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 civic duties to care for Jorey's family in their time of need because he wants to show he cares for his friend but none of it is reciprocated. Geder acknowledges his loneliness and comments on how absurd it all is, but he's stuck and all he can do is flex military muscle and continue to misunderstand fear for respect.

Absence of evidence which forms the core of speculation requires the absence of judgement.

The lines of right and wrong are blurred based on the perspective of the person and I enjoy seeing a character act on what they believe is honest and right intentions. The blind faith servants and enslaved put in to the spider goddess and their obedience because there is absence of evidence walks a fine line between fiction and non-fiction.

"So you shall be my Stomcrow. Murmus Stormcrow."

"Marcus."

"Marcus Stormcrow."

Cities fall, the devastating affects of battle have crossed the countryside and overall the story is pretty bleak. Because of that I have appreciated the bits of humour that lighten the mood. They are fleeting but they exist.

Inys' usage in the story has been just the right amount. Inys can't cross the continent in hours and has been shown as a liability in battle. A dragon would have been such an easy Deus ex Machina for the story and I'm grateful that Abraham has avoided that pitfall.

When I am drunk, I have hope. When I am sober, I am too much of a coward to let myself die.

This is probably my favorite book of the series to date and I'm excited to carry on in to the finale.

I highlighted more sentences than I know what do with them in this review so I'll add them below because they are too good to discard.

Humanity has been struggling for power and advantage since the last time a dragon flew. Perhaps before. I don't see the need for a grand plot to explain what's normal.

We can't win by fighting, because fighting is what the enemy wants of us.

I think war's like fire. It goes where it wants more often than where you'd have wanted it to.