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mxsallybend's review against another edition
3.0
This was a book that wasted no time getting straight to the action, showing (as opposed to telling) the reader the dangers of The Valley. There's a lot of very cool world-building and info shared throughout, but it's all delivered via the story, free of info-dumps or long-winded lectures. This is a complex world of darkness and monsters, where fire itself is a legitimate magic. There's also an interesting history behind it all, a sort of post-apocalyptic high fantasy.
While the characters were nothing special, with only a few really standing out in my mind, there was nothing wrong with them. They were entirely serviceable, with both strengths and flaws, but I felt some of them could benefit from a little more personality. Similarly, their dialogue sometimes felt a little stilted or forced, without the easy rapport of natural conversation. The storytelling itself, though, was well done, with a style and a pacing that lends itself to a quick, easy read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
While the characters were nothing special, with only a few really standing out in my mind, there was nothing wrong with them. They were entirely serviceable, with both strengths and flaws, but I felt some of them could benefit from a little more personality. Similarly, their dialogue sometimes felt a little stilted or forced, without the easy rapport of natural conversation. The storytelling itself, though, was well done, with a style and a pacing that lends itself to a quick, easy read.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
joliendelandsheer's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Review first published on my blog The Fictional Reader
I’m not really sure where I stand with this book. On the one hand, I did enjoy reading it. On the other hand, I was also confused at times and the beginning didn’t captivate me immediately. It was a nice read though, and by the end I was much more invested in the characters.
WORLD
I always try and talk a bit about the world when reviewing a fantasy book. This was the part of the book that confused me at times, I have to admit. I also think that’s the reason it took me a few chapters to get into it.
So this book plays out in the Valley. It’s a place with multiple cities/towns spread out. Kole lives in Last Lake, and has grown up there his entire life. Another big chunk of the story plays out in Hearth, a different big town/city in the Valley.
Kole is an Ember, which means he can control fire -I think. They need a source to keep the fire going during a fight but they can light their blades with flames and such. His father, Karin, is the First Runner of Last Lake. Every big town has a First Runner and a First Keeper (I believe). The First Runner is sort of like a scout -the best one of course. He goes to different towns and settlements and gathers information. The First Keepers are the head of the city, and are usually Embers. Still following me? There are also those blessed by the Faeykin and they have healing powers, can sometimes travel through the between and have piercing green eyes. And there are Rockbled, which are people with some sort of power over rocks, like the Embers have over fire?
The people living in the Valley did not always live there. Once, they lived in the desert. But a war between the Eastern Dark and the rest of the world (basically) forced them to leave. They went to the Valley. Their king -the Ember King- and the White Crest -a sorcerer/Sage- rode out to defeat him. In doing so, they blocked the passage out of the Valley and now the people all live there. This happened a few generations before Kole, I think.
To be honest, while I enjoy this history and world in this book, there are two minor issues with it. The Eastern Dark and its lieutenants, the Sentinels, really reminded me of Sauron and the Nazgûl. I don’t know, it may just be me? Second, I was confused at times. Some people are Landkist, which means they were blessed with powers by the land? And I don’t know whether an Ember is Landkist, or a Faeykin is or everyone is? Maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention, but the terms sometimes confused me.
I did love the rich history, and how the people fervently believed in it. How shocking it was for one person to challenge those beliefs.
PLOT
I thought this book would go as following: something bad would happen, Kole would state it’s time for a mission and the best of the people would follow him.
But that was not the case. In fact, Kole did go out on a mission, but nearly died. And then his friend went out with a few of the most powerful warriors to do the same. After recovering, Kole attempts to follow. Because of the separate journeys, I was sometimes confused as to where the different characters were?
While this book was enjoyable, it lacked something in my opinion. I can’t really put my finger on what though. With a fantasy story, I want to be immersed in the story and world -and the characters. And while I enjoyed the story and grew to like most of the characters, I was never truly captivated by the book.
CHARACTERS
At first, I wasn’t a giant fan of Kole. I didn’t dislike him either, I just didn’t love him. But he really grew on my throughout the story. He was loyal to his friends and family, and would do anything to help them. Even if it means challenging their beliefs, their generations-old hope for a savior.
In fact, I really liked how the main characters all had their strengths and flaws. Lin may not be an Ember, but she’s a fierce warrior. Nathan may be quiet and seem innocent, but he’s the best hunter ever. Baas may not be the most outspoken, but he’s tough and strong. I like that both good and “bad” qualities are shown, because it makes the characters feel a lot more realistic.
