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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
3.75 stars
There were moments that I thought this book was going to be one of the greats. Sadly, greatness stayed out of reach. Instead, the emotional level would occasionally swell and quickly drop back into a sea of ambivalence.
The protagonist, Aaslo, is defined by his refusal to surrender to certain defeat. That's terrific. I like it. But where does that motivation come from? We know about his history. We witness the defining moments in his young life... none of which explain his core motivation. Sure he's taken on his brother's burden, but his brother didn't seem to be overly devoted to the mission, thus there's no investment to redeem.
That seems to be a recurring problem in the book. We have a mage that latches onto Aaslo for no clear reason. Two thieves that develop loyalty to him seemly overnight. The pattern is clear. Perhaps Kade believes a person's character is inborn and thus requires no formative event. I don't believe that.
There were moments that I thought this book was going to be one of the greats. Sadly, greatness stayed out of reach. Instead, the emotional level would occasionally swell and quickly drop back into a sea of ambivalence.
The protagonist, Aaslo, is defined by his refusal to surrender to certain defeat. That's terrific. I like it. But where does that motivation come from? We know about his history. We witness the defining moments in his young life... none of which explain his core motivation. Sure he's taken on his brother's burden, but his brother didn't seem to be overly devoted to the mission, thus there's no investment to redeem.
That seems to be a recurring problem in the book. We have a mage that latches onto Aaslo for no clear reason. Two thieves that develop loyalty to him seemly overnight. The pattern is clear. Perhaps Kade believes a person's character is inborn and thus requires no formative event. I don't believe that.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
At first I wasn't convinced of he story telling. The plot seemed always so very convenient for the main character and his actions are never explained. I think the main characters age was specified somewhere but he definitely wasn't supposed to be a teenager even if he felt like one most of the time...
But if you don't question Aaslo and the other characters behavior it's a very fun read.
The ending was what really payed off and I certainly want to read the sequel now.
But if you don't question Aaslo and the other characters behavior it's a very fun read.
The ending was what really payed off and I certainly want to read the sequel now.
I received this book in a giveaway at SDCC and was excited to read it, it sounded like a different take on the usual fantasy/adventure stories. Instead of the ‘chosen one has to save the world’ storyline this focuses on what if the chosen one’s best friend has to take up his quest. I have finally had the chance to finish it and while I do recommend it, it’s definitely not perfect, my actual rating would probably be 3 1/2 stars. I think it moves too slow in some areas and some of the characters seemed to become attached to one another way too quickly. I did enjoy the characters and like where the story overall seems to be headed, so I will be picking up the second book when it comes out.
Officially I'm giving it 3.5 stars. The book did grow on me the further into it I got. Most of the complaints I left in my previous update still stand though. The beginning has a lot of awkwardness and the dialogue feels really weird too.
One of the more annoying things throughout the entire book was pretty early on, when one of our protagonists gains a voice in his head that he can converse with, but apparently only out loud. He spends the whole book having full conversations with this voice that only he can hear, no matter the company or situation he's in. This of course has some interesting consequences at times, but I felt like this was way overused. The kid is 26 years old! You would think that after the first 10-20 times this happens, leaving people around him more and more convinced that he's going crazy, that he would learn to contain himself somewhat, or at least in front of the king!
I will probably just grab a Kindle version of the sequel just to finish the story as I don't see myself re-reading or recommending to others
One of the more annoying things throughout the entire book was pretty early on, when one of our protagonists gains a voice in his head that he can converse with, but apparently only out loud. He spends the whole book having full conversations with this voice that only he can hear, no matter the company or situation he's in. This of course has some interesting consequences at times, but I felt like this was way overused. The kid is 26 years old! You would think that after the first 10-20 times this happens, leaving people around him more and more convinced that he's going crazy, that he would learn to contain himself somewhat, or at least in front of the king!
I will probably just grab a Kindle version of the sequel just to finish the story as I don't see myself re-reading or recommending to others
Ich weiß nicht, ob der Übersetzer die Geschichte vermurkst hat, oder ob die Ausdrucksweise original übernommen wurde. Aber der Satzbau und gewisse Ausdrücke bzw. Termini haben meinen Lesefluss so sehr ins Stocken gebracht, dass ich die humorvollen Stellen kaum genießen konnte.
Die Charaktere haben mir gefallen, aber dann kommen plötzlich mehr und mehr weitere Charaktere, die mit Fakten und Namen um sich werfen und für viel Verwirrung sorgten.
An sich gefiel mir die Entwicklung der Story, nicht zu hektisch, mal etwas anderes. Aber leider konnten mich der Stil und die Interaktionen zwischen den bisherigen Charaktere kaum überzeugen, weshalb ich nach nicht einmal 80 Seiten leider abbrechen musste.
Die Charaktere haben mir gefallen, aber dann kommen plötzlich mehr und mehr weitere Charaktere, die mit Fakten und Namen um sich werfen und für viel Verwirrung sorgten.
An sich gefiel mir die Entwicklung der Story, nicht zu hektisch, mal etwas anderes. Aber leider konnten mich der Stil und die Interaktionen zwischen den bisherigen Charaktere kaum überzeugen, weshalb ich nach nicht einmal 80 Seiten leider abbrechen musste.
Comprehensive world building, a unique cast of characters, magic, and dragons. A fun fantasy read. Not too deep. Some of the conversations of the characters was a bit YA feeling, but overall a good start to a series that I will continue to follow.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
Kade does a phenomenal job of holding true to established fantasy ideals while also turning them on their head. She's crafted an incredible world and story that has you rooting for the unplanned hero even though you know the ultimate end (but do we really? As Ijen says, prophecies change).