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jun10r36's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Better than Prince of Thorns. The character growth is very realistic and interesting and he expands the world and other characters nicely.
deewest's review against another edition
3.0
It was hard to get into, but I enjoyed it while I was reading it. Certain turns of phrase pop up unexpectedly that I really enjoyed. The story is excellent, I just didn't often have the urge to pick it up.
hello_cori's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
comadivine11's review against another edition
4.0
Another very enjoyable read. The jumping back and forth in time was a bit confusing from time to time, but overall I thought this book was very good and I am looking forward to the final book.
jonfaith's review against another edition
4.0
Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all of him. Chip away a memory at a time and you destroy him as surely as if you hammered nail after nail through his skull.
There are myriad approaches to reviewing this novel. One could be glib: Stonewall Jackson curtails Carolingian promise. Anachronism runs rampant.
There is also a series of serious queries occurring---even if this philosophical plumbing is obscured by the cringe-y what hijinks next for our king? Which force of nature will the protagonist use next against the overwhelming odds?
There are two time streams in this novel, one four years after Prince of Thorns, the other just after. There is a marriage of alliance and there is the lingering effects of the prior novel. Despite all that artifice there is something probing and theoretical. The idea of volition, of autonomy is flaunted amongst the two magicians and the AI (sorry for the spoiler) and the result is fittingly poetic rather than a martial material amalgam. Somehow this becomes more Wittgenstein/Popper than simply a medieval The Wild Bunch. I thought the use of journals was effective, affording a divergent perspective. This creates a counterpoint to the first-person Jorg which may be growing weary.
There are myriad approaches to reviewing this novel. One could be glib: Stonewall Jackson curtails Carolingian promise. Anachronism runs rampant.
There is also a series of serious queries occurring---even if this philosophical plumbing is obscured by the cringe-y what hijinks next for our king? Which force of nature will the protagonist use next against the overwhelming odds?
Spoiler
rockslide, avalanche, firestorm etcThere are two time streams in this novel, one four years after Prince of Thorns, the other just after. There is a marriage of alliance and there is the lingering effects of the prior novel. Despite all that artifice there is something probing and theoretical. The idea of volition, of autonomy is flaunted amongst the two magicians and the AI (sorry for the spoiler) and the result is fittingly poetic rather than a martial material amalgam. Somehow this becomes more Wittgenstein/Popper than simply a medieval The Wild Bunch. I thought the use of journals was effective, affording a divergent perspective. This creates a counterpoint to the first-person Jorg which may be growing weary.
ambapali's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
brendapike's review against another edition
3.0
Not quite as good as [b:Prince of Thorns|9579634|Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, #1)|Mark Lawrence|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327917754s/9579634.jpg|14466531], but still an interesting anti-hero.
wgsaraband's review against another edition
5.0
No other contemporary Fantasy author can write prose as brilliantly as Mark Lawrence. After a fascinating first book, with "Prince of Thorns", this one manages the impossible: to be even better. We get deeper into the head of Jorg, thundering with a struggle between his Humanity and his Darkness.
It is an absolutely riveting account, executed perfectly. It will make your stomach turn a couple of times, but it will also leave you rooting for a young man with serious psychopathic problems; that's how good the writing is.
I would give it 6 stars, if only Goodreads would allow me.
It is an absolutely riveting account, executed perfectly. It will make your stomach turn a couple of times, but it will also leave you rooting for a young man with serious psychopathic problems; that's how good the writing is.
I would give it 6 stars, if only Goodreads would allow me.
robwcote's review against another edition
5.0
What an incredible leap in quality. Prince of Thorns was good, but this entry really blew me away. Excellent writing, a great plot, and fantastic characters. Can't wait to pick up Emperor.
mpohagan's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this much more than the first book, though I'm not entirely sure why. It is more complex and the story more fragmented, and the switching between the present and the past did irritate me at times. I did feel that the protagonist was more developed and that he has matured past the shock value of the first book. It does seem that some of the solutions in the book are a little too convenient, however this is justified in the plot, and I ended up quite liking not having an inkling of how Jorg was going to get himself out of a sticky situation right up until he actually managed it. The world is starting to be fleshed out a bit more as Jorg travels throughout the Empire, and we also begin to learn a little bit more about the Builders. If the third book continues the development as this one has, it'll be great!