads. In fact, what kept me reading was the expectation that the characters would surprise me while being totally believable. Their monologues were not monotonouse because I knew that, somehow, with an intelligence and skill that manages to make banking an exciting topic (okay, so I flailed in economics class in school), the author would segue into the action, using the characters' motivations as a springboard.One negative is that I felt the book seemed to end too abruptly. Maybe because I wanted more, and the thought of waiting for the next (and hopefully the closure of the series?) is depressing. But I thought there were very satisfactory denouements to the characters' arcs, particularly Cithrin's and Clara's.To be honest, I almost didn't finish the first book. How could a book about bankers and economics be exciting? Now I'm so glad I did. The rewards are worth it. I've come to love these characters and the author so far has not abandoned them to ego or publisher pressure (like some series that will remain unmentioned). They are true to themselves, and with four books attesting to the author's commitment to staying the course, I'll be sure to stay with them to the end.
