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cupofnova's review against another edition
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
0.25
I stopped reading at page 334 out of 447. I'm not continuing it. If I could go back in time, I would have stopped reading this series after the first book. Everything else just gets worse after that.
Kellen is pushed around by the plot. He could have done something himself, but no. In the end, he's just following what others want, even if it doesn't go exactly as planned. His character can be boiled down to the self-loathing pawn that can't do anything besides murder, run away, or magically bullshitting an antagonist's plan into working out in the end.
!!!SPOILER AND TRIGGER WARNING!!!
For pretty much no reason besides wanting to pretend like the shadowblack is still important and some politician is dangerous, Kellen is forced to sexually assault a girl. I don't think she is even an adult. It seems like the author intended the reader to feel bad for Kellen for feeling/being violated. Which, yeah, its an absolutely disgusting, gutrolling scene. But it is also a completely pointless scene. You can show someone is a threat without this awful inclusion! Initially, this female character is solely created to suffer. She was made by the author to be assaulted and immediately disposed of. Men get to die in this series. Women are constantly subjected to drawn out suffering, that we're supposed to forget about in seconds and just move on because if it's not the main character, "who cares?".
I'm not surprised that the only praise I ever see for this series is for the first book. It's the only one worth reading, and even then, it's nothing but an interesting magic system in a sloppy story.
Kellen is pushed around by the plot. He could have done something himself, but no. In the end, he's just following what others want, even if it doesn't go exactly as planned. His character can be boiled down to the self-loathing pawn that can't do anything besides murder, run away, or magically bullshitting an antagonist's plan into working out in the end.
!!!SPOILER AND TRIGGER WARNING!!!
For pretty much no reason besides wanting to pretend like the shadowblack is still important and some politician is dangerous, Kellen is forced to sexually assault a girl. I don't think she is even an adult. It seems like the author intended the reader to feel bad for Kellen for feeling/being violated. Which, yeah, its an absolutely disgusting, gutrolling scene. But it is also a completely pointless scene. You can show someone is a threat without this awful inclusion! Initially, this female character is solely created to suffer. She was made by the author to be assaulted and immediately disposed of. Men get to die in this series. Women are constantly subjected to drawn out suffering, that we're supposed to forget about in seconds and just move on because if it's not the main character, "who cares?".
I'm not surprised that the only praise I ever see for this series is for the first book. It's the only one worth reading, and even then, it's nothing but an interesting magic system in a sloppy story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Racism, War, and Vomit
eli_sa's review against another edition
3.0
Overall the book was nice, but it felt so different from the previous ones.
I personally struggled to keep up with the characters, what was happening and who was behind what, compared to the previous four books which i absolutely adored and finished really quick, this one took longer than the others to finish.
I still think it is important to read it to finish this series.
I personally struggled to keep up with the characters, what was happening and who was behind what, compared to the previous four books which i absolutely adored and finished really quick, this one took longer than the others to finish.
I still think it is important to read it to finish this series.
womanon's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't enjoy this installment as much as the previous ones, sadly.
asktheham's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jmross10's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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
4.0
A somewhat unexpected turn of events. Well I did miss Ferius Parfait (how could you not?), it was interesting to see Kellen stand on his own for a while. He's come a long way since Spellslinger and this is arguably our first chance to see how much he's grown without a safety net. It's not always pretty - as expected - but this story maintains the charm and intrigue of the early books.
I'm a big fan of the way Sebastien de Castell weaves his plots together so I'm curious to see where the final installment takes us. Particularly whether or not Kellen's family will win him back over in the end.
I'm a big fan of the way Sebastien de Castell weaves his plots together so I'm curious to see where the final installment takes us. Particularly whether or not Kellen's family will win him back over in the end.
mical45's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
g_c_geeks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fun n high stakes but dragged a little in the middle to end
taxiforone's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
selinadragonair's review against another edition
5.0
I love de Castells prose and I devoured book 5. I actually liked the entry the best, with all the assassinations and schemes and riddles and politics going on.
To my surprise it got really dark in the last quarter, close to the Greatcoats level. I didn't expect it to make me feel despair, dread and rage, but I was glued to the pages nontheless.
The situation Kellen was in was probably the worst one anyone can find himself in.
I heard complaints about this book not having much character development. Still, I see a lot going on, given that the whole series is about Kellens inner conflict to be loved for who he is, to be accepted and to do good. He's often alone in conflict situations. His life is a constant struggle against odds and himself. It's really, really hard and I have sympathy.
So give the poor boy a rest for not growing up fast enough.
To my surprise it got really dark in the last quarter, close to the Greatcoats level. I didn't expect it to make me feel despair, dread and rage, but I was glued to the pages nontheless.
The situation Kellen was in was probably the worst one anyone can find himself in.
I heard complaints about this book not having much character development. Still, I see a lot going on, given that the whole series is about Kellens inner conflict to be loved for who he is, to be accepted and to do good. He's often alone in conflict situations. His life is a constant struggle against odds and himself. It's really, really hard and I have sympathy.
So give the poor boy a rest for not growing up fast enough.