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maiamissa's review against another edition
3.0
The book was okay, and it had an amazing concept. But the book lacked excitement for me, and it was ,at times, difficult to keep up with book. For me it was also one of those books where I had to force my self in to reading, and that is wrong. Reading should be a choice, not an obligation.
So overall the concept of the book was good, but still eh?!
So overall the concept of the book was good, but still eh?!
blodeuedd's review against another edition
3.0
Now what to call this one? Most of the action takes place in a castle, like 95% of the book (makes me think of Mervyn Peake). There is somewhat of a Gothic Darkness over the whole castles area. A king who no one sees and who seems to be immortal. People going missing and of course the Orfanos. The king has ordered that they should be treated well so they are all in "school". Some of these Orfanos are very deformed while some like Lucien got lucky, he has no ears, but it ends there. They, the nobles, and everyone really have their own intrigues and lots of backstabbing going on here.
The whole fantasy feel is also different. The world is Italian of a sort, but then some names and myths are mentioned. It made me think that a bunch if Italians got on a ship and got ship wrecked on a mythical island. And there they are stuck, for all time and we can't find them. And island of their own horror.
The book is told through flashbacks of his life growing up and the tests he had to take. And present time when he gets into trouble. The end is open in a way, it has a conclusion for him, but I do wonder about what happens next.
I liked it. At first I was not sure about the flashbacks cos I really wanted to know what would happen to Lucien, and not see what happened before. I do hate waiting.
The whole fantasy feel is also different. The world is Italian of a sort, but then some names and myths are mentioned. It made me think that a bunch if Italians got on a ship and got ship wrecked on a mythical island. And there they are stuck, for all time and we can't find them. And island of their own horror.
The book is told through flashbacks of his life growing up and the tests he had to take. And present time when he gets into trouble. The end is open in a way, it has a conclusion for him, but I do wonder about what happens next.
I liked it. At first I was not sure about the flashbacks cos I really wanted to know what would happen to Lucien, and not see what happened before. I do hate waiting.
lacucharita's review against another edition
2.0
It had a got set up, putting you in the middle of the action and letting you slowly work things out, but some of the writing was confusing, In certain places it felt like a sentence or two that would have situated the view point was missing.
marklpotter's review against another edition
3.0
Before you jump in to this book I think it's fair that you be warned that is a rather dark book and that sexual assault plays a key role in the plot. This warning is a spoiler, which is why I've hidden the entire review. It's not discussed in detail but the entire story does hinge on it.
The format of the story was a bit off-putting at the beginning as it is laid out with one chapter in the present and one chapter in the past. It was easy to get used to and there was some added tension with the two story lines headed for a collision near the end. By the end of the book the use of this story layout was a good method of exposition without actually taking a foray in to the dreaded morass of the info dump. The use of this device took some careful crafting on the part of Den Patrick and he handled it very well, using it for character development, back story, and to create tension. I have seen similar devices fail and make books unenjoyable and I was glad to see it employed properly here.
The story revolves around a rather small central cast of characters with Lucien being at the forefront as the protagonist. He is Orfano, a small protected class, all of whom are deformed in some manner. It is not evident why the Orfani are protected, educated, and trained and it is clear that they do not know either. Lucien is a rather stereotypical rebellious teenager and even though the trope is obvious he is written well enough to be engaging and interesting.
The world building is interesting as it is limited to a single castle like entity and some very small range of land beyond it. The factions are, from a high level, multiple houses with varying degrees of influence, a king who is never seen by his people and his majordomo, the staff, and the Orfani. These factions provide a nice backdrop for a story that's all about intrigue to begin with. While some of the intrigue doesn't become apparent until about halfway through the book it's easy to look back and see that it was there before it was noticed and I really liked that.
I am glad the cast was kept relatively small because the relationship development between the characters was rather important to the overall story and a larger cast would have most likely led to bogged down slog of a read, which this wasn't. There are some chapters that are a little bit of a slog but that's only because you want to get back to whichever story line was more interesting. I suppose this might be a downside of using that device as I found myself skimming to get back to one or the other more often than I'd like. Of course I forced myself to slow down and in the end it was worth it.
The ending, while satisfying, felt a little rushed as the alternating chapter device came to its inevitable slamming both storylines together. I really like how the story ended but I wish it had been handled with a little more care. It's not often I say this but I would have liked an extra chapter or two giving a little more detail at the end just so it didn't feel as forced.
While The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is the first of a series it does not end in a cliff hanger. I appreciate this because I fell that the cliffhanger is used all too often and it's become rather trite in most instances. There is plenty more that could be told about this world and I expect that I will enjoy the rest of the series as much as I enjoyed the first installment. If you like a lot of intrigue and don't mind the subject matter then I would recommend this book.
