“They’re turning on us!” cried one of the sailors, voicing a panic that threatened to sweep through all the humans on board.
“Jesus fucking wept, you cowards,” said Berenice. “Try not to splash the rest of us when you piss your pants, you dickless shitbags.”

The finale.

I feel like I reviewed this book already, but seem to have lost it (or never wrote it in the first place).

Still. It’s always good to finish a series.

I don’t think Tregillis quite landed this as solidly as could have been, but it’s still a wonderful world. I still love seeing the world built on mechanical slaves that is just now falling apart. I love seeing the war develop between not just the Dutch and French, but now multiple factions within the mechanicals as well.

On the other hand, that does make it quite complicated, getting into the mechanics of how the mechanicals came to be, how free will works, and who’s side everyone is on throughout the book.

Really, I wanted either even more worldbuilding, really getting into the source of mechanicals, how they work, how they came to be, and what it all means. Or leave it out. We just have so many hints at a deeper magic/technology here and I want more! It would be interesting to see this world a few hundred years down the road. One day perhaps.

Overall, a good series. And I’m glad to have read it. Onward!