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nikki_saulnier's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, War, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, Violence, Death, Infidelity, Cannibalism, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, and Terminal illness
banjo_hammer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A few critiques: first, it drags on at times. There are side adventures and party members keep getting added. There's also a fair bit of overwriting, repeating details from earlier chapters before verbatim (helpful, but done more than necessary) or using a paragraph for something that only needs 3-5 words. If you're someone comfortable skimming such sections, then it's not so bad.
Second, the idea of mercenary bands being an allegory for real world rock bands was at times amusing, and at others groan worthy. The conceit seemed to come and go throughout the story. A few chapters in I found it annoying, wishing the author would go full-on satire or just lay off with the cute nods and references. I mostly got over it by the middle of the book.
And third, there's a fair bit of Dad the Protector fantasy that's very Taken-esque, in the sense that the dads indeed have "a very particular set of skills." This will appeal to some readers but, I'm sure, not others. That said, I'm a middle aged dad so it hit home with me. Others' mileage may vary.
That said, overall the story was dang fun. The characters are all likeable, if not loveable, in their own ways. Lots of classic D&D style adventure elements, for folks who dig that. I liked that most of the heroes were old and past their glory days. The world felt lived in and its mythology was interesting. I spent the whole book rooting for Clay, Gabe, Moog, and all the rest, curious to see how they would make it all the way across the map. Despite some eye rolls along the way, it was a good time cover to cover
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, War, and Cannibalism
Minor: Addiction, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Confinement
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The characters were bland. The only character we really get to know much about outside of a vague trope is the perspective character Clay, and he barely gets anything. Half the members of the Band I honestly don't think the book would be changed by removing. We meet some more characters about halfway through that I was at least more entertained by, but they still barely were necessary. My favorite character was probably Moog, and he was basically just a walking gay stereotype.
Boy, was the plot predictable and the pacing exhausting. The book could almost be broken in sections, and each one is defined almost the whole way. There's an objective of some kind - a place they're journeying toward, a fight they're trying to win, an object they need to get - and each time it plods through them failing and failing. Eames really just beats the reader over the head with how much peril they're in and that the Band will never make it (but I never once believed they'd actually fail). And then suddenly (when I've become so bored I'm contemplating DNF'ing), they get through it - usually with some kind of deus ex - and then the story will get interesting enough for a bit to draw me back in.
The setting is really fun, and that's the extra half star above 2 this gets. I might read the second novel because I'm very hopeful about the characters it'll focus and that the story will be more original.
Graphic: Gore and Alcoholism
Moderate: Infidelity
valjeanval's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexism, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, and War
skyeuqx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Gore
i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Sexual content, Alcoholism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual assault
marsh_mall0w's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Slavery
bugaboobear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: War, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Cannibalism
Minor: Vomit, Rape, Slavery, and Torture
vivavia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, Kidnapping, War, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury
seanml's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness
Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders