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hamohero's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
scottish_kat's review
5.0
This book is incredible, I loved every traumatic second of it.
I know I don't have the vocabulary to convey how good this book is but I'll try...
Anna Stephens has done a phenomenal job of making the reader feel invested in each and every character. I cried at the death of minor characters, I cried at the sacrifice of unnamed soldiers and I cried at every heart wrenching, impossible thing that Mace had to endure. In short - I cried throughout most of the book. I also cheered, wailed and winced so thankfully I wasn't reading it on public transport!
The pace of this book is relentless and demanding which suits the story perfectly.
The settings are described vividly and the plot is well put together with nothing that takes you out the story but the real triumph is the characters.
I gave Godblind 5 stars and I thought that was flawless - Darksoul is better and I want to know when I can pre-order book 3.
ARC via Netgalley.
I know I don't have the vocabulary to convey how good this book is but I'll try...
Anna Stephens has done a phenomenal job of making the reader feel invested in each and every character. I cried at the death of minor characters, I cried at the sacrifice of unnamed soldiers and I cried at every heart wrenching, impossible thing that Mace had to endure. In short - I cried throughout most of the book. I also cheered, wailed and winced so thankfully I wasn't reading it on public transport!
The pace of this book is relentless and demanding which suits the story perfectly.
The settings are described vividly and the plot is well put together with nothing that takes you out the story but the real triumph is the characters.
I gave Godblind 5 stars and I thought that was flawless - Darksoul is better and I want to know when I can pre-order book 3.
ARC via Netgalley.
cassanette's review
4.0
He closed his eyes and wept, knowing he was saving men just so that they could destroy more lives and spread their poison across Rilpor. Aiding the enemy. Collusion. Betrayal.
Justice. Good. Right.
TW: graphic violence,
This book was very good but it could have been great. It could have been amazing. It still was, in certain parts. The siege? Oh, the siege itself deserves solid 5 stars. But the antagonists were just not compelling (when is "just pure evil for the sake of evil" a compelling choice for an entire nation when it isn't even for a single person?) and, as for the characters, I wanted the characters to be... more.
There was nothing particularly wrong with the characters, maybe except for the fact that the "good" and "evil" groups could not be more easily divided. (Also, everyone wants the throne. On the evil side, of course. And no one on the good side does because they're so honourable. How convenient.) But my favourite chapter, chapter 10, was all about friendship and family and shared trauma, and those themes were never really given enough time again which was a shame in my opinion. Seemingly important characters disappeared into the background. The fighting and the intrigue were amazing but a lot of characters died in ways which made me feel like I was supposed to care for their hopeless situation when I didn't because to me they were just names on the page, easily replaced with the next heroic sacrifice.
What does anyone look like in this book? It's true, I might have missed on all that information by skipping book 1, but based on the reviews I read that was an issue there as well.
Not to mention the ending which just didn't make much sense.
That siege though.
That siege was magic.
imyril's review
3.0
Middle books are tricky, as are second books. This one did much to lose my goodwill in the first half, but Anna Stephens once again left me more or less okay by the end.
Not a book for those who dislike violence, swearing, festering wounds, sieges, betrayals and widespread murderdeathkilling. And in the end, I think this series _is_ too grimdark for me and I’m still no closer to (although also no further away from) being ready to make the case that yes, but at least its feminist grimdark.
Full review
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Not a book for those who dislike violence, swearing, festering wounds, sieges, betrayals and widespread murderdeathkilling. And in the end, I think this series _is_ too grimdark for me and I’m still no closer to (although also no further away from) being ready to make the case that yes, but at least its feminist grimdark.
Full review
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
alanbaxter's review
4.0
This second book in the trilogy took a little while to get its feet under it, but then holy hell did it ramp up where book one left off. More bloody and brutal than the first, with greater stakes and more epic revelations. I’m really enjoying this series.
bethanmay's review
5.0
Oh she's done it to me again. My Dark Lady has taken me, guided my feet upon this path, nurtured my love for these people, my deep-seated care for them; and shredded it all into tattered ribbons... it's exquisite agony and I didn't expect anything less.
After falling madly deeply in love with Godblind earlier this year, Darksoul was certainly my most anticipated book for 2018.
I can categorically state: it did not let me down.
I suppose you want to actually know something about the book?
It willdestroy consume ...
It's emotionally engaging.
Rilporin is under siege. Whereas with Godblind we roamed quite freely across the land of Rilpor, following each character as the threads inevitably drew them in; Darksoul is a much more claustrophobic affair. We are ensconced in the camp of the Mireces, trapped behind the walls of the defenders, driven street-by-street by each new betrayal and heart break.
In this regard, Darksoul could have been a very different monster to her sister, but it's like I never left. Stephens' writing style is perfectly consistent, which made for such a smooth transition I felt immediately immersed in this world once more. I was drawn back into the story, and Stephens really doesn't give you time to find your feet before she's knocking you off them.
I suppose before we go much further we should address the Grimdark Elephant in the room; can you see her lurking there in the shadows? Now there are many differing opinions on the true meaning of Grimdark - Darksoul gleefully stabs each one. Her characters are morally ambiguous and she makes you consider the darkest recesses of the human condition under pressure. To visit the other Grimdark School of Thought; it's gory AF. I never felt it was gratuitous, get-a-shock-out-of-you gory, but rather utterly completely lost in depravity kind of gory. The true meaning of blood-lust kind of gory. The Following Contains Images That Some Viewers May Find Upsetting kind of gory.
But please don't let this put you off. Because more than anything, Darksoul is still about the characters. There were so many of them I missed, so many of them I cried for; but so many of them I hoped for. And as bleak as the story sometimes gets, as deep as you feel you've fallen, there is still a glimmer. A yellow glow of hope. It's this which drove me on when I had no idea what else to expect.
As this was something that truly struck me about Darksoul: I couldn't tell what side the narrator was on. I don't think I have ever come across a more objective narrative voice. You generally get a sense in a book that the good guys are the good guys, the bad guys are the bad guys, and the good guys will triumph because what they are doing is just and true and... Nope. I genuinely couldn't tell what was going to happen, because at no point did I feel Stephens had a preference for one side over the other. To be able to create this objectivity in such an emotionally fuelled piece of work is astounding.
There were so many moments during this book where I caught myself holding my breath, I had to remind myself to breath. My heart was racing; it's visceral I felt I could feel every pounding of every heart beat. How can simple words on a page have this effect on you? Have this complete mastery over your senses until you're utterly lost and you resurface dazed and torn asunder. At one point, she did it with three words. Three. "He didn't run". I had to put the book down.
Just with Godblind, there is no release once you reach the end; I'm left once more bereft and unknowing of what's left in store for the characters. I am left once more in awe of Anna Stephens' story telling genius. I am left in the belief that this is a trilogy which will forever haunt me and draw me back in.
I have a long wait for Book Three, but at least I can look forward to the re-read... gods what is wrong with me...
After falling madly deeply in love with Godblind earlier this year, Darksoul was certainly my most anticipated book for 2018.
I can categorically state: it did not let me down.
I suppose you want to actually know something about the book?
It will
It's emotionally engaging.
Rilporin is under siege. Whereas with Godblind we roamed quite freely across the land of Rilpor, following each character as the threads inevitably drew them in; Darksoul is a much more claustrophobic affair. We are ensconced in the camp of the Mireces, trapped behind the walls of the defenders, driven street-by-street by each new betrayal and heart break.
In this regard, Darksoul could have been a very different monster to her sister, but it's like I never left. Stephens' writing style is perfectly consistent, which made for such a smooth transition I felt immediately immersed in this world once more. I was drawn back into the story, and Stephens really doesn't give you time to find your feet before she's knocking you off them.
I suppose before we go much further we should address the Grimdark Elephant in the room; can you see her lurking there in the shadows? Now there are many differing opinions on the true meaning of Grimdark - Darksoul gleefully stabs each one. Her characters are morally ambiguous and she makes you consider the darkest recesses of the human condition under pressure. To visit the other Grimdark School of Thought; it's gory AF. I never felt it was gratuitous, get-a-shock-out-of-you gory, but rather utterly completely lost in depravity kind of gory. The true meaning of blood-lust kind of gory. The Following Contains Images That Some Viewers May Find Upsetting kind of gory.
But please don't let this put you off. Because more than anything, Darksoul is still about the characters. There were so many of them I missed, so many of them I cried for; but so many of them I hoped for. And as bleak as the story sometimes gets, as deep as you feel you've fallen, there is still a glimmer. A yellow glow of hope. It's this which drove me on when I had no idea what else to expect.
As this was something that truly struck me about Darksoul: I couldn't tell what side the narrator was on. I don't think I have ever come across a more objective narrative voice. You generally get a sense in a book that the good guys are the good guys, the bad guys are the bad guys, and the good guys will triumph because what they are doing is just and true and... Nope. I genuinely couldn't tell what was going to happen, because at no point did I feel Stephens had a preference for one side over the other. To be able to create this objectivity in such an emotionally fuelled piece of work is astounding.
There were so many moments during this book where I caught myself holding my breath, I had to remind myself to breath. My heart was racing; it's visceral I felt I could feel every pounding of every heart beat. How can simple words on a page have this effect on you? Have this complete mastery over your senses until you're utterly lost and you resurface dazed and torn asunder. At one point, she did it with three words. Three. "He didn't run". I had to put the book down.
Just with Godblind, there is no release once you reach the end; I'm left once more bereft and unknowing of what's left in store for the characters. I am left once more in awe of Anna Stephens' story telling genius. I am left in the belief that this is a trilogy which will forever haunt me and draw me back in.
I have a long wait for Book Three, but at least I can look forward to the re-read... gods what is wrong with me...
ajspedding's review
5.0
Second books in trilogies can either make or break a series. With Darksoul, it definitely makes. The writing is evocative, the imagery superb, and the storytelling top class. Emotions? I felt them all. Cannot wait for the final in the series. Special shout-out to Tara's epic lesson in truth right at the end.
pete_rg's review
5.0
Loved the siege setting for this book. Great follow up to Godblind, really getting to see the fantastic characters develop.
rumblethumps's review
5.0
Omg, getting through this felt like going 24 rounds in a boxing ring....I had to cover my eyes with my hand before turning every page and read from between my fingers!!
I can't even think of how to explain how many ups and downs there are in each chapter...Something tragic happens, then something good happens that fixes the situation, but you don't even have enough time to feel relieved before something ELSE happens....The whole situation between Ash and Crys had me on the floor panicked for days, I'm exhausted and I barely even have the strength to type lmao
It's wild seeing how far everyone's come and how much has happened since the first book! Now it's time to emotionally prepare for when the third one comes out.....Dancer help us
I can't even think of how to explain how many ups and downs there are in each chapter...Something tragic happens, then something good happens that fixes the situation, but you don't even have enough time to feel relieved before something ELSE happens....The whole situation between Ash and Crys had me on the floor panicked for days, I'm exhausted and I barely even have the strength to type lmao
It's wild seeing how far everyone's come and how much has happened since the first book! Now it's time to emotionally prepare for when the third one comes out.....Dancer help us
tessav's review
5.0
Following Godblind, this 2nd novel by Anna Stephens picks up the story and runs full pelt until you're completely out of breath but still begging for more. This book is even better than the first, and exponentially increases my anticipation of the next!
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