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seymone's review against another edition
5.0
Wow!!!
As a newbie to adult fantasy, well fantasy anything. This story blew my mind. I am so excited for the next book in the series, but before it comes, a re-read is definitely in order.
As a newbie to adult fantasy, well fantasy anything. This story blew my mind. I am so excited for the next book in the series, but before it comes, a re-read is definitely in order.
jakelewis_23_'s review against another edition
4.0
3.75
“Just because something’s inevitable, doesn’t mean it can’t wait. Otherwise, why get out of bed? Why do anything at all?”
A very solid fantasy book, with great characters and very interesting magic! My interest dropped off in the middle a touch but I think that was more me than the book itself.
Will definitely be moving onto Legacy of Steel soon
“Just because something’s inevitable, doesn’t mean it can’t wait. Otherwise, why get out of bed? Why do anything at all?”
A very solid fantasy book, with great characters and very interesting magic! My interest dropped off in the middle a touch but I think that was more me than the book itself.
Will definitely be moving onto Legacy of Steel soon
vespix's review against another edition
4.25
A good book, but fell short of greatness. The characters are its strongest point; the plot is solid but I've certainly read its sort before. I definitely liked the author's writing style: there are many great turns of phrase here that were a joy to read.
Still, I'm not sure if I'll continue reading the series. It's just not calling to me for some reason.
Still, I'm not sure if I'll continue reading the series. It's just not calling to me for some reason.
itsfreelancer's review against another edition
5.0
Holy fuck!
If I could give 7 stars out of 5, I'd give it twice over. Over 700 pages of adventure, magic, politics and war, this has to be one of the better fantasy books I've read in the past one year. There was enough plot and meat in this one to stretch it to 3 books. I kid you not. When the first plotline was resolved I thought it would end only to realise I'm just halfway through the book.
Yep. I'm ready to sacrifice my sleep for the next few days.
If I could give 7 stars out of 5, I'd give it twice over. Over 700 pages of adventure, magic, politics and war, this has to be one of the better fantasy books I've read in the past one year. There was enough plot and meat in this one to stretch it to 3 books. I kid you not. When the first plotline was resolved I thought it would end only to realise I'm just halfway through the book.
Yep. I'm ready to sacrifice my sleep for the next few days.
slavicreader's review
Started off slow, which wasn't what I was in the mood for at the time. The storytelling came off a bit aimless to me as well. Been a while and I still haven't gone back to it.
chthonicgod's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
faithoover's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.5
pstlaurent's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
amybraunauthor's review
4.0
If I were to sum this book up in one word, it would be epic. It is everything I expected from a fantasy with various realms at war. It's a massive story that covers huge ground, introduces a rich world, focuses on political and war drama, has a giant host of characters, and lore. Be prepared to commit.
Many of the characters are familiar tropes of the genre. My favourite met an unwanted end fairly early on, but the cast is still diverse. Though it took me some time to warm up to some of the characters--and to remember them all--their motivations were clear and by the end I knew who my new favourites were. Viktor is grade-A hero material and I enjoyed the routes his story took, especially by the end.
There are countless faction, countries, and types of people to be found in this book. By the end I had them all nailed down, but like GoT, you have to be willing to wait out the long moments to get to the excitement. And that isn't to say the pacing is wrong or that the book is boring. Far from it. There are shocking twists, betrayals, conspiracies, battles, assassins, and heightened emotions. Ward simply takes his time describing the scenes and ensuring his characters have meaningful and genuine conversations.
All said, this book packs in a LOT. I would almost consider it a standalone given how many plot lines were opened and wrapped up. Yes, there are unanswered questions and more secrets to be revealed and I definitely wonder about the drama and consequences, at time of review, I don't think I'm the right audience.
To be clear, this is not a bad book. FAR from it. The writing is excellent, it is engaging, immersive, and does tell a sweeping tale. I just wish I had connected more with most of the characters or had a little less politics between action scenes. I would honestly LOVE a book just of the Crow Market.
While I don't quite think this was the book for me, I do recommend it for fans of epic war fantasy and Game of Thrones.
Many of the characters are familiar tropes of the genre. My favourite met an unwanted end fairly early on, but the cast is still diverse. Though it took me some time to warm up to some of the characters--and to remember them all--their motivations were clear and by the end I knew who my new favourites were. Viktor is grade-A hero material and I enjoyed the routes his story took, especially by the end.
There are countless faction, countries, and types of people to be found in this book. By the end I had them all nailed down, but like GoT, you have to be willing to wait out the long moments to get to the excitement. And that isn't to say the pacing is wrong or that the book is boring. Far from it. There are shocking twists, betrayals, conspiracies, battles, assassins, and heightened emotions. Ward simply takes his time describing the scenes and ensuring his characters have meaningful and genuine conversations.
All said, this book packs in a LOT. I would almost consider it a standalone given how many plot lines were opened and wrapped up. Yes, there are unanswered questions and more secrets to be revealed and I definitely wonder about the drama and consequences, at time of review, I don't think I'm the right audience.
To be clear, this is not a bad book. FAR from it. The writing is excellent, it is engaging, immersive, and does tell a sweeping tale. I just wish I had connected more with most of the characters or had a little less politics between action scenes. I would honestly LOVE a book just of the Crow Market.
While I don't quite think this was the book for me, I do recommend it for fans of epic war fantasy and Game of Thrones.