Fists of Justice (Schooled in Magic Book 12)

Overall, I really liked this installment, and it moved the series arc along nicely, but there is quite a bit missing. The story picks up a week or two after winning a life and death WAR and Emily acts like she was coming home exhausted from school. Was she in shock? Denial? Other than preparing for Casper’s funeral, it's like nothing had happened. I was expecting more post-traumatic stress resolution, and hoping for more emotional reaction from her. The people around her treated her like she was back from vacation. She was at WAR. She saw hundreds of humans and thousands of Orcs cover the desert in blood! And other things, like Casper’s mother’s feelings, really needed to be fleshed out more. So much was either ignored or superficially dealt with. There are, fortunately, more installments planned, so maybe we’ll hear more. It’s one thing to stay shallow in magic-packed action stories, but when installments focus more on interaction than action, like this one, the characters' thinking needs to be much deeper.

It's also getting annoying that Emily is so accomplished and yet still suffers from low self-esteem. I hope she finally steps up in the next installment and puts Gordian in knots.

Embedding economic seminars into the story was fascinating (no really) and indeed key to the plot, but it does plod. Tension ratchets up with every page, but things don’t get going until the middle of the book. I did end up reading it in two quick days. I couldn’t put it down because I was expecting something exciting to happen and it eventually did, and now I'm left craving more. Damn Nuttall, I’m addicted to these stories. Is Book 13 out yet?

I agree most strongly with splizes earlier review.
And spoiler alert here too.
I hate how the story ended, and how overbearing the magical antagonist seemed - and how some of the most useful magical techniques were quickly eliminated from Emilies arsenal.
Honestly, now that Emily has her own nexus point, and part share of whitehall's (as a founder of that institution she should clearly have access to at least some of that power) and access to this power transference technique that the cult used in this book, her biggest issue in the future should be, not the lack of power, but how to use the power with delicacy instead of just nuking her way through any obstacle -
The relationship aspect was the hardest for me to deal with. I love to see couples overcome obstacles and become stronger, not for them to fail so clearly cleanly and quickly- sure there were signs before hand, but rather than taking on those initial obstacles emily and caleb just let the pressures build until with a single if severe mistake their romantic relationship is ended.
But somehow, in spite of these issues I have with how I would have LIKED the book to go, I still found the book mostly believable, well written, and very entertaining.
PS how much longer until Emily realizes that her biological father might be someone from the nameless world??? (it could certainly explain the significant magical power).

This plot is pretty predictable because the plot points are explained by the characters point by point - nothing too surprising. It also was a pure filler book in my mind. It's a side story for Emily between re end of the war and her return to Whitehall. Having said that I enjoyed the story. Day

SPOILER-ish:
I like that it introduced new aspects of the world we have previously not heard much about, religion, more family dynamics, info of the railways and other cities. My favorite was the end where Emily becomes "free" again at the end for a possible future with Void (I'll leave it at that). Sets up a future story that I've been waiting a while for - a story with the mysterious Void.

Long on Nuttall type lectures in his characters' words, short on plot or world development.
Do not start this book series with anything other than book one. Buy this 12th series book only if free.
Yet ... I will buy book 13 to see if the return to Whitehall improves the plot AND Tampa down the ideology.

I slogged thru the financial and religious diatribes, which I suppose seemed reasonable. It's always entertaining to read how consistently the author commits to the system of the Nameless World's magic. I absolutely appreciate consistency. I am also entertained by how opposing perspectives are put forth for the sake of understanding those perspectives. There is no down side to respecting other people's choices or decisions, regardless if you share them.

I do not enjoy how inconsistent Emily is in regards to her personal relationships. She seems to hold Caleb, among others, to much higher standards than some in her life. He waited two years for physical intimacy, and Was patiently holding out for emotional intimacy and Emily's full trust at the end. He never betrayed her, not once. He never kicked the crap out of her mouthy side kick--no matter how much she deserved it. He put up with more interference from outside demands on Emily's time than any reasonable love interest should.

So...having sacrificed so much time they could have been growing together, how is Caleb's forebearance rewarded? His one moment of doubt--when he put the family he was born to ahead of the woman he tried so hard to get closer to--is rewarded with adios. Did she fight for the relationship? Did she try to understand that he couldn't fully give his trust to someone who didn't fully trust him? Did she fight to change his mind, to convince him they could make his new status work for them--given time, understanding, and patience? No. Yet, they were the same two people two days earlier that Sienna had acknowledged were in love. Sienna, of all people, who was tougher than Lady Barb about oblgations and duty over love and desire.

Emily is more forgiving of Void--who easily enslaves servants to himself, than Caleb--who loves just a little too hard to risk losing blood relatives to death. Emily can live with a fanatical Frieda prompting a fist fight between some innocent classmate and Caleb, because Frieda didn't like that Emily enjoyed Caeb's kisses. Emily can understand Tiega's physical bullying of Jasmine and Lillian, but not Jasmine's emotional retaliation--just because Jasmine knew the best way to respond to her bully. I don't understand the differing measures by which Emily decides whose right and wrong. I couldn't even predict it if my life depended on it. Tor and Gordian seem to have received more latitude from her--and both set out to do her harm. She seems both mealy-mouthed and harsh, depending on which of her bi-polar personalities is in residence. I didn't begrudge Caleb any relief he may have felt in the end. After all, Emily consistently shows more loyalty, love, and patience for anyone else but him--including for his dead brother who gave her such hell.