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willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
4 / 5 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/book-review-a-pilgrimage-of-swords-by-anthony-ryan/
So, a talking sword, a mysterious cast of players, a quest for one wish from a mad god. We follow Pilgrim and his talking sword on this quest, accompanied by only five other seekers and their guide, Priest. That’s Pilgrimage of Swords in a nutshell.
Well, I didn’t care for the beginning, despite that it kinda tied in later on. I would’ve liked a bit more backstory or something before diving into the epic quest, or maybe even just begun the story at the doorstep on the temple where the quest begins. Instead we endure a chapter of mostly meaningless conversation—though it does give the sword a chance to be witty, so… I guess that’s good enough.
The end’s a good one, with a satisfying conclusion. The middle is what won me over, despite its beginnings, though. Fast moving, entertaining; a lovely bit of lore and action mix atop a post-apocalyptic backdrop.
After that, the story’s pretty entertaining. It’s somewhat lacking in description, being a novella and all, but it’s the quest itself that the story follows, and that’s what we see. The concept is pretty interesting, so much so that I left the world wanting more. I hope that Ryan returns to it in the future.
More so, after a disappointing drop-off following Blood Song—truly beginning with Queen of Fire and then the Waking Fire—Ryan has delivered twice in a three months. A bit of hope is good every now and then.
All in all, it’s definitely worth a look, assuming the price isn’t unreasonable. Right now I’m just seeing pre-orders for a hard cover, which is going at $40. Unless you’re a hardcore Ryan fan—I’d skip that. Maybe hold out for an ebook version at $4-7.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/08/04/book-review-a-pilgrimage-of-swords-by-anthony-ryan/
So, a talking sword, a mysterious cast of players, a quest for one wish from a mad god. We follow Pilgrim and his talking sword on this quest, accompanied by only five other seekers and their guide, Priest. That’s Pilgrimage of Swords in a nutshell.
Well, I didn’t care for the beginning, despite that it kinda tied in later on. I would’ve liked a bit more backstory or something before diving into the epic quest, or maybe even just begun the story at the doorstep on the temple where the quest begins. Instead we endure a chapter of mostly meaningless conversation—though it does give the sword a chance to be witty, so… I guess that’s good enough.
The end’s a good one, with a satisfying conclusion. The middle is what won me over, despite its beginnings, though. Fast moving, entertaining; a lovely bit of lore and action mix atop a post-apocalyptic backdrop.
After that, the story’s pretty entertaining. It’s somewhat lacking in description, being a novella and all, but it’s the quest itself that the story follows, and that’s what we see. The concept is pretty interesting, so much so that I left the world wanting more. I hope that Ryan returns to it in the future.
More so, after a disappointing drop-off following Blood Song—truly beginning with Queen of Fire and then the Waking Fire—Ryan has delivered twice in a three months. A bit of hope is good every now and then.
All in all, it’s definitely worth a look, assuming the price isn’t unreasonable. Right now I’m just seeing pre-orders for a hard cover, which is going at $40. Unless you’re a hardcore Ryan fan—I’d skip that. Maybe hold out for an ebook version at $4-7.
mhorton's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-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
3.75
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
4.0
Why isn't this long enough?
Ryan has written an entire series on novellas!
And boy this was amazingly fun, fast paced and full of suspense, action and massive worldbuilding. The scope is immense and I cannot even imagine how awesome the next books are going to be for me to read.
On to more adventuring then... with mad gods and cursed blades for company.
Ryan has written an entire series on novellas!
And boy this was amazingly fun, fast paced and full of suspense, action and massive worldbuilding. The scope is immense and I cannot even imagine how awesome the next books are going to be for me to read.
On to more adventuring then... with mad gods and cursed blades for company.
elothwen's review against another edition
3.0
The latter half saved this one from 2 stars.
At first I despised Pilgrim and his bland, stoic Fantasy Man syndrome, and was annoyed every single time he spoke. The worldbuilding was fascinating though, and I liked the length/dedication to one small series of grand events.
Once we got to the Crucible I liked it much better. Pilgrim's sudden shift in heart and his treatment of Maisha was pretty heartwarming I suppose. Her sacrifice was BADASS.
AND PLAYER... SEXY BITCH the ending where he saved the day basically really hit different.
I really hope there's a follow up novel(la) to this because I'd love to see what happens with Seeker.
At first I despised Pilgrim and his bland, stoic Fantasy Man syndrome, and was annoyed every single time he spoke. The worldbuilding was fascinating though, and I liked the length/dedication to one small series of grand events.
Once we got to the Crucible I liked it much better. Pilgrim's sudden shift in heart and his treatment of Maisha was pretty heartwarming I suppose. Her sacrifice was BADASS.
AND PLAYER... SEXY BITCH the ending where he saved the day basically really hit different.
I really hope there's a follow up novel(la) to this because I'd love to see what happens with Seeker.
jvillanueva8's review against another edition
3.0
Mediocre fantasy offering some brief escapism. Not very noteworthy in any way.
scott4jc's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
annieb123's review against another edition
5.0
Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.
A Pilgrimage of Swords is a stunning novella by Anthony Ryan. Released 30th Sept 2019 by Subterranean Press, it's 128 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats (hardcover limited edition format may be sold out).
This is a beautifully spare story which reminds me of a doorstop fantasy (complete with a map at the front, demons, battles, curses, bandits, an epic quest and the rest) condensed down to 128 incredibly compact pages. I've always had a particular fondness for short fiction because it is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form.
I would love to read another couple thousand pages in this world with (some of) these characters and reading this novella left me desperately hungry for the 'what-comes-next'. I sincerely hope the author writes more (much more) in this world-time setting.
Five stars. Just wonderful epic fantasy in a short format.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
A Pilgrimage of Swords is a stunning novella by Anthony Ryan. Released 30th Sept 2019 by Subterranean Press, it's 128 pages and available in hardcover and ebook formats (hardcover limited edition format may be sold out).
This is a beautifully spare story which reminds me of a doorstop fantasy (complete with a map at the front, demons, battles, curses, bandits, an epic quest and the rest) condensed down to 128 incredibly compact pages. I've always had a particular fondness for short fiction because it is spare and technically challenging, so you get a better feel for an author's expertise with the form.
I would love to read another couple thousand pages in this world with (some of) these characters and reading this novella left me desperately hungry for the 'what-comes-next'. I sincerely hope the author writes more (much more) in this world-time setting.
Five stars. Just wonderful epic fantasy in a short format.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
jyb's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.75