Loved it! Thoughts...

[Dina]

Ah. I had never read steampunk at all so I had not prejudices against the genre. And even when I loved Skin Game, I would say I am more interested in a new Cinder Spires book that in Peace Talks.

[nervousenergy]

Not saying you were  but I didnt connect with it at all, and seeing that someone obviously loves it (a fan of the same author since we are on the forums lol) makes me consider that the fault was with me for rushing through it and being prejudiced against the genre.

I loved the book, but am generally not a big fan of steampunk.  To me, everything works or not based on your connection (or lack thereof) with the characters.  I read all of Codex, and while I enjoyed the action scenes and the magic (summoning?) system, I can't recall a single character a year or so after finishing, other than the villain (the bug queen).  The Cinder Spires characters need some fleshing out, but they started out a lot more vivid to me than Codex, especially the etherialists. 

It's hard to compete against a 15 book series, so I don't even try and compare against DF.  The opening book of CS is light years better than the first couple of DF, but that's not saying anything a DF fan doesn't already know. 

As to the setting, it seems to strongly hint at a steampunk genre in form only, with the eventual underpinning in harder SF.  No way to tell right now what JB has in mind, but it seems to be a stagnant colony on a hostile world that's lost most of it's tech and history.  The characters and story so far are more than good enough to keep me buying, but I'll be happier if it turns out that way.  My dislike of the steampunk setting is due to it usually having no plausible basis of existence, even with strong fantasy elements, and is used as a lazy crutch by authors to do SF or fantasy with a Victorian theme.  Steampunk as a technical regression from a higher-tech base is a lot easier to swallow, combined with the really intriguing physical setting.

Hopefully the characters grow on you, but even with the very best authors that's never a guarantee.   

[Fedd]

I loved the book, but am generally not a big fan of steampunk.  To me, everything works or not based on your connection (or lack thereof) with the characters.  I read all of Codex, and while I enjoyed the action scenes and the magic (summoning?) system, I can't recall a single character a year or so after finishing, other than the villain (the bug queen).  The Cinder Spires characters need some fleshing out, but they started out a lot more vivid to me than Codex, especially the etherialists. 

It's hard to compete against a 15 book series, so I don't even try and compare against DF.  The opening book of CS is light years better than the first couple of DF, but that's not saying anything a DF fan doesn't already know. 

As to the setting, it seems to strongly hint at a steampunk genre in form only, with the eventual underpinning in harder SF.  No way to tell right now what JB has in mind, but it seems to be a stagnant colony on a hostile world that's lost most of it's tech and history. 

I started a re read several days ago, and its not the characters or setting that bug me but the dialogue. Even in Codex Alera where the characters had every reason to speak oddly, they sounded and spoke normally. In CS everyone is using that faux, archaic English. Which is really grating and tedious to read. I am enjoying the books far more than the first time tho. I just ignore the forced language.

You are right on several points, it isnt fair to compare it to dresden, since the first few in that series were pretty rough. Jim has clearly improved a ton over the years.

One thing I will disagree with you though, I love the DF, but codex alera is by far my favorite work of his.

[Dina]

I've heard the comment about the English language in CS several times. Now, English is not my first language (it's the third. to be honest) and probably because of that I always have to struggle with the language, but I like to do it. That is why I had no problem with the Victorian English of the book. I probably found it easier than the Dresden Files. That is not too weird. I have zero problems reading Victor Hugo in French but I can't read a Paris Match. I don't understand it. That is why for me the language in TAW was great and I enjoyed imagining my characters speaking like that. For you, it may sound artificial. For me, it sounds I've been taught English is.

Nervo, I still believe they are on Earth. Future Earth

[GrandPanjandrum]

One thing that struck me throughout the book was the parallels to the Honor Harrington series by David Weber.  I don't think it was an accident that Weber was one of the reviewers of the book (especially) since he belongs to a different publisher.  You have sentient cats, enhanced warrior "breeds," ship to ship battle, different cultures clashing (and in my opinion eventually coming together to fight a greater foe).  Discourse between characters is very dialogue driven (as with Weber).  One of the primary characters is even a captain of unquestionable honor.