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mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
While on first glance, this looks like your generic fantasy book but there is some real depth to this book.
The twists and especially where the series goes into places where one does not expect it to go.
Spoilers below:
Rache and his arc is one that raises some though provoking topics and its conclusion while comes out of the left field, is a satisfying one.
Next, the relationship between Mitrian, Garn and Rache is another one that really makes the reader think and at times and still I do have some reservations as to how easily Mitrian and Garn just got together and all. Garn’s treatment of Rache at the latter stages of the book while makes sense does not make Garn’s actions any more satisfying to watch. Though thankfully it seems by the end Garn’s anger management has become better even though not fully solved by now.
The Cardinal Wizards and the lore of the world is interesting though one side being blatantly evil does make one’s eyes roll.
The Mar Lon parts were great and thought provoking and Arduwyn and Sterrane were s blast as well.
Finally, the Colbey hype is just insane and loving it!
The twists and especially where the series goes into places where one does not expect it to go.
Spoilers below:
Rache and his arc is one that raises some though provoking topics and its conclusion while comes out of the left field, is a satisfying one.
Next, the relationship between Mitrian, Garn and Rache is another one that really makes the reader think and at times and still I do have some reservations as to how easily Mitrian and Garn just got together and all. Garn’s treatment of Rache at the latter stages of the book while makes sense does not make Garn’s actions any more satisfying to watch. Though thankfully it seems by the end Garn’s anger management has become better even though not fully solved by now.
The Cardinal Wizards and the lore of the world is interesting though one side being blatantly evil does make one’s eyes roll.
The Mar Lon parts were great and thought provoking and Arduwyn and Sterrane were s blast as well.
Finally, the Colbey hype is just insane and loving it!
awwcripes's review against another edition
4.0
First fantasy book I ever read. Back in 19xx. Probably some of the most interesting swordfighting scenes ever written. Complete devotion to a craft.
mmetacarpals's review against another edition
3.75
I was gifted this book by my sister who saw the cover and the word "wizards" and thought it would be something I would enjoy, and I did! it was very much a 90's fantasy--- which isn't a mark against at all--- it just has that specific vibe that 90's epic fantasy has. I liked the Norse mythology influences, though I feel like they were a bit underplayed. Even though Valhalla played a major role in the religion and day to day life of one of our main characters, I still felt as though Reichert could have been doing more with the Norse influences. The gods were mentioned as being actual deities (as evidenced by the wizards) but they didn't seem to have any actual power or influence over the world.
I thought that characters were interesting and lovable. I especially liked Mitrian. She's a badass woman with a big, demonically possessed sword, and I love that for her. (The mental image of a heavily pregnant teenage girl with a huge broadsword is particularly fun.) Rache's character arc is something I haven't seen much in fantasy from this time period, as he grapples with an overcomes the disadvantages of his disability. The horse-as-a-mobility-aid worked really well for me, and I thought it was a unique approach to that kind of character and arc. Arduwyn was another guy who I just really enjoyed reading about. He's a hunter, he's in love with his best friend's wife, he is a borderline conman, he's a coward--- he has a lot going on. Unfortunately, other characters kind of melt into the background. Colbey in particular seemed dreadfully under-utilized. I imagine he'll take center stage in future books, but in this one, he was barely a player, which is strange because supposedly he has a whole prophecy about him. Speaking of...
The Great War. The first page of the book lays out a prophecy about this "great war" that could destroy the whole world. This war happens within the last fifth of the book. The majority of the book is about Rache and Garn and Mitrian all figuring out their complicated feelings towards each other, home, and the idea of family with some fluffy scenes and sword fights thrown in. The war subplot occasionally shows up in a few sporadic chapters about a bard singing peaceful songs to the warlike Easterners, but, other than that, it doesn't play a role until randomly everyone is told that the war has begun and they need to go fight in it.
And the Easterners... Reichert posits the Easterners as an inherently evil race made for the purpose of war. The have to fight, they hate the peaceful songs, and they will go to war. And yet, this idea is completely incongruent with how she positions the Renshai. The Renshai have killed whole clans of people, but when Arduwyn confronts Colbey and says that he believes that the Renshai are killers, Colbey tells him that is just his backwards racist thinking (pg. 323). Colbey tells him to have some grace for the Renshai because they aren't as bad as the racist Northmen make them out to be, but this grace is not extended to the Easterners or the Leukenyans, who are vicious cultists who call anyone who does not follow their god "infidels." So that's not coding for anything... Reichert just seems to misunderstand the points she makes in her own book and paints a very hypocritical view of her own world, which is really quite sad because I enjoy the story other than that. I suppose it's a good thing that the Easterners don't really seem to play that big a role in the book, just like the Great War.
