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suzemo's review against another edition
5.0
1. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was absolutely fantastic. This is definitely a book I would recommend to someone starting out with audiobooks.
2. The translator for this book did a bang up job. I (obviously) couldn't translate from Russian, so I have no idea how well or specifically Russian translates to English, but the world was complete, the word usage was never "off" or simple. I never felt like I was reading a translated book.
3. I don't know why they specifically referred to Hobb and Moorcock in the book description, I would not have (not that I don't love Hobb or Moorcock?)
And onto the review story-time.
This story is largely character driven. Not to say there isn't a crap-ton of action, it's just not the central point of the story. There are no great quests to get things done to win the girl. This is character. How a character changes and grows.
Spoiler
Egert is a bit of an ass. Like a stereotypic hero, he's big and beautiful and perfect. Brave and an excellent swordsman. Great lover in bed, and leader of men, blah blah blah. He's young and dumb, and in a duel kills a man. And he's cursed by a character only known as the Wanderer. He is cursed to become and know himself as the coward he really is. He leaves home, in search of a way to remove the curse and ends up at a university with the fiancee of the man he kills.There are a lot of things going on. A religious sect that has lost power seeks to regain it, characters abound, life goes on. There may be a plague here and there, but in the end, it's about Egert and how he lives, and his search and desire to become the man he once was, if that's even possible.
The pacing was a little weird. Most of it was OK. There was the action at the beginning to set up the character and story of Egert. Then there was the distinct lack of action as Egert was no longer a man of action. And I was fine with all of it, because it made sense, but the end got a little rushed (and I'm not sure why).
I found the whole story charming, and deep. Serious and still fun. It's original and different, which I adore.
The only thing that bothered me (other than the random pacing issues at the end) was that
Spoiler
the Dean specifically says he doesn't understand why the Wanderer deigned to curse Egert - apparently, the Wanderer is not someone you want to toy with, but at the same time doesn't just show up to randomly curse people. His reasons, or any reason, why he chose Egert to curse is never explained, and at best I can only guess that he cursed Egert so Egert would go to the university and take his place in the actions that occurred with the Cult of Lash and the whole plague and trial thing? So he can see the future, too? I don't know, that reason just seems like a stretch and I felt it was incomplete, although a minor quibble.I wish more of the Dyachenkos' works were available in English. I want to read more of their books so bad it hurts (especially knowing this novel is 2nd in a series of 4).
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
The Scar is one of the most original and most intriguing fantasy novels I've read in quite some time. It's a shame that the cover blurb tries so hard to compare it to the likes of Robin Hobb and Michael Moorcock, because the comparison really does the novel a disservice. I love them both, but they are truly unique authors with a style that's almost entirely their own. If you make the mistake of reading The Scar with those expectations, you're bound to be disappointed. However, if you go into it expecting only that Sergey & Marina Dyachenko will deliver a uniqueness that's all their own, you'll come away entirely satisfied.
Considering this is a novel that begins with an entirely unlikable protagonist - rude, crude, brash, arrogant, condescending, and pitiless in his casual disregard for the feelings of others - it's surprising that the read so immediately captures your attention. There's not a lot going on in the opening chapters, but the writing is so fluid and poetic, and the characters so well established, that you find yourself drawn in. This is a world that's dark and bleak, with a shadow of gloom that hanging over all, but it's also one in which people can be good or bad, not because of their environment, but in spite of it.
The speed and depth of Egert's fall from grace is almost as stunning to behold as it is chilling to experience. I can honestly say I have never before seen an author do such a compelling job of detailing a character's rank cowardice. To see the fearless, arrogant young captain reduced to whimpering against the coming of night, fainting from a fear of heights atop his horse, and nearly soiling himself at the slightest sound outside his door, is stunning. By the time his cowardice is exposed to those around him, and Egert is quite literally shamed out of his home, you're beginning to feel sorry for taking such delight in his comeuppance.
