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chelseaj91's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was definitely not expecting that.
Overall, this was a very intriguing story. I will admit that it felt very slow at the beginning. A lot happened without a lot happening. Even after Aren and Cade met up with the others, there still felt like a lot of nothing. That being said, even with all the nothing not quite happening, the book was still interesting. The world building was different and maybe a little confusing (I really wished for some kind of guide or glossary or something just to keep track of their weeks let alone all the gods).
I did think the story handled the "who will wield the blade" part very well. You don't really know who's going to be the guardian until the last second. And even then, part of me wonders if something might change.
I'll admit that Aren and Cade kind of frustrated me a little bit. Cade just because he felt more like comic relief and then things happened just as he was starting to grow to be maybe something more. Aren was frustrating but only because it took him so long to realize he'd been such an idiot.
While I'll admit Garric wasn't my favorite character and I saw things coming, I didn't see them coming quite that way. Garric was definitely an expert of not letting the right hand know what the left was doing while neither hand knew what they were doing on their own. The whole thing with Keel notwithstanding (and we'll talk about him in a minute) was just...Garric seemed like he had a plan and he just kept changing it because he lost hope. Rather than trying to work together, he decided for everyone that being dead was the better option and like, okay yeah there are some people who think that way but usually when everyone's effected it's because there's enough of a revolution already that they've been able to understand/make that choice themselves.
Keel now...I actually felt sorry for him when they ended up back at his home. At first. After his wife (and let me tell you, that relationship was a giant red flag. If you can't be in the same room with someone without spitting vitriol their way, that's not love. That's maybe a drop of affection but mostly wrath and hate and not healthy for anyone) gave him the ultimatum, I wanted to feel sad but he just retreated and turned into a moping whiner. Then the choices he made at the end and while it's unfortunate he made that choice, he definitely got off easy and I feel like having his entire motivation boiling down to "my best friend stopped trusting me" when he had plenty of opportunities to question Garric was a total cop-out.
Overall though, the book is definitely interesting and I'll be reading the rest of the series at some point.
Overall, this was a very intriguing story. I will admit that it felt very slow at the beginning. A lot happened without a lot happening. Even after Aren and Cade met up with the others, there still felt like a lot of nothing. That being said, even with all the nothing not quite happening, the book was still interesting. The world building was different and maybe a little confusing (I really wished for some kind of guide or glossary or something just to keep track of their weeks let alone all the gods).
I did think the story handled the "who will wield the blade" part very well. You don't really know who's going to be the guardian until the last second. And even then, part of me wonders if something might change.
I'll admit that Aren and Cade kind of frustrated me a little bit. Cade just because he felt more like comic relief and then things happened just as he was starting to grow to be maybe something more. Aren was frustrating but only because it took him so long to realize he'd been such an idiot.
While I'll admit Garric wasn't my favorite character and I saw things coming, I didn't see them coming quite that way. Garric was definitely an expert of not letting the right hand know what the left was doing while neither hand knew what they were doing on their own. The whole thing with Keel notwithstanding (and we'll talk about him in a minute) was just...Garric seemed like he had a plan and he just kept changing it because he lost hope. Rather than trying to work together, he decided for everyone that being dead was the better option and like, okay yeah there are some people who think that way but usually when everyone's effected it's because there's enough of a revolution already that they've been able to understand/make that choice themselves.
Keel now...I actually felt sorry for him when they ended up back at his home. At first. After his wife (and let me tell you, that relationship was a giant red flag. If you can't be in the same room with someone without spitting vitriol their way, that's not love. That's maybe a drop of affection but mostly wrath and hate and not healthy for anyone) gave him the ultimatum, I wanted to feel sad but he just retreated and turned into a moping whiner. Then the choices he made at the end and while it's unfortunate he made that choice, he definitely got off easy and I feel like having his entire motivation boiling down to "my best friend stopped trusting me" when he had plenty of opportunities to question Garric was a total cop-out.
Overall though, the book is definitely interesting and I'll be reading the rest of the series at some point.
fathershawn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
longestloon's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-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
4.0
maidofbees's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
I really liked this book! It had a lot of classic fantasy tropes but I think it used them well, and I was very entertained throughout. I am keen to read the next in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism
zeekbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emiann2023's review against another edition
5.0
Epic fantasy is always hit or miss for me. Often more miss, I think. So I was wary, when I downloaded the audiobook The Ember Blade. It wasn't long before I decided I'd made a good choice.
The characters in this book are annoying, stubborn, inelegant fiends, and I loved them for that. There was no pretense. Gerrick was cruel and terrible and wrong as often as he was noble and generous and right. Even Aren was blind and ignorant, if not ever truly malicious.
I am very excited to see where this story goes, so I hope we get word of the next volume soon.
The characters in this book are annoying, stubborn, inelegant fiends, and I loved them for that. There was no pretense. Gerrick was cruel and terrible and wrong as often as he was noble and generous and right. Even Aren was blind and ignorant, if not ever truly malicious.
I am very excited to see where this story goes, so I hope we get word of the next volume soon.
kaladinstorms's review against another edition
2.0
i spent the last 30% convincing myself to give this book 3 stars because i thought my high expectations were making me judge it harder than i should, but now that i'm done i just can't. this book is so painfully cliché. the main character is as basic as a piece of white bread. the one character i had hope for, cade, was just a sidekick who spent the entire book telling random boring stories, fighting his best friend over a girl in a forced love triangle, and being in danger so he can be saved by the same "chosen one" best friend. yeah, this book has the chosen one trope, which would have made me avoid reading it if i had known beforehand. still, i'm of the belief any trope can work with the right author so i kept reading, unfortunately in this case it was as boring and predictable as i expect this trope to be.
nothing new or interesting was done with the themes and message of the story, it was shallow but still very much gave a "i'm 14 and this is deep" type feel which was annoying. so many plot conveniences happened while everyone and their mother kept telling the main character that this isn't some fairytale where things worked out in the end but they DID, like ALL THE TIME.
basically, everything the author attempted turned out MID. exploration of grief? MID. a strong main friendship? MID. a romance? EVEN WORSE THAN MID. lol okay that's enough you get the point.
ps. the fact that i've seen people say this reminds them of the lord of the rings makes me know i'll put off reading it for another 3 years.
nothing new or interesting was done with the themes and message of the story, it was shallow but still very much gave a "i'm 14 and this is deep" type feel which was annoying. so many plot conveniences happened while everyone and their mother kept telling the main character that this isn't some fairytale where things worked out in the end but they DID, like ALL THE TIME.
basically, everything the author attempted turned out MID. exploration of grief? MID. a strong main friendship? MID. a romance? EVEN WORSE THAN MID. lol okay that's enough you get the point.
ps. the fact that i've seen people say this reminds them of the lord of the rings makes me know i'll put off reading it for another 3 years.
amongstchaosshereads's review against another edition
”Every day, a person should learn something, experience something, do something that left them changed, even in a small way.”
The ember blade just hit all the right spots and has definitely taken the top spot on the favourites list
I loved this book sooooo much. It was phenomenal folks! It gets all the stars!! It just hit all the right spots
The ember blade just hit all the right spots and has definitely taken the top spot on the favourites list
I loved this book sooooo much. It was phenomenal folks! It gets all the stars!! It just hit all the right spots
adelaz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75