The story could have done with some lighter moments or at least a bit of humour but Nic’s one-liners felt too forced. She was unable to capture any of Nic’s feelings about Aurelius. Nielsen’s action sequences were rushed and sloppy, resolved too easily and had no sense of urgency. It felt off somehow and failed to pull me into the story. The general tone was… it was just not captivating. The writing was fragmented and simplistic. I know what Nielsen is capable of so much more.
Crispus was the only character that acted rationally but I still didn't connect with him. Aurelius was just as stubborn but I did, somewhat, admire her strength. I was frustrated with Nic for making the same mistakes. I never felt as connected to Nic or Aurelius as the characters from the Ascendance series and they continue to disappoint me. It did not excite or entertain me like Nielsen’s other books. Sadly, I have to say it was entirely boring. Nic either argued with Crispus and Aurelius or he shouted threats at Brutus.
Most of the scenes felt repetitive and disjointed. The first two-thirds were dedicated to building up to the dramatic final battle sequence and very little seemed to happen overall. I did not enjoy a single second of it.įor one, the plot was incredibly circular. It was a monumental struggle for me to reach the end of this story. While Nielsen’s Mark of the Thief series was never going to live up to the incredible standards set by her debut series, I never thought she would pen something so utterly bland.
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