The Cuckoo by Leo Carew
Book information
The Cuckoo by Leo Carew (an incredible human being, with the ability to be an army doctor and help the world during the pandemic as a doctor), book one in Under The Northern Sky.
Published first on the 6th of December 2022 by Orbit.
4.5 stars out of 5
The last instalment in a war between cultures that cannot allow the other to survive; plenty of internal conflict in the Anakim as a consequence of Roper’s decisions and Keturah needs to do take action in clever and insightful ways
Keturah really steps up in this book, driven by events but she is ready for the responsibility
Ormur has a special place in this book
I loved the ending of this trilogy; consequences and a new start feel the right way to honor all the events of the prior books
A few highlights
This book contains one of my favorite rhetoric duels I have ever read
the Historian, Frathi, and Kethurah have a great exchange, incredible quality of speech and pathos; it felt almost like being in the Agora in Athens. Loved everything about these pages.
we are giving Pryce the tribute he deserves (and it was a pretty emotional moment for me)
misinformation is a quite relevant component that shape the events in Hindrunn
Loved what happened to Roper and the follow-up activities that start for the determination of his younger brother, Ormur
The role of the Kryptea is pushed to its limits and treason is not a remote possibility
Bellamus and his point of view are particularly strong this time around and he is providing quite a lot of insight on the Anakim and their way of living, from a human point of view
Tropes/themes that work for me
Family and survival are the main topics address with this book
one must be ready to sacrifice it all for it.
Deceit and treason are another essential part of the story, playing on many different planes with many different parties involved in this process
this also leads to the worst decisions for all, including showing the worst colors of certain generals
Continued exploration of the difference in cultures; Bellamy’s fascination with the Anakim is explained
New races are being uncovered in this book, such as the katata, incredibly scary race of assassins