So, overall 3.75 stars. I rate for enjoyment, craft, and real life implications. The story was good--- I really like a character focused story, even if the plot meanders--- but the politics were very much of their time. I think I'll give book 2 a shot, but we'll see how that goes.
I thought that characters were interesting and lovable. I especially liked Mitrian. She's a badass woman with a big, demonically possessed sword, and I love that for her. (The mental image of a heavily pregnant teenage girl with a huge broadsword is particularly fun.) Rache's character arc is something I haven't seen much in fantasy from this time period, as he grapples with an overcomes the disadvantages of his disability. The horse-as-a-mobility-aid worked really well for me, and I thought it was a unique approach to that kind of character and arc. Arduwyn was another guy who I just really enjoyed reading about. He's a hunter, he's in love with his best friend's wife, he is a borderline conman, he's a coward--- he has a lot going on. Unfortunately, other characters kind of melt into the background. Colbey in particular seemed dreadfully under-utilized. I imagine he'll take center stage in future books, but in this one, he was barely a player, which is strange because supposedly he has a whole prophecy about him. Speaking of...
The Great War. The first page of the book lays out a prophecy about this "great war" that could destroy the whole world. This war happens within the last fifth of the book. The majority of the book is about Rache and Garn and Mitrian all figuring out their complicated feelings towards each other, home, and the idea of family with some fluffy scenes and sword fights thrown in. The war subplot occasionally shows up in a few sporadic chapters about a bard singing peaceful songs to the warlike Easterners, but, other than that, it doesn't play a role until randomly everyone is told that the war has begun and they need to go fight in it.
And the Easterners... Reichert posits the Easterners as an inherently evil race made for the purpose of war. The have to fight, they hate the peaceful songs, and they will go to war. And yet, this idea is completely incongruent with how she positions the Renshai. The Renshai have killed whole clans of people, but when Arduwyn confronts Colbey and says that he believes that the Renshai are killers, Colbey tells him that is just his backwards racist thinking (pg. 323). Colbey tells him to have some grace for the Renshai because they aren't as bad as the racist Northmen make them out to be, but this grace is not extended to the Easterners or the Leukenyans, who are vicious cultists who call anyone who does not follow their god "infidels." So that's not coding for anything... Reichert just seems to misunderstand the points she makes in her own book and paints a very hypocritical view of her own world, which is really quite sad because I enjoy the story other than that. I suppose it's a good thing that the Easterners don't really seem to play that big a role in the book, just like the Great War.
So, overall 3.75 stars. I rate for enjoyment, craft, and real life implications. The story was good--- I really like a character focused story, even if the plot meanders--- but the politics were very much of their time. I think I'll give book 2 a shot, but we'll see how that goes.
mmadamson's review against another edition
4.0
Avid fantasy reader.. LOVED the Norse Mythology spin. Different style of magic system (much appreciated) since I am worn out on the same run-of-the-mill shit. Refreshing characters and sword fighting scenes, and what? A disabled sword master? Awesome.
donsmilo's review against another edition
Not my cup of tea.
I got 18% into this book and then stopped. I fully understand that some people love this book and that this book and series might have gotten better after I stopped.
This wasn't the book for me.
(1) This book didn't get me emotionally connected to the main character. This is the main reason I put it down. Usually when you start a book there is something interesting that keeps you wanting to read. Usually that is the main character or the world. In this case, the book is not going for the world, because they don't tell us things about the way works and the true politics of the country are kept secret for a long time and are bland once introduced. The characters don't do it either though since the main character comes off as shallow and irrelevant. He is a boy (although with annoying time skips he is suddenly a man) who is the last of his warrior clan and is good at fighting and wants to live and get revenge. There is nothing endearing about him and we cannot connect to his values since he is written to have different values from us.
(2) this book keeps the readers in the dark about a lot if things so that we end up having little connection to the world. The world is not important to any of the characters, and the lack of care rubs off on the audience. Also things happen with no clear reason why that is the way they had to happen, so everything feels contrived. Bad events come out of the blue, eliciting a "what the heck?!" vibe and good things all are deus ex machina because they come out of the blue and are not really worked for. Convenient cliff crumbling into the sea, convenient dude with food, convenient old guy, the list goes on.
I got 18% into this book and then stopped. I fully understand that some people love this book and that this book and series might have gotten better after I stopped.
This wasn't the book for me.
(1) This book didn't get me emotionally connected to the main character. This is the main reason I put it down. Usually when you start a book there is something interesting that keeps you wanting to read. Usually that is the main character or the world. In this case, the book is not going for the world, because they don't tell us things about the way works and the true politics of the country are kept secret for a long time and are bland once introduced. The characters don't do it either though since the main character comes off as shallow and irrelevant. He is a boy (although with annoying time skips he is suddenly a man) who is the last of his warrior clan and is good at fighting and wants to live and get revenge. There is nothing endearing about him and we cannot connect to his values since he is written to have different values from us.
