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satwood01's review against another edition
5.0
A very satisfying conclusion to a series that had me enthralled from the beginning. I've yet to read a Dave Duncan book the I haven't enjoyed, and this quartet has solidified him as a go-to author for me. I loved the adventure and magic that this story offered, the comfortable, warm writing style, and the wonderful, unpredictable characters that Duncan created. I didn't quite know what to expect when I began this series, and the book covers didn't inspire confidence, but in the end, It was a treat to read these books, and I will miss spending time with Rap, Inos, Kade, and all the others. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys well written high fantasy with a lighter touch.
charlibirb's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, a really fun series. Great fantasy with a unique magic system. Fun characters. Some of them stood out, some of the minor characters blended a bit. There was definitely some re-tracing of steps on the journey that got a bit old, but overall, a series worth reading.
impreader2023's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
namulith's review against another edition
4.0
Done! I had to steal an hour by parking one kid in front of the TV and letting the other sleep on me to finish this book at last. Worth it!
What I remembered as the big climax happened around two thirds into the book. After that it got a bit frustrating because Rap and Inos were circling around each other for a third of the book. That part could have been edited a bit tighter and I think the book would benefit. A lot of threads were tied up but there was just too much pointless back and forth. I did remember the conclusion and it had been mixed with the two thirds climax so it was, again, nice to still be surprised during a re-read.
Overall I greatly enjoyed the entire series. The writing is nice, but I think the books could be shorter and would be even better.
What I remembered as the big climax happened around two thirds into the book. After that it got a bit frustrating because Rap and Inos were circling around each other for a third of the book. That part could have been edited a bit tighter and I think the book would benefit. A lot of threads were tied up but there was just too much pointless back and forth. I did remember the conclusion and it had been mixed with the two thirds climax so it was, again, nice to still be surprised during a re-read.
Overall I greatly enjoyed the entire series. The writing is nice, but I think the books could be shorter and would be even better.
ashleylm's review against another edition
4.0
Urgh. The first 2/3, wonderful, as enjoyable as the first book. The last 1/3 was almost torture.
Authors: it is Incredibly Annoying when your characters keep themselves apart from one another because of Mysterious Reasons they won't tell one another Or Even the Reader. Nobody likes this. It is not clever, it is not suspenseful, it is not exciting, it is just Tedious.
So 5 stars for the 1st third, 5 stars for the middle, 2 stars for the last third, averaged (5+5+2 = 12, / 3 = 4).
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
Authors: it is Incredibly Annoying when your characters keep themselves apart from one another because of Mysterious Reasons they won't tell one another Or Even the Reader. Nobody likes this. It is not clever, it is not suspenseful, it is not exciting, it is just Tedious.
So 5 stars for the 1st third, 5 stars for the middle, 2 stars for the last third, averaged (5+5+2 = 12, / 3 = 4).
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
l98mason's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.25
Quick review (12/30/22).
4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
A bit dicey at the end there, but it came together quite well I'd say.
I have discovered a bit of partiality on my part for stories of this sort through the course of this series. True magic antics, minor politics, sappy romance, high adventure, and fun action.
Would I recommend the series to everyone? No, probably not. It isn't as spanning in scope as other fantasy epics. It shows its age and immaturity at times as well. It has a hokey and unrealistic romance at the core of its plot.
Regardless, I find A Man of His Word quaint and honest--a nice fantasy distraction that never seems to struggle to be more than what it is or was meant to be. For a series I hear nothing about and one that seems to fly under the radar, it is an astonishingly fun read.
4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
A bit dicey at the end there, but it came together quite well I'd say.
I have discovered a bit of partiality on my part for stories of this sort through the course of this series. True magic antics, minor politics, sappy romance, high adventure, and fun action.
Would I recommend the series to everyone? No, probably not. It isn't as spanning in scope as other fantasy epics. It shows its age and immaturity at times as well. It has a hokey and unrealistic romance at the core of its plot.
Regardless, I find A Man of His Word quaint and honest--a nice fantasy distraction that never seems to struggle to be more than what it is or was meant to be. For a series I hear nothing about and one that seems to fly under the radar, it is an astonishingly fun read.
metaphorosis's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
Tortured by the husband of Inos, the woman he loves, and seemingly abandoned by her, ex-stableboy, now adept Rap is near death. Eventually, though, Rap, Inos, her husband Azak, her aunt Kade, and - most ominously - the violent Kalkor along with the goblin sworn to torture Rap to death are all on their way to Hub, the imperial capital for a fatal confrontation.
