2022-09-14
The human-Faerie war sees its final battle.
In this third installment following Justice at Sea (2021) and set in an alternate Victorian England, Adm. Justice Kasric prepares her motley naval crew to fight the Black Shuck after the demise of the queen and Faerie invasion. The Kasric lineage is twisty and tangled, mixing human and Faerie. Justice needs the help of her estranged half siblings to fulfill an ancient prophecy portending the war; will she be able to defeat the evil Black Shuck before he overtakes England and plants his own as monarchs? In this work told through a kaleidoscopic array of viewpoints, including Justice’s, her siblings’ (both human and otherwise), and even a dragon’s, readers are privy to different dimensions of this intricate and complexly wrought war. Klaver’s swashbuckling naval fantasy offers every trope a genre fan may want, from soaring dragons to murderous pix, dark magic, and summoned demons. The impact, however, is dizzying with the sheer number of magical beings and characters; many are name-dropped, but few have lasting importance, only adding to the bloat. Disappointingly after two strong earlier entries, this time the story plods along, buried under a heap of exposition, only to be resolved quickly and frustratingly, leaving readers wondering what the buildup was for.
Overstuffed and unsatisfying. (family tree) (Fantasy. 12-18)
