Sharon Shinn

What a delight to read another story from the 13th house. I love the combination of everyday lives in a rich other world. I love how in this world, magic is unstinting, limitless in its way. I love that the trade off from wild shifting is a wild unsettled spirit. I loved that characters and the plot — what an idea, to be able to heal a terminal disease by changing someone into a different animal. So interesting, and a pleasant little love drama as well.

This is a satisfying conclusion to an excellent series. I loved the magic system and the characters Shinn created.

Even though I loved this book enough to give it 5 stars, I still have some spoilery quibbles with it:
First, I was disappointed that we didn't get any queer characters in this series. Cammon was the last main character remaining, and as much as I enjoyed his relationship with Amalie, I had been rooting for him to be gay or bi.

Second, it was strangely pat the way everyone gets show more paired off by the end of this book - not just the six main characters, but even secondary and minor characters like Valri, Darren, and Senneth's brothers. It feels very fanfiction-y.

And finally, there is a weird dynamic in this series around royalty and aristocracy that mirrors some characters' mixed feelings about their country's government. There is a clear interest and attachment to the nobility and monarchy, which is troubled by a criticism of the problems of such a system and also its ultimate silliness. This is a theme throughout all four books, with all of the mixed-status relationships, and it really shows up in this fourth book where they end up manufacturing a fake noble heritage for Cammon so that he can be king. This is very, very WTF. It's a strange middle ground between respecting the conventions of the Twelve Houses and undermining them, ultimately unsatisfying, if pragmatic.

Despite those three odd elements, I am so glad I came across this series through the Speculative Chic book club. I loved this story, and I would definitely read more in this universe. show less

Brianna is thrilled to be lady's maid to Lady Marguerite, a noble she's been fascinated with since childhood, as they are of a similar age. She's also excited to travel to the royal city, as Marguerite is one of the women in consideration for the prince's hand in marriage. In this fantasy world, many nobles have Echoes: silent creatures who look and move just like them. Marguerite has three -- until disaster strikes on the journey, and Brianna's role becomes all the more complicated.

I read a show more lot of Shinn's writing about twenty years ago, and haven't felt compelled to pick up anything else of hers until now. As I read this, I remembered what I like about Shinn's writing: it's extremely readable. Her characters are engaging and her worlds are well-developed. The main exception to that here is, of course, the Echoes. Both the "why" and the "how" of them were explained sketchily or not at all. If I started thinking too hard about, say, the law of conservation of matter, it knocked me right out of the story. Still, if I suspended disbelief hard enough, the reading experience was solidly enjoyable. I haven't decided if I will pick up the other two books in this trilogy. If you're new to Shinn, this isn't the place to start. show less

I was hankering for a traditional fantasy novel, and this hit the spot admirably.

The major story arc of the Twelve Houses has concluded, and this novel ties up a few loose ends. Wen, a Rider, fought but did not die at King Baryn's side. Feeling bitterly that she has failed in her duty, she roams Gillengaria, unable to settle in one place, defending the helpless with her fighting skills as atonement. She rescues a young girl, Karryn, who is a serramarra and the future marlady (ruler) of show more Fortunault, one of the Twelve Houses. Finding that her protection is woefully inadequate, Wen is asked to help build up the defences of Karryn's estate, called Fortune, by her uncle and regent, Jasper.

We see Wen building a trusted team around Karryn, so she can leave Fortune in good hands, and we see Jasper helping Wen rebuild her faith in herself. We also get to see quite a bit of the characters from the rest of the series that we know and fell in love with.

Will Wen be able to find the forgiveness she has denied herself? Will she be able to finally go home?

Although this book can be read separately from the rest of the series, it does contain spoilers for it, as it takes place after events in the series. (The rest of the series does have to be read in order, as the books are part of a continuing story.)

I do love a good romance, and this one is sweet and well told. I love the universe Shinn has created with her Twelve Houses series, and I wouldn't mind reading more. Unfortunately, this is the last book (for now?).

5 stars show less