This was a fun read, full of action, intrigue and cat humor (yes, cat humor). I loved The Aeronaut’s Windlass when it came out in 2015, so I was very happy to finally see a sequel, and it didn’t disappoint. I did think it started out slowly, with a lot of different characters to follow and political intrigue to make sense of. Also since it had been years between books, I definitely would have benefitted from a summary of the first book and an explanation of the world. But that’s also on me for not taking the time to refresh my memory.
In the book, the various Spires are all meeting at Olympia to negotiate alliances. It looks like two of the stronger Spires might be teaming up and that means war against the weaker Spires, so Spire Albion is anxious to enter into alliances that will prevent a war. But the warring entities have a lot of weapons, including the world’s strongest dueler who is just itching to insult the other Spires’ warriors. And the only witness to the complete destruction of another Spire is a band of kittens, who won’t talk until a new home can be found for them.
This isn’t anything high level, nor does it break any new ground in steampunk fantasy. But it has it all: duels, flying ships, swordplay, strange worlds and creatures, magic, sex, poison, and a pirate queen. You name it. It’s simply a fun world to immerse yourself in for a while, and I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships. And the cats. If you don’t love cats, I think I’d skip this book. But for the rest of it, the cats are fantastic and Butcher’s descriptions of cat interactions had me laughing out loud.
“Chief Saza, I am Vincent, the Spirearch’s valet. If you and your people would accompany me, I will see to it that food is made available.” Saza chirped to the other small cats, and they promptly gathered around Vincent. He departed from the room haltingly. Cats being cats, there were at least two or three in the immediate path of Vincent’s feet at any given time. He managed to leave after a long-suffering glance at the Spirearch.
Jim Butcher, The Olympian Affair
The pacing of this book needed some work; the first half felt bogged down in details and the second half was action-packed. I do wish there had been fewer characters and storylines, but I enjoyed the way it all came together. There are also some really painful-sounding fights in this book, but that just goes to Butcher’s ability to write so descriptively.
For readers who are fans of Butcher – and cats – I certainly recommend this book, but if it’s been a while since you read Aeronaut’s Windlass, I’d familiarize yourself with that book first (and if you haven’t read it, I’d start there). And if all the politicking and strategizing in the first half feels slow, hang on.
I will also add that I find the cover incredibly ugly, and I don’t usually care much if I don’t like a cover, but there’s something about the cover that I’m afraid will repel readers rather than attract them. It certainly has nothing to do with the actual story.
Note: I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and publisher Berkley Publishing Group/Ace. The book was published November 7, 2023.
