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kainerebus's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent addition to The Broken Empire universe.
Jal isn't the same as Jorg, but his story is just as fascinating! What a cliffhanger to go out on. Starting book 3 now!
Jal isn't the same as Jorg, but his story is just as fascinating! What a cliffhanger to go out on. Starting book 3 now!
peterkeep's review against another edition
5.0
A great trilogy continues with a great book. Mark Lawrence has really shown a mastery over slowly unwinding a character's psyche. Jal is as deeply complex a character as I've read, but his surface level actions and thoughts are also a great source of comedy. The difference between actual events and his thought process/narration is really fun to see. I like how easily Lawrence is able to spin two or three stories/timelines together consistently in his books, and this one was no different. The device used to tell those other stories is clever and well-done, and the multiple storylines do a nice job of playing off of each other, building intrigue and driving the plot forward.
The writing is obviously good - Lawrence really showed off his poetic style in his first trilogy, and he does a good job of keeping his writing fresh while still holding a high standard in his prose. There were a couple of instances where he used one of my favorite transitional devices: reusing a line to tie one scene to another, where whatever is happening or being said is exactly (or close to) the same in both scenes, but means something different for each. Joe Abercrombie has done this before, and I love it every time I see it.
Lastly, the actual story is really good. Jal and Snorri are on an adventure, and the Liar's Key (the actual key, not the book) is a cool wrinkle to add. The game between the Red Queen and her adversaries is really interesting and gets fleshed out pretty well. Snorri's story advances into some cool directions too.
There really isn't anything wrong with the book. Lawrence has pretty much mastered that line between fantasy and horror, of bleak and comedy. It's a really fun dynamic, and it makes for some of my favorite books.
The writing is obviously good - Lawrence really showed off his poetic style in his first trilogy, and he does a good job of keeping his writing fresh while still holding a high standard in his prose. There were a couple of instances where he used one of my favorite transitional devices: reusing a line to tie one scene to another, where whatever is happening or being said is exactly (or close to) the same in both scenes, but means something different for each. Joe Abercrombie has done this before, and I love it every time I see it.
Lastly, the actual story is really good. Jal and Snorri are on an adventure, and the Liar's Key (the actual key, not the book) is a cool wrinkle to add. The game between the Red Queen and her adversaries is really interesting and gets fleshed out pretty well. Snorri's story advances into some cool directions too.
There really isn't anything wrong with the book. Lawrence has pretty much mastered that line between fantasy and horror, of bleak and comedy. It's a really fun dynamic, and it makes for some of my favorite books.
cultneophyte7's review against another edition
5.0
Damnit! This book is amazing! Freakingly fuckin' amazing.
This HAS to be the best Mark Lawrence book I've read and I've read all six. Loved every fucking bit of it. Loved it more than the King of Thorns, if not as much. Way better than the Prince of Fools, for sure. The Prince of Fools might have had some lousy and boring parts, but that's not the case this time. The journey of Snorri and Jalan continues as they travel through the Broken Empire in search of answers, while dodging the agents of The Dead King and the Blue Lady. The key of Loki, the Liar, the god of thievery and trickery takes the central point in the story and guides the actions of all the characters. We also get glimpses of the past as we get to know more about the Red Queen and her siblings.
The story is perfectly paced and engrossing at all times. This was the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. Jal and Snorri are joined by two more complex characters, an apprentice volva Kara and a little orphan Hennan, who prove to be more than important. Jalan's character continues to evolve with every passing chapter, making him endearing to the audiences as we go along. He is unconsciously growing courageous and stronger and we see him doing things old Jal wouldn't even have thought of. This book is about the value of friendship and for what it's worth. I have simply fallen in love with the character. The best thing of all was the way the book ended. I had not seen that coming, not from a long way out. It was perfect.
The only regret is that I have to wait six more months before the Wheel of Osheim comes out.
This HAS to be the best Mark Lawrence book I've read and I've read all six. Loved every fucking bit of it. Loved it more than the King of Thorns, if not as much. Way better than the Prince of Fools, for sure. The Prince of Fools might have had some lousy and boring parts, but that's not the case this time. The journey of Snorri and Jalan continues as they travel through the Broken Empire in search of answers, while dodging the agents of The Dead King and the Blue Lady. The key of Loki, the Liar, the god of thievery and trickery takes the central point in the story and guides the actions of all the characters. We also get glimpses of the past as we get to know more about the Red Queen and her siblings.
