Stenibelle
Stenibelle by Ren Garcia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love books that feature lead lady characters. I had previously read the first League of Elder book when I was told to check out this book because I like strong female leads. I was a bit hesitant to read it since I had not read the entire series yet, but I was surprised by how easy it was to follow along. Anyone could pick up this book and enjoy the plot without knowing too much about the series. I do feel that reading at least the first book in the series will help the reader enjoy the story a bit more so you know what a Vith is and a bit of the history of the universe that Ren has created.
It’s an engaging sci-fi/fantasy read and I finished it in about four hours. It’s shorter than some of the other League of Elder books and has a lot less of the history to sort through. It’s paced well and the writing helps create the story in your head as you read along.
The only thing I could complain about is that the book kind of ends on a somber note. It’s hard for me to articulate. You get a sense of closure, but it just didn’t feel like all the closure I wanted for Stenibelle. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger nor is it a flat out sad ending, but I think there is room for the author to write more about Stenibelle. In fact, I wanted a few more chapters at the end of the book giving me a bit more information on what she did after everything was said and done. Of course, that may just be my personal preference.
If you are into this series, it’s a must read, but even if you have never read a League of Elder book this is a great book to start with. It’s written in a way where if you read it with no prior knowledge of the universe that you will still have a good time. But if you are intrigued and decide to go back and read the books in order it would only further enhance your experience and may give a few AHA moments of understanding when you start to become more engrossed in the world Ren has created.
