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hooksbookswanderlust's review
DNF at about 55%.
This story started out strong, with an opening scene sure to get your heart rate up, but it gets into the world building and story and then it just didn’t really ever pick up again.
There are A LOT of characters to follow, which, even with the index of characters, was just too many for me. It seemed that Laster wanted to give full detail and back story to every character, no matter whether they were central to the story or not. While she did this very well, it got to be very confusing for me determining which characters were central, supporting, and peripheral characters. The POV bounced around a lot too, as she attempted to bring each character to life.
As gripping as the opening was, leading me to think this would be a quick read, I found it to be extremely slow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would almost call this an epic fantasy, really. Much of the length is spent world-building and introducing us to the various cultures of the people in the 6 kingdoms. It’s obvious that Laster really spent a lot of time researching, and I personally appreciate that.
Still, I found myself falling asleep if I tried to read more than a page or two at a time, then I set it down for a while, came back to it and starting it over only to have the same problems. So after 2 years
This story started out strong, with an opening scene sure to get your heart rate up, but it gets into the world building and story and then it just didn’t really ever pick up again.
There are A LOT of characters to follow, which, even with the index of characters, was just too many for me. It seemed that Laster wanted to give full detail and back story to every character, no matter whether they were central to the story or not. While she did this very well, it got to be very confusing for me determining which characters were central, supporting, and peripheral characters. The POV bounced around a lot too, as she attempted to bring each character to life.
As gripping as the opening was, leading me to think this would be a quick read, I found it to be extremely slow. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I would almost call this an epic fantasy, really. Much of the length is spent world-building and introducing us to the various cultures of the people in the 6 kingdoms. It’s obvious that Laster really spent a lot of time researching, and I personally appreciate that.
Still, I found myself falling asleep if I tried to read more than a page or two at a time, then I set it down for a while, came back to it and starting it over only to have the same problems. So after 2 years
shh_reading85's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Wow, this was quite the read. This novel was so rich; from the carefully crafted characters to the cities and the villages where they all dwelled, plus the historical accuracies. This author is definitely someone to look out for.
The only complaint I would have is the mixed POV's as they were confusing at first, even with the handy appendix. Some of the voices kind of blended together and I had to go back to see who it was that was speaking.
Regardless of my complaint, it is still an excellent read and I absolutely recommend it. It gives a wonderful view of a side of history that the West doesn't always get to see.
I received a copy of this book from the author for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
The only complaint I would have is the mixed POV's as they were confusing at first, even with the handy appendix. Some of the voices kind of blended together and I had to go back to see who it was that was speaking.
Regardless of my complaint, it is still an excellent read and I absolutely recommend it. It gives a wonderful view of a side of history that the West doesn't always get to see.
I received a copy of this book from the author for free and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
kaetheluise_nckl's review
3.0
written on 03/20/2019
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into the process of reading this book with a certain set of expectations, and as much as it hurts me to say that, those expectations were not met.
I had an extremely hard time trying to stay focused while reading, and because of that, it took me two months to finish this book.
That does not have to be a bad thing per se, but a book of this size would usually keep me busy for one week or so.
As I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters in this book and it was tough trying to keep up with them and their plot lines, so I would often find myself confused. For my personal taste, there was also a lack of character development.
Also, I remember that when I was halfway through, I still didn't feel like this book had a plot that spoke to me, and I was beginning to be bored with what was happening.
However, I loved the writing style and the lore; the cultural and historic aspects were what kept my interest in this book.
The first disappointment was finding that the book did not focus on the two characters from the prologue, Nekili and Naima, because the prologue was, bluntly said, what got my hopes and expectations up. I would have loved to learn more of their story and I was disappointed to find that the book moved away from them quite quickly.
I gave the book three stars because, as I said, the historic and cultural aspects, as well as the writing style, have kept me going when I was reading this book. They made up for the flaws that I mentioned.
I also have immense respect for people like E. Y. Laster who, now that diversity in media is gaining an audience, is putting themselves out there to share their heritage, and I can tell that she definitely knew what she was talking about, even though I myself have almost no knowledge of ancient Africa and its culture.
I don't consider myself that much of a history nerd, but I know how much joy it is to share about cultures that go by almost unnoticed.
So, should you buy this book?
Yes. I think it's worth a try, and we all know that one person's view shouldn't dictate how others see the same thing - so just because it wasn't the perfect book for me, doesn't mean you'll experience it the same way.
If you enjoy books that go into the direction of LoTR, Game of Thrones and incorporate ancient African/Egyptian and ancient Roman culture, then "Of Captivity & Kings" is definitely a book you should consider.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into the process of reading this book with a certain set of expectations, and as much as it hurts me to say that, those expectations were not met.
I had an extremely hard time trying to stay focused while reading, and because of that, it took me two months to finish this book.
That does not have to be a bad thing per se, but a book of this size would usually keep me busy for one week or so.
As I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters in this book and it was tough trying to keep up with them and their plot lines, so I would often find myself confused. For my personal taste, there was also a lack of character development.
Also, I remember that when I was halfway through, I still didn't feel like this book had a plot that spoke to me, and I was beginning to be bored with what was happening.
However, I loved the writing style and the lore; the cultural and historic aspects were what kept my interest in this book.
The first disappointment was finding that the book did not focus on the two characters from the prologue, Nekili and Naima, because the prologue was, bluntly said, what got my hopes and expectations up. I would have loved to learn more of their story and I was disappointed to find that the book moved away from them quite quickly.
I gave the book three stars because, as I said, the historic and cultural aspects, as well as the writing style, have kept me going when I was reading this book. They made up for the flaws that I mentioned.
I also have immense respect for people like E. Y. Laster who, now that diversity in media is gaining an audience, is putting themselves out there to share their heritage, and I can tell that she definitely knew what she was talking about, even though I myself have almost no knowledge of ancient Africa and its culture.
I don't consider myself that much of a history nerd, but I know how much joy it is to share about cultures that go by almost unnoticed.
So, should you buy this book?
Yes. I think it's worth a try, and we all know that one person's view shouldn't dictate how others see the same thing - so just because it wasn't the perfect book for me, doesn't mean you'll experience it the same way.
If you enjoy books that go into the direction of LoTR, Game of Thrones and incorporate ancient African/Egyptian and ancient Roman culture, then "Of Captivity & Kings" is definitely a book you should consider.
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