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pgforrest's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it in most respects, but this book - and the remainder in the series - suffers from an annoying proclivity of continuity errors. The names of countries change from one book to the next, as do the names of some of the monsters, towns / fortresses, and the gender of some of the minor characters (a baby girl is born, but in the next book, it turns out that it was a boy).
I'm also pretty convinced that the author struggles at times with the difference between East and West, making it impossible to visualise the journeys of some of the characters and some of the battles. He does seem reasonably solid on North vs South, though.
A deserved 4 stars. Without all the errors, I'd haver given it 5.
I'm also pretty convinced that the author struggles at times with the difference between East and West, making it impossible to visualise the journeys of some of the characters and some of the battles. He does seem reasonably solid on North vs South, though.
A deserved 4 stars. Without all the errors, I'd haver given it 5.
vespix's review against another edition
4.5
The hundred thousand PoVs of the first Traitor Son book are back with a vengeance. The Red Knight takes his company east to the Morean Empire, spawning twenty PoVs by that act alone, but we can't very well leave Alba unattended, can we know? Things are moving among the Sossag, and among the Jacks, at Albinkirk and at the Gallish court, and somebody's awful family are about to enter the scene as well. If you're here, you've probably read and enjoyed The Red Knight, or are a masochist. Either way, The Fell Sword will not disappoint you.
I liked The Fell Sword better than The Red Knight, if only because the latter took over 50% to reel me in. The Fell Sword had an easier job, because I already loved half of the characters (the other half were new) and had trust in Miles Cameron's ability to weave all of these PoVs together eventually. He didn't, not quite; this book is setting the scene for the future much more than the first, but the main Morean narrative was strong enough to support a few dozen lesser PoVs. It was fresh, completely different to the siege of Lissen Carack. I'm excited to see where the series goes in next volumes.
Now, downsides: I swear this book was never proofread. Names of the characters got mixed up on multiple occasions. Sometimes the names were spelled completely wrong, and I had to guess from titles and context whom the author meant. There were quite a few typos as well, but that's no fault of the author. It's hard to catch typos when your mind is reciting a familiar text rather than reading. I expected better from a publisher as big as Gollancz.
The only gripe I have with Miles Cameron himself is that he decided to expand terminology for the magic system in the second book, and it wasn't done smoothly at all. Suddenly there's ops and potentia and every character is using the terms, rather than perhaps limiting them to a certain community at first. And the worst of it? The terms weren't even put to any good use. Dear authors, changing worldbuilding stuff mid-series is never a good idea, but if you must, first double check if you must, then at least do it skilfully.
I liked The Fell Sword better than The Red Knight, if only because the latter took over 50% to reel me in. The Fell Sword had an easier job, because I already loved half of the characters (the other half were new) and had trust in Miles Cameron's ability to weave all of these PoVs together eventually. He didn't, not quite; this book is setting the scene for the future much more than the first, but the main Morean narrative was strong enough to support a few dozen lesser PoVs. It was fresh, completely different to the siege of Lissen Carack. I'm excited to see where the series goes in next volumes.
Now, downsides: I swear this book was never proofread. Names of the characters got mixed up on multiple occasions. Sometimes the names were spelled completely wrong, and I had to guess from titles and context whom the author meant. There were quite a few typos as well, but that's no fault of the author. It's hard to catch typos when your mind is reciting a familiar text rather than reading. I expected better from a publisher as big as Gollancz.
The only gripe I have with Miles Cameron himself is that he decided to expand terminology for the magic system in the second book, and it wasn't done smoothly at all. Suddenly there's ops and potentia and every character is using the terms, rather than perhaps limiting them to a certain community at first. And the worst of it? The terms weren't even put to any good use. Dear authors, changing worldbuilding stuff mid-series is never a good idea, but if you must, first double check if you must, then at least do it skilfully.
fastasashark's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
The quality of The Fell Sword dropped a bit compared to The Red Knight. In the Red Knight I thought Cameron did a great job at balancing all the different POVs without letting them get out of hand or hinder the story. But I have to admit the first half of The Fell Sword just didn't flow as well for me, and it felt like just too many POVs switching around too often to set up the second half of the book. Plus there was way too little of the Red Knight and his mercenaries.
