Various Thoughts

T.A. White’s Firebird Chronicles reminds me of series like Sirantha Jax and Theirs Not to Reason Why. Series that I had almost forgotten I’d missed.

What’s interesting about these first four books (Rules of Redemption, Age of Deception, Threshold of Annihilation, and Facets of Revolution) is that they tell a continuous story; the next book begins immediately from where the previous ends in an unbroken scene. This poses a bit of a problem since the series is currently incomplete… although I’m not sure if it’s better or worse than using a conventional style of cliffhanger.

Content-wise you have your standard brash female protagonist with abnormal power forced onto a path she initially doesn’t want which features a love interest it initially seems like a bad idea to get involved with. Yet, despite the fact that I really hate stories where people in positions of power force their views/goals on others this one ends up managing to walk a tightrope balance by having those rulers actually care about the people they’re trying to rule. Which opens the door for compromise (following a conflict of some sort of course).

That said, the way Facets of Revolution sets the stage for its presumed follow-up is incredibly contrived. Just cringe-inducing idiocy from all involved that does not bode well for whatever the author intends as the endgame.