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birchjilguero's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a roller coaster. I am torn between liking it and despising it.
The problem was, there was very rarely anything 'in the moment'. The events all seemed detached - from the reader and from each other. Events in the book sometimes didn't make sense or have anything to do with each other. And because the events themselves were talked about like they happened way off in some other time, you were rarely there for the action. Battles were technical and other times very simple so it was either a hit or miss. Violence was a bit shocking but nothing overdone.
The characters were also hard to reach. It seemed like actions and dialogue were heavily relied on for characterization and this was a definite miss (in my opinion, not enough internal dialogue). They all fell flat. Somehow I was still able to develop fondness for them just by what they said - Kleist and IdrisPukke come to mind.
Overall this was an amazing idea but a rather bland execution.
The problem was, there was very rarely anything 'in the moment'. The events all seemed detached - from the reader and from each other. Events in the book sometimes didn't make sense or have anything to do with each other. And because the events themselves were talked about like they happened way off in some other time, you were rarely there for the action. Battles were technical and other times very simple so it was either a hit or miss. Violence was a bit shocking but nothing overdone.
The characters were also hard to reach. It seemed like actions and dialogue were heavily relied on for characterization and this was a definite miss (in my opinion, not enough internal dialogue). They all fell flat. Somehow I was still able to develop fondness for them just by what they said - Kleist and IdrisPukke come to mind.
Overall this was an amazing idea but a rather bland execution.
elisasophie's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
carmenna's review against another edition
2.0
La mano sinistra di Dio è un libro scritto abbastanza bene, con un inizio intrigante: in un monastero da cui sembra impossibile scappare, dei monaci folli, crudeli ed invasati educano alla guerra bambini rapiti alle loro famiglie, perché possano un giorno combattere contro gli Antagonisti, che non credono in nessun Dio.
Tuttavia, più si va avanti nella storia, più questa risulta noiosa: i personaggi non hanno spessore, lo stesso Cale, il protagonista, è tratteggiato male, e non si riesce a provare per lui nemmeno un pò di simpatia; le battaglie non emozionano; la storia d'amore tra il giovane e la bella Arbell è piatta e insignificante.
Si tratta palesemente di un libro per ragazzini, ed ho fatto molta molta fatica ad arrivare alla fine.
Il romanzo purtroppo non trasmette nulla, e nulla lascia, è solo un lunghissimo prequel a quella che - credo - sarà la storia vera e propria (vedi Le quattro cose ultime). Alla famosa "mano sinistra" si accenna infatti solo alla fine, e comunque il tutto potrebbe rivelarsi il frutto della mente deviata di un monaco, e risolversi in un nulla di fatto. Alcuni interrogativi restano, come il motivo per il quale uno dei monaci sezionava ragazze vive, ma non sono abbastanza per invogliare il lettore a proseguire con il secondo volume.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/
Tuttavia, più si va avanti nella storia, più questa risulta noiosa: i personaggi non hanno spessore, lo stesso Cale, il protagonista, è tratteggiato male, e non si riesce a provare per lui nemmeno un pò di simpatia; le battaglie non emozionano; la storia d'amore tra il giovane e la bella Arbell è piatta e insignificante.
Si tratta palesemente di un libro per ragazzini, ed ho fatto molta molta fatica ad arrivare alla fine.
Il romanzo purtroppo non trasmette nulla, e nulla lascia, è solo un lunghissimo prequel a quella che - credo - sarà la storia vera e propria (vedi Le quattro cose ultime). Alla famosa "mano sinistra" si accenna infatti solo alla fine, e comunque il tutto potrebbe rivelarsi il frutto della mente deviata di un monaco, e risolversi in un nulla di fatto. Alcuni interrogativi restano, come il motivo per il quale uno dei monaci sezionava ragazze vive, ma non sono abbastanza per invogliare il lettore a proseguire con il secondo volume.
http://iltesorodicarta.blogspot.it/
annasirius's review against another edition
2.0
Positive things first: this is well written, and the characters are fleshed out well enough to fulfil their function.
On the downside, this brims with clichés. Strict religious convents led by fanatics, political leaders that are seriously called 'Gauleiter' (ouch, ouch, this hurts!), tough guys who can take a beating vs. soft girls who've been pampered all their lives, and heavy-handed, cloiteringly sweet foreshadowing. "How different history would have been had Cale not encountered her inside the great wall that afternoon, or lacked the deftness in that dark and slippery place to pull her back and, as certainly would have been the case, she had broken her oh-so-beautifully long and elegant neck on the flagstones below." (p. 184) Sigh. Beside the fact that this is bad story telling style, how does a boy who has not seen any female being since the age of seven even know what in his culture constitutes a beautiful woman? And why would someone as guarded as the main character develop fixed ideas about romance from such a short encounter when his mind is bent on fleeing the place?
