Dark Currents

***½I’m kind of puzzled as to why Lindsay Buroker’s The Emperor’s Edge books are so fun, readable, and compelling but they are. Buroker’s books are not great fantasy. In fact, her world building is quite shoddy. I have no true visual of the city or it's people. The technology level is sketchy at best with her heroes driving lorries and using rifles/pistols, yet still carrying antiquated weapons like swords. The rules for magic are a mystery. The political strata is kind of vague and the [...]

Thoroughly enjoyed this second entry in the series, which widens the POVs beyond Amaranthe (my favorite) to include Books, the quiet librarian among the five guys following Amaranthe. While the main relationship follows a predictable path I like the way it was handled, especially the conversations toward the end. And the last few lines? Terrific. Made me go straight out to buy the next.The world building is pretty sketchy, but the breezy tone and above all Amaranthe's voice carries the fast-pace [...]

Dark Currents is better than the first book in the series, which struck me as okay, but weak. But it isn't a lot better. The Emperor's Edge was interesting enough to make me this self-published author a second chance, but while this does represent a step forward, it's not enough of one to make me enthused about the series. And so, I think we're going to part ways here. There isn't anything I'm hanging fire on finding out, so while I find them moderately amusing, I think I'm good. There are a lot [...]

: I've cheated on you, and for that i am sorry; the book was finished yesterday. But no worries, i put the right finished date.So What i want to say is: The bOOk is awesome. Amaranthe is cool and kickass, and so is Sicarius.Books is admirable, since he "likes" books. Overall, the book is good.But i don't really like having Books' POV. Not that i don't like him, it's just that Amaranthe is in all the action, so to say. Yet he did bring and interesting change of view and feelings.Though, i have on [...]

As good as the first!I love Amaranthe, Sicarius, Books, Maldynado, Akstyr and Basilard!The way Amaranthe teases Sicarius and treating all the others is plain fantastic! Her voice is the most fantastic thing in this book! :)On with the next! :)

Loved it. Not going to bother writing a full review since I JUST reviewed Book 1, and I'm diving right into Book 3. But I seriously enjoyed this and think everyone who is even somewhat interested in steampunk fantasy should give The Emperor's Edge series a try!

Fantasy Review BarnA quick recap of ‘The Emperor’s Edge;’ Amaranthe and her plucky cast of outlaws are actually nice people, doing everything they can to save the Emperor from some bad people. Amaranthe sets up a complex and brilliant plan to trap the baddies, which fails miserably. Despite this, a few lucky breaks and some quick thinking from several people in the crew works out in their favor, the Emperor is saved, and the entire crew find themselves to be outlaws still. Tough break.So a [...]

I loved this one too. Lindsay Buroker is the queen of pace and action.I love The emperor's edge and I hope Sicarius will be impossible to tease for long. I hope Amaranthe keeps trying, though.Onto the next one.

***3.5 Stars***Yes! I made it through this one! There are still a lot of the same elements carried over from the last book that bugged me. Amaranthe and her compulsive cleaning/straightening and the lack of other strong female characters (aside from the bad guys of course-there are always women bad guys) being paramount. Also, the author's use of obscure/not commonly used words when colloquially ones would have sufficed. I noticed it first with cogitate, especially when she used it twice. After [...]

Not bad, better than book #1 was, perhaps because I have some investment in the characters now. A good light read.

The second novel in the Emperor's Edge series does a good job of developing the characters introduced in the titular first novel. The author takes her semi-steampunk fantasy world further in this installment, introducing a mystery that requires the team to leave the walls of the city for a rural woodland adventure. More elements of steampunk technology and magic (referred to as the 'mental sciences' by the inhabitants of the world) abound in this novel than the last, again not too often relied u [...]

Actual rating: 3½ starsThe Emperor’s Edge was a nice introduction to the series and Dark Currents, although not the best book in the series, offers quite a lot in terms of character development. I didn’t enjoy the story that much but what makes the series so appealing to me is the interaction between the characters. I just love Amaranthe and her fellow outlaws! In this second instalment the story focuses on Books and although he is not my favourite character I still enjoyed reading about hi [...]

I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. Perhaps it's the second-book-syndrome After loving the first book in the EE series, which I read in one day, I found myself finishing Dark Currents more because I felt like I should than because I couldn't put it down. I read that Ms. Buroker intends to give each of the characters his/her own books, but honestly, I didn't realize that this was Books' book until I read her notes. I'm more interested in knowing what drives Amaranthe, rather than get to [...]

When three bodies show up in the aqueduct our heroes are using for their hide-out Amaranthe senses an opportunity to help the Empire and clear their names. The team head into the mountains to the source of the cities water in an effort to find the culprit and thwart whatever dastardly plan they have. Dark Currents is interesting and entertaining in a Romancing the Stone kind of way. There isn't all that much world building and the story is painted with broad brush-strokes so it's easily accessib [...]

Good story. I'm still reminded of Sagara's Elantra without all the races, but I think the slow burn romance in this one will actually happen at some point whereas Sagara's is unlikely to ever happen after 11 books and still not movement.Buroker approach to the "female enforcer" story is believable, although I have to be honest that the steampunk is quite light and I don't feel like I know the world well enough yet to get a handle on just how much technology is available to the world, nor on how [...]