The story is perfectly paced and engrossing at all times. This was the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. Jal and Snorri are joined by two more complex characters, an apprentice volva Kara and a little orphan Hennan, who prove to be more than important. Jalan's character continues to evolve with every passing chapter, making him endearing to the audiences as we go along. He is unconsciously growing courageous and stronger and we see him doing things old Jal wouldn't even have thought of. This book is about the value of friendship and for what it's worth. I have simply fallen in love with the character. The best thing of all was the way the book ended. I had not seen that coming, not from a long way out. It was perfect.
The only regret is that I have to wait six more months before the Wheel of Osheim comes out.
jbergin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mjporterauthor's review against another edition
4.0
So Book 2 in the series. I found it a bit frustrating. It was slightly too long and went off at some funny angles, and, my biggest problem is that there just wasn't enough Snorri! I know that Book 3 is already written and I'm hoping that Snorri will have some sort of resurgence (please).
songwind's review against another edition
5.0
Note: I listened to this series as audio books, so my spellings of names may be inaccurate.
The Story
Once again, Mark Lawrence makes us root for a horrible human being by making them witty, charming, and in the middle of important events.
The story picks up not long after we left off in [b:Prince of Fools|18693743|Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)|Mark Lawrence|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385072473s/18693743.jpg|25595312]. As usual, Jalan has spent time in the wrong bed at the wrong time and it's come to bite him in ass. Snorri is making preparations to set sale to see the witch Skilfar, to ask her how he can use Loki's Key to open the door into Hel.
What follows is one part adventure, one part travelogue, one part slapstick comedy, and a healthy portion of fleeing for their lives. The book ranges from the far north to the Florentine banking town of Omburtide.
Lawrence makes use of one of his signature devices, the story-within-the-story, to great effect. First as Snorri relates what happened while they were split up, and later as Jalan has reason to learn about the past of his family.
More things come to light about the Broken Empire, the forces and people that manipulate it from the shadows, and its possible fate. Jalan continues to grow as a person due to his experiences, though he does go kicking and screaming.
I found the ending to be awkward. While listening, I couldn't remember for certain if this was going to be a trilogy or duology, and near the end I thought the entire story was nearly over. Just when I thought we'd entered the final resolution, the story jerks abruptly back into motion and then ends.
Despite this small complaint, the book was extremely entertaining, and I am looking forward to seeing where we go next.
The Performance
Tim Gerald Reynolds could produce an audio book of an OSHA safety manual and I would listen to it. 'Nuff said.
The Story
Once again, Mark Lawrence makes us root for a horrible human being by making them witty, charming, and in the middle of important events.
The story picks up not long after we left off in [b:Prince of Fools|18693743|Prince of Fools (The Red Queen's War, #1)|Mark Lawrence|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385072473s/18693743.jpg|25595312]. As usual, Jalan has spent time in the wrong bed at the wrong time and it's come to bite him in ass. Snorri is making preparations to set sale to see the witch Skilfar, to ask her how he can use Loki's Key to open the door into Hel.
What follows is one part adventure, one part travelogue, one part slapstick comedy, and a healthy portion of fleeing for their lives. The book ranges from the far north to the Florentine banking town of Omburtide.
Lawrence makes use of one of his signature devices, the story-within-the-story, to great effect. First as Snorri relates what happened while they were split up, and later as Jalan has reason to learn about the past of his family.
More things come to light about the Broken Empire, the forces and people that manipulate it from the shadows, and its possible fate. Jalan continues to grow as a person due to his experiences, though he does go kicking and screaming.
I found the ending to be awkward. While listening, I couldn't remember for certain if this was going to be a trilogy or duology, and near the end I thought the entire story was nearly over. Just when I thought we'd entered the final resolution, the story jerks abruptly back into motion and then ends.
Despite this small complaint, the book was extremely entertaining, and I am looking forward to seeing where we go next.
The Performance
Tim Gerald Reynolds could produce an audio book of an OSHA safety manual and I would listen to it. 'Nuff said.
mwplante's review against another edition
3.0
Perhaps the weakest of Mark Lawrence's novels thus far, but still a fabulous good time, with plenty of optimism buried under the barest layer of cynicism. Any reader will appreciate the wonderful characterization and fantastic action.