Review for "The Maelstrom" by Henry H. Neff

"I'm a god," he whispered, steam coursing off his body. "A god of war and blood and victory. Every day I grow stronger. I'll drive every army before me. My enemies will know fear like they've never known it before..." 



Rating: 3.75 stars

Is it just me, or is there only so much raising of the stakes an author can do before it becomes repetitive? Don't get me wrong, I love the BA Max moments, but it seems that twice every book the situation becomes serious like it hadn't been before, and it gives it an overwhelming Boy Who Cried Wolf vibe. I think this stems from the concerns I had about the second book. The second book raised the stakes so much, that by the time you get to the fourth book there's not much more that can be done to make the plot of the book more urgent and austere.

I do commend this book for the series' overall improvement in the character arena. I felt that the characters were much more interactive and relatable than in the first three books. I did have some issues with the romance. Julie and Max are together for a few months, and suddenly it's the end of the world for Julie when Max comes back? And like, she's mad at him even though the reason he left was to save the world? And she's still in love with him even though they stopped dating over two years ago and now she's engaged to someone new? And then Scathach just comes in and Max and her are both like "I have such feelings for you pls be with me" even though they barely had non-professional contact before this book??? I don't know if it's just me and my ignorance of Irish mythology, but when Scathach was described in Book 3 I had definitely imagined her as a female version of Chiron from Greek mythology - a wizened older warrior who trains the young 'uns. In short, my brain completely rejected the Max-Scathach relationship.

Still, I can appreciate the characters by themselves, and their friendships better, particularly Max and David as individuals and their relationship. I like how the Old Magic brings them together, and the central conflict feels more like a team effort than a spotlight on Max throughout the book. I appreciated Sarah, Lucia, and Cynthia, although I think we would've gotten more development out of them if they had been more prominent in previous books.

Also, can I just say that I'm a big fan of Astaroth as an antagonist? He's so complex. He doesn't act evil, just manipulative. Astaroth isn't a Voldemort or a Kronos or a President Snow, who are all so outwardly wicked and are trying to take down our protagonist at each encounter. He makes bargains and has vendettas and is overall just sneaky. He only is really cruel when someone steps in his way, unlike Prusias who will kill because it's fun. I wish this series had more of Astaroth as the main villain instead of Prusias, who is predictable and annoying.

But the Old Magic was growing stronger... and in the gae bolga, it had a new and potent ally. Unless Max discovered new reserves of will, this was a battle he would someday lose. 

What a setup for Book 5! I expect the next installment to include this "someday", and I look forward to picking it up soon.