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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely loved this! I've been so starved for some good epic fantasy and this was everything I could've wished for.
I first saw this recommended by Willow Talks Books on YouTube and thought I should give it a try.
Unlike the blurb might make it seems, we as the readers get quite a few POV characters and are thrust right into the story when decades of scheming and intrigue come into play.
The plot unravels quite quickly and new characters keep appearing, but always in a way that was fairly easy to keep track of, in my opinion. Some intial mysteries get solved in this first volume, but they only lead to more questions.
I liked that it wasn't a classic tale of good vs evil, but several groups with differing interests and claims to the land.
This seemed like the kind of series to me, that only gets stronger in the second and third volume, so I have very high hopes for the rest!
I first saw this recommended by Willow Talks Books on YouTube and thought I should give it a try.
Unlike the blurb might make it seems, we as the readers get quite a few POV characters and are thrust right into the story when decades of scheming and intrigue come into play.
The plot unravels quite quickly and new characters keep appearing, but always in a way that was fairly easy to keep track of, in my opinion. Some intial mysteries get solved in this first volume, but they only lead to more questions.
I liked that it wasn't a classic tale of good vs evil, but several groups with differing interests and claims to the land.
This seemed like the kind of series to me, that only gets stronger in the second and third volume, so I have very high hopes for the rest!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The world-building was so unique and interesting. More people should be reading and talking about this book!
Was so confused. Not sure if it was me being in the wrong brain space
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I tried really hard with this book. Ayinde created an absolutely fantastic, unique, and complex world that really intrigued me. Unfortunately, for reasons I do not understand, I struggled to create a complete picture in my head of all the things going on in this massive, sprawling story. As I read I would latch onto a thread and start to put the pieces together but then get momentarily distracted and have completely lost the thread of the narrative. I, honestly, don't know whether this was a me problem, a book problem, or both. Unfortunately I will not continue in this particular series but will keep an eye out for future works from this author.
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I loved how complicated this book was. I am still not 100% sure who is meant to be good or who is meant to be evil (other than the King, maybe), and that is a good thing. We're all tied into the past and in the real world, things are very rarely a cut and dried case of "good vs. evil".
And the audiobook narrator is excellent. I was sorry to see that this seems to be the only book he's narrated.
And the audiobook narrator is excellent. I was sorry to see that this seems to be the only book he's narrated.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Well damn, this was weird. But in a good way? Weird in the best “what even is this genre?” kind of way. At various points it felt like part tribal fantasy, part dusty sci-fi western, and a bit of a fever dream, all sort of stitched together into one sprawling, high-concept chaos beast. But what a world was born from its gaping maw.
While I’m no stranger to complex and epic fantasy and sci-if, was it a bit confusing at times? Yes. Did I fully track who to root for or who the villains were? Not always. Were there at least five central mysteries that got no real closure? Sadly, yes. And yet… I was surprised by eagerly I ate this up. There’s something magnetic about how untethered it all felt, even though sometimes it felt a bit like wet spaghetti flung at a wall. But just when I thought nothing stuck, the last 100 pages rolled in and said: “surprise, bitch!”
Those final chapters had me gasping gasps. Fists were clenched, pages were devoured. And while I’m still a little foggy on the full picture of what the Invocation powers actually are, who the Scathed and Greybloods really are, or why all these seemingly different ancestral realms even exist, I am desperate for answers.
Also, M.H. Ayinde gave a masterclass in character development and relationships. A shoutout to my sweet chaotic children: Jinao, Runt, Temi, Elani, and my murder-poet king, the Bairneater - I love them. No notes.
So yes, I’m confused. Yes, I loved it. And yes, I will absolutely be throwing myself into book two the moment it drops. Flabbergasted. Enchanted. Emotionally compromised. Let’s go.
While I’m no stranger to complex and epic fantasy and sci-if, was it a bit confusing at times? Yes. Did I fully track who to root for or who the villains were? Not always. Were there at least five central mysteries that got no real closure? Sadly, yes. And yet… I was surprised by eagerly I ate this up. There’s something magnetic about how untethered it all felt, even though sometimes it felt a bit like wet spaghetti flung at a wall. But just when I thought nothing stuck, the last 100 pages rolled in and said: “surprise, bitch!”
Those final chapters had me gasping gasps. Fists were clenched, pages were devoured. And while I’m still a little foggy on the full picture of what the Invocation powers actually are, who the Scathed and Greybloods really are, or why all these seemingly different ancestral realms even exist, I am desperate for answers.
Also, M.H. Ayinde gave a masterclass in character development and relationships. A shoutout to my sweet chaotic children: Jinao, Runt, Temi, Elani, and my murder-poet king, the Bairneater - I love them. No notes.
So yes, I’m confused. Yes, I loved it. And yes, I will absolutely be throwing myself into book two the moment it drops. Flabbergasted. Enchanted. Emotionally compromised. Let’s go.