The format of the story was a bit off-putting at the beginning as it is laid out with one chapter in the present and one chapter in the past. It was easy to get used to and there was some added tension with the two story lines headed for a collision near the end. By the end of the book the use of this story layout was a good method of exposition without actually taking a foray in to the dreaded morass of the info dump. The use of this device took some careful crafting on the part of Den Patrick and he handled it very well, using it for character development, back story, and to create tension. I have seen similar devices fail and make books unenjoyable and I was glad to see it employed properly here.
The story revolves around a rather small central cast of characters with Lucien being at the forefront as the protagonist. He is Orfano, a small protected class, all of whom are deformed in some manner. It is not evident why the Orfani are protected, educated, and trained and it is clear that they do not know either. Lucien is a rather stereotypical rebellious teenager and even though the trope is obvious he is written well enough to be engaging and interesting.
The world building is interesting as it is limited to a single castle like entity and some very small range of land beyond it. The factions are, from a high level, multiple houses with varying degrees of influence, a king who is never seen by his people and his majordomo, the staff, and the Orfani. These factions provide a nice backdrop for a story that's all about intrigue to begin with. While some of the intrigue doesn't become apparent until about halfway through the book it's easy to look back and see that it was there before it was noticed and I really liked that.
I am glad the cast was kept relatively small because the relationship development between the characters was rather important to the overall story and a larger cast would have most likely led to bogged down slog of a read, which this wasn't. There are some chapters that are a little bit of a slog but that's only because you want to get back to whichever story line was more interesting. I suppose this might be a downside of using that device as I found myself skimming to get back to one or the other more often than I'd like. Of course I forced myself to slow down and in the end it was worth it.
The ending, while satisfying, felt a little rushed as the alternating chapter device came to its inevitable slamming both storylines together. I really like how the story ended but I wish it had been handled with a little more care. It's not often I say this but I would have liked an extra chapter or two giving a little more detail at the end just so it didn't feel as forced.
While The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is the first of a series it does not end in a cliff hanger. I appreciate this because I fell that the cliffhanger is used all too often and it's become rather trite in most instances. There is plenty more that could be told about this world and I expect that I will enjoy the rest of the series as much as I enjoyed the first installment. If you like a lot of intrigue and don't mind the subject matter then I would recommend this book.
faehistory's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
redseraphina's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
This book had a lot of potential but it suffered from issues with pacing and character development. The book had an action-packed present times storyline interspersed with chapters of flashbacks. Unfortunately, the voice of the adult character in the present was the same as the voice of the character as a child in the past. This made it hard to follow the competing storylines and a lot of tension was lost between chapters. Additionally, while the main character was somewhat more fleshed out, none of the characters were particularly well-developed. After reading the book, I found that I didn’t feel anything particularly strongly towards any one of them. I didn’t hate the villain or empathize with them. I didn’t care for the well-being of the protagonist nor did I care much for the fate of any of the supporting characters. Overall, the world and premise of the book were interesting but felt underdeveloped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Ableism, and Murder
Minor: Rape
mkundert104's review against another edition
4.0
The book was intriguing if a bit puzzling. Lucien and Rafaela were written rather well and their relationship was excellently written out. The Majordomo I found odd and his motivations didn't really make much sense, even toward the end. Golia and Anea were characters I would've liked to see explored more.
The book was overall an enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the rest in the series.
The book was overall an enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the rest in the series.
markyon's review against another edition
4.0
The world of the Renaissance is an area that may be rather underused in Fantasy fiction. Authors tend to go for the medieval-esque Tolkien-lite, when really there’s a lot to work with here.
Den has chosen his inspiration wisely. This is a rollicking tale of feuding families, vendettas, politics, deception and rivalry set in a baroque world of gothic architecture and horror. More than enough material for any Fantasy novel!
As we begin the book Landfall is a place in turmoil. The King is clearly insane and so the world is run by people to whom corruption is second-nature. Our main protagonist in this story is Lucien de Fontein, a child of privilege, born into one of the Kingdom of Landfall’s wealthiest families. Although he is an Orfano (some sort of royal bastard child) he has certain benefits. He is nannied, educated and trained to use a porcelain sword in fighting, at which he has some skill.
In addition to this, the talented yet rather aloof Lucien has to deal with the complexities of the Italianate world with a deformity that makes him instantly recognisable: he has no visible ears, although he has hearing, which frightens his peers and earns him considerable embarrassment. His hearing is good enough to hear the constant taunts and comments made about him behind his back.
The plot is mainly about Lucien’s coming of age, written in a style that flitters between the present and the past. Most of his early life, rather like Titus Groan’s in Gormenghast, is centred on one place, in Lucien’s case the city state of Demesne. Here we see Lucien grow and become increasingly independent. He finds himself having to defend himself against some Orfano and ally himself with others, finds himself at odds with some of his tutors and befriends others. In the end he uncovers a grisly mystery, and secrets about his past and his heritage that have been hidden from others for a long time…
Fantasy readers will recognise many aspects of The Boy wth the Porcelain Blade. What Den has done here is meld recognisable characteristics into his own vision. The world of Landfall is a small yet perfectly formed one, evoking images of Tad Williams’ Osten Ard and Peake’s Gormenghast, something which Den in his interview at SFFWorld has said is an influence. Lucien’s childhood experiences around the Houses of Prospero, Fontein, Contradino and Erudito evoke images of Scott Lynch’s Locke Lamora. The world of Landfall echoes aspects of the Renaissance with its Houses and social manoeuvring, with its societal structure, of Kings, lords and ladies and servants, creating some sort of baroque feudal-esque construction.
