Three Sisters

I read the three sisters of Ostreich in one evening, and by the end I realized I had never stopped waiting for something to happen.

Jon Cronshaw knows what he's doing. The sentences flow, the scenes hold together, the wyverns fly when they need to fly. Irmin chasing the traitors through the mountains is a well-choreographed sequence. Adelinde discovering the cartographic conspiracy has the charm of a small archival mystery. Elana navigating court politics... well, here the ship starts to slow down.

But...

The problem isn't competence — it's the absence of risk. These three princesses face pre-packaged challenges and overcome them exactly as you'd expect. Irmin earns her men's respect. Adelinde brings her discoveries to her father. Elana learns to accept her limitations. None of them truly fails, none pays a high price, none made me worry.

In the best tradition of prequels, these stories exist to introduce us to characters we'll meet again in the main novel. They work as business cards, not as stories. Those already invested in the Ravenglass Throne series will appreciate them as extras. Those looking for three standalone novellas will be left hungry.

What Works

Where Cronshaw shines: the flight scenes on the wyverns. The physical sensation of takeoff, the wind pulling the reins, the geometry of aerial formations. When Irmin and Berthold chase the traitors through a canyon, the book comes alive for the first and only time.

Where Cronshaw bores: everything else. The prose is correct but doesn't sing. The characters are sketches, not portraits. The worldbuilding is functional but could be in any other fantasy novel with dragon knights.

A pleasant read that slips away without leaving a trace. For genre fans it's a solid 4 stars. For those seeking something more, it's a missed opportunity.

Recommended for fans of Fourth Wing, Temeraire, Mercedes Lackey. Not for those seeking moral complexity or deep worldbuilding.