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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
The First Binding is an experience, I am glad I read it. The world building is beautiful. The descriptive prose is very different, so I can see why it is so dividing. I like that it made me uncomfortable, something out of the norm. Comparisons with NoTW are unavoidable because of the style of the plotting and story format, but it was still fun even though similar.
This is a difficult book to review. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars. It definitely could have used some editing/trimming as it meandered a bit at parts, leading me to speed up the audiobook.
Despite that, this southeast Asian mythical fantasy was well done and enjoyable.
Give it a read if you are looking for something like Name of The Wind, a southeast Asian pov, or mythical fantasy.
This is a difficult book to review. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars. It definitely could have used some editing/trimming as it meandered a bit at parts, leading me to speed up the audiobook.
Despite that, this southeast Asian mythical fantasy was well done and enjoyable.
Give it a read if you are looking for something like Name of The Wind, a southeast Asian pov, or mythical fantasy.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Rothfuss ripoff with far less charm.
Life's too short to waste on a book this long, with prose this purple, a main character this insufferable, where any number of plot points seem lifted more or less straight out of another book.
That being said, it earned a second star because I did think the magic system was cool.
That being said, it earned a second star because I did think the magic system was cool.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this story so much. The cliffhanger was not what I was expecting. A beautiful epic fantasy. Narration 5/5
I picked this book out because it sounded like one of my favorite duologies, The Kingkiller Chronicle. I expected the framework of this book to be similar, but The First Binding is just a rehash of The Name of the Wind. Like, borderline plagiarism. I fear for R. R. Virdi.
I expected to like this book more. For the fatness of this book (~820 pages), it does not contain a lot. I don't really know how to describe this. The story moved slowly yet also quickly. I feel like there was so much potential that was not used. The first 500 pages were so dry, and then I enjoyed myself for about 100 pages. Then I got bored again. Then I was interested. I got whiplash.
My biggest problem was the dual storylines. I don't think it was a smart move to have things happening in the present timeline. Idk man I'm giving up on this review I don't need to explain myself.
I expected to like this book more. For the fatness of this book (~820 pages), it does not contain a lot. I don't really know how to describe this. The story moved slowly yet also quickly. I feel like there was so much potential that was not used. The first 500 pages were so dry, and then I enjoyed myself for about 100 pages. Then I got bored again. Then I was interested. I got whiplash.
My biggest problem was the dual storylines. I don't think it was a smart move to have things happening in the present timeline. Idk man I'm giving up on this review I don't need to explain myself.
Did not finish (25%)
I feel conflicted about reviewing a book I didn't finish, but I think I got a good vibe of what's going on here.
Slow plot, awkward dialog, and I couldn't get invested in any of the characters.
Also.... It's very similar to The Name of the Wind. Like, look it up if you're curious. Almost exactly the same story start to finish (apparently).
Yeah, life's too short for books I don't like
I feel conflicted about reviewing a book I didn't finish, but I think I got a good vibe of what's going on here.
Slow plot, awkward dialog, and I couldn't get invested in any of the characters.
Also.... It's very similar to The Name of the Wind. Like, look it up if you're curious. Almost exactly the same story start to finish (apparently).
Yeah, life's too short for books I don't like
Too much work to read, does not draw you in
3.5 stars
TL;DR: The First Binding is truly an epic high fantasy. It's a story that I have mixed feelings about because while I loved the vastness and richness of it, I think that was also what made it a struggle to read at times. Despite feeling like I had to "work" to get into it, there were many moments when I was captivated and felt fully immersed in the lush world-building. I became very invested in Ari's story and I was intrigued by many of the characters we're introduced to. This is a coming-of-age tale mixed with murder, mystery and an abundance of well-developed stories within the story, and I highly enjoyed the narrative framing. Overall, while it's not a new favourite, I'm keen to continue with the series and I hope we get more answers to some burning questions soon!
Firstly, I'm so glad I read this with Leslie because it wouldn't have been as fun without someone to commiserate with and bounce theories off of as we worked our way through this considerable chonkster of a book!