That said, I think the second half of the Fell Sword was very good and fixed a lot of what I didn't like in the first half. Cameron found a better balance as all the POVs came together to make a more complete picture.
I also have to say I really loved the Yule climax of Part 2: The Winter War. Tapio's hall of N'gara was especially awesome and I'm now super liking the irks. Also Bill's elk š Overall loving the mystical creatures and beings emerging more since the end of the last book.
I think the other thing for me is that, while the magic system is actually really cool, the power of those who can use it and what they can do isn't well described and sometimes feels determined by convenience. Maybe I've gotten too pampered with Sanderson but I'd love for it to be more structured/consistent.
Overall enjoying the series though and will be continuing it.
The quality of The Fell Sword dropped a bit compared to The Red Knight. In the Red Knight I thought Cameron did a great job at balancing all the different POVs without letting them get out of hand or hinder the story. But I have to admit the first half of The Fell Sword just didn't flow as well for me, and it felt like just too many POVs switching around too often to set up the second half of the book. Plus there was way too little of the Red Knight and his mercenaries.
That said, I think the second half of the Fell Sword was very good and fixed a lot of what I didn't like in the first half. Cameron found a better balance as all the POVs came together to make a more complete picture.
I also have to say I really loved the Yule climax of Part 2: The Winter War. Tapio's hall of N'gara was especially awesome and I'm now super liking the irks. Also Bill's elk š Overall loving the mystical creatures and beings emerging more since the end of the last book.
I think the other thing for me is that, while the magic system is actually really cool, the power of those who can use it and what they can do isn't well described and sometimes feels determined by convenience. Maybe I've gotten too pampered with Sanderson but I'd love for it to be more structured/consistent.
Overall enjoying the series though and will be continuing it.
todl's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.5
jefffrane's review against another edition
4.0
Although I enjoyed The Red Knight enormously for its world-building and storytelling, I sat on The Fell Sword for several years without reading it. Like the first novel in the series, it's a fat tale packed with characters but it's far more of an alternative history than fantasy, although there is plenty of magic. There are a number of powerful wizard-y types and a tremendous amount of martial information--weapons, strategies, armor--because the author is obsessive enough on the subject to spend a good deal of his own time in medieval reenactment. There is far less attention given to The Wild, the creature-filled world outside the settled world of humans than in the first book. I was several hundred pages in before I thought I had a comfortable understanding of which of the massive cast of characters I was following at that moment, because subchapters jump from one duke to the next king to the next castle at a dizzying rate, and every character has a plan or a scheme or is busy interfering with someone else's plan and they are all connected. Somehow. By the end of the book, very little has been resolved.
There were times when I would have been happier to have skipped over much of the detail on what people were wearing or why but it would be too likely to then miss a moment that would actually mean something 20 pages on. Where Cameron skimps on description is with his creatures of The Wild. I know some of them are scary-looking but after more than 1000 pages I have only the vaguest notion what a boggle might be. He borrows heavily from actual place names, changing a vowel or two, and this can add to some confusion about where places are in relation to others particularly in terms of distance.
All of which makes the book sound like mush and yet I was caught up with the characters throughout and look forward to reading the next volume. I'm probably not going to wait years to do so.
There were times when I would have been happier to have skipped over much of the detail on what people were wearing or why but it would be too likely to then miss a moment that would actually mean something 20 pages on. Where Cameron skimps on description is with his creatures of The Wild. I know some of them are scary-looking but after more than 1000 pages I have only the vaguest notion what a boggle might be. He borrows heavily from actual place names, changing a vowel or two, and this can add to some confusion about where places are in relation to others particularly in terms of distance.
