Orchestra of Treacheries

Orchestra of Treacheries is the sequel to Songs of Insurrection. I read the latter when it came across my radar a while back. I finally got around to Orchestra of Treacheries and I had pretty high expectations for where things were going to go after the first entry in the series. This sequel ended up being a little bit of a mixed bag, however.

To begin, there is a great deal to like about Orchestra of Treacheries. Kang’s world building is extravagant and fascinating on every level. One of the things I loved about Treacheries was that we were treated to a much wider view of the world than in the first book in the series. This means we’re able to see more cultures, more cities, more geography, and all of it shines. There are myriad small touches, from phrases to customs to interactions between people that reveal just how much care Kang has put into this world. The history and legends of the world are deep enough that even after two full novels it feels like we have only scratched the surface of this world. The magic system continues to be enticing, as well. There are hints of a much deeper system, but we get to see Kaiya growing into her power as someone who can manipulate emotions through her music. It’s interesting that no where does Kaiya or another character question the morality of manipulating someone in this way. Nevertheless, while the magic system remains mysterious it’s definitely something I enjoyed seeing more of. I was engaged throughout, the story itself having a certain je ne sais quoi, something that just keeps you reading and engaged.

While I enjoyed the setting and magic, I found other elements of the novel frustrating. My main frustration was with the first two thirds or so of the novel, where the protagonists know next to nothing about what the antagonists are doing, and thus make no moves whatsoever to stop them. Even once the protagonists start being proactive about doing things, rather than reactive, they don’t know much of what the actual enemy factions are doing. This creates almost the feel of two novels—the novel that the “good guys” know about and act in, and the secret novel shown through viewpoints of the “bad guys” where basically the protagonists do exactly what the antagonists want them to do, without knowing they are, falling perfectly into their plans. If something doesn’t go well for the antagonists, it’s because they’ve gotten in each others’ way, there being something like three or four antagonist factions. While I like things to be challenging for the protagonists, I do want them to eventually take steps to actually overcome the antagonists. On a related note, Kaiya—while not nearly as naïve as in Insurrection—is not a character I particularly connect with. One of my favorite characters from the first book, Jie, essentially gets stuck being Kaiya’s babysitter and my other favorite character from that book, Tian, is nowhere to be seen. No doubt this lack of connection affected my enjoyment of the story, and so others may have a very different reaction.

For me, Orchestra of Treacheries, is a story with a wonderfully crafted setting, unique magic, and an overarching plot that hints at enticing elements. All these are tempered somewhat by an MC that I don’t connect with and a story that makes the antagonists far more interesting than the protagonists. Even so, I’ll be picking up the next book to see where things go.

3.25/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing