The Desert and the Blade (A Novel of the Change)

This is the most recent installment in the emberverse story - and continues with the second generation's activities. The focus of operation moves south to the desert. In general, it is a good story, however the increasing use of "epic" prose gets really annoying. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see where this is all going.

I have been reading this series for years. I await each new one. I am not sure that I will awaiting the next one if things don't pick up. Don't get me wrong...the story is good. And when the story is being told I eat up the pages. When the novel spends page after page of who is wearing what, or eating what or who is related to whom I skip over with a glance. When the characters where first coming out of the change food was key to the plot. It isn't so much now. I have said it before and I will say it again, put a list of characters and their relations or a family tree in the back of the book and be done. Who is picking up this novel after so many before it and needs to have pages spent on the past. I love the idea behind the Emberverse. I want to spend more time reading about the characters and how they are living and creating a new world and not the clothes that they wear. And by the way, will we ever get to hear from Lady Juniper again?

I have been reading this series for years. I await each new one. I am not sure that I will awaiting the next one if things don't pick up. Don't get me wrong...the story is good. And when the story is being told I eat up the pages. When the novel spends page after page of who is wearing what, or eating what or who is related to whom I skip over with a glance. When the characters where first coming out of the change food was key to the plot. It isn't so much now. I have said it before and I will say it again, put a list of characters and their relations or a family tree in the back of the book and be done. Who is picking up this novel after so many before it and needs to have pages spent on the past. I love the idea behind the Emberverse. I want to spend more time reading about the characters and how they are living and creating a new world and not the clothes that they wear. And by the way, will we ever get to hear from Lady Juniper again?

And the storied quest of the two fated princesses reaches its conclusion. First we have two titanic battles. A land action out of the traditions of Camerone and the Hot Gates with a near simultaneous sea battle in the spirit of the age of Nelson. We have four new survivor cultures [three previewed in the Change anthology released this past spring], each with their own weird wonderful quirks and the four forming a mosaic on what was once greater LA. We have a harrowing trek into the dessert where our young Japanese empress must confront a place and demons out of phase with time and land. We than have a final confrontation whose twists will completely surprise you…while setting up the next round in the struggle of light and darkness. Series like this can often drag after a while. Same characters fighting the same villains with very minor real situational change. Here you have the feel of a living, changing world, and very plausible characters trying their best to grow and come of age as each faces responsibilities far beyond her years or life experience. The only pity is having to wait twelve months for the next book.

The further they get into this series, the worse the books seem to get. "Dies the Fire" and the three following books moved along well and were gripping. Now the story is so full of fluff and uninteresting/excessive detail reminds of a high school sophomore trying to flesh out a 10 page term paper.

The world remains interesting. It is expanding in new territories both in Montival and the wider world.
However, there is limited use of the expanded world, adding little to the story.
Overall, the original spark is gone.
The plot is highly predictable and the heavy use of supernatural makes it even worst.
I used to wait anxiously for the next book in this series.
Now I think is about time for this story to end...