All of which makes the book sound like mush and yet I was caught up with the characters throughout and look forward to reading the next volume. I'm probably not going to wait years to do so.
kraffa's review against another edition
1.0
Decided the give this series another chance after rating the first book 2 stars yet kept found myself continuously thinking about it.
Gave the audio book a try because I believed it may be easier to get through. I was wrong. I struggled to keep my attention focused on the story and actually found it harder to keep track of the multiple characters. I wish I enjoyed this series but seems it's not for me.
Gave the audio book a try because I believed it may be easier to get through. I was wrong. I struggled to keep my attention focused on the story and actually found it harder to keep track of the multiple characters. I wish I enjoyed this series but seems it's not for me.
cableguy13's review
3.0
Some brilliant sections, dampened by several uninteresting characters and scenarios.
Miles Cameron knows how to write battle scenes. Any time groups of characters come together in a clash of arms, the writing is great. Everyone's position is kept in the reader's eye, and you can sense the danger and the excitement.
Even away from action, there many interesting things going on. The Red Knight (AKA the duke, the megas ducas, Gabriel, the captain... some characters have too many names to remember) is trying to save an emperor and an empire at the same time, while dealing with various infringes, as well as a powerful Mage in his head.
Unfortunately not every plotline is given the attention it deserves, and some are given much more than they deserve. Jean de Vrealliy (AKA the Galle, the Captal, another characters cousin) and his cohorts are sowing seeds of discontent in and around Harndon, killing people and harassing the queen. 'Seeds' is key here, as we see the beginnings of the dispute, and hear of the problems, however it isn't until very late that we really see the issues directly. Showing us the disputes rather than having us hear about it as a report to another character would make it more engaging. On the other hand, characters like Bill Redmede, the Black Knight and Ota Qwan (AKA Peter) are given large sections of print, but their storylines are irrelevant to the immediate plot, and only at the very end is their connection to the overall plot (of the series, that is) made apparent. Before that, however, they are fairly tedious sections of little interest.
Cameron again brings a lot of authenticity to this book, in a way that mostly helps but slightly hinders. He knows what all the types of armour are called, and has no hesitation in referring to it as such. However an inexperienced reader may not know what he is talking about, and can make things a bit confusing sometimes.
Looking forward to the next book. As the overall story is now coming into focus, it will be easier to read certain characters and see their relevance.
Miles Cameron knows how to write battle scenes. Any time groups of characters come together in a clash of arms, the writing is great. Everyone's position is kept in the reader's eye, and you can sense the danger and the excitement.
Even away from action, there many interesting things going on. The Red Knight (AKA the duke, the megas ducas, Gabriel, the captain... some characters have too many names to remember) is trying to save an emperor and an empire at the same time, while dealing with various infringes, as well as a powerful Mage in his head.
Unfortunately not every plotline is given the attention it deserves, and some are given much more than they deserve. Jean de Vrealliy (AKA the Galle, the Captal, another characters cousin) and his cohorts are sowing seeds of discontent in and around Harndon, killing people and harassing the queen. 'Seeds' is key here, as we see the beginnings of the dispute, and hear of the problems, however it isn't until very late that we really see the issues directly. Showing us the disputes rather than having us hear about it as a report to another character would make it more engaging. On the other hand, characters like Bill Redmede, the Black Knight and Ota Qwan (AKA Peter) are given large sections of print, but their storylines are irrelevant to the immediate plot, and only at the very end is their connection to the overall plot (of the series, that is) made apparent. Before that, however, they are fairly tedious sections of little interest.
Cameron again brings a lot of authenticity to this book, in a way that mostly helps but slightly hinders. He knows what all the types of armour are called, and has no hesitation in referring to it as such. However an inexperienced reader may not know what he is talking about, and can make things a bit confusing sometimes.
