The Siren Depths: Volume Three of the Books of the Raksura

Great book she is a wonderful writer

The Siren Depths is the third book in Martha Wells' Books of the Raksura series. The novel brings an interesting story and compelling characters together for a fitting end to the trilogy. But is it the end?One thing I liked about the story was how it tells a tale on two fronts. One one hand there's the immediate story of what Moon is doing and where he's being forced to go. On the other hand, The Siren Depths ties in with the previous novels to finally reveal Moon's full backstory. Readers finally get to find out what happened to him as a kid, how he was separated from his court, the identity of his parents, and more. By the end, all of the loose ends are tied up which gives the book a feeling of completeness. However, the future is kept wide open and there are plenty of major stories that could be explored in future novels.On its own, The Siren Depths is an enjoyable book. It's certainly not something you would want to dive into without reading the other two books first. A lot of world building and character building is accomplished before hand. While you probably could jump straight into this book and enjoy it, you would be missing out on a lot. Regardless, this book fits in perfectly with the series. As part of the greater whole, it continues the fun, but it also ties things together nicely, answers lingering questions, and pushes the characters in intriguing directions.Like the previous stories, there is a good mix of various story elements. It explores new, strange places and creatures. There's a new villain who turns out to be the driving force behind the Fell and their desire to crossbreed with the Raksura. There's a new groundling city discovered on the side of a cliff, built into a gigantic statue. It has harbors for flying boats and its citizens are armed with projectile weaponry. There's also a mysterious underwater city full of secrets that's explored. There's a lot of court intrigue as Moon ventures to a new Raksuran court on the edge of the Reaches. Meanwhile the story of Moon and Jade's relationship continues into new territory. The only thing that's not really explored yet is the raising of the Sky Copper royal clutch.If you're thinking about investing in the series, it's worthwhile. The second and third books are on par with the first. It's also a good way for Star Wars readers to see what Martha Wells' storytelling is like. She does a good job of balancing between characters and plot. The dialog and character development is excellent. She's very imaginative and comes up with some really strange races, creatures, and places. Action is spread throughout the novel with various trigger points and mission points, but it's never drawn out to the point of being tiresome. There also isn't any graphic sex, and while there is violence, she doesn't dwell on it. All in all, it's a great mix for good storytelling that makes for addictive reading.

In this episode of Days of Our Draconic Lives, Moon's more or less settled into life at Indigo Cloud, although he's anxious because he and Jade haven't managed to make a clutch yet despite lots of enthusiastic attempts. But before Stone can slap him in the head and tell him to chillax, gasp! Visitors arrive with stunning news! The mystery of Moon's birth-court has been solved! But, er, there's a problem (of course). They want him back. And by the vagaries of Raksuran custom, Moon has no choice but to leave Indigo Cloud and go meet the people who may well have deliberately abandoned him to die as a child.This was probably the most emotional of the Books of the Raksura, which is probably why it's my favorite so far of the three. Moon -- not the most emotionally together guy at the best of times -- has to muddle his way through a morass of his feelings for Jade, his fears about the future, his anger about his past, other people's hatred of him, and more. As if that's not enough to deal with, the Fell are back with a vengeance... along with something worse. Along the way, though, Wells treats us to the same wonders and horrors that make us love and fear the Three Worlds: amazing ancient cities, magical airships, genteel monsters, breathtakingly badass women, obnoxiously badass grandpas, and truly heartrending moments of pain and beauty.If you even slightly liked either of the two preceding books, make sure you read this one. Seriously.

As a conclusion to the trilogy, this book hits all the right spots. Mysteries are unraveled, adventure is had, characters develop, and there is a generous amount of the court politics and exploration of the Raksuran culture that makes this series so enticing. My one complaint is that the writing itself exists just to push the dialogue forward. There are only a handful of interactions that you will see again and again: heads tilt, hands wave, and spines flick. It gets the job done, but can be tedious. Nonetheless, everything you will have loved about the first two books is here. I've never wished so much that I could visit a world or a culture. Casual, stigma free sex, communal child-rearing, men that are vulnerable and beautiful, and women that are death on wings. What's not to love?If you can't get enough of the Raksura, be sure to check out the short stories on Martha Wells' website, her upcoming novellas, and even give the fanfiction out there on the internet a try, which is surprisingly good and sometimes even better written than the original material. (And I say that, being a person normally not willing to touch fanfiction with a ten foot pole. Either this fandom attracts good writers, or its grown up since I was a teenage girl.)

"The Siren Depths" is the third installment in the books of the Raksura, and continues the adventures of Moon, a shapeshifter who spent most of his life apart from his people. As a result, when he does re-unite with them, he has little understanding of their ways and he--along with the reader--must learn the ins and outs of Raksuran society. This volume focuses mainly on the revelation of Moon's past, as well as the return of series antagonists, the Fell.Overall, if you enjoyed the previous volumes in "The Books of the Raksura" you will enjoy "The Siren Depths." The same humor and character byplay are present, and the writing is, like the volumes before it, clean but evocative. Ms Wells continues to do an excellent job characterizing Moon and exploring the emotional and psychological ramifications of his situation, in a fluid and natural way.The "Books of the Raksura" are light reading in the best sense of the word. For months I kept "The Cloud Roads" and "The Serpent Sea" at my bedside, comfort reading before bedtime. "The Siren Depths" will be joining them. Highly recommended.