493 pages

English language

Published May 4, 2014

ISBN:
978-0-356-50469-8
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OCLC Number:
893661898

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3 stars (13 reviews)

Lord Regent Geder Palliako's war has led his nation and the priests of the spider goddess to victory after victory. No power has withstood him, except for the heart of the one woman he desires. As the violence builds and the cracks in his rule begin to show, he will risk everything to gain her love - or her destruction. Clara Kalliam, the loyal traitor, is torn between the woman she once was and the woman she has become. With her sons on all sides of the conflict, her house cannot stand, but there is a power in choosing when and how to fall. And in Porte Oliva, banker Cithrin bel Sarcour and Captain Marcus Wester learn the terrible truth that links this war to the fall of the dragons millennia before, and that to save the world, Cithrin must conquer it.

3 editions

reviewed The widow's house by Daniel Abraham (The dagger and the coin -- 4)

Review of "The widow's house" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I continue to adore this series. Though The Widow’s House has notable flaws (and note them I‌ will), it still has the delightful characters that I was glad to revisit and the interesting ideas that make this series unique.

Those ideas are even more relevant than ever. The way that false certainty (spread via ancient magic) has plunged the world into an unending war, and the same kings and priests that perpetuate that war can’t recognize the evil that they’re doing strikes a chord with anybody who has watched the endless pointless American wars of the last few decades.

Much of The Widow’s House shows us the consequences of that war:‌ it’s unsustainable, but the religion of the Antean Empire won’t let them see it. The Empire lacks the manpower to control all the territory its increasingly worn-out army is conquering, and famine looms. Meanwhile, the religion itself begins to …

reviewed The widow's house by Daniel Abraham (The dagger and the coin -- 4)

Review of "The widow's house" on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

He whispered, softly enough that not even Sabiah could hear him, "I don't want to do this anymore."

Am I sympathizing with Geder? While this series continues to be a great read with wonderful characters Geder is the reluctant, but entirely aware of his role, villain I enjoy. His juxtaposition between power and immaturity is excellent and I look forward to each chapter of his.

The power should have been freeing. Instead, it weighed him down.

The most dangerous person in the realm who has no true friends and is causing a war that grips all borders because of a girl. What I enjoy is the simple reason why Geder is so upset, yet he imagines conspiracies that don't exist, jumps at shadows and can still claim that what he is doing is right.

Violence made the landmarks of his personal city. Perhaps even of this world.

Geder will abandon …

reviewed The widow's house by Daniel Abraham (The dagger and the coin -- 4)

Review of "The widow's house" on 'Goodreads'

No rating

By now it is all so dour and hopeless that I get tired of the series. The characters have run out of interesting twists to their lives and developements. I'd be really pleasantly surprised if the author manages to tie it all up in a satisfying conclusion.
That said, I still enjoy the book, it doesn't break anything stated previously and I look forward to the next part.

My favourite part was the meetin of Clara and her eldest son: "You don't know who I am..." "Mother? What are you doing here?"
The sulky dragon not being that big of a deal is also cool.

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Subjects

  • Imaginary wars and battles
  • Orphans
  • Quests (Expeditions)
  • Dictators