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zetasyanthis's review
1.0
There are very few books that I've ever read that I just could not get into. Based on the reputation of this trilogy, I read the first novel in the omnibus, and made it partways into the second, before ultimately giving up.
Yes, it's fantasy. Yes, there are large, world-wide themes, and a sweeping plot that lingers just under the surface. But we never see them. Things just happen, one after another like a machine stamping out plates with text on them. The events are unsurprising, and the characters (aside from Vadin) are just there. I can't describe any of them beyond their roles, because they don't have personalities that I can see! If I had to pinpoint a problem it'd be this: Everything is "tell" rather than "show." You can't expect emotional involvement of your readers when they can't make emotional connections to anyone in the story, or even become invested in the events!
Yes, it's fantasy. Yes, there are large, world-wide themes, and a sweeping plot that lingers just under the surface. But we never see them. Things just happen, one after another like a machine stamping out plates with text on them. The events are unsurprising, and the characters (aside from Vadin) are just there. I can't describe any of them beyond their roles, because they don't have personalities that I can see! If I had to pinpoint a problem it'd be this: Everything is "tell" rather than "show." You can't expect emotional involvement of your readers when they can't make emotional connections to anyone in the story, or even become invested in the events!
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