Hear ye! Hear ye! EVERYBODY should read this series! The Emperor's Edge books by Lindsay Buroker is a very smart, funny, well-written fantasy series!! Dark Currents the 2nd installment is just as good and improves on the first book. Amaranthe Lokdon, former enforcer turned outlaw is back with her motley crew of unlikely Empire do-gooders, Sicarius the Empire's best assassin, Maldynado the handsome ladies man, Books the professor & Akstyr, the sullen would-be magician.I enjoyed this so much, [...]

I really wanted to like this series - but I just can't. It's just dull. I have no time for dull.DNF - 41%

simply fantastic addition to this amazing series ;) my favourite band of misfits did not disappoint ;) full review after I post it on my blog ;) edited to add the full review from my blog :)I was a bit afraid to read this book mainly because I loved the first one sooo much and I wasn't sure if the sequel would capture all of that magic, humor and hilarious interactions that made me fall in love with it in the first place :) but fear not, it was just as awesome :) my favourite band of misfits did [...]

Dark Currents is the second book in the series The Emperor's Edge and it was told from the point of view of the heroine but also from Books, one of the member from the Emperor's Edge that is very smart so basically he is the intellectual member of the group.Despite being intelligent Books is the sarcastic one of the group that feels inferior to his crew because of his lacking skills in the art of fighting and for this reason he does not feel that he belongs with Amaranthe and the rest of the mem [...]

This sequel to the King's Edge neither surprised nor disappointed. The character interactions, the sole thing that kept me reading, progressed predictably. The steampunkish world, however, jarred even more annoyingly in the second book than the first, and the plot and gimmicks that drove the book made me feel that the whole thing would have been more enjoyable in a Regan-era Cold War setting rather than messily glopping a coat of steampunk paint onto easily recognizable objects and situations. A [...]

I CAN'T EVEN REVIEW THIS PROPERLY RIGHT NOW. Dark Currents was a nonstop adventure. I absolutely adore every single character in this epic squad. Each of the characters offer something utterly fascinating, and I really want to keep delving into each of the character's pasts because I still feel like I don't actually know everything about them, and they have secrets they're keeping from each other and the reader. I'm honestly shocked how much progress was made romance wise. I wasn't expecting any [...]

Actual rating 3.5 stars. The following review was originally posted on my book blog The Book Challengers.I can't believe it, but this series gets better! The first book was decent enough and I was a bit interested in finding out what would happen to Amaranthe, Sicarius, Books, Akstyr and Maldynado next. But I couldn't even dream of being this invested in the story!I guess my like for this series bases heavily on my like for the characters as they're fun to read about. The world building isn't al [...]

Finally, the sequel to 'Emperor's Edge'! And this one is as good as, if not better, than the first. Amaranthe and her gang have stumbled upon a new dilemma facing the empire: someone is poisoning the city's water supply. Of course, Amaranthe and her team don't hesitate to take up the challenge, and naturally, mayhem and adventure ensue. I'll not go into detail (that would spoil the story), but if you've read any of Buroker's other books, you will not be disappointed with this one. Okay, you migh [...]

This book is more fantasy than the first Emperor's Edge book -- the magic is more prominent. The first book was set almost entirely from the point of view of Amaranthe, with some from the point of view of Sicarius. This book lets us see into the head of Books, who is a fascinating character. His view of Amaranthe's relationship with Sicarius shows how scary the assassin can be, and how compelling Amaranthe's leadership is. She's helped him come to terms with the death of his family and begin to [...]

I simply love this series!! AND I'm not going to liedark, brooding Sicarius makes my knees weak! :P there's a lot more interaction between our two favourite characters too! Loving it! Third book, come to mama!-The Book Herald

You can find my reading progress here! It's pretty awesome, if I do say so myself *wink wink*

3 1\2Cute, but too predictable and damn similar to the previous book.

3.5*Mutilated bodies appeared in the city aqueducts, luckily found by Books and Maldynado. A little later, people in the city are getting sick. Wondering if the 2 things are related, Amaranthe and her gang investigate.One thing I liked about this was the interplay between the characters. They are a chosen family. Amaranthe (a former enforcer and one the first women), Books (a former university professor), Sicarius (assassin- for the Emperor), Maldynado (disowned by his family), Basilard (former [...]

Dark Currents by Lindsay BurokerI loved The Emperor's Edge, so I dug into Dark Currents almost immediately. Dark Currents picks up where The Emperor's Edge left off--Amaranthe and Co. are still criminals with hearts ofh, gold. Maybe. And only when Amaranthe is in charge. They've moved into a pump house and are 'staying low key' while simultaneously trying to gain recognition for their 'good' (and often bungled) deeds.The characters are really making this series fly for me. You've got Amaranthe, [...]

This is the second in the ‘Emperor’s Edge’ series of steam-punk fantasy adventures with Amaranthe the female cop and her unlikely bunch of sidekicks. They're more at the entertaining romp end of the fantasy spectrum, and it probably doesn't pay to look too closely at the precise details of the plot, a fairly ramshackle affair which would fail any logic test, so anyone looking for great insight into the human condition or gritty realism should probably move swiftly on. But light-hearted fun [...]