Overall, I’d say this was an enjoyable read. Especially considering the fact that it’s a debut novel. It’s a solid fantasy read, but I just wish it had that something more… Something to really grip my attention. And I do think that the history and world building could have been a bit more clear/spread because it was a tad overwhelming and confusing at times. But if you like YA fantasy, I’d recommend it.
Review first published on my blog The Fictional Reader
I’m not really sure where I stand with this book. On the one hand, I did enjoy reading it. On the other hand, I was also confused at times and the beginning didn’t captivate me immediately. It was a nice read though, and by the end I was much more invested in the characters.
WORLD
I always try and talk a bit about the world when reviewing a fantasy book. This was the part of the book that confused me at times, I have to admit. I also think that’s the reason it took me a few chapters to get into it.
So this book plays out in the Valley. It’s a place with multiple cities/towns spread out. Kole lives in Last Lake, and has grown up there his entire life. Another big chunk of the story plays out in Hearth, a different big town/city in the Valley.
Kole is an Ember, which means he can control fire -I think. They need a source to keep the fire going during a fight but they can light their blades with flames and such. His father, Karin, is the First Runner of Last Lake. Every big town has a First Runner and a First Keeper (I believe). The First Runner is sort of like a scout -the best one of course. He goes to different towns and settlements and gathers information. The First Keepers are the head of the city, and are usually Embers. Still following me? There are also those blessed by the Faeykin and they have healing powers, can sometimes travel through the between and have piercing green eyes. And there are Rockbled, which are people with some sort of power over rocks, like the Embers have over fire?
The people living in the Valley did not always live there. Once, they lived in the desert. But a war between the Eastern Dark and the rest of the world (basically) forced them to leave. They went to the Valley. Their king -the Ember King- and the White Crest -a sorcerer/Sage- rode out to defeat him. In doing so, they blocked the passage out of the Valley and now the people all live there. This happened a few generations before Kole, I think.
To be honest, while I enjoy this history and world in this book, there are two minor issues with it. The Eastern Dark and its lieutenants, the Sentinels, really reminded me of Sauron and the Nazgûl. I don’t know, it may just be me? Second, I was confused at times. Some people are Landkist, which means they were blessed with powers by the land? And I don’t know whether an Ember is Landkist, or a Faeykin is or everyone is? Maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention, but the terms sometimes confused me.
I did love the rich history, and how the people fervently believed in it. How shocking it was for one person to challenge those beliefs.
PLOT
I thought this book would go as following: something bad would happen, Kole would state it’s time for a mission and the best of the people would follow him.
But that was not the case. In fact, Kole did go out on a mission, but nearly died. And then his friend went out with a few of the most powerful warriors to do the same. After recovering, Kole attempts to follow. Because of the separate journeys, I was sometimes confused as to where the different characters were?
While this book was enjoyable, it lacked something in my opinion. I can’t really put my finger on what though. With a fantasy story, I want to be immersed in the story and world -and the characters. And while I enjoyed the story and grew to like most of the characters, I was never truly captivated by the book.
CHARACTERS
At first, I wasn’t a giant fan of Kole. I didn’t dislike him either, I just didn’t love him. But he really grew on my throughout the story. He was loyal to his friends and family, and would do anything to help them. Even if it means challenging their beliefs, their generations-old hope for a savior.
In fact, I really liked how the main characters all had their strengths and flaws. Lin may not be an Ember, but she’s a fierce warrior. Nathan may be quiet and seem innocent, but he’s the best hunter ever. Baas may not be the most outspoken, but he’s tough and strong. I like that both good and “bad” qualities are shown, because it makes the characters feel a lot more realistic.
Overall, I’d say this was an enjoyable read. Especially considering the fact that it’s a debut novel. It’s a solid fantasy read, but I just wish it had that something more… Something to really grip my attention. And I do think that the history and world building could have been a bit more clear/spread because it was a tad overwhelming and confusing at times. But if you like YA fantasy, I’d recommend it.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really interesting debut.
It took a bit to actually take off - the first 20% felt more like an introduction and worlduilding, but the 80% rest of the book really picked up the pace and had me hooked.
I enjoyed the magic, liked the characters and was intrigued by the plot - that only showed itself bit by bit and therefore kept up the mystery. The idea of Landkist, who have different powers was something I haven't read before, and the amount of fire and rocks being flung around was a lot of fun! The different POVs and locations kept the suspense high, as you wanted to know what happened to all the different characters, and not just the one you were reading about at that moment.