This is compared to Name of the Wind and it's easy to see why. But while some see the similarities as a negative, I loved the way the story was told, as this narrative framing isn’t one I read regularly. I think the author did an incredible job with the world-building of this South Asian-inspired epic fantasy. The world is so richly developed from the different countries along the Golden Road, the application of the brutal caste system, travellers, languages, myths, beliefs and, of course, the magic. I was fascinated by the concept of the bindings, the philosophy and the study behind the art—it’s so well-formed! The way the author brings this world to life is honestly one of the best things about this story and it made it so easy to feel immersed in the setting and have the story play out like a movie in my head.
That said, while the rich world-building was incredible, I think what I struggled with most was how verbose the writing could be. I feel like the author leaned heavily on dramatic and overly-descriptive prose to amplify the storytelling and while it worked at times, I also found it to be overwhelming. As I said, I loved how it brought scenes to life so vividly but somehow it also made it difficult for me to retain much of what I read once I put the book down. The pages felt overloaded with information and served a level of detail that I didn’t think we always needed as it bogged down the pace, imo.
Going back to the narrative framing, I love how this is a story within a story filled with many other stories. It did take a while to find my groove, especially as there were times we jumped from one story to another and then another within that. However, I love that we get to hear Ari tell his tale in first person and how we get his present-day reflections as he recounts his coming-of-age story that leads to where and who he is at the time of the telling. Ari was quite an interesting and multi-faceted character who amused, befuddled, and infuriated me at turns. His younger self could stand to learn what patience means and I guess it’s something that takes him a while to learn because we still don’t see it by the end of book 1, haha!
TL;DR: The First Binding is truly an epic high fantasy. It's a story that I have mixed feelings about because while I loved the vastness and richness of it, I think that was also what made it a struggle to read at times. Despite feeling like I had to "work" to get into it, there were many moments when I was captivated and felt fully immersed in the lush world-building. I became very invested in Ari's story and I was intrigued by many of the characters we're introduced to. This is a coming-of-age tale mixed with murder, mystery and an abundance of well-developed stories within the story, and I highly enjoyed the narrative framing. Overall, while it's not a new favourite, I'm keen to continue with the series and I hope we get more answers to some burning questions soon!
Firstly, I'm so glad I read this with Leslie because it wouldn't have been as fun without someone to commiserate with and bounce theories off of as we worked our way through this considerable chonkster of a book!
This is compared to Name of the Wind and it's easy to see why. But while some see the similarities as a negative, I loved the way the story was told, as this narrative framing isn’t one I read regularly. I think the author did an incredible job with the world-building of this South Asian-inspired epic fantasy. The world is so richly developed from the different countries along the Golden Road, the application of the brutal caste system, travellers, languages, myths, beliefs and, of course, the magic. I was fascinated by the concept of the bindings, the philosophy and the study behind the art—it’s so well-formed! The way the author brings this world to life is honestly one of the best things about this story and it made it so easy to feel immersed in the setting and have the story play out like a movie in my head.
That said, while the rich world-building was incredible, I think what I struggled with most was how verbose the writing could be. I feel like the author leaned heavily on dramatic and overly-descriptive prose to amplify the storytelling and while it worked at times, I also found it to be overwhelming. As I said, I loved how it brought scenes to life so vividly but somehow it also made it difficult for me to retain much of what I read once I put the book down. The pages felt overloaded with information and served a level of detail that I didn’t think we always needed as it bogged down the pace, imo.
Going back to the narrative framing, I love how this is a story within a story filled with many other stories. It did take a while to find my groove, especially as there were times we jumped from one story to another and then another within that. However, I love that we get to hear Ari tell his tale in first person and how we get his present-day reflections as he recounts his coming-of-age story that leads to where and who he is at the time of the telling. Ari was quite an interesting and multi-faceted character who amused, befuddled, and infuriated me at turns. His younger self could stand to learn what patience means and I guess it’s something that takes him a while to learn because we still don’t see it by the end of book 1, haha!