Review
There are a couple of too-easy saves in this volume, and quite a lot of travel, but overall, the series finale pays off in a satisfying way. Rap grows in power much as expected, and there’s a clever, reasonably fair complication and resolution that ties off all the loose ends. There are in fact a series of mini-endings, with one major climax occurring while you still have 100 pages or so left to go, but to Duncan’s credit, he largely pulls it off. There are some quibbles here and there, but for the most part it all works. I found some aspects a little rushed, and there’s a more obvious setup for the sequel series than I recalled, but by and large this series stands the test of time.
Summary
Tortured by the husband of Inos, the woman he loves, and seemingly abandoned by her, ex-stableboy, now adept Rap is near death. Eventually, though, Rap, Inos, her husband Azak, her aunt Kade, and - most ominously - the violent Kalkor along with the goblin sworn to torture Rap to death are all on their way to Hub, the imperial capital for a fatal confrontation.
Review
There are a couple of too-easy saves in this volume, and quite a lot of travel, but overall, the series finale pays off in a satisfying way. Rap grows in power much as expected, and there’s a clever, reasonably fair complication and resolution that ties off all the loose ends. There are in fact a series of mini-endings, with one major climax occurring while you still have 100 pages or so left to go, but to Duncan’s credit, he largely pulls it off. There are some quibbles here and there, but for the most part it all works. I found some aspects a little rushed, and there’s a more obvious setup for the sequel series than I recalled, but by and large this series stands the test of time.
sammystarbuck's review against another edition
5.0
Great final book in the first series, ending on a fun note and leaving things resolved, yet open enough for the next series.
Although I'd already read the "A man of his word" series before, I'd not managed to read the next series, as until recently I'd not been able to get hold of the final two books. I finally have them now, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Rap will be getting up to next!
Although I'd already read the "A man of his word" series before, I'd not managed to read the next series, as until recently I'd not been able to get hold of the final two books. I finally have them now, so I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Rap will be getting up to next!
tuna_fish's review against another edition
4.0
I learned about this series from a website that listed fantasy books that few people have heard of, mainly because I was trying to find a good fantasy novel that wasn't Game of Thrones. For some reason the dark and gritty tone and the way everyone takes themselves so seriously always turns me off most "adult" fantasy novels, but I decided to give this series a try because my local library had an available eBook version. And the first book was pretty good. The ending of that one sort of came out of nowhere, but it was such an interesting cliffhanger that I figured I'd read the next one.
And then, horror: the library didn't have any other books in the series. I checked two more libraries before finding the rest of the books, and then I sort of binge read them during my spring break. The copies I read had a significant number of typos, such as not capitalizing names, and the back cover summaries seemed to have been written by someone who lightly skimmed the book and didn't speak fluent English, but those were more publishing issues and didn't really effect the story. Having now finished the series, I can say I do like certain non-YA fantasy novels. I only wish the covers weren't so dorky-looking so I wouldn't feel so self-conscious reading them in public.
What made this book good was both the characters (Rap being the most interesting) and the internal logic that made a certain amount of sense within the world. Although I was at first confused about how this casement thing worked, Duncan actually explained it pretty well by the end. Same for all the rest of the magic.
Are there other good fantasy books like this one? If anyone happens to read this review, I'd greatly appreciate recommendations.
And then, horror: the library didn't have any other books in the series. I checked two more libraries before finding the rest of the books, and then I sort of binge read them during my spring break. The copies I read had a significant number of typos, such as not capitalizing names, and the back cover summaries seemed to have been written by someone who lightly skimmed the book and didn't speak fluent English, but those were more publishing issues and didn't really effect the story. Having now finished the series, I can say I do like certain non-YA fantasy novels. I only wish the covers weren't so dorky-looking so I wouldn't feel so self-conscious reading them in public.
What made this book good was both the characters (Rap being the most interesting) and the internal logic that made a certain amount of sense within the world. Although I was at first confused about how this casement thing worked, Duncan actually explained it pretty well by the end. Same for all the rest of the magic.
Are there other good fantasy books like this one? If anyone happens to read this review, I'd greatly appreciate recommendations.