Really, above all else, this is the story of Egert's fall from grace, his grudging acceptance of his new place in the world, and (ultimately) his hope for redemption. Had this been a typical fantasy novel, that redemption would likely have come about halfway through the story with the breaking of the curse, sending a once again brash young hero out to avenge his fate. Instead, Sergey & Marina leave their protagonist to cope with his bleak situation, with only the beautiful Toria around to provide any semblance of hope or joy. I honestly wasn't sure, until the very last page, whether or not Egert would ever find redemption, and I loved that uncertainty.
A few brief words on the lovely Toria - while it's initially a little too convenient that the same woman who gave Egert reason to deserve the curse should also give him reason to escape it, the connection between the two develops naturally throughout the novel, entirely justifying the cycle they represent.
Given all the mental and emotional turmoil, and the focus on Egert's cowardice, the climax of the novel could not have been better played. Shadowy cults, the threat of the black plague, double-crossing deals, and blackmail all add up to a situation that would test the best heroes, much less one so cursed by his own words and deeds. Definitely one of the most satisfying conclusions to a novel I've read in quite some time, it's also an ending that's as unique as the The Scar itself.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Considering this is a novel that begins with an entirely unlikable protagonist - rude, crude, brash, arrogant, condescending, and pitiless in his casual disregard for the feelings of others - it's surprising that the read so immediately captures your attention. There's not a lot going on in the opening chapters, but the writing is so fluid and poetic, and the characters so well established, that you find yourself drawn in. This is a world that's dark and bleak, with a shadow of gloom that hanging over all, but it's also one in which people can be good or bad, not because of their environment, but in spite of it.
The speed and depth of Egert's fall from grace is almost as stunning to behold as it is chilling to experience. I can honestly say I have never before seen an author do such a compelling job of detailing a character's rank cowardice. To see the fearless, arrogant young captain reduced to whimpering against the coming of night, fainting from a fear of heights atop his horse, and nearly soiling himself at the slightest sound outside his door, is stunning. By the time his cowardice is exposed to those around him, and Egert is quite literally shamed out of his home, you're beginning to feel sorry for taking such delight in his comeuppance.
Really, above all else, this is the story of Egert's fall from grace, his grudging acceptance of his new place in the world, and (ultimately) his hope for redemption. Had this been a typical fantasy novel, that redemption would likely have come about halfway through the story with the breaking of the curse, sending a once again brash young hero out to avenge his fate. Instead, Sergey & Marina leave their protagonist to cope with his bleak situation, with only the beautiful Toria around to provide any semblance of hope or joy. I honestly wasn't sure, until the very last page, whether or not Egert would ever find redemption, and I loved that uncertainty.
A few brief words on the lovely Toria - while it's initially a little too convenient that the same woman who gave Egert reason to deserve the curse should also give him reason to escape it, the connection between the two develops naturally throughout the novel, entirely justifying the cycle they represent.
Given all the mental and emotional turmoil, and the focus on Egert's cowardice, the climax of the novel could not have been better played. Shadowy cults, the threat of the black plague, double-crossing deals, and blackmail all add up to a situation that would test the best heroes, much less one so cursed by his own words and deeds. Definitely one of the most satisfying conclusions to a novel I've read in quite some time, it's also an ending that's as unique as the The Scar itself.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
manzabar's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting and had some good bits (that were really, really good bits) but much of it felt lifeless and dull.
mark0's review against another edition
3.0
The blurb on the cover compares the writing to Dostoevsky and at times this is more than fair. The internal dialogue of Egert reminded me of The Double at times. It's a classic redemption yarn embellished with a bit of low fantasy. Not normally my cup of tea, but this was good enough to allow me to enjoy a genre I wouldn't normally visit. A fun read with some meaningful, memorable moments.
waclements7's review against another edition
4.0
A really believable transformation. I wasn’t sure how it could be done, but it was!
charlotekerstenauthor's review against another edition
“It is no misfortune if you do not know where you are going; it is far worse when there is no longer anywhere to go. He who stands on the path of experience cannot step away from it, even when it has come to its end. For the path is without end.”
So What’s It About?
