** Leviathan Deflates **
- She was reaching for supernatural answers, when memory and mundanity were enough. *
Frankly disappointing. Tiamat’s Wrath had managed to take what was good about the series and use the massive shared context with readers to satisfyingly increase complexity. Along with Winds of Winter, this was one of the books I was looking forward to taking time off work to inhale in a day. Unfortunately Leviathan Falls pairs back to the plot to a few main characters and a pseudo-science arc.
For characters, Tanaka’s POV was neither enjoyable nor novel, echoing Clarissa Mao from earlier in the series. Once Amos becomes an invincible Duncan Idaho, it removes any remaining tension that existed with scenes in person.
For pseudo-science, the authors reveal the new system with hand-waving and character epiphanies that preclude character exploration or reader wonder. Cibola Burn was a more enjoyable experience in this regard, and Leviathan Falls falls far short of books like Rendezvous with Rama.
** 102nd book of 2021 **