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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
I can't do this anymore. Jorg Ancrath isn't an anti-hero, he's obnoxious and insufferable (unlikable characters can be done well - this is definitively not that). The plot is irrelevant because I was too busy rolling my eyes every time the characters did anything and all of my criticisms of the world building in book one still stand. Maybe Mark Lawrence just for me, but I won't be finishing the Broken Empire series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another good entry in the series. Not as laser sharp as the first book, but perhaps deeper.
More great fantasy by Mark Lawrence. This book does not suffer from second book in the trilogy syndrome. I think it was as good or better than the first in the series. I must admit to being a fan of Mark Lawrence: his dark and gritty places are special and full of promise.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a lot better than the Prince of Thorns, not just story wise but the prose has improved. The reflections along the way, Jorgs calm thoughts on the battlefield, his cunning and his ruthless ambition. A truly compelling character who will do anything that is necessary to win.
Lawrence’s portrayal of Jorg Ancrath is as one of the most vicious and evil protagonists I have ever read. The second book in The Broken Empire series, this is a scintillatingly fast read without being simple, and a showcase where Lawrence manages to display the full range of Jorg’s evil alongside also his humanity and his grounding. Simultaneously following the events of past travels and present battles I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable anti-hero tale and was/am routinely cheering for a man who is consistently relatable and displays aspects that are shadowed within all of us.
Check out more reviews like this on Instagram @myhonestbookreview
Check out more reviews like this on Instagram @myhonestbookreview
With his memories stripped and stored in a box, the Prince of Arrow's army at the gates, and a wedding to a girl he's never met about to happen it's the perfect time for Jorg to act like he doesn't have a plan only to reveal later that he didn't have a plan. Overall Jorg is back and he's still a total bastard but that was to be expected. I don't like him any better than I did in Prince of Thorns and I still have a burning desire to follow his exploits. Does this sort of character reach out and touch a dark spot inside some of us are we hoping for some sort of redemption in the end? I don't think I'll be able to answer that question but it's one worth asking.
The book is centered around Jorg's wedding day at eighteen years of age and fills in the events of what happened between the PoT and this book with interspersed chapters following directly on after the first book and snippets of Katherine's journal so you may, if you're not ready for it, find the first few chapters a little hard to keep sorted in your head but this doesn't take away from the story at all and I think it enhances the suspense quite nicely.
This story is split between an older Jorg and events directly following Prince of Thorns and the way Lawrence handles it is done quite well and I truly enjoyed the story that has been crafted here. There's something about the way Lawrence draws the story in the reader's mind that makes this series damned hard to put down, from descriptions to dialog I can't find any weakness other than his penchant for having bad things happen to children, but that's a style choice and I've already covered that in my review of Prince of Thorns. There is a lot of well designed tension in this book and some well done reveals about the masters behind the masters. Lawrence is now on my short list, not that anyone cares, of best modern fantasy writers.
I never considered Jorg any kind of hero so what some folks saw as him crossing the line from anti-hero to villain wasn't much of a surprise to me so take that for what it is, and without spoilers. Jorg is Jorg, he's a sociopath but not of his own invention and, not to excuse anything he does, not of his own fault. He's the least likable protagonist in a book that's really well written that I've seen in a long time.
The book is centered around Jorg's wedding day at eighteen years of age and fills in the events of what happened between the PoT and this book with interspersed chapters following directly on after the first book and snippets of Katherine's journal so you may, if you're not ready for it, find the first few chapters a little hard to keep sorted in your head but this doesn't take away from the story at all and I think it enhances the suspense quite nicely.
This story is split between an older Jorg and events directly following Prince of Thorns and the way Lawrence handles it is done quite well and I truly enjoyed the story that has been crafted here. There's something about the way Lawrence draws the story in the reader's mind that makes this series damned hard to put down, from descriptions to dialog I can't find any weakness other than his penchant for having bad things happen to children, but that's a style choice and I've already covered that in my review of Prince of Thorns. There is a lot of well designed tension in this book and some well done reveals about the masters behind the masters. Lawrence is now on my short list, not that anyone cares, of best modern fantasy writers.
I never considered Jorg any kind of hero so what some folks saw as him crossing the line from anti-hero to villain wasn't much of a surprise to me so take that for what it is, and without spoilers. Jorg is Jorg, he's a sociopath but not of his own invention and, not to excuse anything he does, not of his own fault. He's the least likable protagonist in a book that's really well written that I've seen in a long time.
Hugely enjoyable book, genuinely inventive plot, great characters - love the various road brothers and the non linear narrative of the book lends a certain charm. I also like the way the author gradually reveals more detail about the post apocalyptic world the story is set in. Looking forward to getting the next book in the series.
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes