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saschabookishowl's review against another edition
5.0
This was one of the first adult fantasy books I read in 2012/2013 and I always remembered loving this series. After years I wanted to put it to the test and re-read this series to see if, after reading many more fantasy novels, I still loved it. And I did. The characters and dynamics between them are just wonderful. The world building is not too complicated but heavily influenced by mythology (which I love).
flygonjinn'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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, War, and Sexism
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Grief
whackboy's review against another edition
3.0
this is a solid beginning to a series. and maybe it's been a while since i read something by weis/hickman, but this one had flashes of more adult subject matter than i recall them delving into. i mean, sure, they always dealt with things like love, family, life and death ... but this one had some nice crass humor. it fit really well for the Vindras (Viking) culture.
benlundns's review against another edition
2.0
This book caught my eye as I was wandering through my library. I really liked the Dragonlance books as a young pre-teen. Fantasy wasn't cool yet, and these books were something I hadn't encountered before. Throughout the years I have caught onto other series by them, the Starshield books, the Deathgate cycle and so on. When I found this book I thought 'why not, I've gone along with them this long.'
The problem with writing for so long and so many books is that you find a certain way of doing things, and a lot of tropes evident in earlier books are present here as well. Weis and Hickman like creating characters that are DEEPLY flawed. This allows them to undergo a transformation of character or 'come to a realization' later or throughout the book. Almost all the characters have that quality, with the exception of maybe two people. I hoped at one time or another, that someone I was reading about would fall off a boat and get eaten by a shark. (Spoiler: No one gets eaten by a shark).
Also, not a lot happens. Everyone gets on a boat, and you think they are finally going to leave and get on with the story, and they end up coming back home. Then they have to travel somewhere and you think "NOW there're on their way" and they come back home. When they finally seem like they are getting somewhere...it's the end of the book.
The reason it gets two stars is because despite all it's tropes and false starts, at the core is a halfway decent story. You can see where the authors want to get to, it just seems like they took the most meandering, convoluted route to get there. I probably will pick up the second book at some point to see what happens to everyone, but it's not at the top of my to read list. A story is there, it's just not meaty enough for me to sink a weekend into.
The problem with writing for so long and so many books is that you find a certain way of doing things, and a lot of tropes evident in earlier books are present here as well. Weis and Hickman like creating characters that are DEEPLY flawed. This allows them to undergo a transformation of character or 'come to a realization' later or throughout the book. Almost all the characters have that quality, with the exception of maybe two people. I hoped at one time or another, that someone I was reading about would fall off a boat and get eaten by a shark. (Spoiler: No one gets eaten by a shark).
Also, not a lot happens. Everyone gets on a boat, and you think they are finally going to leave and get on with the story, and they end up coming back home. Then they have to travel somewhere and you think "NOW there're on their way" and they come back home. When they finally seem like they are getting somewhere...it's the end of the book.
The reason it gets two stars is because despite all it's tropes and false starts, at the core is a halfway decent story. You can see where the authors want to get to, it just seems like they took the most meandering, convoluted route to get there. I probably will pick up the second book at some point to see what happens to everyone, but it's not at the top of my to read list. A story is there, it's just not meaty enough for me to sink a weekend into.
cherithe's review against another edition
5.0
Having never read a Weis/Hickman novel, I'm wondering what took me so long, after finishing this one. I'll have a more complete review up soon, but I'll say now that I really loved this novel, and can't wait for the next one.
jebersviller's review against another edition
2.0
A blend of viking lore and fantasy mysticism, Bones falls short of thrilling. In a theme familiar to Weis fans there is a war in heaven and the gods are using their human worshipers to fight a proxy war for them. The characters slip from likeable to dispised and back. Plot elements are tired and dialogue is poor.
davidlz1's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this book as much as their Dragonlance series, but I cannot say that is due to when I read that series compared to the now. I find their prose to be simplistic and choppy. However, their plot is interesting. Character development is mediocre. The mystery and intrigue is good. The use of expletives is not very effective. It seems like they are thrown in their to make this book 'cool' for older teenagers. I will try the next novel in this series and hope that the plot thickens and takes over the rest of the experience.
katrinahaines's review
This book reads like it was written in the 1980s or 90s. I was genuinely shocked when I saw it was written in 2009.
It is set in fantasy viking lands, but the entire book is based on garishly outdated portrayals of Nordic and Viking cultures that I almost dnf'ed in the first chapter of 2.
The main character is utterly infuriating. I think?? he's supposed to be a likable hero, but he's so not.and, though I refuse to read any of the other books, I'm sure he ends up with the woman he "loves" (who vitriolically and firmly does not romantically love him back), and that infuriates me more
If you want something that is fantasy vikings, but actually good, read John Gwynne's Shadow of the Gods books. They're much, much better.
It is set in fantasy viking lands, but the entire book is based on garishly outdated portrayals of Nordic and Viking cultures that I almost dnf'ed in the first chapter of 2.
The main character is utterly infuriating. I think?? he's supposed to be a likable hero, but he's so not.
If you want something that is fantasy vikings, but actually good, read John Gwynne's Shadow of the Gods books. They're much, much better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault