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sonjihi's review
5.0
"In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers...
....."
A quote that sums up feelings I experienced reading this book.
It wasn't until the end when I realised exactly what this book does so well. It's not just the plot and the story that is delivered, but it's the meaning and the deep and dark areas explored throughout that left me wanting more.
The characters are well written and the more you read the more you understand how broken each and everyone on of them are. Even those characters that you assume early on are there to act as the evil side, leave you with a sense of sorrow for their struggles despite the atrocities they've committed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and for those that want something beyond a fantastic, relentless and intriguing plot, I'd definitely recommended this book.
At this stage I haven't yet found out whether the series will be continued, but I can say with 100% certainty that I will absolutely be reading any future books in the series.
....."
A quote that sums up feelings I experienced reading this book.
It wasn't until the end when I realised exactly what this book does so well. It's not just the plot and the story that is delivered, but it's the meaning and the deep and dark areas explored throughout that left me wanting more.
The characters are well written and the more you read the more you understand how broken each and everyone on of them are. Even those characters that you assume early on are there to act as the evil side, leave you with a sense of sorrow for their struggles despite the atrocities they've committed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and for those that want something beyond a fantastic, relentless and intriguing plot, I'd definitely recommended this book.
At this stage I haven't yet found out whether the series will be continued, but I can say with 100% certainty that I will absolutely be reading any future books in the series.
steve_pagechewing's review
5.0
Obsidian Awakening is one of those books that feel easy to read, but when you look back you realize how much depth it had. How much you've learned about the world, the politics and the characters without feeling like you at the time. The characters and world are so clear and defined that you feel like you've read a few books in the series already.
All of the characters have something they struggle with or something that happens to them that changes them in a positive or negative way. How they deal with what happens to them is so fascinating. There are some absolutely heart breaking scenes but they happen for a reason and serve the story. It's established pretty quickly that anything can and will happen, nobody is safe and the characters you begin to latch onto won't be spared. All of the characters get enough time that you get to know all of them, they are all flawed and are dealing with trauma.
The world is lush and vivid. Lots of maneuvering and politics, making you wonder what will happen next or what is really going on and what everyone's motivations really are. Sienna Frost also explores the cost of survival and civilizations. What leaders must do to keep order, to keep everyone fed and alive. How do you rule over so many people and keep them motivated? Would you trade freedom for security? Would you rather be safe behind walls and part of the machine or be free and vulnerable to the many dangers in the world?
So many details I'm sure I missed on the first read, this one is just begging for a re-read. Not because it's hard to follow, but because there are so many details sprinkled in that will be relevant later in the series.
Interview with Sienna Frost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhLNjUwlSLQ
SPOILER filled discussion with Sienna Frost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD8N9OmX-CM
All of the characters have something they struggle with or something that happens to them that changes them in a positive or negative way. How they deal with what happens to them is so fascinating. There are some absolutely heart breaking scenes but they happen for a reason and serve the story. It's established pretty quickly that anything can and will happen, nobody is safe and the characters you begin to latch onto won't be spared. All of the characters get enough time that you get to know all of them, they are all flawed and are dealing with trauma.
The world is lush and vivid. Lots of maneuvering and politics, making you wonder what will happen next or what is really going on and what everyone's motivations really are. Sienna Frost also explores the cost of survival and civilizations. What leaders must do to keep order, to keep everyone fed and alive. How do you rule over so many people and keep them motivated? Would you trade freedom for security? Would you rather be safe behind walls and part of the machine or be free and vulnerable to the many dangers in the world?
So many details I'm sure I missed on the first read, this one is just begging for a re-read. Not because it's hard to follow, but because there are so many details sprinkled in that will be relevant later in the series.
Interview with Sienna Frost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhLNjUwlSLQ
SPOILER filled discussion with Sienna Frost: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD8N9OmX-CM
scareads's review
4.0
What a powerhouse! How is the author going to top this?
Read this book! It is such an incredibly well written book with a realism to rival many of the best grimdark fantasies. The characters were well developed. Each one was unique with their own goals and history. The chapters were all on the shorter end considering the epic scale of this novel and to the point. I felt involved in the story, and it felt unpredictable. Now I did have favorites out of the point of view characters, and they were the secondary characters but without them, I would not have loved this story as much as I had. I was amazed at how much history and development was put into this world. At times, I had to put this book down, not because I wanted a break, but because it was stressing me out and needed one. That was how good the writing was!
Now I did vacillate between giving this book 4 or 5 ⭐ for a few days because of how good the beginning and middle of this book was. In the end, I've settled for 4.5⭐ rounded down for two reasons. Unfortunately, I don't think the ending did this book justice. It felt rushed in its eloquence and story making (not in pace). The plot became expected (predictable is not the right word). We also suddenly got chapters with frequent pov switches compared to much of the book and the frequent use of 'you'. I also felt the 2 non-marital sexual assault scenes were unnecessary. One could have easily been off the page and the other minor one had no purpose but establishing a character that exchanged two or three lines with a pov character.
Overall, do not pass this book up!
I am looking forward to seeing how the story continues once book 2 comes out.
Read this book! It is such an incredibly well written book with a realism to rival many of the best grimdark fantasies. The characters were well developed. Each one was unique with their own goals and history. The chapters were all on the shorter end considering the epic scale of this novel and to the point. I felt involved in the story, and it felt unpredictable. Now I did have favorites out of the point of view characters, and they were the secondary characters but without them, I would not have loved this story as much as I had. I was amazed at how much history and development was put into this world. At times, I had to put this book down, not because I wanted a break, but because it was stressing me out and needed one. That was how good the writing was!
Now I did vacillate between giving this book 4 or 5 ⭐ for a few days because of how good the beginning and middle of this book was. In the end, I've settled for 4.5⭐ rounded down for two reasons. Unfortunately, I don't think the ending did this book justice. It felt rushed in its eloquence and story making (not in pace). The plot became expected (predictable is not the right word). We also suddenly got chapters with frequent pov switches compared to much of the book and the frequent use of 'you'. I also felt the 2 non-marital sexual assault scenes were unnecessary. One could have easily been off the page and the other minor one had no purpose but establishing a character that exchanged two or three lines with a pov character.
Overall, do not pass this book up!
I am looking forward to seeing how the story continues once book 2 comes out.
kevinscorner's review
4.5
Obsidian: Awakening is pretty close to perfect for me, and that’s saying something considering this is a debut novel. A tyrant king; a captive wife; a half-blood prince; a male escort turned assassin; a girl destined to end the war; a tribal oracle; a rival lover. Seven lives born on different sides of a war between an ever-expanding empire and a nomadic tribal society set against a Middle Eastern-inspired desert world.
The book is brilliantly paced, with shifting perspectives that build tension and intrigue. Storythreads intersect and diverge while remaining easy to follow and never confusing. It utilizes a linear chronological progression towards two epic final acts for some characters while others are just being set up and left open for the sequel. And boy did those final chapters leave me practically breathless as I could not put it down.
Action-packed and story-driven, the book still manages get its characters to shine. There wasn’t a single character I did not love. There are no true heroes nor villains here with each one of the seven having motivations you can understand and relate to. They may do some despicable acts and go to dark places, but it is never a question whether they are justified as they remain true to their characters. And while the book may be a dark fantasy, it never gets truly grim (and that’s a plus for me as I personally do not like things being too grimdark).
Obsidian: Awakening is a brilliant debut dark fantasy, and I am eagerly awaiting a sequel.
*I read this as a judge in the 1st Indie Ink Awards. My rating here may not directly reflect how I scored there. I was provided an ebook but chose to purchase a paperback copy for myself.
The book is brilliantly paced, with shifting perspectives that build tension and intrigue. Storythreads intersect and diverge while remaining easy to follow and never confusing. It utilizes a linear chronological progression towards two epic final acts for some characters while others are just being set up and left open for the sequel. And boy did those final chapters leave me practically breathless as I could not put it down.
Action-packed and story-driven, the book still manages get its characters to shine. There wasn’t a single character I did not love. There are no true heroes nor villains here with each one of the seven having motivations you can understand and relate to. They may do some despicable acts and go to dark places, but it is never a question whether they are justified as they remain true to their characters. And while the book may be a dark fantasy, it never gets truly grim (and that’s a plus for me as I personally do not like things being too grimdark).
Obsidian: Awakening is a brilliant debut dark fantasy, and I am eagerly awaiting a sequel.
