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kirstyreadsblog's review against another edition
content warnings: ableism (including use of the word “cripple” by someone who is disabled), fatphobia
Thank you to Gollancz for gifting me a copy of the novel for this review.
This was definitely an interesting read for me. I love an anti-hero story so when I saw that this was about someone who is a reincarnation of someone considered evil I was into it. Interestingly, this is kind of similar to the Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare; both have a main character who is a reincarnation of someone evil and both have a disability. This is where the similarities stop though.
The world building was both rich and intense; you could really feel like Call had spent a lot of time developing what he had in mind for this world. He even inputs ancient stories of the political fights that happened thousands of years ago which made the people and the society the way it is when we start reading. He knew exactly the type of people who lived in his world.
Continue my review here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/19/master-of-sorrows-by-justin-call-blog-tour-review-ad/
Thank you to Gollancz for gifting me a copy of the novel for this review.
This was definitely an interesting read for me. I love an anti-hero story so when I saw that this was about someone who is a reincarnation of someone considered evil I was into it. Interestingly, this is kind of similar to the Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare; both have a main character who is a reincarnation of someone evil and both have a disability. This is where the similarities stop though.
The world building was both rich and intense; you could really feel like Call had spent a lot of time developing what he had in mind for this world. He even inputs ancient stories of the political fights that happened thousands of years ago which made the people and the society the way it is when we start reading. He knew exactly the type of people who lived in his world.
Continue my review here: https://kirstyreadsblog.wordpress.com/2019/02/19/master-of-sorrows-by-justin-call-blog-tour-review-ad/
santa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
itputsthebookupontheshelf's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so good. I knew I was going to love it when I first read the synopsis and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations.
Annev is such a great character and despite his deformity and not being accepted by his peers (who don't know about his deformity), he still tries so hard to be true to himself and treat others with kindness. He gets caught in his emotions of wanting to become an Avatar and not letting his mentor down. Until he is left with no choice but to be who he is.
I loved all the charcters. Each had their part to play in the story in leading it along.
There was no unnecessary characters or information just thrown in there to bulk up the story. Everything had a reason and brough so much to the worldbuilding.
I loved the relationship between Annev and his mentor Sodar, who reaised him. There was struggle and sacrifice, but above all, their was a love and friendship that couldn't be broken.
The story itself was written so well with so much history and myth. The stories of the old gods and prophesies add so much to the story and without it all, it would have just been another fantasy read. So thankful it wasn't!
Justin T. Call is off to a great start with this enthrwaling debut novel. I honestly can not wait to read more of this world and any other works he comes out with.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Publishers for an arc of this title in excnage for an honest review
Annev is such a great character and despite his deformity and not being accepted by his peers (who don't know about his deformity), he still tries so hard to be true to himself and treat others with kindness. He gets caught in his emotions of wanting to become an Avatar and not letting his mentor down. Until he is left with no choice but to be who he is.
I loved all the charcters. Each had their part to play in the story in leading it along.
There was no unnecessary characters or information just thrown in there to bulk up the story. Everything had a reason and brough so much to the worldbuilding.
I loved the relationship between Annev and his mentor Sodar, who reaised him. There was struggle and sacrifice, but above all, their was a love and friendship that couldn't be broken.
The story itself was written so well with so much history and myth. The stories of the old gods and prophesies add so much to the story and without it all, it would have just been another fantasy read. So thankful it wasn't!
Justin T. Call is off to a great start with this enthrwaling debut novel. I honestly can not wait to read more of this world and any other works he comes out with.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Publishers for an arc of this title in excnage for an honest review
xanderb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
akiharu_cosplay_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This book was recommended to me by one of my close friends, and admittedly this was a very good read. If you are looking for an interesting premise of a “Villain” origin story it makes you rethink who truly is the villain, but not in the traditional sense of the villain being always in the best light. I remember listening to this story and loving the characters, the story beats, and just the way it kept me on the edge of my seat.
The characters of this tale are the best. This story follows a boy named Annev, but shows his journey where it started at the Academy of Chaenbalu. We start with the Test of Judgement, and quite a bit of world building. So fantasy lovers rejoice, but as a romance lover I struggled to get through the first part of this book. However as I kept listening to the tale, I found myself more and more engrossed. I can see fantasy lovers enjoying the pacing here, but for romance readers it can seem slow. Also there is a romance side plot that definitely got my blood boiling. IYKYK.
Annev was an interesting character. I found myself loving who he was, however it was Sodar who took my heart. The knowledge and love he had for Annev showed throughout the story, and felt genuine. Also the love interest, Myjun, as much as the story has its twists and turns I have to say I was so engrossed in Myjun’s character.
Overall for those who will venture forth, go into this with an open mind and stick with it to the end. There are twists and turns that will keep you engaged and it has an ending that will make you hungry to read book two right away. I wasn’t ready to have my heart torn out, but sometimes books like this can really bring interesting perspectives into your life.
karlrene's review against another edition
I felt like nothing was happening. Will try again later to see if I just wasn't in the mood for it.
twicomb's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Enjoyable. I was pitched this book as “if you liked The Name of the Wind…” which I do; in fact, I love The Name of the Wind; so that particular sales pitch was all I needed. This book doesn’t measure up to TNOTW but it was still a pleasurable outing, and anyway, those are big boots to fill.