Looking forward to the next book. As the overall story is now coming into focus, it will be easier to read certain characters and see their relevance.
twerkingtobeethoven's review against another edition
4.0
Not as great as "The Red Knight", but still great. 4.5 stars.
patremagne's review against another edition
4.0
Sorta tough to keep track of everything in audio format with no dramatis personae, but this series is great.
simonmee's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the pacing and grand scale of this book, and I am happy to give it 4 stars, but as I went through the lack of care in character development played on my mind.
Some of the issues came from certain characters resolving/putting on hold what drove them in The Red Knight, particularly Ranald Lachlan and Gavin Muriens. Hopefully they regain purpose later in the series.
I also suspect part of the problem is due to the multiplicity of threads. The actions of some rely on baffling inaction of others. Having plausible reasons for everyone to be in the right place to move the story is understandably difficult but there were occasions where major characters failed to do much.
The King of Alba, whom a number of plots revolve around, gets angry on occasion. Thatās about it.
The Duke of Andronicus, who should be a major adversary, gets worried on occasion. Thatās about it.
Ser Random, the wealthy merchant taking on very risky venture, advances deus ex machina money on occasion. Thatās about it.
As a subclass of this, the female characters serve mainly as plot devices by being healers, suppliers of magical power, or expositioners of new information. All of these activities have little bearing on their actual character development. The author also chose to have female POV sections, putting the onus on him to make them interesting. Generally they are not:
We are told that Sauce is a former prostitute turned knight. The book appears to consider that enough for her to be a fully fleshed character. Iām not expecting the author to tie every (or even any) new interaction with her past but I felt that all the book gave her was her past.
Two of the potentially most interesting POV female characters due to their position and magical power, the Queen of Alba and Ghause, end up being the most boring. We read about their great powers and their schemes. At the end of the book they have undertaken no acts of note to advance the plot and appear primarily as vessels for exposition. Also, they are attractive, which is hammered home regularly.
Irene seizes the throne following the attempted coup at the beginning of the book. Then, despite her new position of power and differing motivations than Gabriel, she proceeds to do nothing other than lurk as a figure of uncertain allegiances/attraction. The book doesn't even bother providing any resolution in her case.
I still have an interest in the series but I worry that character development may fall by the wayside as the pace quickens.
Some of the issues came from certain characters resolving/putting on hold what drove them in The Red Knight, particularly Ranald Lachlan and Gavin Muriens. Hopefully they regain purpose later in the series.
I also suspect part of the problem is due to the multiplicity of threads. The actions of some rely on baffling inaction of others. Having plausible reasons for everyone to be in the right place to move the story is understandably difficult but there were occasions where major characters failed to do much.
The King of Alba, whom a number of plots revolve around, gets angry on occasion. Thatās about it.
The Duke of Andronicus, who should be a major adversary, gets worried on occasion. Thatās about it.
Ser Random, the wealthy merchant taking on very risky venture, advances deus ex machina money on occasion. Thatās about it.
As a subclass of this, the female characters serve mainly as plot devices by being healers, suppliers of magical power, or expositioners of new information. All of these activities have little bearing on their actual character development. The author also chose to have female POV sections, putting the onus on him to make them interesting. Generally they are not:
We are told that Sauce is a former prostitute turned knight. The book appears to consider that enough for her to be a fully fleshed character. Iām not expecting the author to tie every (or even any) new interaction with her past but I felt that all the book gave her was her past.
Two of the potentially most interesting POV female characters due to their position and magical power, the Queen of Alba and Ghause, end up being the most boring. We read about their great powers and their schemes. At the end of the book they have undertaken no acts of note to advance the plot and appear primarily as vessels for exposition. Also, they are attractive, which is hammered home regularly.
Irene seizes the throne following the attempted coup at the beginning of the book. Then, despite her new position of power and differing motivations than Gabriel, she proceeds to do nothing other than lurk as a figure of uncertain allegiances/attraction. The book doesn't even bother providing any resolution in her case.
I still have an interest in the series but I worry that character development may fall by the wayside as the pace quickens.