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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
Didn't get very far, couldn't finish it. It's not bad, just not my thing.
Mages have been enjoying their power over everyone, while keeping peace in this world. But the source of their magic is about to be destroyed and how will they cope then?
This was a lot more gory and cruel than I was expecting! I found it quite hard to empathise with the main characters through most of the book though they all had a few moments that redeemed them. My favourite character was Anzu, a magical griffin. I think she was probably the wisest of them all.
Interesting idea but I found it hard to stay engaged in the story sometimes. I think it just needs a bit more polish as quite often the writing or some contradictions took me out of the story.
This was a lot more gory and cruel than I was expecting! I found it quite hard to empathise with the main characters through most of the book though they all had a few moments that redeemed them. My favourite character was Anzu, a magical griffin. I think she was probably the wisest of them all.
Interesting idea but I found it hard to stay engaged in the story sometimes. I think it just needs a bit more polish as quite often the writing or some contradictions took me out of the story.
First Five-Star Book of 2019! (For me at least)
It has been a long wait for me to read the End of Magic. Having first seen it on the crowdfunding publishing site Unbound, I knew I had to read it and became a Super Patron of the book. My reasons were the same as those mentioned by Stay in his video about his motivations for writing the book. As an avid reader of fantasy, I agree with him that there are either fantasy novels filled with living magic, or fantasy novels where it has been long dead and needs to be revived (or needs not to be, depending on perspective). This story goes into the precise moment when magic died and the cataclysms that followed. It was such a tempting scenario in terms of potential story line. I couldn't wait.
Once I finally received my copy early this month, I could not have been happier with how the book turned out, meeting my expectations and more. As far as stand-alone fantasy novel goes, it is relatively short at just under 400 pages long, yet Stay deftly builds up a vivid world of magic, of traditions and history, without overburdening the plot (and the reader's hand!) and the story was summed up rather nicely. That being said, I would most certainly be up for a sequel, prequel!
As far as favourite characters go, I would look no further the Sander Bree. He is a maverick who thinks too highly of himself which leads to conversations and thoughts that had me laughing aloud and much hubris in his character development. Best supporting character goes to Malachy Nye who does a great job at bringing out the best in Sander's character, bringing the grit to Sander's frills.
I loved the magic system and its use to to keep the various kingdoms in a state of wary detente. I loved the escapades with trolls and mishaps in inns. It was pure high fantasy with enough 'grimdark' to keep you on your toes, danger could lead to some very surprising demises, but not enough to feel overly violent.
I disagree with a previous review that said the map is superfluous. I like maps. For me to feel like I am in the world, I need to know the geography, where people are in relation to each other and so on. A fantasy without a good map is always lacking in my opinion... Both the in detail and the larger 'world map' were very helpful in linking things together. I do admit to getting lost a couple of times along the Andraste-Agrona border but hey, that's what the reread is for!
The End of Magic has reminded me why I love the genre. Its light-heartedness was fresh and the plot line kept on making me read later into the night than I'd originally intended. Couldn't ask for more than that!
It has been a long wait for me to read the End of Magic. Having first seen it on the crowdfunding publishing site Unbound, I knew I had to read it and became a Super Patron of the book. My reasons were the same as those mentioned by Stay in his video about his motivations for writing the book. As an avid reader of fantasy, I agree with him that there are either fantasy novels filled with living magic, or fantasy novels where it has been long dead and needs to be revived (or needs not to be, depending on perspective). This story goes into the precise moment when magic died and the cataclysms that followed. It was such a tempting scenario in terms of potential story line. I couldn't wait.
Once I finally received my copy early this month, I could not have been happier with how the book turned out, meeting my expectations and more. As far as stand-alone fantasy novel goes, it is relatively short at just under 400 pages long, yet Stay deftly builds up a vivid world of magic, of traditions and history, without overburdening the plot (and the reader's hand!) and the story was summed up rather nicely. That being said, I would most certainly be up for a sequel, prequel!
As far as favourite characters go, I would look no further the Sander Bree. He is a maverick who thinks too highly of himself which leads to conversations and thoughts that had me laughing aloud and much hubris in his character development. Best supporting character goes to Malachy Nye who does a great job at bringing out the best in Sander's character, bringing the grit to Sander's frills.
