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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
The book started off extremely promising with the tropes I love in a fantasy book "Poor mc who wants to become strong, seeks out a master" but I was disappointed in the beginning & middle for (stupid & selfish reasons I tend to always have) basically kylar acting pus*y sipped over Elene. & Elene treating him like shit at times. BUT I will say that they both grew on me later to the end. Around the ending of the book was a good read & as a result of the ending being so good, I give this a 4 star. DIP Durzo blint, u were a legend.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Loved it! I was already a fan of his Lightbreaker series, it just took me a while to pick these up because... well, I'm a bit strange when it comes to books I know I'll like, I sometimes like to save them, to avoid them being over too soon.
I'm terrible at writing reviews on the spot for things like these, but I will say if you like grittier fantasy worlds (with a bit of an Asian influence, though not too strong of one), then this is a book you will not want to miss.
I'm terrible at writing reviews on the spot for things like these, but I will say if you like grittier fantasy worlds (with a bit of an Asian influence, though not too strong of one), then this is a book you will not want to miss.
adventurous
dark
sad
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I put off reading this book for years because the cover is so goddamn ugly.
And I don't regret my procrastination, because... this book was meh.
Honestly, I would have given it 3 stars, but the lack of any real female characters irked me to no end. This book was written through a male lens, and it shows. The most glaring example being the constant commentary about the appearances of female characters. One female character has a scarred face, and we are never allowed to forget how it mars her beauty--the main assassin guy even comments that death might be a better fate for her than having to live with those scars. The badass brothel owner (which in itself is a tired trope...) was the only female character of any real substance, but of course her downfall is accompanied by a scathing reminder that women aren't allowed to age with dignity.
Ugh. I'm getting more irritated the more I think about this.
Anyway. Plot-wise, it was okay. The "twist" at the end was not obvious at all, unless you consume a lot of media and have come to expect twists... in which case, it was too obvious. The way the author never fully described how Azoth murdered Rat, and the amount of time that was given to Rat in the beginning and how often he was mentioned throughout the book... there's no way his reveal at the end was going to be a surprise.
Ugh, and prophecies. Seriously?
OH. And what the hell was up with calling your badass assassins "wetboys"? Worst. Name. Ever.
I really don't see myself continuing with this series, but... you never know.
And I don't regret my procrastination, because... this book was meh.
Honestly, I would have given it 3 stars, but the lack of any real female characters irked me to no end. This book was written through a male lens, and it shows. The most glaring example being the constant commentary about the appearances of female characters. One female character has a scarred face, and we are never allowed to forget how it mars her beauty--the main assassin guy even comments that death might be a better fate for her than having to live with those scars. The badass brothel owner (which in itself is a tired trope...) was the only female character of any real substance, but of course her downfall is accompanied by a scathing reminder that women aren't allowed to age with dignity.
Ugh. I'm getting more irritated the more I think about this.
Anyway. Plot-wise, it was okay. The "twist" at the end was not obvious at all, unless you consume a lot of media and have come to expect twists... in which case, it was too obvious. The way the author never fully described how Azoth murdered Rat, and the amount of time that was given to Rat in the beginning and how often he was mentioned throughout the book... there's no way his reveal at the end was going to be a surprise.
Ugh, and prophecies. Seriously?
OH. And what the hell was up with calling your badass assassins "wetboys"? Worst. Name. Ever.
I really don't see myself continuing with this series, but... you never know.
I liked the book but it was also sometimes really difficult to understand the culture and the world surrounding Kylar. Still, I've enjoyed reading it and will be reading it again sometime.
The book is written in an easy to read-style and I definately picked up some sympathy for the characters. Some characters, e.g. Elene & Durzo, could have been more "explained" because they remained a little bit distant. I look forward to reading the second book.
The book is written in an easy to read-style and I definately picked up some sympathy for the characters. Some characters, e.g. Elene & Durzo, could have been more "explained" because they remained a little bit distant. I look forward to reading the second book.