The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos

Me at the last few chapters:

I hate ambiguous endings.....I hate them. 
Me thinking that the story was resolved like....75% of the way through and then random stuff starts happening....like....
Missing my boy Thorn....
540 Pages

The Storm of Echoes by Christelle Dabos

 Pages: 528

"The distrust between them has been overcome and now Ophelia and Thorn continue their journeys toward an understanding of the indecipherable code of God and the truth behind the mysterious figure of the Other, whose devastating power continues to bring down entire pieces of arks, plunging thousands of innocents into the void. Ophelia and Thorn arrive at the observatory of the Deviations, an institute shrouded in absolute secrecy and overseen by a sect of mystical scientists who secretly conduct terrifying experiments. There, Ophelia and Thorn hope to discover truths that will halt the destruction and death and bring the world back into balance. "

Final read of 2022! I have some mixed feelings about this book. I was disappointed when the fantastical aspects of this book were attempted to be explained by scientific means at the very end. A lot of information was dumped throughout the book that was only hinted at in the others and it felt a little rushed. I wish the book had stayed more in the fantasy realm instead of turning more towards sci-fi and the ending left me in pieces.

The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos

Pages: 508

"After two years and seven months biding her time on Anima, her home ark, it is finally time to act, to put what she has discovered in the Book of Faruk to good use. Under an assumed identity she travels to Babel, a cosmopolitan and thoroughly modern ark that is the jewel of the universe, and where automata have taken over the most humble jobs from humans. But under the surface of this pacific and orderly ark social unrest stirs, fed by the memories of a fateful purge long ago, and the inhabitants’ growing fear of being replaced altogether. Will Ophelia’s talent as a reader suffice to avoid her being lured into a deadly trap by her ever more fearful adversaries? Will she ever see Thorn, her betrothed, again?"

Finally some more answers! This third book in the series starts with another mystery for Ophelia to solve though it leads to more information about the world she lives in and why it is deteriorating. It was a little slow at first but worth the wait for the ending. And we are finally seeing Thorn and Ophelia have actual conversations, took them long enough.

The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

 Pages: 540

"When our heroine Ophelia is promoted to Vice-storyteller by Farouk, the ancestral Spirit of Pole, she finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the public spotlight and her special gift is revealed to all. Ophelia knows how to read the secret history of objects and there could be no greater threat to the nefarious denizens of her icy adopted home than this. Beneath the golden rafters of Pole’s capitol, Citaceleste, she discovers that the only person she may be able to trust is Thorn, her enigmatic fiancé. As one after another influential courtier disappears, Ophelia again finds herself unintentionally implicated in an investigation that will lead her to see beyond Pole’s many illusions to the heart of the formidable truth."

I feel for the main character. She gets thrust straight into the middle of the court and its intrigue and constant scheming. I am tempted to say I liked it more than the first book as we are getting more in-depth into the characters, the overall plot line and while some questions are getting answered, even more are appearing. And of course there is a cliff-hanger to get me hooked for the third book!

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

Pages: 468

"Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world."

Talk about political intrigue. It is near impossible to tell a persons real motives in this book and I love it. It kept me guessing the whole time about what was going to happen. And the world being build is so interesting. There are small notes about what happened called the "Rupture" and I am hoping there are more in the next books!

The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos

Me just wanting more of Thorn, even though he's grumpy and can't explain his feelings.
Has my recent reading of R.F. Kuang's Babel influenced this....a little.
meh
456 Pages

The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos

Ok so this book was better than the first. 
The main has more agency, and like...I feel like we understand why Thorn is cold.... To the next book.
Love the mirror travelling and the magic.
516 Pages

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

The magic is super cool. Like..
Also like....did I pick the book because of the cover...yes. I just think it's neat.
I am intrigued by the grumpy love interest. yes. 
It was ok. I'm curious to see if the main character actually becomes a force and has an active role in deciding the plot or if things just continue to happen to her.
492 Pages