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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
I had a strange sense of deja vu while reading this, so I suspect I read an earlier version many years ago. It was a remarkably good story for being Briggs's first, and I look forward to reading the rest of the Sianam stories.
I had a strange sense of deja vu while reading this, so I suspect I read an earlier version many years ago. It was a remarkably good story for being Briggs's first, and I look forward to reading the rest of the Sianam stories.
Somehow i like how this book was put together. Better than the mercy thompson series. Funny thing seeing as it was one of her firsts.
https://letmentertainyou.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/masques/
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
T;LDR: A mercenary spy with her own magic teams up with a powerful and enigmatic man who spends a lot of time in the form of a wolf. Can they stop the ae'Magi before it's too late?
What I LikedI liked the heroine. She is tough, smart, always pushing herself, and relies on her horse, and later Wolf, as her only companions. She is constantly cheerful (see my what I didn't like for more here), but also loves to tell stories.
Wolf is also a decently written character. Who is he becomes fairly obvious midway through the book, but it doesn't detract from the story. It's also not played up as much either though.
It has a dragon in it. I never thought I'd be that person, but I do like the occasional dragon in my stories. I may need to explore more books featuring them...
The world-building is interesting, but it also conveniently fits the plot as well. I'd have liked a bit more of the mythology around green magic and shapechangers, since it's alluded to, but not fleshed out. But, overall, I thought the world was interesting and different enough.
What I didn't Like
The heroine is constantly cheerful. Nothing seems to get her down, not even torture. Okay, it sort of gets to her in the form of nightmares, but she remains optimistic instead of facing the reality of just what happened to her.
She's also quick to forgive or get over anything Wolf does, including keeping information from her and trying to protect her all the time. So that's a bit...weak on her part.
Wolf is just too powerful. He can do pretty much anything. While I did like that he did magic he didn't expect to be able to do, there wasn't enough of a build to him doing it or torturing himself over it afterwards. It was quickly resolved by a conversation with Aralorn. So, he is an almost Superman character, but with very easily overcome doubts and insecurities. I'd have loved to see her torture mirrored in his story - it would've certainly made his arc more interesting.
And honestly, the ending, where she's given a clue about what she needs to do and doesn't pay attention to it was incredibly painful to read. I wanted to shout at her about it, but you know, didn't because I wasn't that invested.
To Sum Up (too late!)
Overall, this is a light read. It's obviously her first book and while she was able to polish some of it, she didn't rewrite it when it was re-released (and she mentioned it pained her). That being said, it is still an interesting story in a fairly interesting world, so I rated it 3.5 stars.
What I LikedI liked the heroine. She is tough, smart, always pushing herself, and relies on her horse, and later Wolf, as her only companions. She is constantly cheerful (see my what I didn't like for more here), but also loves to tell stories.
Wolf is also a decently written character. Who is he becomes fairly obvious midway through the book, but it doesn't detract from the story. It's also not played up as much either though.
It has a dragon in it. I never thought I'd be that person, but I do like the occasional dragon in my stories. I may need to explore more books featuring them...
The world-building is interesting, but it also conveniently fits the plot as well. I'd have liked a bit more of the mythology around green magic and shapechangers, since it's alluded to, but not fleshed out. But, overall, I thought the world was interesting and different enough.
What I didn't Like
The heroine is constantly cheerful. Nothing seems to get her down, not even torture. Okay, it sort of gets to her in the form of nightmares, but she remains optimistic instead of facing the reality of just what happened to her.
She's also quick to forgive or get over anything Wolf does, including keeping information from her and trying to protect her all the time. So that's a bit...weak on her part.
Wolf is just too powerful. He can do pretty much anything. While I did like that he did magic he didn't expect to be able to do, there wasn't enough of a build to him doing it or torturing himself over it afterwards. It was quickly resolved by a conversation with Aralorn. So, he is an almost Superman character, but with very easily overcome doubts and insecurities. I'd have loved to see her torture mirrored in his story - it would've certainly made his arc more interesting.
And honestly, the ending, where she's given a clue about what she needs to do and doesn't pay attention to it was incredibly painful to read. I wanted to shout at her about it, but you know, didn't because I wasn't that invested.
To Sum Up (too late!)
Overall, this is a light read. It's obviously her first book and while she was able to polish some of it, she didn't rewrite it when it was re-released (and she mentioned it pained her). That being said, it is still an interesting story in a fairly interesting world, so I rated it 3.5 stars.
It is different from her other series but enjoyable. I liked the fallible but strong female character. The author has talent to write suspense and evil characters but doesn't make it too over the top.
Hey look, I read a novel!
This was a solid 3.5.
I already liked Patricia Briggs so I figured this wouldn't be awful - which, yay, it wasn't. I liked all of the characters, the world, the story ... but it was missing something. Honestly I think it was just because this was Brigg's first novel and I know she's capable of better.
Good stuff, though.
This was a solid 3.5.
I already liked Patricia Briggs so I figured this wouldn't be awful - which, yay, it wasn't. I liked all of the characters, the world, the story ... but it was missing something. Honestly I think it was just because this was Brigg's first novel and I know she's capable of better.
Good stuff, though.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
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
Briggs is pretty up-front in the introduction that even though she's revised this book a bit since it's initial publication, she tried not to change anything major and so it's not up the standards of what she would write today. Fair enough; it was her first book and she's learned a lot since then. The story is still what you would expect from her, though. (Well, if you've read her other fantasy novels, anyway. Her urban fantasy stuff is a little different.)
Aralorn is a heroine who's strong enough to take on an enemy she's pretty sure will kill her and also strong enough to accept care and protection when she needs it. Her companion, Wolf, has a dark, mysterious past that he wants to overcome even though he's pretty convinced that he's irredeemable. I liked watching their interactions as they grew to trust each other. The primary villain, a politically and magically powered ae'Magi, is dark and twisted. The beings who help Aralorn and Wolf take on the villain could use a little development, but since there's a sequel in the works I anticipate that that will happen.
Overall, as a fan of Briggs' fantasy novels, I quite enjoyed this. If you only know Briggs from her urban fantasy series, though, I'd probably recommend starting with Hob's Bargain.
Aralorn is a heroine who's strong enough to take on an enemy she's pretty sure will kill her and also strong enough to accept care and protection when she needs it. Her companion, Wolf, has a dark, mysterious past that he wants to overcome even though he's pretty convinced that he's irredeemable. I liked watching their interactions as they grew to trust each other. The primary villain, a politically and magically powered ae'Magi, is dark and twisted. The beings who help Aralorn and Wolf take on the villain could use a little development, but since there's a sequel in the works I anticipate that that will happen.
Overall, as a fan of Briggs' fantasy novels, I quite enjoyed this. If you only know Briggs from her urban fantasy series, though, I'd probably recommend starting with Hob's Bargain.