Rating: 4 out of 5
This is not my first time to read this book or this series. It might, in fact, be the third time all considered, but that’s not really material presently. I picked it up again as I wanted to read something generally enjoyable which would take me into a fantasy world. Finding new stories can be tough, so an old favoured one by Adrian Tchaikovsky sounded like a very good option. That said, I don’t think that the first books in the series were my favourites previously, and the second book, though enjoyable in some parts, is overall not the best.
What do I like here? I appreciate the action between the Collegium and Vek; this is written fairly well, with a good amount of inward reflection. This also pits Stenwold Maker against much of what one could assume he disliked previously, but in his eternal tiredness (is there one Maker POV part here where he is not tired?) he comes out rather well. The stories of Salma, Totho, and the other folks, meanwhile, are meandering and don’t really amount to a lot—not in terms of the progression of the story, but rather for what these characters stand for. Sure, Totho and Salma both go through a big turn-around in their personages, but it’s not unexpected.
But what I really appreciate is the slow intermixing of the technology and magic. This is really the best part about the series, and though some of the inventions sound odd to our ear, it is very interesting to see the way in which the author considered that technology could develop. And, yet, there’s magic too! As they say in the title, it’s perhaps hidden and not always omnipresent—not a big wizard swinging a staff!—but it’s there, working it’s way into events.
I liked it on this re-read, but from what I remember I used to like the latter books much more. So, I’m making my slow way to them!