There was a bit much info dumped into dialogues, that made them feel a bit stilted at times.
Also for my personal taste some of the action scenes were to "chaotic" - not in the actual fighting, but in the telling.
The writing itself was quite fluent, but some shortened sentences felt off to me - though they were correct. I guess I am a stickler for "proper" sentences, not just right ones. ;) It was only a few though, so not a big deal.
All in all it was a really enjoyable fantasy adventure that finally had more magic in it again - I miss that in a lot of current books! 3,5 stars
It took a bit to actually take off - the first 20% felt more like an introduction and worlduilding, but the 80% rest of the book really picked up the pace and had me hooked.
I enjoyed the magic, liked the characters and was intrigued by the plot - that only showed itself bit by bit and therefore kept up the mystery. The idea of Landkist, who have different powers was something I haven't read before, and the amount of fire and rocks being flung around was a lot of fun! The different POVs and locations kept the suspense high, as you wanted to know what happened to all the different characters, and not just the one you were reading about at that moment.
There was a bit much info dumped into dialogues, that made them feel a bit stilted at times.
Also for my personal taste some of the action scenes were to "chaotic" - not in the actual fighting, but in the telling.
The writing itself was quite fluent, but some shortened sentences felt off to me - though they were correct. I guess I am a stickler for "proper" sentences, not just right ones. ;) It was only a few though, so not a big deal.
All in all it was a really enjoyable fantasy adventure that finally had more magic in it again - I miss that in a lot of current books! 3,5 stars
queenterribletimy's review against another edition
3.0
I would give this book 3.5 stars, but since I can't I decided to give 3, though I intend to go on with the series.
I can see why people like this book so much. Kelliher built an interesting world, with its legends, and heroes, it has adventure and monsters roaming in the Valley, with only a few Keepers to stand against them. This book is delightfully dark and bloody.
On the other hand, I had a few problems with it. First, this book needs a proofreading badly, and some editing too. The characters are though interesting and well detailed, but somehow I couldn't connect with any of them. It might be my fault, though. Some explaining would have been good in the first part of the book too about what exactly Landkist, Embers, Faeykin, ect are, what this means. Though we get some info dump during the book, somehow it doesn't feel enough. I just can't decide if my mood was off during the read (which is true anyway) or the style of the author doesn't click with me. We'll see after book 2. I hope I will like this series as much as others seem to, because this story has so much potential: I want to see how they will interact with the other Sages, what are they like, if they are as complex as the White Crest seemed to be. I like it that in this story the villains aren't who what they seem to be and we face questions like: what is the right choice? Is there a right one? Is everyone just good or bad? Who is right? Can there be more truths than one? I hope Kole and the others will find their own answers.
I can see why people like this book so much. Kelliher built an interesting world, with its legends, and heroes, it has adventure and monsters roaming in the Valley, with only a few Keepers to stand against them. This book is delightfully dark and bloody.
On the other hand, I had a few problems with it. First, this book needs a proofreading badly, and some editing too. The characters are though interesting and well detailed, but somehow I couldn't connect with any of them. It might be my fault, though. Some explaining would have been good in the first part of the book too about what exactly Landkist, Embers, Faeykin, ect are, what this means. Though we get some info dump during the book, somehow it doesn't feel enough. I just can't decide if my mood was off during the read (which is true anyway) or the style of the author doesn't click with me. We'll see after book 2. I hope I will like this series as much as others seem to, because this story has so much potential: I want to see how they will interact with the other Sages, what are they like, if they are as complex as the White Crest seemed to be. I like it that in this story the villains aren't who what they seem to be and we face questions like: what is the right choice? Is there a right one? Is everyone just good or bad? Who is right? Can there be more truths than one? I hope Kole and the others will find their own answers.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
Valley of Embers was recommended to me on r/fantasy. People around there seem genuinely thrilled by it. Was the hype justified?
Not really.
Once upon a time, there was a community that lived in the desert. Some of them had the power to control fire. They were called Embers and they have been the last line of defense against the nightmare creatures from the World Apart. When evil came, King of Embers leads his people to the Valley that was supposed to guarantee them safety. If it worked out, there would be no book, so obviously things went wrong. The Ember King and the White Crest –a Sage – left the Valley to tear down the evil nad while doing so they blocked the passage out of the Valley.
Fast forward few generations and we meet Kole Rayna – an Ember who has little faith in Sages, prophecies and legends. As the story progresses his beliefs stop to matter as he needs to help others fight the Night Lord.