Stuff I liked and stuff I didn’t:
- The pacing was slow and steady which isn’t a bad thing - it gave the author time to build up a complex and interesting world.
- I didn’t feel particularly emotionally connected to the main character. But I must disagree with reviewers who say he is whiny and unlikeable. I found him very relatable. As for whiny…methinks those reviewers have forgotten what it feels like to be a teenager, uncertain of yourself, struggling to fit in, afraid of not measuring up, and feeling that timeless teenage urge to rebel, all at the same time. Remember Luke in the original Star Wars movie when he complains, “But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters.” That’s the stage that the main character is at in this book. So even though I didn’t emotionally connect with him, I still liked him and could relate to his struggles.
- I have a bone to pick with this writer (and other current fantasy writers who do this as well): where are the female characters? Is every single girl and woman in this world laboring in the kitchens or the fields, absolutely bereft of any intelligence, skill, knowledge, or abilities that could move the story forward and create interesting plot moments? Apparently so, because for almost the entire book, there’s one female character: the love interest of the main character, who is discussed more off-screen (via MC’s thoughts about how much he’s in love with her) than given any actual screen time. At one point, she and her fellow female students are brought into play, and I got excited. “Aha!” I thought. “Now we’ll have a broader variety of characters!” Nope. After that chapter, we never hear of any of them again, except the love interest who continues to languish mainly off-screen. She pops up here and there but is constantly a one-note personality with no depth. So yeah…it’s not the best. But without spoilers, I’ll say I’m hoping that will change in book two.
Because yes, I’ll read book two. I enjoyed this as a fun diversion, and I think the world and main character the author created have a lot of potential.
I wavered between 3 and 4 (hence the 3.5) but it just didn’t grab me enough to merit a 4. For me, a 3 is a perfectly decent book.
Here’s the boilerplate on how I rate books:
1: awful, terribly written, and/or inexcusable story issues
2: dull, unenjoyable, and/or poorly written
3: decent, possibly a good “airplane read” but I won’t be recommending it, an average book experience
4: quite good, engaging, and/or well-written
5: top-notch, fascinating story/content, wonderful writing
Stuff I liked and stuff I didn’t:
- The pacing was slow and steady which isn’t a bad thing - it gave the author time to build up a complex and interesting world.
- I didn’t feel particularly emotionally connected to the main character. But I must disagree with reviewers who say he is whiny and unlikeable. I found him very relatable. As for whiny…methinks those reviewers have forgotten what it feels like to be a teenager, uncertain of yourself, struggling to fit in, afraid of not measuring up, and feeling that timeless teenage urge to rebel, all at the same time. Remember Luke in the original Star Wars movie when he complains, “But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters.” That’s the stage that the main character is at in this book. So even though I didn’t emotionally connect with him, I still liked him and could relate to his struggles.
- I have a bone to pick with this writer (and other current fantasy writers who do this as well): where are the female characters? Is every single girl and woman in this world laboring in the kitchens or the fields, absolutely bereft of any intelligence, skill, knowledge, or abilities that could move the story forward and create interesting plot moments? Apparently so, because for almost the entire book, there’s one female character: the love interest of the main character, who is discussed more off-screen (via MC’s thoughts about how much he’s in love with her) than given any actual screen time. At one point, she and her fellow female students are brought into play, and I got excited. “Aha!” I thought. “Now we’ll have a broader variety of characters!” Nope. After that chapter, we never hear of any of them again, except the love interest who continues to languish mainly off-screen. She pops up here and there but is constantly a one-note personality with no depth. So yeah…it’s not the best. But without spoilers, I’ll say I’m hoping that will change in book two.
Because yes, I’ll read book two. I enjoyed this as a fun diversion, and I think the world and main character the author created have a lot of potential.
I wavered between 3 and 4 (hence the 3.5) but it just didn’t grab me enough to merit a 4. For me, a 3 is a perfectly decent book.
Here’s the boilerplate on how I rate books:
1: awful, terribly written, and/or inexcusable story issues
2: dull, unenjoyable, and/or poorly written
3: decent, possibly a good “airplane read” but I won’t be recommending it, an average book experience
4: quite good, engaging, and/or well-written
5: top-notch, fascinating story/content, wonderful writing
trgrze20's review against another edition
5.0
After a reread, upped the rating to 4.5
This author does a great job describing fight sequences and takes the time to throughly go scenes in the plot. I was never bored and flew through this on this read and my first read.
I do wish we got to see more of the training the acolytes had to go through in the academy before testing day and I still stand by saying there are a decent amount of questions waiting to be answered but this is a series. Therefore, assuming each book following will only add to the world and answer those questions as we go.
I think it’s a crime that this book/series hasn’t had more hype.
This author does a great job describing fight sequences and takes the time to throughly go scenes in the plot. I was never bored and flew through this on this read and my first read.
I do wish we got to see more of the training the acolytes had to go through in the academy before testing day and I still stand by saying there are a decent amount of questions waiting to be answered but this is a series. Therefore, assuming each book following will only add to the world and answer those questions as we go.
I think it’s a crime that this book/series hasn’t had more hype.