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ronitjauthor's review
4.0
What would happen if the worlds of ASOIAF and First Law were to collide? Well, you’d get this beautifully nasty creation from the mind of Rob J Hayes.
I discovered Rob J Hayes only because Never Die has such a cool cover and title. I ended up following him because I love his writing style and everything he does on social media. I wanted to read his work outside of Mortal Techniques but didn’t know where to start. Then I found this Folio, which I thought might be a good entry point. Short stories, no commitment.
So, I’m committed I guess. Because holy fucking hell this was EPIC. Every story is rich with character, and Rob J Haye’s style just keeps you hooked from start to finish. I don’t think there was ever a dull moment in this collection. Of course, if you’ve read a lot of fantasy (and I’m a slow reader so I consider I haven’t), you’ll probably guess many of the twists or endings. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the journey.
The stories felt as if they were set in distinct worlds, but that could be because of all the many POVs. I can’t believe how diverse the roster of characters is. Makes me want to pick up the Ties That Bind asap.
For individual stories:
- The Sword of the North - Felt a little cliched, but was enjoyable nonetheless. I genuinely felt the anger and frustration Derran felt.
- A Game of Poisons - LOVED IT. Loved everything about it. Maybe the ending could’ve been better, but I don’t think I’m gonna complain. Probably my favourite of the lot.
- The Kid - Damn, that one was a punch in the gut. The ending was so satisfying, I wonder what happens to the MC.
- The Battle of Underbridge - Loved how distinct the characters were. Some of the banter felt forced but overall was a great read. This one felt closest to ASOIAF. Really abrupt ending though.
- The Merchant of Truridge - Another punch in the gut. The ending felt a little anticlimactic, but that’s probably to set the stage for the actual story. Can’t wait to see what happens there. (Is this the unlikeable character Rob mentioned in his Author’s Note?)
- By My Life and Bloodline - Loved how kids were depicted here. But that’s about it. This one was my least favourite. Didn’t exactly like the characters, or the setting. The backstory of the Drurr was interesting, but overall I found this one to be the weakest.
- The Mistress of the West - I found the setting a little weird and off-putting. But damn, the MC was such a bitch. I absolutely loved her character and want to read more of her.
- Black Blood - This one was absolutely fun. Probably the craziest of the 8 stories included here.
TL;DR: WHAT I LIKED: Yes
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: some cliched plot points, some very minor editing issues
I discovered Rob J Hayes only because Never Die has such a cool cover and title. I ended up following him because I love his writing style and everything he does on social media. I wanted to read his work outside of Mortal Techniques but didn’t know where to start. Then I found this Folio, which I thought might be a good entry point. Short stories, no commitment.
So, I’m committed I guess. Because holy fucking hell this was EPIC. Every story is rich with character, and Rob J Haye’s style just keeps you hooked from start to finish. I don’t think there was ever a dull moment in this collection. Of course, if you’ve read a lot of fantasy (and I’m a slow reader so I consider I haven’t), you’ll probably guess many of the twists or endings. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the journey.
The stories felt as if they were set in distinct worlds, but that could be because of all the many POVs. I can’t believe how diverse the roster of characters is. Makes me want to pick up the Ties That Bind asap.
For individual stories:
- The Sword of the North - Felt a little cliched, but was enjoyable nonetheless. I genuinely felt the anger and frustration Derran felt.
- A Game of Poisons - LOVED IT. Loved everything about it. Maybe the ending could’ve been better, but I don’t think I’m gonna complain. Probably my favourite of the lot.
- The Kid - Damn, that one was a punch in the gut. The ending was so satisfying, I wonder what happens to the MC.
- The Battle of Underbridge - Loved how distinct the characters were. Some of the banter felt forced but overall was a great read. This one felt closest to ASOIAF. Really abrupt ending though.
- The Merchant of Truridge - Another punch in the gut. The ending felt a little anticlimactic, but that’s probably to set the stage for the actual story. Can’t wait to see what happens there. (Is this the unlikeable character Rob mentioned in his Author’s Note?)
- By My Life and Bloodline - Loved how kids were depicted here. But that’s about it. This one was my least favourite. Didn’t exactly like the characters, or the setting. The backstory of the Drurr was interesting, but overall I found this one to be the weakest.
- The Mistress of the West - I found the setting a little weird and off-putting. But damn, the MC was such a bitch. I absolutely loved her character and want to read more of her.
- Black Blood - This one was absolutely fun. Probably the craziest of the 8 stories included here.
TL;DR: WHAT I LIKED: Yes
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: some cliched plot points, some very minor editing issues
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