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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Great story, but what makes it special is the very 3d characters. Gritty and dark, but in no way gory or horrifying. Can't wait to read the sequel!
Very tough to get into at first (it's quite slow), but turned out to be a very enjoyable read. Don't like the way women are portrayed though (either they're whores or virgins...). No strong female characters whatsoever.
This book is probably 3.5*, 3 seems a little harsh, 4 a little too generous.
Overall I liked this book, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. The execution however was not that great. Some things had boring unnecessary details whilst some parts needing explanation had none. Also the writing could be a bit juvenile but once I accepted that and got used to his writing style I did actually really enjoy this book. I have even gone out and bought the next one so I can continue straight away.
Overall I liked this book, I enjoyed the characters and the storyline. The execution however was not that great. Some things had boring unnecessary details whilst some parts needing explanation had none. Also the writing could be a bit juvenile but once I accepted that and got used to his writing style I did actually really enjoy this book. I have even gone out and bought the next one so I can continue straight away.
A truly gripping fantasy novel. Full of intrigue, magic, and murder. And some really deep and complex characters who go on quite the emotional journey!
Two amazing pure fantasy books in the same month? I know, I was shocked, too. While completely different from the [b:Cold Magic|7114825|Cold Magic (Spiritwalker, #1)|Kate Elliott|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1323994929s/7114825.jpg|7374960] books, still awesome. It's fantasy of the quasi-medieval ilk. Princes and beggars and huge class divisions (OK, that could be non-fiction). But guilds of thieves and prostitutes and a secret criminal council (which I'm pretty sure only exist in fantasy books but I guess I don't know).
This is the journey of a young boy who escapes (awful, dire) poverty to become an apprentice to a legendary assassin. There's also politics and threats to the world order and grittiness but with human characters, missed chances, love, humanity, friendship, and all the things that fantasy novels so often lack.
And it's only the first book of the series! Fingers crossed!
This is the journey of a young boy who escapes (awful, dire) poverty to become an apprentice to a legendary assassin. There's also politics and threats to the world order and grittiness but with human characters, missed chances, love, humanity, friendship, and all the things that fantasy novels so often lack.
And it's only the first book of the series! Fingers crossed!
DNF @ 390. This book feels sloppy and poorly constructed. I think there was meant to be a slowly building plot, but the choppiness and lack of flow between chapters destroyed it. There is also the constant mention of cleavage throughout the novel within every female character introduced. I get it's a thing that is noticed, but it felt a bit excessively mentioned in this book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The character interactions can be so interesting, and it did really feel like it was building to something.
But there were just sooooo many flaws dragging it down. Firstly, the male gaze can be so strong it can break a character's normally strong characterization just because "boobies". I mean, come on. The plotting felt like it came strong in sections, but never could quite knit together in the way it should. The love story there felt so contrived. The bleakness of the world and the grimdark things happening felt more like torture porn for the sake of it, rather than a genuine attempt to examine or reflect on something.
I don't think I'm going to bother with book 2.
But there were just sooooo many flaws dragging it down. Firstly, the male gaze can be so strong it can break a character's normally strong characterization just because "boobies". I mean, come on. The plotting felt like it came strong in sections, but never could quite knit together in the way it should. The love story there felt so contrived. The bleakness of the world and the grimdark things happening felt more like torture porn for the sake of it, rather than a genuine attempt to examine or reflect on something.
I don't think I'm going to bother with book 2.
A good ole street urchin turned assasin book so you can't really go wrong. You can tell this is the author's first novel in small things throughout. Some of the dramatic moments and monologues fell flat and the dialogue at times felt forced. At times, plot twists seemed to be used just for the sake of plot twists rather than a thoughtful change. I'm hopeful for the remainder of the series.
This book is still just as amazing as I remember and still gets it's place as one of my favorites