(2) this book keeps the readers in the dark about a lot if things so that we end up having little connection to the world. The world is not important to any of the characters, and the lack of care rubs off on the audience. Also things happen with no clear reason why that is the way they had to happen, so everything feels contrived. Bad events come out of the blue, eliciting a "what the heck?!" vibe and good things all are deus ex machina because they come out of the blue and are not really worked for. Convenient cliff crumbling into the sea, convenient dude with food, convenient old guy, the list goes on.
vaderbird's review against another edition
4.0
I just re-read the book.. again.
I always hope that somehow a certain person lives...
I always hope that somehow a certain person lives...
soulfulsin's review against another edition
3.0
Eh...3.5 stars rounded down. There were very good parts to this book, parts that I quite enjoyed, but overall, I feel like the book dragged. I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of the characters and when one of the main characters died, I didn't shed a tear.
I'd been fighting whether I wanted to DNF the book through half of it. I pushed through, but I don't think I'm reading any more of this series.
I'd been fighting whether I wanted to DNF the book through half of it. I pushed through, but I don't think I'm reading any more of this series.
adrienner's review against another edition
5.0
The Last of the Renshai is the first book in the trilogy by the same name by Mickey Zucker Reichert. It was the first book I read by her. It hooked me immediately!
Mickey Zucker Reichert weaves a complicated story of loyalties of Wizards, friends, and blood along the journey to the great war. She tells the trials of Mitrian, Garn, Arduwyn, and Sterrane with their interaction of Colbey and their roles in fulfilling the age old prophecies of the Wizards for the coming of the great war. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout the whole novel to see what twist will happen next. She also takes her time to create believable human characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I was skeptical of it because I'm not much of a war book person. I don't like reading about battles for 600 pages. This story contains few battles of war-like nature. I was also concerned about having a strong female character and the representation of women. However, Reichert's character Mitrian is as strong, if not stronger, than the male character of Rache and most/all of the other characters.
For those who enjoy fantasy, especially stories of swords, this is a good book.
Mickey Zucker Reichert weaves a complicated story of loyalties of Wizards, friends, and blood along the journey to the great war. She tells the trials of Mitrian, Garn, Arduwyn, and Sterrane with their interaction of Colbey and their roles in fulfilling the age old prophecies of the Wizards for the coming of the great war. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout the whole novel to see what twist will happen next. She also takes her time to create believable human characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I was skeptical of it because I'm not much of a war book person. I don't like reading about battles for 600 pages. This story contains few battles of war-like nature. I was also concerned about having a strong female character and the representation of women. However, Reichert's character Mitrian is as strong, if not stronger, than the male character of Rache and most/all of the other characters.
For those who enjoy fantasy, especially stories of swords, this is a good book.
adrienner's review
5.0
The Last of the Renshai is the first book in the trilogy by the same name by Mickey Zucker Reichert. It was the first book I read by her. It hooked me immediately!
Mickey Zucker Reichert weaves a complicated story of loyalties of Wizards, friends, and blood along the journey to the great war. She tells the trials of Mitrian, Garn, Arduwyn, and Sterrane with their interaction of Colbey and their roles in fulfilling the age old prophecies of the Wizards for the coming of the great war. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout the whole novel to see what twist will happen next. She also takes her time to create believable human characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I was skeptical of it because I'm not much of a war book person. I don't like reading about battles for 600 pages. This story contains few battles of war-like nature. I was also concerned about having a strong female character and the representation of women. However, Reichert's character Mitrian is as strong, if not stronger, than the male character of Rache and most/all of the other characters.
For those who enjoy fantasy, especially stories of swords, this is a good book.
Mickey Zucker Reichert weaves a complicated story of loyalties of Wizards, friends, and blood along the journey to the great war. She tells the trials of Mitrian, Garn, Arduwyn, and Sterrane with their interaction of Colbey and their roles in fulfilling the age old prophecies of the Wizards for the coming of the great war. The author keeps the reader in suspense throughout the whole novel to see what twist will happen next. She also takes her time to create believable human characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At first I was skeptical of it because I'm not much of a war book person. I don't like reading about battles for 600 pages. This story contains few battles of war-like nature. I was also concerned about having a strong female character and the representation of women. However, Reichert's character Mitrian is as strong, if not stronger, than the male character of Rache and most/all of the other characters.
For those who enjoy fantasy, especially stories of swords, this is a good book.
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