*I read this as a judge in the 1st Indie Ink Awards. My rating here may not directly reflect how I scored there. I was provided an ebook but chose to purchase a paperback copy for myself.
raeanna11's review
4.0
Obsidian: Awakening was such a breath of fresh air. It was unique with stylistic undertones of a popular epic fantasy novel. Sienna Frost is a great writer. The pace and quality is *chef's kiss* and dare I say on par with Game of Thrones. So why did it lose a star you ask? Well, I think that it had more to do with me as a reader than the skill of the author.
One reason would be that I was reading this novel whenever I had a bit of free time in my schedule. Unfortunately, I don't think this novel is written to be read this way. I would often pick it up with only 30 mins of reading time and having to come back a couple days later. Once I tried to continue, I was constantly having to re-read or remind myself of characters, places etc. While this is a given for a good fantasy novel, it was one of the biggest deterrents for picking up the book if I didn't have a solid amount of time to really get into it. Which meant that I would wait even longer and thus start a vicious cycle that took me way too long to read it lol. Anyways, I would have appreciated having an appendix or list of characters or something. Something I could use as a reference just in case. Also, including the name of the character with the change in point of view each chapter would also be helpful :)
Another reason for the rating is both a positive and a negative. And that is the fact that it is a heavy novel. And I don't necessarily mean in size. There are a lot of what I would call heavy themes. This can be good to keep an audience invested in the plot and characters (especially in the case of Zahara's story), but it can also be a lot for the reader especially if they aren't in the mood for a heavy book (and don't realize it).
Otherwise, this novel has a great plot, great characters and I definitely recommend it to anyone that likes Game of Thrones or any other epic fantasy novel.
Ratings:
Quality of Writing 4.5/5
Sadness level 3/5
Ease of Reading 3/5
Plot Development 4.5/5
Hero 4/5
Heroine 4/5
Characters 4/5
Enjoyability 4/5
Logic 4/5
Overall Rating: 4
One reason would be that I was reading this novel whenever I had a bit of free time in my schedule. Unfortunately, I don't think this novel is written to be read this way. I would often pick it up with only 30 mins of reading time and having to come back a couple days later. Once I tried to continue, I was constantly having to re-read or remind myself of characters, places etc. While this is a given for a good fantasy novel, it was one of the biggest deterrents for picking up the book if I didn't have a solid amount of time to really get into it. Which meant that I would wait even longer and thus start a vicious cycle that took me way too long to read it lol. Anyways, I would have appreciated having an appendix or list of characters or something. Something I could use as a reference just in case. Also, including the name of the character with the change in point of view each chapter would also be helpful :)
Another reason for the rating is both a positive and a negative. And that is the fact that it is a heavy novel. And I don't necessarily mean in size. There are a lot of what I would call heavy themes. This can be good to keep an audience invested in the plot and characters (especially in the case of Zahara's story), but it can also be a lot for the reader especially if they aren't in the mood for a heavy book (and don't realize it).
Otherwise, this novel has a great plot, great characters and I definitely recommend it to anyone that likes Game of Thrones or any other epic fantasy novel.
Ratings:
Quality of Writing 4.5/5
Sadness level 3/5
Ease of Reading 3/5
Plot Development 4.5/5
Hero 4/5
Heroine 4/5
Characters 4/5
Enjoyability 4/5
Logic 4/5
Overall Rating: 4
krayreads's review
5.0
OBSESSED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. read this over vacation and tried to take my time with it because i didn’t want it to end
aminakara's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
This was such a good book! Days after finishing it and I'm still thinking about it and raving about it to anyone that might be interested!
Want a story with complex characters? You got it!
Excellent world building? ✅
Some brilliant action sequences? ✅
A fan of grimdark? ✅
It was superbly well written, with all of the above. It had me gripped from start to finish. I was fully invested from the first page to the last.
Sienna did an excellent job with the characters. The way they were written made me totally invested in them.
It was dark, but so worth the read. I'll definitely be waiting impatiently for the second book!
Highly recommend it!
Want a story with complex characters? You got it!
Excellent world building? ✅
Some brilliant action sequences? ✅
A fan of grimdark? ✅
It was superbly well written, with all of the above. It had me gripped from start to finish. I was fully invested from the first page to the last.
Sienna did an excellent job with the characters. The way they were written made me totally invested in them.
It was dark, but so worth the read. I'll definitely be waiting impatiently for the second book!
Highly recommend it!
emm1lou's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0