Thaumaturge

There are about fifty plot threads going on in the series. If you\’re hoping for any of them to be resolved, you\’re out of luck. Hardly any progress is even made on any of them. We do get an 8 hour description of how Vanador is built. And how their legal system is set up. And how their currency is set up… Seriously, you may as well skip to the first interlude. Considering the next book is likely to be focused around concurrent Penny or Rondal/Tyndal storylines I doubt we\’ll get much progress for at least one book. Here\’s what happened (obviously spoilers): A random irrelevant badguy attacks Valador and fails miserably. Also his kids from Isily move in with Minalan and Ruderal talks with his dad. We don\’t learn anything about the AI. Minalan has two short conversations with him and learns nothing. We don\’t learn anything important about the Vundal. Minalan predictably gets an extension on giving up all the snow stone. He has to give up another mountain but it doesn\’t happen in this book and he\’s getting random irrelevant coral in trade. Alya doesn\’t change much. She\’s starting to be influenced by the Handmaiden in some way related to the Vundal. I\’m betting she ends of being changed into one of the Celestial mothers by the Handmaiden and saves the day. Didn\’t happen in this book though. The prince is still salty about his son dying. But he isn\’t doing anything besides gathering people around him who don\’t like magic. He\’s mentioned so rarely I can\’t even remember his name. Anguin gets married to Princess Rardine. The wedding gets attacked the same way the capital was attacked and irrelevant people die. No dragons during the attack this time. Minalan starts provoking some random Noble dude. It isn\’t explained why, and nothing comes of it in this book. That\’s about it. Really, it\’s an irrelevant book. I\’m not looking forward to the next one because whatever the other characters are doing isn\’t going to move the plot forward or answer any questions. 28 people found this helpful

This isn\’t my favorite book in the series. So much of the early book is \’the story of Vanador \’ – a very descriptive setup of the new city (not to say that these books have ever been shy on description and world building). But I do feel that the first third of the book drags, with miscellaneous interesting events happening in the latter part. And yet I think this is an important book for fans of the series – we have here what\’s described as the first book in what could be a ten book arc. There are major events, and the start (or escalation) of several story arcs to come (Farise, The Forsaken, Forseti, the arsenal, the Formless, etc) Enjoy it for what it is. It\’s good, and starts the promise of what\’s next. As always, it\’s pleasant listening to John Lee and how he narrates the series. i DID notice a few places where there were errors (name swapping / incorrect name), and pronunciation goofs, hence I\’ve docked it to 4 stars. 16 people found this helpful

A lot of exhaustive descriptions of courts,tax systems, interactions of magics etc. Not much is happening (I made it through 2/3 of this book so far and I am not sure I\’ll get to the finish).Stalled action,a few conversations ,one joust,another visit from the Sea folk demanding more white stone ….about all. Clearly,the author run out of ideas and now decided to bore his audience to death with his lists of tedium. 12 people found this helpful

I feel like this story is being dragged out forever because the author knows it is a cash machine and all of us are willing to fork out more money hoping the book will be more stimulating than the last, but unfortunately we are wrong. This is like a TV show that has gone on too long. 10 people found this helpful

There is nothing new here. The book covers the same plots already done in the earlier books. I love my wife, I hire really good people and get out of their way, I feel guilty for not saving everyone, did I say that I love my wife, I hire really good people and throw money at then, I care about everyone, oh how I love my wife, my really good people saved everyone and I didn\’t have to do anything but stay out of their way and throw money at them. There was nothing creative in this book, it is just a pulling of similar stories from earlier books and with a little rewrite presented as a new book that barely mores the story forward. In other words, it is a filler book, no new development of any type, so boring to the extreme. 9 people found this helpful

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