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malkav11's review
3.0
A slow burn, but ultimately worth the ride and a fantastic lead in to subsequent books. The thing that really struck me about Lamentation was the meditative, character-focused way the story unfolded. There are wars and violence but we're party to little of it, focusing instead on the way those events shape the protagonists, and the intricate webs of plotting and subtle maneuvering that shaped the events. This makes for a fairly sedate pace and it at times gives the impression of taking forever to get to a point, but certain revelations towards the very end promise that things will be kicking into much higher gear in future books.
braydin's review
4.0
Closer to 3.5, I downgraded to 3 because I was expecting a bit more owing to the buzz about the book. I did enjoy the story and I look forward to the rest of the series and to other works from Scholes.
This story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world which has been reduced to a medieval level of technology, though there are functioning remnants of more advanced technologies in use. The story follows the actions of a number of characters following annihilation of the city acting as the repository pre-apocalyptic knowledge.
The story was engaging and I went through the book rather quickly. There were some promising twists at the end, that have my looking forward to the continuation of this series.
This story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world which has been reduced to a medieval level of technology, though there are functioning remnants of more advanced technologies in use. The story follows the actions of a number of characters following annihilation of the city acting as the repository pre-apocalyptic knowledge.
The story was engaging and I went through the book rather quickly. There were some promising twists at the end, that have my looking forward to the continuation of this series.
vkemp's review
4.0
Windwir, capitol of The Named Lands, lies in ruins, dead by the Seven Cacophonic Deaths spell, brought back from the Churning Wastes by the Androfrancine Order. Who is responsible for the city’s devastation? Who stands to profit? Jin Li Tam and Rudolfo, King of the Wandering Gypsies, meet, fall in love and, together, attempt to unravel these mysteries and more. Petronus, the Assassinated Pope and Neb, his clerk assist them. Lies, deceptions and magic work, driven by someone who plays the game of Queen’s War with real people and lives. If you appreciate lush, fully developed fantasy worlds, such as Robert Jordan’s or Terry Brooks’, this is the book for you. Sure to be the beginning of a series, this book is fully realized with great story telling.
janetlun's review
An engrossing fantasy. I like the world he's built, and the characters. I need to grab the sequel.
therewithal's review
2.0
I liked some of the worldbuilding ideas in this, but the execution of them was frustratingly generic and I have little patience for a modern epic fantasy with only one female character (the hero's feisty designated love interest, of course), so I gave up on it.
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