Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Baen (2012), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 608 pages
Description
As the first hradani wind rider in history, Bahzell stirs resentment over his elevation to the War God's elite champion, a situation that is further complicated by the romantic advances of Baron Tellian's heiress daughter.
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Interesting - a slight change in emphasis, I think. It's much less about Bahzell - he's not even the viewpoint character for much of it. The Dark Gods do quite a lot of talking, and we see things from the viewpoint of their - not champion, but...head agent? Arm Shahana, a champion of the Mother,
Show More
has a few parts. Leeana has quite a few, important, viewpoint scenes. Lots of other people, on all sides of the conflict - heck, we get into a devil's head for a while! Bahzell is important, as a pivot point for a lot of the action and for a final battle scene, but he's really not the protagonist of this one. As the title indicates, this one is Leeana's book - though even she doesn't have the majority of the viewpoint scenes. She does have quite a few exciting changes happening to and around her, though. This book is set six years (or so) after the end of Wind Rider's Oath, so there have been time for some interesting plans to develop and characters to change - or not, as appropriate. Nice to see Gayrfressa again. Lots of gods popping in and out. But even though this seems to be a "cusp" - an important battle in the fight for this world - it's not finished; the world is not completely for the Light, by the end. And there's lots of interesting little hints being dropped...just why is Wencit so interested in Leeana? And Brandark's still at loose ends. And...yeah. Lots more. Next, please! Show Less
LibraryThing member JeremyPreacher
(This is a review of the ARC. Spoilers to follow.)
War Maid's Choice was... fine, I suppose. It does a lot of things that Wind Rider's Oath did, and in much the same ways. The one really notable thing it did was widen the scope of the series - we've gotten mutterings that something is going down,
My main problem is, of course, that the hints are so broad, and so obvious, that they're almost insulting. And what they're hinting at just doesn't look that interesting. If I didn't know it was coming, it might work better, but... now I do.
My various lesser problems: the "epic battle" was sort of ludicrous on a number of levels. Much is made of this new enemy that was maybe named in passing once but never actually described, so they appear to pop out of nowhere. The main enemy deity had the potential to be the most interesting, for a number of reasons, but he never actually appears and his minions are disposed of quickly and efficiently. The political maneuvering managed to be both absurdly byzantine and laughably unsubtle.
And the romance. Good god, the romance. Look, you can't just say "Oh these two characters that we know intimately, who have had close-third-person viewpoints through the whole of the last book, have actually been in love that whole time and just didn't want to say anything about it." It doesn't work. It really doesn't. If Weber intended for those two to end up together when he was writing Wind Rider's Oath, he botched the job, badly. (Also? Much is made throughout the series of just how huge Bahzell is. 7'8", 400 pounds of muscle, etc etc yes-your-dick-is-bigger. Except... it apparently isn't? Because, proportionally speaking... I'm just sayin')
Also, just send Brandark offscreen on a mission or something, will you? He's too good a character to waste like that.
War Maid's Choice was... fine, I suppose. It does a lot of things that Wind Rider's Oath did, and in much the same ways. The one really notable thing it did was widen the scope of the series - we've gotten mutterings that something is going down,
Show More
but now we get to see some pretty broad hints as to what it actually is.My main problem is, of course, that the hints are so broad, and so obvious, that they're almost insulting. And what they're hinting at just doesn't look that interesting. If I didn't know it was coming, it might work better, but... now I do.
My various lesser problems: the "epic battle" was sort of ludicrous on a number of levels. Much is made of this new enemy that was maybe named in passing once but never actually described, so they appear to pop out of nowhere. The main enemy deity had the potential to be the most interesting, for a number of reasons, but he never actually appears and his minions are disposed of quickly and efficiently. The political maneuvering managed to be both absurdly byzantine and laughably unsubtle.
And the romance. Good god, the romance. Look, you can't just say "Oh these two characters that we know intimately, who have had close-third-person viewpoints through the whole of the last book, have actually been in love that whole time and just didn't want to say anything about it." It doesn't work. It really doesn't. If Weber intended for those two to end up together when he was writing Wind Rider's Oath, he botched the job, badly. (Also? Much is made throughout the series of just how huge Bahzell is. 7'8", 400 pounds of muscle, etc etc yes-your-dick-is-bigger. Except... it apparently isn't? Because, proportionally speaking... I'm just sayin')
Also, just send Brandark offscreen on a mission or something, will you? He's too good a character to waste like that.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SunnySD
Take one War Maid determined to get her man, a bunch of squabbling gods, a handful of Champions, some giant, very intelligent "horses" and their riders, an evil magician or two, various demons and dark powers, and mix well. The result? One surprisingly readable epic fantasy. The fourth installment
Show More
in the War God series didn't disappoint, and I hope it won't be the last. Show Less
Awards
SF Site Reader's Choice (2012)
Language
Original publication date
2012-07
Physical description
598 p.; 6.42 inches
ISBN
1451638353 / 9781451638356