Stephanie Jane reviewed Finding Solace by Karl Drinkwater (Lost Solace, #5)
I love this series!
5 stars
Karl Drinkwater's epic Lost Solace quintet comes to a close with this fifth novel, Finding Solace, and I was delighted that it keeps up the high standards of world building and characterisation that I enjoyed so much in its predecessors. I think Finding Solace is the longest of the five, yet Drinkwater's storytelling never falters and I was kept engrossed in Opal's journey throughout the book. Seeing Opal together with her little sister for extended periods of time in (slightly) more relaxed settings gave me a good opportunity to understand their bond and I particularly enjoyed reading these scenes as Clarissa begins to open up to the wider world again. She is obviously deeply traumatised but, I was relieved to see, not irrevocably so.
Athene's analysis and plotting abilities are, again, way beyond my comprehension, but I love how Drinkwater portrays complex scenes, such as the intense battle at the …
Karl Drinkwater's epic Lost Solace quintet comes to a close with this fifth novel, Finding Solace, and I was delighted that it keeps up the high standards of world building and characterisation that I enjoyed so much in its predecessors. I think Finding Solace is the longest of the five, yet Drinkwater's storytelling never falters and I was kept engrossed in Opal's journey throughout the book. Seeing Opal together with her little sister for extended periods of time in (slightly) more relaxed settings gave me a good opportunity to understand their bond and I particularly enjoyed reading these scenes as Clarissa begins to open up to the wider world again. She is obviously deeply traumatised but, I was relieved to see, not irrevocably so.
Athene's analysis and plotting abilities are, again, way beyond my comprehension, but I love how Drinkwater portrays complex scenes, such as the intense battle at the start of Finding Solace, in such a way that I can clearly understand what is going on without losing any of the necessary excitement. This is a rare talent in an author which I have appreciated throughout the Lost Solace series.
I can't say too much more about Finding Solace without giving away the narrative arc to people who have not yet read this book themselves, which I certainly don't want to do. Suffice to say that I turned the final page feeling satisfied at how the series turned out, as well as being pleasantly surprised by the direction Opal's journey takes.
I don't often reread books, but there is so much to explore during the Lost Solace novels that I feel I could happily lose myself in them all over again, gaining greater understanding and spotting previously-missed connections each time. This is such an impressively series and I highly recommend the books to all science fiction fans.