Arm of the Sphinx

This series continues to impress! Book two does something very wise and pulls the focus from Senlin and instead focuses on his ragtag crew. The multi-POV structure worked wonders on deepening the characters. The plot in this one is very sparse; it reminds me of Season two of The Wire. Seemingly not a lot gets done, but the world is fleshed out and the characters are allowed to fully breathe, allowing for the next installment to hit the ground running (hopefully).

My favorite trope is probably the Found Family trope. I just love me a found family, and Senlin's crew of five hits me in all the right spots. Each one of them is a dynamic, interesting character that you don't usually see, who all have complex relationships with each other that feel real and lived in. A teenage trapeze artist trying to assert her independence for the first time? Check. A farmer turned sky pirate with a mysterious debt and a mechanical arm? Check. An illiterate Amazonian going through menopause and discovering she is worth more than her ability to kill people? Check. A thief trying to balance his family's safety with his loyalty to the crew? Check. And then there's the man himself, Thomas Senlin. The characters continue to be my favorite thing about this series.

The only drawback I have about this one is a certain malady that Senlin has for almost the whole book. I just did not think it needed as much time as it got. Otherwise, this book was a blast.
9.5/10