Apart from Kole, there are other important characters, namely Linn, Baas, Iyana, Ninyeva. We learn more about them throughout the story. However, we don’t learn enough to make me care for any of them. It’s rather plot oriented story and characters serve the author to lead the reader through story arcs.
It’s actually difficult to explain the plot and all the twists without drawing complicated diagrams and hundreds of words. Let me just say it’s not really a straightforward and clear story. It’s more like an overly complicated set of puzzles that don't reveal anything thrilling. I found it difficult to get into the book and, truth be told, I never really succeeded. There were moments I enjoyed, there were good ideas and nice descriptions. There was also a lot of info – dumping, slow and unexciting world – building. The pacing was uneven, some chapters didn’t resolve anything. They just made the plot more confusing. If you enjoy patchworks, you may approve this kind of narration. Personally, I find it tiring.
As mentioned above I didn’t make friends with any of the characters. They all seem moderately convincing. The relationships between them lack emotions, there’s not a lot of character development, there’s little insight into protagonists minds. One example is the relationship between Kole and his father Karin. The bond between them is unnoticeable, and their interactions are rather distant. Sure, it may be rooted in Kole’s backstory (his mother death) but we don’t learn more about it.
And that’s a problem because when I can’t relate to at least one of characters, even the best story won’t be enough to keep me connected and engaged.
The prose is poetic and rich and some of the descriptions are excellent (places, Dark Kind, magic spells). It complements well the scenery and story arcs. While it works well for places, it doesn’t work that well in battle descriptions. Some of them are slow. It’s subjective and you may well enjoy this slow-motion effect. I didn’t. It’s especially evident In final Wight. They talk, they fight, I look at the watch and await the end impatiently.
Overall, I believe this book will appeal to many readers. For me, it was lacking some linear direction and better, clearer, structure. At times the things were way too slow and I had a hard time getting into the story. Actually, in order to appreciate events more, you would do well to have a pen while reading it and writing down who is who and what does it mean in this world.
The world is undoubtedly creative and I like the idea of Embers, Dark Kind threat and some of the twists. What puts me off though are characters that lack, well, character.
I won’t be reaching for the sequel but I think it’s a book worth trying. If you look for a book with complex lore, intriguing magic/power system and nice poetic descriptions, chances are you’ll enjoy Valley of Embers. Bear in mind that it may take some time to engage you and there’s a risk it won’t succeed.
Not really.
Once upon a time, there was a community that lived in the desert. Some of them had the power to control fire. They were called Embers and they have been the last line of defense against the nightmare creatures from the World Apart. When evil came, King of Embers leads his people to the Valley that was supposed to guarantee them safety. If it worked out, there would be no book, so obviously things went wrong. The Ember King and the White Crest –a Sage – left the Valley to tear down the evil nad while doing so they blocked the passage out of the Valley.
Fast forward few generations and we meet Kole Rayna – an Ember who has little faith in Sages, prophecies and legends. As the story progresses his beliefs stop to matter as he needs to help others fight the Night Lord.
Apart from Kole, there are other important characters, namely Linn, Baas, Iyana, Ninyeva. We learn more about them throughout the story. However, we don’t learn enough to make me care for any of them. It’s rather plot oriented story and characters serve the author to lead the reader through story arcs.
It’s actually difficult to explain the plot and all the twists without drawing complicated diagrams and hundreds of words. Let me just say it’s not really a straightforward and clear story. It’s more like an overly complicated set of puzzles that don't reveal anything thrilling. I found it difficult to get into the book and, truth be told, I never really succeeded. There were moments I enjoyed, there were good ideas and nice descriptions. There was also a lot of info – dumping, slow and unexciting world – building. The pacing was uneven, some chapters didn’t resolve anything. They just made the plot more confusing. If you enjoy patchworks, you may approve this kind of narration. Personally, I find it tiring.
As mentioned above I didn’t make friends with any of the characters. They all seem moderately convincing. The relationships between them lack emotions, there’s not a lot of character development, there’s little insight into protagonists minds. One example is the relationship between Kole and his father Karin. The bond between them is unnoticeable, and their interactions are rather distant. Sure, it may be rooted in Kole’s backstory (his mother death) but we don’t learn more about it.
And that’s a problem because when I can’t relate to at least one of characters, even the best story won’t be enough to keep me connected and engaged.
The prose is poetic and rich and some of the descriptions are excellent (places, Dark Kind, magic spells). It complements well the scenery and story arcs. While it works well for places, it doesn’t work that well in battle descriptions. Some of them are slow. It’s subjective and you may well enjoy this slow-motion effect. I didn’t. It’s especially evident In final Wight. They talk, they fight, I look at the watch and await the end impatiently.
