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bloski88's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
mrbear's review against another edition
5.0
I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 on this book, but ultimately I've decided to give it a 5 for a few reasons.
First off, K J Parker's writing style is unique in a good way. Parker blends sardonic and cynical beautifully, and his chosen style, first person with multiple perspectives, carries it off perfectly (while also being my favorite as a reader). Secondly, his characters are excellent in that they are believable. No one is truly good or evil, and all the characters are generally fleshed out enough that their motives are interesting and understandable, yet their future actions are not always predictable. Meil Ducas (a.k.a. "the Ducas") was my favorite. However, more important than both of these facets, Devices and Desires is an excellent "tale," and for me that is important. It's page turning without being action driven. You learn the characters and their lives, and you genuinely begin to care about what happens next as you read the book. I feel this way about very few novels, and I think this is what separates the best from the good.
I would consider giving this 4 stars for one major reason - the lack of a map. Apparently Parker doesn't see fit to include a map in any books, which I am sure will frustrate me greatly in the future as I plan on reading many more of them. I felt like this really did detract significantly from the book, as there were many times when geography played a huge role both in the setting and the events of the novel, and I was simply left taking the authors word for things without being able to visually understand the situation.
Overall, worth reading, and I'll be recommending it to fans of good literature.
First off, K J Parker's writing style is unique in a good way. Parker blends sardonic and cynical beautifully, and his chosen style, first person with multiple perspectives, carries it off perfectly (while also being my favorite as a reader). Secondly, his characters are excellent in that they are believable. No one is truly good or evil, and all the characters are generally fleshed out enough that their motives are interesting and understandable, yet their future actions are not always predictable. Meil Ducas (a.k.a. "the Ducas") was my favorite. However, more important than both of these facets, Devices and Desires is an excellent "tale," and for me that is important. It's page turning without being action driven. You learn the characters and their lives, and you genuinely begin to care about what happens next as you read the book. I feel this way about very few novels, and I think this is what separates the best from the good.
I would consider giving this 4 stars for one major reason - the lack of a map. Apparently Parker doesn't see fit to include a map in any books, which I am sure will frustrate me greatly in the future as I plan on reading many more of them. I felt like this really did detract significantly from the book, as there were many times when geography played a huge role both in the setting and the events of the novel, and I was simply left taking the authors word for things without being able to visually understand the situation.
Overall, worth reading, and I'll be recommending it to fans of good literature.
nyamedev's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cerviallacarica's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mcgonagall14's review against another edition
2.0
I’m not planning on reading the rest of the trilogy.
jimmacsyr's review
3.0
Enjoyable. I appreciated the engineer's internal dialogs about specification/tolerances. Lots of interwoven parts, with the engineer seemingly holding all the answers. Ended with lots of "what's next" questions, which I am sure will be developed in the next plume of the series. In all, a fun read.
dearestdorian's review
2.0
It wasn't terrible, and in places it had stunningly beautiful prose, but I never really got into it.
fridge4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75