The buildings of Demesne, where most of the book takes place, is a sprawling Gothic landscape with dark shadows, gargoyles and horrors galore.
Although the setting is wonderful. most of all The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is a book about its characters. Lucien is a gifted outsider, a person whose appearance and social standing force him to be independent. He endures many things: bullying on the part of his stern tutors, ostracism from his peers, sarcasm from many others. This creates a melancholic loneliness which pervades much of the early part of the novel. And yet his endurance of these many trials is something that we admire, and ultimately are won over by. In a world of snobbery and perceived privilege, Lucien does try to do the right thing, even when it means considerable hurt to himself. I defy anyone reading this not to be rooting for Lucien by the end.
By comparison, his friends, loves and enemies are not as well developed as Lucien, yet there are subtle moments of pathos and joy that make this an interesting place to be in.
Although there are a couple of slight contrivances along the way which didn’t work too well for me, generally the novel was original enough and exciting enough to keep the pages turning. I was especially pleased when things did not always become what the reader might expect, and there’s a definite ‘what-happens-next?’ feeling at the end.
The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is a rich and satisfying novel, and a surprisingly assured novel from this relatively new writer. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to more books in this series.
Den has chosen his inspiration wisely. This is a rollicking tale of feuding families, vendettas, politics, deception and rivalry set in a baroque world of gothic architecture and horror. More than enough material for any Fantasy novel!
As we begin the book Landfall is a place in turmoil. The King is clearly insane and so the world is run by people to whom corruption is second-nature. Our main protagonist in this story is Lucien de Fontein, a child of privilege, born into one of the Kingdom of Landfall’s wealthiest families. Although he is an Orfano (some sort of royal bastard child) he has certain benefits. He is nannied, educated and trained to use a porcelain sword in fighting, at which he has some skill.
In addition to this, the talented yet rather aloof Lucien has to deal with the complexities of the Italianate world with a deformity that makes him instantly recognisable: he has no visible ears, although he has hearing, which frightens his peers and earns him considerable embarrassment. His hearing is good enough to hear the constant taunts and comments made about him behind his back.
The plot is mainly about Lucien’s coming of age, written in a style that flitters between the present and the past. Most of his early life, rather like Titus Groan’s in Gormenghast, is centred on one place, in Lucien’s case the city state of Demesne. Here we see Lucien grow and become increasingly independent. He finds himself having to defend himself against some Orfano and ally himself with others, finds himself at odds with some of his tutors and befriends others. In the end he uncovers a grisly mystery, and secrets about his past and his heritage that have been hidden from others for a long time…
Fantasy readers will recognise many aspects of The Boy wth the Porcelain Blade. What Den has done here is meld recognisable characteristics into his own vision. The world of Landfall is a small yet perfectly formed one, evoking images of Tad Williams’ Osten Ard and Peake’s Gormenghast, something which Den in his interview at SFFWorld has said is an influence. Lucien’s childhood experiences around the Houses of Prospero, Fontein, Contradino and Erudito evoke images of Scott Lynch’s Locke Lamora. The world of Landfall echoes aspects of the Renaissance with its Houses and social manoeuvring, with its societal structure, of Kings, lords and ladies and servants, creating some sort of baroque feudal-esque construction.
The buildings of Demesne, where most of the book takes place, is a sprawling Gothic landscape with dark shadows, gargoyles and horrors galore.
Although the setting is wonderful. most of all The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is a book about its characters. Lucien is a gifted outsider, a person whose appearance and social standing force him to be independent. He endures many things: bullying on the part of his stern tutors, ostracism from his peers, sarcasm from many others. This creates a melancholic loneliness which pervades much of the early part of the novel. And yet his endurance of these many trials is something that we admire, and ultimately are won over by. In a world of snobbery and perceived privilege, Lucien does try to do the right thing, even when it means considerable hurt to himself. I defy anyone reading this not to be rooting for Lucien by the end.
By comparison, his friends, loves and enemies are not as well developed as Lucien, yet there are subtle moments of pathos and joy that make this an interesting place to be in.
Although there are a couple of slight contrivances along the way which didn’t work too well for me, generally the novel was original enough and exciting enough to keep the pages turning. I was especially pleased when things did not always become what the reader might expect, and there’s a definite ‘what-happens-next?’ feeling at the end.
The Boy with the Porcelain Blade is a rich and satisfying novel, and a surprisingly assured novel from this relatively new writer. I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to more books in this series.
vaderbird's review against another edition
3.0
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish