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titus_hjelm's review against another edition
2.0
1,5 stars perhaps? Starting with a chapter-long battle scene does not bode well for a book (in my books, ahem), but it gets a bit better afterwards. The main energy in this book seems to have been spent in creating the world, which is not bad. But good fantasy doesn't hang on world-building alone. The characters remain distant, the three main male characters developing some kind of personalities, but everyone else--including all the women--are just extras. Most disturbingly, in several scenes someone dies and everyone is very sad, but the reader/listener cannot really connect with the feeling as these folks almost appear out of nowhere. Also, I would be lying if I said I was always on track which year it was and what was happening. The plot, despite a promising beginning, descends into quite standard abc quest. I was going to give this two stars, but the multiple-chapter battle scenes in the end were so boring that 1,5 really is more accurate.
mikenshan's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this one. It's a true saga, with quest after quest tied together in one expansive plot. I look forward to the next one in the series.
browan268's review against another edition
1.0
Immeasurably painful, only finished as was told did not count as read unless I finished. Started off at a pass but then really slowed down.
miii18's review against another edition
5.0
Ein toller Fantasy-Roman, den man einfach nicht aus der Hand legen kann. Die Charaktere machen eine schöne Entwicklung durch und am Ende ist man traurig, dass die Reise schon (nach 900 Seiten) vorbei ist!
lonleyghost's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
corinatter's review against another edition
3.0
Mal vorneweg: ich mag das Buch. Es ist schon eine Weile her, dass ich es zuletzt gelesen hab und da gefiel es mir noch besser; aber ich mag es auch jetzt noch.
Es gibt drei Sterne. Da sind nämlich auch einige Sachen, die mir ganz und gar nicht gefallen (und deshalb gibt’s auch keinen vierten oder fünften Stern):
1. Show, don’t tell. Schon mal gehört? Gerade in den ersten – sagen wir mal – 200, 300 Seiten hab ich das Gefühl gehabt, dass keiner der Charaktere mich berührt, hauptsächlich weil mir gesagt wird, wie die Leute sich fühlen anstatt es mir zu zeigen.
2. Gehört das Buch bestimmt 100 Seiten kürzer. Ich frag mich, warum da nicht mal einer gekürzt hat? Teilweise zieht sich’s doch sehr – wobei auch das gen Ende besser wird, oder vielleicht hab ich einfach eine gewisse Toleranz aufgebaut.
3. That fucking ending. Wir wissen ernsthaft nicht genug über die vorangegangene Beziehung, um das einfach so zu hinzunehmen. Der Andere ist auch so viel sympathischer.
Alles in allem aber durchaus lesbar ;) Zeitweise packt eines das Ganze richtig. Ich werde mich demnächst mal an die weiteren Bücher machen… aber zwischendurch brauche ich mal eine Elfen-Atempause.
Es gibt drei Sterne. Da sind nämlich auch einige Sachen, die mir ganz und gar nicht gefallen (und deshalb gibt’s auch keinen vierten oder fünften Stern):
1. Show, don’t tell. Schon mal gehört? Gerade in den ersten – sagen wir mal – 200, 300 Seiten hab ich das Gefühl gehabt, dass keiner der Charaktere mich berührt, hauptsächlich weil mir gesagt wird, wie die Leute sich fühlen anstatt es mir zu zeigen.
2. Gehört das Buch bestimmt 100 Seiten kürzer. Ich frag mich, warum da nicht mal einer gekürzt hat? Teilweise zieht sich’s doch sehr – wobei auch das gen Ende besser wird, oder vielleicht hab ich einfach eine gewisse Toleranz aufgebaut.
3. That fucking ending. Wir wissen ernsthaft nicht genug über die vorangegangene Beziehung, um das einfach so zu hinzunehmen. Der Andere ist auch so viel sympathischer.
Alles in allem aber durchaus lesbar ;) Zeitweise packt eines das Ganze richtig. Ich werde mich demnächst mal an die weiteren Bücher machen… aber zwischendurch brauche ich mal eine Elfen-Atempause.
lordbane68's review against another edition
5.0
This story is epic in scope, and spans many, many years. At some points I felt nostalgia for things that happened earlier in the book as though I had aged along with the characters during the journey. The sense of camaraderie among allies and friends within the book, especially during the battles, was very inspiring, and there are several battles. There are also many well written tender momemts, emotional overtures, and romantic interludes between the characters.
For the audiobook version, the narration was superb! As I've said before, narration can make, or break, a novel and this one certainly proved the "making" side. The narrator would quickly shift between an old man and a young girl, and everything in between, in such an easy, natural manner that you really felt like you were hearing different people, even though you knew better.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommended that others read/listen to it.
For the audiobook version, the narration was superb! As I've said before, narration can make, or break, a novel and this one certainly proved the "making" side. The narrator would quickly shift between an old man and a young girl, and everything in between, in such an easy, natural manner that you really felt like you were hearing different people, even though you knew better.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and recommended that others read/listen to it.
ssgoosecookie's review against another edition
4.0
This was our driving audiobook, so we finally finished this after almost a year of listening at 1x speed! 28 hours. Woof.
The first thing I'll say is that this is not your conventional fantasy, even epic fantasy. It's also not written in what I would say is a modern style. I'm not sure if it's the translation (it's originally in German) or if it's the original author's style, but it's very stripped down. There's not much beauty in the prose, and everyone does a whole lot of looking at things and a lot of stepping forward and back and recalling past conversations and a whole lot of monologuing. There's also a lot of adverbing.
Another non-modern aspect of this novel is that plot drives this book, not character. Quite often, the characters act in ways you wouldn't expect in the name of plot.
Despite all these drawbacks, I found myself fascinated by the slow train wreck of the world. The three adventuring companions jump repeatedly through time, usually hundreds of years at a time (only forward) and so we get to see a thousand years of anti-Albenkin sentiment turn into a religion and eventually a war. The search for Noroelle was kind of a fizzle, though I liked Nuramon and, occasionally, Faradin. (Noroelle was nice at the beginning of the story but she really, really annoyed me at the end. Not because of her choice, but because of her monologuing and). The perspective of Mandred and by extension the Fjordlanders was by far the most interesting part of this story.Mandred was funny and genuine, and I found myself imagining him in all of these bizarre settings to be extremely satisfying. Just imagine a gigantic, red-headed viking, complete with enormous battleaxe, in an enormous library, or amongst the delicate and beautiful elven city, or drinking with centaurs. Hilarious.
This book gets 4 stars from me because it's something new. I've read lots of fantasy, epic and otherwise, and I haven't read anything like this before. It wrapped up neatly and I wasn't even (too) mad about the final deposition of the characters.
The first thing I'll say is that this is not your conventional fantasy, even epic fantasy. It's also not written in what I would say is a modern style. I'm not sure if it's the translation (it's originally in German) or if it's the original author's style, but it's very stripped down. There's not much beauty in the prose, and everyone does a whole lot of looking at things and a lot of stepping forward and back and recalling past conversations and a whole lot of monologuing. There's also a lot of adverbing.
Another non-modern aspect of this novel is that plot drives this book, not character. Quite often, the characters act in ways you wouldn't expect in the name of plot.
Spoiler
One notable example is when Nuramon and Faridin argue and split up about halfway through the book. Their argument is tepid and nothing that would normally break up this adventuring band, but plot demands it. Another is Emerelle's non-reaction when Nuramon and Faridin return to Elfmark near the end of the book despite her rage and exile. Why did Mandred enter Craghammer by himself? What was he supposed to accomplish, other than getting himself traumatized and captured?Despite all these drawbacks, I found myself fascinated by the slow train wreck of the world. The three adventuring companions jump repeatedly through time, usually hundreds of years at a time (only forward) and so we get to see a thousand years of anti-Albenkin sentiment turn into a religion and eventually a war. The search for Noroelle was kind of a fizzle, though I liked Nuramon and, occasionally, Faradin. (Noroelle was nice at the beginning of the story but she really, really annoyed me at the end. Not because of her choice, but because of her monologuing and
Spoiler
immediate insistence on going into the moonlightThis book gets 4 stars from me because it's something new. I've read lots of fantasy, epic and otherwise, and I haven't read anything like this before. It wrapped up neatly and I wasn't even (too) mad about the final deposition of the characters.
saranosaurusrex's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0