Overall, I believe this book will appeal to many readers. For me, it was lacking some linear direction and better, clearer, structure. At times the things were way too slow and I had a hard time getting into the story. Actually, in order to appreciate events more, you would do well to have a pen while reading it and writing down who is who and what does it mean in this world.
The world is undoubtedly creative and I like the idea of Embers, Dark Kind threat and some of the twists. What puts me off though are characters that lack, well, character.
I won’t be reaching for the sequel but I think it’s a book worth trying. If you look for a book with complex lore, intriguing magic/power system and nice poetic descriptions, chances are you’ll enjoy Valley of Embers. Bear in mind that it may take some time to engage you and there’s a risk it won’t succeed.
cere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bookishchas's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic Debut
Some of my favorite things in fantasy are great character building, and unique magic. This book has both, and then some. The ember magic is a fascinating power, and there is just enough description of how it works to keep you gripped every time its used, but just enough mystery to tell you there's more to be revealed. As far as characters go, the races are well thought out, and the central characters are engaging and full of back story. Every battle had me on edge too, which isn't always easy to accomplish. To this debut novel I applaud Kelliher for pulling off an exciting and refreshing tale. Bravo!
Some of my favorite things in fantasy are great character building, and unique magic. This book has both, and then some. The ember magic is a fascinating power, and there is just enough description of how it works to keep you gripped every time its used, but just enough mystery to tell you there's more to be revealed. As far as characters go, the races are well thought out, and the central characters are engaging and full of back story. Every battle had me on edge too, which isn't always easy to accomplish. To this debut novel I applaud Kelliher for pulling off an exciting and refreshing tale. Bravo!
observantraven's review against another edition
4.0
Epic fantasy is one those genres that we don’t see to many authors try to write as they are notably known to be a complex and difficult books to write. I think “Valley of Embers” by Steven Kelliher is a great addition to the epic fantasy genre, it shows strength and greatness that can continue through its subsequent books.
I believe one of the aspects that can make or break a great epic fantasy book is the world building and characterization and for me this was one of “Valley of Embers” strongest areas. I usually find myself love or hating characters in most books but with “Valley of Embers” I never found that as Steven Kelliher didn’t once try to make a character appear to be perfect or make them believe they were which for me made them more personable and believable. Also without giving to much away I sometimes found myself hoping that characters would recover after battle and none more so than Kole’s loyal companion Shifa. The only small negative I have is that it would have been nice to learn more about Ninyeva as she seems to be important to the story.
The world and its inhabitants has been very well crafted by Steven, as each time I picked up the book I found myself getting lost within the world and due to this there were many times when I completely lost track of time when reading it. The magic in particular was one of my favorite aspects as not only were there different uses of magic but each one interacted with the wider world in its own unique way. One area in particular that made love the magic system so much was that it never once felt that the characters had a infinite source and at times it almost felt like that the magic was their life essence. Without giving to much away I also noticed that it somewhat protected them because if they used to much then they could be left susceptible to being possessed by the Eastern Dark.
When it comes to the story itself I felt certain scenes were dragged out slightly, these mostly occurred at the very start of the book, after this they were were few and far between. Even with that in mind I still really enjoyed the story in itself. Over the years of reading I have come to expect books like epic fantasy to falter slightly falter when it comes to the story this is because there is such a vast amount of setup that needs to take place and you need to delve into the world more. One of my favorite aspects of the story were the fight scenes as I always found them highly engaging and great fun to read.
With all of this I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Valley of Embers” and I think not only for the first book in a series but more so Steven Kelliher’s first published book he has done a fantastic job in developing a great addition to the Epic Fantasy genre. I think as Steven Kelliher’s writing career furthers his work will only get better and if this is what he produces as a first book then I think we can expect great things from him in the years to come. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre then I highly recommend you pick up this book.
I believe one of the aspects that can make or break a great epic fantasy book is the world building and characterization and for me this was one of “Valley of Embers” strongest areas. I usually find myself love or hating characters in most books but with “Valley of Embers” I never found that as Steven Kelliher didn’t once try to make a character appear to be perfect or make them believe they were which for me made them more personable and believable. Also without giving to much away I sometimes found myself hoping that characters would recover after battle and none more so than Kole’s loyal companion Shifa. The only small negative I have is that it would have been nice to learn more about Ninyeva as she seems to be important to the story.