Reaching far beyond sword and sorcery, The Scar is a story of two people torn by disaster, their descent into despair, and their reemergence through love and courage. Sergey and Marina Dyachenko mix dramatic scenes with romance, action and wit, in a style both direct and lyrical. Written with a sure artistic hand, The Scar is the story of a man driven by his own feverish demons to find redemption and the woman who just might save him.
Egert is a brash, confident member of the elite guards and an egotistical philanderer. But after he kills an innocent student in a duel, a mysterious man known as “The Wanderer” challenges Egert and slashes his face with his sword, leaving Egert with a scar that comes to symbolize his cowardice. Unable to end his suffering by his own hand, Egert embarks on an odyssey to undo the curse and the horrible damage he has caused, which can only be repaired by a painful journey down a long and harrowing path.
What I Thought
The more I think about this book, the less convinced I am that it worked for me. This is one of those cases where an objectively well-crafted book simply didn’t work for me because of my individual opinions and tastes as a reader.
My first problem is that the themes of reconciliation and punishment present here do not feel very satisfying or convincing to me. Egert starts the book by committing an unjust, cruel murder, and he is cursed to suffer extraordinarily because of it. While the idea of the curse is definitely to try to teach Egert a lesson, I don’t actually feel like he does a satisfactory amount of learning or unlearning over the course of the story. To be clear, I do absolutely belive that redemption and growth are possible for the perpetrators of terrible crimes and that it is possible for the loved ones of murder victims to reconcile with the perpetrators. But I think that these processes must involve an absolutely extraordinary amount of honesty, vulnerability, insight and commitment to growth and change that are simply never present in Egert’s character development or his relationships with Toria and her father. This is especially true in Toria’s case as she ends up in love with him, and it is especially unconvincing to me because Egert actually frees himself of the curse by going on a massive killing spree at the end of the book.
I’m also frustrated by what an incredible exploration of toxic masculinity this could have been, and how it instead ended up sticking to a very old-fashioned notion of chivalry as the masculine ideal. The authors could totally have leaned into how Egert starts out the story with an inflated ego because of his prowess for senseless violence, sexual conquests and cruelty to those less powerful than him. His curse even makes it clear that these ideals are hollow and toxic and meaningless - that a person who uses his power so cruelly is really a coward at heart; that if you have to rely on bullying others to feel powerful, your power doesn’t really mean all that much.
The problem is that Egert is “unmanned” with his curse of cowardice and then frees himself of the curse and reclaims his masculinity by saving his helpless love interest Toria through a bloodbath of slaughter. My reading of this is that Egert is freed and vindicated when he learns to be chivalrous, which is a frustrating choice even for a book written before 2000. Any reading of this book as being about unhealthy standards of masculinity is somewhat crushed by that conclusion - at least if you see benevolent sexism as a bad thing! There are also littler things like how a woman’s horrific gang rape exists in the story for the sole purpose of showing how unmanly Egert is, or this line about how Toria looks “more feminine” once she falls in love. I’m still scratching my head over that one.
This is a story about character development far more than it is about external plot, but the external plot is still fairly unremarkable to me. I never really understood what Lash actually was, and all the lore surrounding the Third Power and the Amulet felt very awkwardly implemented. That being said, I did think that the writing of Egert’s psychological torment was very powerful, and it was enjoyable to see him gradually grow braver and start to develop real relationships. The writing itself was also lovely. In sum, though, I ended the book largely unconvinced and frustrated by wasted potential.
So What’s It About?
Reaching far beyond sword and sorcery, The Scar is a story of two people torn by disaster, their descent into despair, and their reemergence through love and courage. Sergey and Marina Dyachenko mix dramatic scenes with romance, action and wit, in a style both direct and lyrical. Written with a sure artistic hand, The Scar is the story of a man driven by his own feverish demons to find redemption and the woman who just might save him.
Egert is a brash, confident member of the elite guards and an egotistical philanderer. But after he kills an innocent student in a duel, a mysterious man known as “The Wanderer” challenges Egert and slashes his face with his sword, leaving Egert with a scar that comes to symbolize his cowardice. Unable to end his suffering by his own hand, Egert embarks on an odyssey to undo the curse and the horrible damage he has caused, which can only be repaired by a painful journey down a long and harrowing path.
