Review: Bonds of Brass (The Bloodright Trilogy #1) by Emily Skrutskie
A young pilot risks everything to save his best friend–the man he trusts most and might even love–only to learn that he’s secretly the heir to a brutal galactic empire.
Ettian Nassun’s life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded. He’s spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he’s met Gal Veres–his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who’s made the Academy feel like a new home.
But when dozens of classmates spring an assassination plot on Gal, a devastating secret comes to light: Gal is the heir to the Umber Empire. Ettian barely manages to save his best friend and flee the compromised Academy unscathed, rattled both that Gal stands to inherit the empire that broke him and that there are still people willing to fight back against Umber rule. As they piece together a way to deliver Gal safely to his throne, Ettian finds himself torn in half by an impossible choice. Does he save the man who’s won his heart and trust that Gal’s goodness could transform the empire? Or does he throw his lot in with the brewing rebellion and fight to take back what’s rightfully theirs?
SPOILERS IN THE REVIEW
Review:
Dear Emily Skrutskie,
This is so very much a book that should have worked perfectly for me. SFF books with gay romance as secondary or even main storyline is, in theory, always my cup of tea. So much so that I often seek those books out. When I saw this book, I clicked very fast despite the book being expensive and despite the author being new to me.
Unfortunately the book did not work for me at all. The main reason is the main characters. They *should have* worked, but they did not. It is not that I did not like them. I could have if they were drawn better. Both Ettian and Gal had been through hell, both are thrown right in the middle of the inter galactic war between the two empires, both have interesting goals. I should have been turning the pages of this book with the baited breath following the action (and there was plenty of non-stop action) and hoping the main characters will succeed.
The only problem was? I *did not care*. I don’t know what exactly went haywire for me in the execution of this story, but for the vast majority of this book I felt as if there was a wall between myself and main characters. My emotions were not involved. I don’t know if that’s because Ettian explained everything in great detail and eventually I felt like he had explained too much, for whatever reason, but I just did not care and since Ettian was the only narrator in the book and we see Gal through his eyes only, I did not care much about Gal either and I really wanted to.
I want to be clear, I had plenty of issues with the world building of this book, but if I cared about the characters, their developing romance and their fates, I probably would have been able to hand wave some of it at least. But I did not care about the main characters so more and more questions appeared for me as I was reading which I was not able to answer to my satisfaction.
For example, why would an Empire who won the war decided to hide their only Heir on the planet they subjugated amongst the academy that has many cadets who hate that Empire passionately and surely would be happy to have that Heir dead if the opportunity arises? I hate when the characters are presented as political geniuses of some kind and my reading is that they are just not very smart.
I am not talking about the main characters here, as I previously mentioned my problem with Gal and Ettian was that my emotions were not involved when I read about them. I did not expect a lot of logical thought through actions from two eighteen year olds no matter how smart and war ready they were or they thought they were. But so called politicians? The Umber empire tries to do away with the Anchor rebellion until they were what? Tired? And now rebellion base is right under their noses? I thought it was hilarious.
Oh, and can somebody explain to me what sense did it make for general Tiral’s brother to sacrifice himself and his team? Like what use for the rebellion was in this sacrifice?
I also thought that there would be no way for Ettian to not share the surprise he finally shares with the reader at the end of the book at least a little earlier. We are in his head all the time and he never thought about it? Not once??
I liked Wen, she was annoying but fun. No way I am reading book two and three for her alone though.
D
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I agree! This book annoyed me so much. I also probably could have suspended disbelief and not worried about the lackluster world building or plot holes if I’d been able to connect with the characters. But they didn’t read as coherant characters and I didn’t care about them. When this came out, there was some buzz on GR about the h/h having Poe/Finn energy (from the Star Wars movie) and I could kind of see that, but it wasn’t enough for me to get past the lack of character development.
Reading it, I was alternately annoyed with and baffled by the actions Ettian. I kept hoping there was some big plot twist coming to make it all make sense. And then the big plot twist came and it didn’t explain anything and it just made me really mad at the author.
I did not mention it because it is always icky for me trying to figure out how much the book is influenced by whatever mass culture phenomenon and the influence itself is not always a bad thing, but if this book is not influenced by Star Wars I will eat my hat. Gold leader alone would have been enough for me and suited knights being destroyed, really?
But I would not be able to see actual Fin/Poe vibes because I only watched first new movie and then said bye, I love the original trilogy too much.
the big plot twist made me stare at the page and I was like no way, just no effing way he would not have mentioned it before.
Wow, a D. I am glad I decided to pass on this one! I agree that when you (general you) don’t feel engaged by the characters it’s hard not to notice plot holes. Also, I find fanfic really distracting (when I read it I’m always comparing it to the original work) and I wish that books that began as fanfic would at least try to disguise or blur their origins better so that I could read them without getting distracted.
@Janine: you know I don’t do Ds very often, not because I have any issues with giving a low grade if thats what I end up thinking about the book, but because more often than not I buy the books I end up reviewing and well, over the years I more or less learned to figure out at least if I will end up hating the book. But I am sure you know this desire as a reviewer to share a new author whom you may love with DA audience and man, I was so eager. I know I suggested we review this book together and other two if it will work out ( and yes, you very much dodged the bullet imo ), but I am not sure I mentioned how much I wanted to love this book. I paid twelve bucks for this one, I bought it when the second one was supposed to come out and then waited and waited because I was afraid of the cliffhanger. At least I had a good sense to order the second and third from the library.
and yes, I absolutely find the fanfic distracting , but there is so much of it, always had been in mm world , so I am like whatever, at least couple of the authors I like are open about other movies influence in their works, so I am basically whatever at this point, just please disguise it as you said. Then we go into influence v more than influence, etc and I so dont want to determine what is what, I want to think about the book in front of me nothing else
@Sirius: I know, I almost never see D’s from you. In general we don’t give out many here (I almost always DNF before I get to the end of the book, and then I just give a DNF grade, so it’s rare for me also).
You didn’t mention how much you wanted to love it but you sounded really enthusiastic and I almost said yes because your enthusiasm was contagious. Hopefully we’ll get to review another (and better) m/m SFF book together at some point. I would really like to do that. You got me hooked on the K.D. Edwards series, but I don’t know when the next one is coming out.
And re fanfic-based books—I’m glad to know I’m not the only one!
@Janine: hopefully :). K.D.Edwards’ series is actually an excellent example thank you. I cared for Rune and Brandt almost from the very beginning of the story so it is possible .