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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Listening to the audio version did give me a couple advantages. One, I could get through this book fairly quickly during commute times or during a workout, and two, I could rely on the readers vocalizations for the authors intended character interactions.
On that note... I did enjoy this second book in the series and maybe a bit more than the first. There were a couple spots where I did get confused by who was doing what to who and why, but I was able to get back on track as the story progressed. The worlds of the Mither Mages, and how they tie into our earthly religious history gives an interesting twist to the story. Some readers had took issue with the "sexual" innuendo in the book but I found it pretty tame and indicative of what most teenage boys of that age go through.
Looking forward to #3.
On that note... I did enjoy this second book in the series and maybe a bit more than the first. There were a couple spots where I did get confused by who was doing what to who and why, but I was able to get back on track as the story progressed. The worlds of the Mither Mages, and how they tie into our earthly religious history gives an interesting twist to the story. Some readers had took issue with the "sexual" innuendo in the book but I found it pretty tame and indicative of what most teenage boys of that age go through.
Looking forward to #3.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The plot in this book is mainly non-existent, mostly comprised of the characters speculating at great length about how the magical system works.
Almost all of the actual events seem to be dedicated to all of the female characters declaring their love for Danny and telling him they want him to have sex with and impregnate them (not believable in a bunch of sixteen year olds) or outright sexual assault. All the female characters were flat stereotypes, with the commonality of all being extremely sexually aggressive.
Wad's story again was dull. So much time is spent on the politics in Iceway with no clear reason why it matters and should be cared about.
Almost all of the actual events seem to be dedicated to all of the female characters declaring their love for Danny and telling him they want him to have sex with and impregnate them (not believable in a bunch of sixteen year olds) or outright sexual assault. All the female characters were flat stereotypes, with the commonality of all being extremely sexually aggressive.
Wad's story again was dull. So much time is spent on the politics in Iceway with no clear reason why it matters and should be cared about.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
I kept waffling between two and a half and three stars. I picked right up with the adventures of Danny North and his associates. He is navigating the powerful Mage families that would have killed him but now want to use him. The teenagers who profess friendship and who he decides to trust. And the Orphans and those who also have power but are disassociated from the families. There is a lot of over thought in this book. A lot of analyzing motive and reason which while interesting occasionally goes on far too long. Danny is also regularly accosted by different girls trying to have sex with him. This is explained as a desire that has always been there to align one's self with power and the nature of gods being desirable to those without god-like powers. Other characters use sexuality as a weapon and means of access and control. I am interested to see how this story will wrap up. At the end of the book things take a drastic turn for the worse and while I'm a little weary of some of the characters, I want to know how it all wraps us.
Its hard to put into words why I just didn't connect with this book. First and foremost, I just DO NOT Like Danny. He is someone who calls himself doing the right thing but turns himself into the person that he hates or is trying to protect the world from. I continued the series after the first book because I love the story of Wad/Loki and see what he is up to. His story continues to be good, but Danny is just annoying, his friends are annoying. It was a real struggle to get through this book.
The continuing story of Danny North the gatemage.
Its pretty standard - young mage does stuff, learns it was a mistake, then needs to scramble to repair damage. But it is really easy to read, the characters (especially Danny and Wad/Loki) are interesting enough that i want to learn how things turn out..
But damn, Card really has issues with women. The female characters are stereotypes. Some are interesting, but a couple are downright offensively stupid. The rest of the story is still enough to keep my interest (and its breezy enough to just pick up and read) but the teenage angst and stupid stereotypes were really close to making me put this book down.
Its pretty standard - young mage does stuff, learns it was a mistake, then needs to scramble to repair damage. But it is really easy to read, the characters (especially Danny and Wad/Loki) are interesting enough that i want to learn how things turn out..
But damn, Card really has issues with women. The female characters are stereotypes. Some are interesting, but a couple are downright offensively stupid. The rest of the story is still enough to keep my interest (and its breezy enough to just pick up and read) but the teenage angst and stupid stereotypes were really close to making me put this book down.
A great continuation of the series. A page turner with great relatable characters and intriguing plot.
This is the second installment in the Mither Mages series and actually quite an improvement. I thought the first book (Don't get too overwhelmed with that over-inclusive review) was good and even great in places, but fell short in a number of ways.
The Gate Thief takes the interesting ideas of the first book, The Lost Gate, and puts them to good use. The only problem with this has a little to do with Brandon Sanderson's first law of magic systems:
I have to admit, I was extremely impressed with how much the magic system played a part in the plot of this book. In order to do this, Card has to explain in quite a bit of detail how that magic system works and why it matters.
In the afterward, Card explains how he started writing this book and then when it was getting close to his due date for the manuscript, he was just realizing what he had done needed to be completely reworked. I have to say it paid off. What could have been a phone in was actually a really interesting read that depended heavily on the magic, which if you think about too much is really quite amazing.
One thing I did notice is this book, much more than the first, relies heavily on Mormon doctrine and anymore, as I just realized as I tried to explain, would reveal some rather large spoilers.
I think this series is shaping up quite well. I'm looking forward to more, even if it takes a couple extra years.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
The Gate Thief takes the interesting ideas of the first book, The Lost Gate, and puts them to good use. The only problem with this has a little to do with Brandon Sanderson's first law of magic systems:
Sanderson’s First Law of Magics: An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.
I have to admit, I was extremely impressed with how much the magic system played a part in the plot of this book. In order to do this, Card has to explain in quite a bit of detail how that magic system works and why it matters.
In the afterward, Card explains how he started writing this book and then when it was getting close to his due date for the manuscript, he was just realizing what he had done needed to be completely reworked. I have to say it paid off. What could have been a phone in was actually a really interesting read that depended heavily on the magic, which if you think about too much is really quite amazing.
One thing I did notice is this book, much more than the first, relies heavily on Mormon doctrine and anymore, as I just realized as I tried to explain, would reveal some rather large spoilers.
I think this series is shaping up quite well. I'm looking forward to more, even if it takes a couple extra years.
4 out of 5 Stars (highly recommended)
Unfortunately, I started (and finished) reading this book without ever realizing that it was the second entry in its series. I think that mistake threw me off and left me feeling a little disoriented by some of the events that were discussed as if I had already read them (makes sense now). I'm bothered by that mistake because I've heard (reading other reviews) that the first book is great and that this and the final book in the series are (to a greater or lesser extent) disappointing follow-ups.
I did enjoy many of the concepts in this book, but I didn't love the story. The writing was good, I just think the structure wasn't as well-thought-out as it could have been. Granted, you should take my review with a grain of salt because I didn't read the first book first and that probably influenced my experience with this novel.
I did enjoy many of the concepts in this book, but I didn't love the story. The writing was good, I just think the structure wasn't as well-thought-out as it could have been. Granted, you should take my review with a grain of salt because I didn't read the first book first and that probably influenced my experience with this novel.