What I Thought
The more I think about this book, the less convinced I am that it worked for me. This is one of those cases where an objectively well-crafted book simply didn’t work for me because of my individual opinions and tastes as a reader.
My first problem is that the themes of reconciliation and punishment present here do not feel very satisfying or convincing to me. Egert starts the book by committing an unjust, cruel murder, and he is cursed to suffer extraordinarily because of it. While the idea of the curse is definitely to try to teach Egert a lesson, I don’t actually feel like he does a satisfactory amount of learning or unlearning over the course of the story. To be clear, I do absolutely belive that redemption and growth are possible for the perpetrators of terrible crimes and that it is possible for the loved ones of murder victims to reconcile with the perpetrators. But I think that these processes must involve an absolutely extraordinary amount of honesty, vulnerability, insight and commitment to growth and change that are simply never present in Egert’s character development or his relationships with Toria and her father. This is especially true in Toria’s case as she ends up in love with him, and it is especially unconvincing to me because Egert actually frees himself of the curse by going on a massive killing spree at the end of the book.
I’m also frustrated by what an incredible exploration of toxic masculinity this could have been, and how it instead ended up sticking to a very old-fashioned notion of chivalry as the masculine ideal. The authors could totally have leaned into how Egert starts out the story with an inflated ego because of his prowess for senseless violence, sexual conquests and cruelty to those less powerful than him. His curse even makes it clear that these ideals are hollow and toxic and meaningless - that a person who uses his power so cruelly is really a coward at heart; that if you have to rely on bullying others to feel powerful, your power doesn’t really mean all that much.
The problem is that Egert is “unmanned” with his curse of cowardice and then frees himself of the curse and reclaims his masculinity by saving his helpless love interest Toria through a bloodbath of slaughter. My reading of this is that Egert is freed and vindicated when he learns to be chivalrous, which is a frustrating choice even for a book written before 2000. Any reading of this book as being about unhealthy standards of masculinity is somewhat crushed by that conclusion - at least if you see benevolent sexism as a bad thing! There are also littler things like how a woman’s horrific gang rape exists in the story for the sole purpose of showing how unmanly Egert is, or this line about how Toria looks “more feminine” once she falls in love. I’m still scratching my head over that one.
This is a story about character development far more than it is about external plot, but the external plot is still fairly unremarkable to me. I never really understood what Lash actually was, and all the lore surrounding the Third Power and the Amulet felt very awkwardly implemented. That being said, I did think that the writing of Egert’s psychological torment was very powerful, and it was enjoyable to see him gradually grow braver and start to develop real relationships. The writing itself was also lovely. In sum, though, I ended the book largely unconvinced and frustrated by wasted potential.
sara_4539's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
caraway_and_rye's review against another edition
4.0
There is magic in this book. And a well woven story that remains with you even after the hero gets the girl and the book ends.
catsy2022's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Grief
peter_xxx's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting but hard book to read. It is the story of a curse and how that curse is lifted. It also is a fantasy story but one with a very personal scope. The whole story is about one person and the people he interacts with. There are some hints at great world shattering events in the background but these do not drive this story. Ambition, greed, Cruelty and foremost cowardice are the actual driving factors behind the events in this story. Although I have to add that love and courage also have a place in here.
This book was wordier and slower then I was actually expecting. I've seen it gotten compared to Robin Hobb books and I definitely see what is meant by that. Although I feel that the descriptions and the sentence building here are a touch more baroque. I have not that much experience with Russian literature but I understand that this is a common thread there.
This book, even though it needs a bit of effort to read, is actually highly recommended.
This book was wordier and slower then I was actually expecting. I've seen it gotten compared to Robin Hobb books and I definitely see what is meant by that. Although I feel that the descriptions and the sentence building here are a touch more baroque. I have not that much experience with Russian literature but I understand that this is a common thread there.
This book, even though it needs a bit of effort to read, is actually highly recommended.