I read a lot of recently published fantasy, and I am surprised how few authors come up with original ideas and make an effort to overcome fantasy tropes and develop complex, deep characters. :/
On the downside, this brims with clichés. Strict religious convents led by fanatics, political leaders that are seriously called 'Gauleiter' (ouch, ouch, this hurts!), tough guys who can take a beating vs. soft girls who've been pampered all their lives, and heavy-handed, cloiteringly sweet foreshadowing. "How different history would have been had Cale not encountered her inside the great wall that afternoon, or lacked the deftness in that dark and slippery place to pull her back and, as certainly would have been the case, she had broken her oh-so-beautifully long and elegant neck on the flagstones below." (p. 184) Sigh. Beside the fact that this is bad story telling style, how does a boy who has not seen any female being since the age of seven even know what in his culture constitutes a beautiful woman? And why would someone as guarded as the main character develop fixed ideas about romance from such a short encounter when his mind is bent on fleeing the place?
I read a lot of recently published fantasy, and I am surprised how few authors come up with original ideas and make an effort to overcome fantasy tropes and develop complex, deep characters. :/
kebmonty's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
diesmali's review against another edition
2.0
This book isn’t poorly written, and the plot is not really bad either. But.
It’s about a 14 year old boy who is better at violence and other important STUFF than practically anyone else.
There’s perhaps all of five females mentioned in the entire novel, and the two that have anything to do with the story are one the most beautiful girl in the world, and the other an expert in the arts of pleasure.
Seriously, was this the author’s wet dream as a 14 year old himself?
It’s about a 14 year old boy who is better at violence and other important STUFF than practically anyone else.
There’s perhaps all of five females mentioned in the entire novel, and the two that have anything to do with the story are one the most beautiful girl in the world, and the other an expert in the arts of pleasure.
Seriously, was this the author’s wet dream as a 14 year old himself?
theatlantean's review against another edition
4.0
Superb - an interesting 'hero', and a different level of fantasy from the usual fair. The the Redeemers are based on Catholics is obvious, given the cruel and bloody history of that faith, but Hoffman has given himself an imagined realm, so he is free to produce his won scenarios rather than writing historical fiction.
The use of language is excellent, and the way the style frequently drops into little cameo scenes is refreshing. When characters suddenly speak or act out of character only goes to highlight these are well painted, and I am looking forward to the sequel. Only two criticisms really - the first is the way the denouement was orchestrated. Considering previous behaviour, Cale's ultimate makes no sense for his character, and that annoyed me, particularly as it had been laid out before him. I confess if this had been dealt with well, i would have given it 5 stars.
The second is merely that there is no inkling this will be a series rather than a stand alone novel until you reach the last page.
The use of language is excellent, and the way the style frequently drops into little cameo scenes is refreshing. When characters suddenly speak or act out of character only goes to highlight these are well painted, and I am looking forward to the sequel. Only two criticisms really - the first is the way the denouement was orchestrated. Considering previous behaviour, Cale's ultimate makes no sense for his character, and that annoyed me, particularly as it had been laid out before him. I confess if this had been dealt with well, i would have given it 5 stars.
The second is merely that there is no inkling this will be a series rather than a stand alone novel until you reach the last page.
drey72's review against another edition
3.0
Thomas Cale has only ever known one reality--that which the Redeemers provided in the Sanctuary, with the daily abuse and revolting food. You learn two things quickly there--keep your head down and your mouth shut. Unfortunate for Cale, who doesn't seem to possess either skill in any quantity... Then he discovers there's a whole world outside Sanctuary.
Cale reminds me a bit of Kvothe, star of Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles. They're both smart, brash, and just a wee bit too full of themselves. And they just can't seem to not do that last little thing that crosses the line. Which, as you can imagine, doesn't quite make them many friends... They're also both young, so nobody listens to anything they say, even if they could be right. Poor things... I do wish though, that Cale was just a bit more real--I don't quite understand his thoughts or actions where it regards Arbell, and I sometimes wanted to smack him on the head for his infantile behavior.
Paul Hoffman has created an intriguing world for The Left Hand of God, and interesting characters to inhabit that world. I enjoyed the story even if parts of the plot slogged and other parts raced through, and I was sometimes in the dark as to the characters' motivations. Overall, though, this is a pretty good debut effort and I will have a review of its sequel The Last Four Things up for you soon...
Cale reminds me a bit of Kvothe, star of Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles. They're both smart, brash, and just a wee bit too full of themselves. And they just can't seem to not do that last little thing that crosses the line. Which, as you can imagine, doesn't quite make them many friends... They're also both young, so nobody listens to anything they say, even if they could be right. Poor things... I do wish though, that Cale was just a bit more real--I don't quite understand his thoughts or actions where it regards Arbell, and I sometimes wanted to smack him on the head for his infantile behavior.
Paul Hoffman has created an intriguing world for The Left Hand of God, and interesting characters to inhabit that world. I enjoyed the story even if parts of the plot slogged and other parts raced through, and I was sometimes in the dark as to the characters' motivations. Overall, though, this is a pretty good debut effort and I will have a review of its sequel The Last Four Things up for you soon...
bethgraham1102's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.25