The world and its inhabitants has been very well crafted by Steven, as each time I picked up the book I found myself getting lost within the world and due to this there were many times when I completely lost track of time when reading it. The magic in particular was one of my favorite aspects as not only were there different uses of magic but each one interacted with the wider world in its own unique way. One area in particular that made love the magic system so much was that it never once felt that the characters had a infinite source and at times it almost felt like that the magic was their life essence. Without giving to much away I also noticed that it somewhat protected them because if they used to much then they could be left susceptible to being possessed by the Eastern Dark.
When it comes to the story itself I felt certain scenes were dragged out slightly, these mostly occurred at the very start of the book, after this they were were few and far between. Even with that in mind I still really enjoyed the story in itself. Over the years of reading I have come to expect books like epic fantasy to falter slightly falter when it comes to the story this is because there is such a vast amount of setup that needs to take place and you need to delve into the world more. One of my favorite aspects of the story were the fight scenes as I always found them highly engaging and great fun to read.
With all of this I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Valley of Embers” and I think not only for the first book in a series but more so Steven Kelliher’s first published book he has done a fantastic job in developing a great addition to the Epic Fantasy genre. I think as Steven Kelliher’s writing career furthers his work will only get better and if this is what he produces as a first book then I think we can expect great things from him in the years to come. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre then I highly recommend you pick up this book.
nicoleeast's review
4.0
Brief summary: Kole Reyna is an Ember, one of the few remaining Landkist in the valley who can control fire, but though his people have retreated from their desert home the threats they face are far from withdrawing. The tainted presence of the Dark Kind lingers even as the days lengthen. Is this a sign the Eastern Dark has risen again to power, or are the Landkist simply a pawn in a much greater war?
This was a close 4-star for me. It certainly earned a 3, but the 4 is symbolic of the potential I think this series has.
This took me quite by surprise. It was a very atmospheric read, and it reminded me much of The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington but with elemental magic. That combined with the idea that demon-like armies terrorize humanity during the night reminded me of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle series (without the rampant sexism).
I also enjoyed how quick of a read this was. There's plenty of action, and you can easily see Steven Kelliher's influence as a fighter at work. He clearly knows his stuff. I don't enjoy action scenes unless there's an interesting element to them, but I feel these were paced with great care.
Now on to the parts that could improve. The characters felt wooden to me. An unfortunate side effect of having so many action sequences is that you lose out on the quiet character moments that really serve to flesh them out. Unfortunately, I don't really know who the characters are. I can say that Kole wants revenge against White Crest for killing his mother, and that's about it. He serves as more of a vehicle for the plot than an independent person.
Also...because there aren't info dumps most of the information is given by dialogue. This caused conversations to drag quite a bit, especially in the last 50 pages. Not to say there's a lot of long social soliloquies or mentor teaching moments, but more so dialogue was stretched unnaturally to hit all the necessary points.
I also would really, really like a glossary of characters and terms in the back of the next volume. I kept forgetting who the Second Keeper was in Hearth, or what it even meant.
If I sound harsh it's because I really enjoyed my time here and I'm excited to see the story grow. I will certainly pre-order the next book when the paperback is available!
This was a close 4-star for me. It certainly earned a 3, but the 4 is symbolic of the potential I think this series has.
This took me quite by surprise. It was a very atmospheric read, and it reminded me much of The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington but with elemental magic. That combined with the idea that demon-like armies terrorize humanity during the night reminded me of Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle series (without the rampant sexism).
I also enjoyed how quick of a read this was. There's plenty of action, and you can easily see Steven Kelliher's influence as a fighter at work. He clearly knows his stuff. I don't enjoy action scenes unless there's an interesting element to them, but I feel these were paced with great care.
Now on to the parts that could improve. The characters felt wooden to me. An unfortunate side effect of having so many action sequences is that you lose out on the quiet character moments that really serve to flesh them out. Unfortunately, I don't really know who the characters are. I can say that Kole wants revenge against White Crest for killing his mother, and that's about it. He serves as more of a vehicle for the plot than an independent person.
Also...because there aren't info dumps most of the information is given by dialogue. This caused conversations to drag quite a bit, especially in the last 50 pages. Not to say there's a lot of long social soliloquies or mentor teaching moments, but more so dialogue was stretched unnaturally to hit all the necessary points.
I also would really, really like a glossary of characters and terms in the back of the next volume. I kept forgetting who the Second Keeper was in Hearth, or what it even meant.
If I sound harsh it's because I really enjoyed my time here and I'm excited to see the story grow. I will certainly pre-order the next book when the paperback is available!
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