RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • This book has really good characters. Even the side characters feel fleshed out and complete. I assume this is because the supporting cast were all main characters in their own book series, yet Conway does not rely on the reader being familiar with her previous works to carry the characters. She writes them competently and consistently, and their history shines through. The main characters have interesting history, established traits, and significant arcs. Even when obscured in mystery, character arcs shine through.
  • The plot begins with a bang and holds steady for 65% of the volume. It makes sense, flows logically, and feeds directly into the theme of the story, that is, the idea of belonging and what a person will do to find their place in the world. Chapter 24 begins a new storyline, the one which nets the novel its title. While this new plot trajectory offers some opportunity to tie in to the theme, it largely feels different, as though the themes had been discarded and replaced with a jumble of other ideas and thoughts. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that Thatcher does not choose his own way, a dynamic which could have made sense and continued the theme of the story if he felt he needed to be part of the mission in order to belong and so forced his way in. But that did not happen. He is basically herded toward the quest by those around him using non-sensical arguments solely to progress the plot (see the final Rant).
  • THE SMALLEST OF SPOILERS IN A NITPICKY RANT: I would love to see the plans for the semi-automatic crossbow Phoebe builds at the end of the book. It’s cool in concept and, I’m guessing, inspired by the chu-ko-nu repeating crossbow from China. There are a few differences between the historical chu-ko-nu and Phoebe’s variant which I think are worth noting. First, the magazine on a chu-ko-nu held maybe 10 bolts (this is based on very minimal research on the internet. The actual number may be a bit higher or lower). By contrast, the size required for the crossbow magazine to hold 50 bolts as in Phoebe’s design would be huge. Second, the recoil of a crossbow has never been incredibly large, so Phoebe’s assertion of minimal recoil makes little sense. Not to mention, Newton’s third law basically dictates that the power and range of the weapon directly relates to its recoil, so a reduction is not necessarily a good thing. Third, the chu-ko-nu was repeating but not semi-automatic, that is, the weapon still had to be manually cocked for each shot as opposed to Phoebe’s variant which seemingly cocks itself. Now I may be misunderstanding the way in which this weapon is supposed to work, but if I am not, this defies the physics concept of the conservation of momentum. Finally, due to its design, a chu-ko-nu was probably hip fired and therefore not very accurate. It relied on volume of fire (and lightly armored or unarmored opponents due to its light projectiles) to work. This means it would probably not make the best weapon for a dragon rider.
  • TINY SPOILER: The first-person point of view of the book is used to make the writing more relatable, but sometimes I think it strays too far in that direction. Like commonly repeated phrases such as “Oh gods” (it is a polytheistic society, after all) or Thatcher’s repetitive insecurities concerning girls. There is also an annoying habit of using past perfect tense (ex. he had been guilty) when present or past tense would read better (ex. he was guilty). Admittedly, these are small annoyances in the grand scheme of things.
  • TINY SPOILER: Mystery in this novel is often manufactured by presenting a question and simply not providing an answer for a while. When the answer is learned, it is usually given to the characters, not earned. For example, when it becomes clear Phoebe has a hidden past, Thatcher could simply ask her, but he has more pressing concerns. Or he asks another character who says, “It would be better if she told you herself.” This would be okay if it happened once or twice, but it happens all the time and makes mystery in the book often feel fabricated.
  • MINOR SPOILERS: I appreciate that Thatcher does not quickly become a fantastic fighter. Instead, he struggles to learn and earn the skills required to become a dragon rider. He must adapt to overcome his shortcomings and learn to tackle the vocation by playing to his own strengths. This dynamic makes the story much more realistic and relatable as he struggles with these new skills and his new life.
  • SPOILERS: I know it is done for the sake of the story, but the idea that teenagers are sent to track down and neutralize a dangerous witch is ludicrous. A half-hearted attempt is made to explain that they are the only ones available, but this excuse doesn’t hold water. For example, an incredibly qualified character named Jaevid is not available to lead the quest because he is training new dragon riders; however, he is able to show up at the end of the book to get the main cast out of trouble. To be sure, it is a common trope of young adult novels to send young people on quests for which they are not qualified (they are the main characters after all), but it is disappointing in this story because other aspects of the novel are so good.