I loved the magic system and its use to to keep the various kingdoms in a state of wary detente. I loved the escapades with trolls and mishaps in inns. It was pure high fantasy with enough 'grimdark' to keep you on your toes, danger could lead to some very surprising demises, but not enough to feel overly violent.
I disagree with a previous review that said the map is superfluous. I like maps. For me to feel like I am in the world, I need to know the geography, where people are in relation to each other and so on. A fantasy without a good map is always lacking in my opinion... Both the in detail and the larger 'world map' were very helpful in linking things together. I do admit to getting lost a couple of times along the Andraste-Agrona border but hey, that's what the reread is for!
The End of Magic has reminded me why I love the genre. Its light-heartedness was fresh and the plot line kept on making me read later into the night than I'd originally intended. Couldn't ask for more than that!
Spoiler
A question though, who on earth was ruling Andraste at this point? They managed to let an awful lot of ruckus go on without much of a response: a high level geographical disaster, a mass Dwarven evacuation crisis, and a foreign army passing through to invade a warlord in another kingdom, not to mention a good few merpeople massacres... I mean, Stay doesn't portray his rulers in the greatest light, but I can't see Bhaltair or Torren taking any of that!
The Pros: What worked for me
The worldbuilding was fantastic. There is so much attention to detail and everything made sense. It was neither too complex nor overly simplified. The author did a great job of teasing little nuggets of information as the story went on and I really felt part of this world.
Such a fantastic range of characters! The story is written from multiple perspectives, and each one is unique! I loved the entire cast, as the author really gave them all distinct personality traits. Each one is strong in their own ways and the reader really gets to understand what motivates their actions and behaviours.
The plot was so engaging! I could not put this book down, as it followed the journey of the various players. There were also no plot holes, so I was able to just enjoy the story.
The writing style itself is just so great! Wildly descriptive, the author actively uses sarcasm and humor to infuse more life into a story that is already brimming with energy!
The Cons: What I didn't like
The ending was a tad bit abrupt for me and I almost turned a page looking for mention of a sequel.
As you can tell, I had a great time reading this novel! From the writing style to the character development to the actual plot, this story delivered on all fronts. If you are looking for an engaging standalone fantasy, I would highly recommend this one! I'm giving it 4/5 stars!
The worldbuilding was fantastic. There is so much attention to detail and everything made sense. It was neither too complex nor overly simplified. The author did a great job of teasing little nuggets of information as the story went on and I really felt part of this world.
Such a fantastic range of characters! The story is written from multiple perspectives, and each one is unique! I loved the entire cast, as the author really gave them all distinct personality traits. Each one is strong in their own ways and the reader really gets to understand what motivates their actions and behaviours.
The plot was so engaging! I could not put this book down, as it followed the journey of the various players. There were also no plot holes, so I was able to just enjoy the story.
The writing style itself is just so great! Wildly descriptive, the author actively uses sarcasm and humor to infuse more life into a story that is already brimming with energy!
The Cons: What I didn't like
The ending was a tad bit abrupt for me and I almost turned a page looking for mention of a sequel.
As you can tell, I had a great time reading this novel! From the writing style to the character development to the actual plot, this story delivered on all fronts. If you are looking for an engaging standalone fantasy, I would highly recommend this one! I'm giving it 4/5 stars!
Enjoyed this a lot - some good gags, nice twists on standard fantasy tropes, and a lot of humanity (even though it's quite grisly in places!). Great characters and world-building and, of course, the central concept of magic disappearing is intriguing in a fantasy universe.
Definitely recommended for fantasy fans, and those who only like a bit of fantasy - looking at reviews generally, this seems to be doing well with people who don't usually read fantasy as well (like me; I like YA fantasy, and urban fantasy, but don't go in for the huge tomes of high fantasy).
Definitely recommended for fantasy fans, and those who only like a bit of fantasy - looking at reviews generally, this seems to be doing well with people who don't usually read fantasy as well (like me; I like YA fantasy, and urban fantasy, but don't go in for the huge tomes of high fantasy).
I was one of the patrons that helped crowdfund this novel via Unbound and I've really enjoyed the resulting book. Mark Stay has written a book with a gripping plot, fascinating characters and intriguing world building that is right up there with the best in modern fantasy. Although this is a standalone novel he has created a rich world and characters that I hope he returns to in the future.