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4.26 AVERAGE
4.26 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My enjoyment of the fifth book prompted me to downgrade this one. The issue I had is simple: Karsa is an unbelievably annoying character to spend the first couple hundred pages with and the emotional core of this novel, which is centered on the Paran family, just didn’t hit me as hard. I just can’t be arsed to care overly much about Felisin.
Once you get over the first reading slump of Karsa’s life the book does move along fairly quickly. But I had to take a break for several months in between which simply isn’t an indication of a balanced book.
Outside of that first Karsa part that made me want to gauge my eyes out there’s a lot of awesome stuff though:
- House Shadow features very prominently in this one and Cotillion makes an extended appearance. We also get some work on the relationship between Apsalar and the newly named Cutter. And Iskaral Pust shows up, the loveable rascal. As does Kalam.
- We get a lot of what’s left of the Bridgeburners. Kalam and Fid… I mean Strings and their company is front and center in the plot. I loved every bit of that.
- Tavore is a character I really liked reading about. Can’t say I got a lot of insight into her personality. But I like anally retentive types and she’s certainly one.
- Nil, Nether & Grub are cute. Looking forward to seeing them as grown-up’s.
- L’oric was a very welcome surprise. I enjoyed every part of the story concerning him.
- the Trull Sengar bits were also great. Not so much because of him, but more because of the added insights into the T’lan Imass and even the functioning of Imass society. We get a bit of the history of Tool and Kilava and I was there for every bit of it. I love the T’lan Imass.
One thing I didn’t like was this being the second book (in a row I think?) where I meet Icarium and get non-stop hints of how he’s so dangerous and awful with no resolution of that mystery in sight. The payoff better be worth several thousand pages!
All in all it was an excellent installment that did exactly what I had hoped it would: gave more insight into the ancient past, built up the House of Chains and progressed the present plot. The cameos from my well-loved characters were well appreciated. I even got around to liking Karsa after 700 pages. He appeals to the millennial in me with his not giving a fuck whatsoever.
Once you get over the first reading slump of Karsa’s life the book does move along fairly quickly. But I had to take a break for several months in between which simply isn’t an indication of a balanced book.
Outside of that first Karsa part that made me want to gauge my eyes out there’s a lot of awesome stuff though:
- House Shadow features very prominently in this one and Cotillion makes an extended appearance. We also get some work on the relationship between Apsalar and the newly named Cutter. And Iskaral Pust shows up, the loveable rascal. As does Kalam.
- We get a lot of what’s left of the Bridgeburners. Kalam and Fid… I mean Strings and their company is front and center in the plot. I loved every bit of that.
- Tavore is a character I really liked reading about. Can’t say I got a lot of insight into her personality. But I like anally retentive types and she’s certainly one.
- Nil, Nether & Grub are cute. Looking forward to seeing them as grown-up’s.
- L’oric was a very welcome surprise. I enjoyed every part of the story concerning him.
- the Trull Sengar bits were also great. Not so much because of him, but more because of the added insights into the T’lan Imass and even the functioning of Imass society. We get a bit of the history of Tool and Kilava and I was there for every bit of it. I love the T’lan Imass.
One thing I didn’t like was this being the second book (in a row I think?) where I meet Icarium and get non-stop hints of how he’s so dangerous and awful with no resolution of that mystery in sight. The payoff better be worth several thousand pages!
All in all it was an excellent installment that did exactly what I had hoped it would: gave more insight into the ancient past, built up the House of Chains and progressed the present plot. The cameos from my well-loved characters were well appreciated. I even got around to liking Karsa after 700 pages. He appeals to the millennial in me with his not giving a fuck whatsoever.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes