For a series about people obsessed with Greece/Rome, maybe I should be less peeved by deus ex machina, but I'm not. There's like 0 justification or satisfyingly believable explanation for the characters who bail Darrow out just after he "lost everything." ITB: Inconvenient characters die, Darrow lives, and people he could've/should've killed years ago become big problems.

Sevro's plans are only bad because the author doesn't let them work out, Mustang continues to do "the right thing" but Darrow is pissed that she might not be on his side anymore – loyalty starting to matter more to him than justic. He's just annoying.

This book has less plot gumption than the first one – mostly just a bunch of hurt feelings and drama while they go on sidequests to recruit more forces. Book 2 felt more grand, this one is mostly annoying to read.

power of friendship-ass "this makes us more powerful tha Jackal" ew. Annoying that all the things that go wrong could've been avoided if Darrow were like half as vengeful as he claims to be/thinks he is. It's a lot of ~The class of people who I hate for being ruthless were ruthless to me, argh how could I have seen this coming!"

1. we fight for Mars, followed by 2) we fight for everyone which is why we're pulling out of Mars. Does he even have a strategy? Or does he just saw shit.

I don’t think it’s “great” to structure the plot of a trilogy/saga around a social justice rebellion that would’ve been perfectly implemented if the protagonist was as vengeful as he purports to be. All of the betrayals happen at the hands of people he hated, then trusted against all reason other than politicking/personal convenience (essentially making him no better than them), whereas if he acted as savagely as the aristocracy branded his class to be, then he would be a much more effective revolutionary. Fool me once, and you have an opportunity for character development and a “things aren’t as simple as they seem” trope, fool me enough times to fill three books with the same formula and it’s like “no maybe things are that simple and you’re just an idiot with plot armor, Darrow.”

“thousands will be captured, tortured, and killed. Thus is the price of war, the difficulty of leadership”

Ew no, not using your strongest allies as raw bargaining chips.

Bye Felicia

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THAT'S WORSE THAN THE "I studied the blade" COMMENT.

“He [Roque] is still our friend, despite what he’s done to us”

dude shut up, I hope he stabs you in the back are you dumb.

Sevro "dies" because Darrow is overly forgiving, again – but it's actually a secret plot, secret even from the reader even though we have the narrative PoV. Bad writing.

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