Kirstein, Rosemary - The Lost Steersman

[oyceter]

I didn't like this book quite as much as I liked The Steerswoman or The Outskirter's Secret. It starts out promising, with Rowan venturing to Alemeth's Archives, and I very much like how the townspeople don't quite like prickly Rowan and rather resent her for implying that the previous, friendlier steerswoman didn't do a particularly good job as a steerswoman.

Me, I reeled in horror at the description of the state of the archives and the implied loss of the knowledge gathered throughout centuries.

I think the problem with this book is that the mystery solved at the end is nowhere near as interesting or thought-provoking as the world-building mysteries solved in the earlier two books, and as such, I'm not quite as interested in what happens next now. Also, I didn't like Janus, the titular lost steersman.

My favorite part of the book was probably when Rowan and another Steerswoman had a possible Steersman-to-be (pre-frosh Steersman?) look at a Moebius strip and analyze it, because it gets to the heart of what I like best about the series -- pursuit of knowledge and analysis, and the joy derived from it.

Also, I missed Bel.

Links:
- kate_nepveu's review