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amyljb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
mikariah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
It was all right. Some characters were interesting, the world was cool, and the aesthetics were well-realized. It just lacked a bit of the extra 'oomph' for me as the plot meandered along at parts, and some factors were so predictable I found myself more annoyed waiting for them to happen than enthralled when they did. Not all the twists were a miss, however. But I won't spoil it. The prose was okay.
Overall, I'd say that it's worth a read.
Overall, I'd say that it's worth a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
iamahmedkhalifa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Murder
Minor: War
sipping_tea_with_ghosts's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
While I do like this book, I feel like the issues I see some cite are legitimately prevalent and damning enough to exclude it from the mountain of other great epic fantasies that are coming out now. The lack of a glossary in a fantasy book published by Orbit is truly baffling, and I don't think having to google half the italicized words adds to the reading experience. Even if Norse mythology and wording was as well known as Greek, including a point of reference in the back is just common courtesy nowadays.
Other than that, while the plot is interesting and the characters have some great moments, I found the pacing overall to be frustrating. Sure, do things technically happen? Yes. Does it change the status quo for the chapter's character? No, not really. Revenger is still gonna revenge, pillager still gonna pillage, and dead loved one motivation is still gonna get that one guy up in the morning. It feels like if the action scenes in Rage of Dragons or Game of Thrones gave little fuel to progress the overall story - which stems from the overall plots being intertwined but still fairly simple so there's no way for it to grow substantially. We learn about the world, we spend time with disposable characters but 500 pages later, the plot has only moved by an inch instead of a mile.
I say this out of frustration, not of hate. With the exception being the purposefully unsatisfying ending and a heel turn from one hazy blur of a character to another hazy blur of a character - I enjoyed the parts before when my brain wasn't overanalyzing why some things were happening and then thinking it was just for melodramatic chapter enders. I enjoyed characters such as Elvar and Orka, Varg being my least favorite due to a rather repetitive character motivation and seeming to have no ambition or real thought outside of that for more than two seconds. Here's hoping that the next book will have more memorable side characters, because I often found myself getting confused or detached because there were so many that felt like meager talking heads. The plot will surely expand in the next book due to how this one ends, but I like the first book in a series to still feel satisfying and wrap up some of the smaller conflicts, and even 120 pages from the end, I just knew this was going to do none of that.
Other than that, while the plot is interesting and the characters have some great moments, I found the pacing overall to be frustrating. Sure, do things technically happen? Yes. Does it change the status quo for the chapter's character? No, not really. Revenger is still gonna revenge, pillager still gonna pillage, and dead loved one motivation is still gonna get that one guy up in the morning. It feels like if the action scenes in Rage of Dragons or Game of Thrones gave little fuel to progress the overall story - which stems from the overall plots being intertwined but still fairly simple so there's no way for it to grow substantially. We learn about the world, we spend time with disposable characters but 500 pages later, the plot has only moved by an inch instead of a mile.
I say this out of frustration, not of hate. With the exception being the purposefully unsatisfying ending and a heel turn from one hazy blur of a character to another hazy blur of a character - I enjoyed the parts before when my brain wasn't overanalyzing why some things were happening and then thinking it was just for melodramatic chapter enders. I enjoyed characters such as Elvar and Orka, Varg being my least favorite due to a rather repetitive character motivation and seeming to have no ambition or real thought outside of that for more than two seconds. Here's hoping that the next book will have more memorable side characters, because I often found myself getting confused or detached because there were so many that felt like meager talking heads. The plot will surely expand in the next book due to how this one ends, but I like the first book in a series to still feel satisfying and wrap up some of the smaller conflicts, and even 120 pages from the end, I just knew this was going to do none of that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Gore
klwf3f's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
If you like Vikings, fantasy, and good story telling, this book is for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Slavery
bebby92's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
samw1942's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gore
afternoon_sunshowers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Phew. I haven’t read a straight up epic fantasy in several years and what a way to get back into it. This was violent, gory, and sometimes a bit dense in world-building and language, all of which took me a bit to get into.
Lots of characters and parallel storylines that didn’t start to intertwine until around the 80% mark, and the final action scenes were nonstop.
Getting attached to characters is risky because chances are they’ll die orbetray people like Biorr . And the very end, when Okra’s full name and identity as Skullsplitter, apparently retired leader of the Bloodsworn my only comment in my kindle was “oh shit.”
I’ve heard book 2 ends on a major cliffhanger so I may give it a little more time before picking it up so I’m not stuck with that waiting for book 3 in this trilogy(?).
Lots of characters and parallel storylines that didn’t start to intertwine until around the 80% mark, and the final action scenes were nonstop.
Getting attached to characters is risky because chances are they’ll die or
I’ve heard book 2 ends on a major cliffhanger so I may give it a little more time before picking it up so I’m not stuck with that waiting for book 3 in this trilogy(?).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, and Torture
Moderate: Slavery
mjparkles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
dogearedbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Blood. Everything comes down to blood.
This novel was amazing and captivated me from the first sentence. Orka and Varg were the stars. Vengeance driving them forward. Blood on their hands and death in their heart. Elvar was the weakest point in the story, and I actually prefer some of the side characters in her sections then to her. All POV's are important binding together like a woven tapestry, leading to a brutal ending for a first novel.
Death sits on the shoulders of all characters in this novel, her wings casting wide shadows. It is heartbreaking, violent, and one of my favourite novels of 2022.
This novel was amazing and captivated me from the first sentence. Orka and Varg were the stars. Vengeance driving them forward. Blood on their hands and death in their heart. Elvar was the weakest point in the story, and I actually prefer some of the side characters in her sections then to her. All POV's are important binding together like a woven tapestry, leading to a brutal ending for a first novel.
Death sits on the shoulders of all characters in this novel, her wings casting wide shadows. It is heartbreaking, violent, and one of my favourite novels of 2022.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Blood, Death, and Violence