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4.35 AVERAGE
4.35 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is definitely better than the first and is giving me big John Gwynne vibes. I think Gwynnes prose got better over the books and there are definitely a noticeable amount of repetitive phrases in here, but overall very enjoyable and supremely bingeable
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I did it! (burp). Here's what's funny about this book. Coops stopped reading at page 538. I finished its 861 pages and I think I gave Coops maybe three updates on what he missed? There's just not a lot happening. I'm very happy to report that the writing from the first book got a little better in that Cahill wasn't writing sentences out of order and making me flip backwards thinking I had missed something.
While I think this book was a solid 3/5 (less than I gave the first one) there are aspects of it that I liked a lot more. There was just WAY more fluff to sift through. I think this book actually benefitted from the additional storylines, but Coops hit it on the head when he said there's just always a fight scene going on. I asked him what he thought was happening as I read the last chapter and he thought the rebellions were starting across the empire. That would be cool! But no, they were just in a fight scene and no rebellion had really started. Here are my feelings on the perspectives (WITH MINOR SPOILERS):
Calen: He's the main character and I always sigh dejectedly when I see the next chapter is his. His perspective is where all of these fight scenes happen. They are just walking/sailing around the continent, getting nowhere, and fighting in each place. The way they try to handle this group having a moral code is also a constant stumble.
Dahlen: I just don't care. There's like this whole new storyline with a thief's guild that feels like he didn't know what to do with Dahlen so he made this up. There's a big fight amongst the dwarves, but it's very "take my word for it," because we have zero backstory.
Dann: Calen is just walking around the world and Dann is just following him. That's it.
The Knights of Achyron: I don't mind this storyline and I'm pleasantly surprised with the little twist in the last chapter, but I just can't take them seriously when they refer to blood magic as "the Taint." Does this sound like a serious storyline to you? "Just as Arden was about to launch himself at the creature, he felt it pulse with a sudden burst of the Taint." Maybe this is a European v. American issue.
Rist: We're warming up. I didn't mind these chapters. We're getting a little history, a little detail in how mages are trained, and I don't hate it.
Ella: I don't mind these either. She's a very stereotypical, strong-headed woman, but that's fine. You get this feeling between these two books that Ella may also have some special powers, and then you find out that she DOES in the worst possible way. The author has Rist read a book about druids. And then in the very next chapter, Ella's new elf companion is just like, "Hey, you're a druid." Cool. Thanks.
Dayne: I actually really enjoy this storyline. It's a pretty small piece so far, but we got a nice family history, some backstory about what's happened to the siblings over the years and about the last rebellion. In the course of a few chapters we got all that info, some rising action, and a climax kicking off a new rebellion. It's paced the way a book should be paced. And Wyverns, so that's neato.
Farda: MVP! I think Farda is the most interesting character in this whole book and I haven't seen him since page 667. He's a well-written bad guy. He's intriguing with his coin flipping, then we learn more about him through his actions and thoughts, then some backstory to explain why he is the way he is, and then more intrigue with him flipping the coin 22 times while traveling with Ella and it always lands on the lion. That's interesting and I'm REALLY hoping we get more Farda in book three.
In December I decided that I would give Of Darkness and Light the month of January. Because of Farda and Dayne (and because we already purchased the third book), I have decided that I will give Of War and Ruin the month of February. Also, today I learned there's a fourth book and that makes me so mad! Edit, my dude! Edit! I don't think I have a fourth book in me. Book 3 is 1,007 pages and the text just keeps getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, and...
The best part about not writing AAA books is no one can make you make cuts (reference for this joke: https://music.youtube.com/podcast/ZdcQl0UtRXQ).
Okay, bye.
While I think this book was a solid 3/5 (less than I gave the first one) there are aspects of it that I liked a lot more. There was just WAY more fluff to sift through. I think this book actually benefitted from the additional storylines, but Coops hit it on the head when he said there's just always a fight scene going on. I asked him what he thought was happening as I read the last chapter and he thought the rebellions were starting across the empire. That would be cool! But no, they were just in a fight scene and no rebellion had really started. Here are my feelings on the perspectives (WITH MINOR SPOILERS):
Calen: He's the main character and I always sigh dejectedly when I see the next chapter is his. His perspective is where all of these fight scenes happen. They are just walking/sailing around the continent, getting nowhere, and fighting in each place. The way they try to handle this group having a moral code is also a constant stumble.
Dahlen: I just don't care. There's like this whole new storyline with a thief's guild that feels like he didn't know what to do with Dahlen so he made this up. There's a big fight amongst the dwarves, but it's very "take my word for it," because we have zero backstory.
Dann: Calen is just walking around the world and Dann is just following him. That's it.
The Knights of Achyron: I don't mind this storyline and I'm pleasantly surprised with the little twist in the last chapter, but I just can't take them seriously when they refer to blood magic as "the Taint." Does this sound like a serious storyline to you? "Just as Arden was about to launch himself at the creature, he felt it pulse with a sudden burst of the Taint." Maybe this is a European v. American issue.
Rist: We're warming up. I didn't mind these chapters. We're getting a little history, a little detail in how mages are trained, and I don't hate it.
Ella: I don't mind these either. She's a very stereotypical, strong-headed woman, but that's fine. You get this feeling between these two books that Ella may also have some special powers, and then you find out that she DOES in the worst possible way. The author has Rist read a book about druids. And then in the very next chapter, Ella's new elf companion is just like, "Hey, you're a druid." Cool. Thanks.
Dayne: I actually really enjoy this storyline. It's a pretty small piece so far, but we got a nice family history, some backstory about what's happened to the siblings over the years and about the last rebellion. In the course of a few chapters we got all that info, some rising action, and a climax kicking off a new rebellion. It's paced the way a book should be paced. And Wyverns, so that's neato.
Farda: MVP! I think Farda is the most interesting character in this whole book and I haven't seen him since page 667. He's a well-written bad guy. He's intriguing with his coin flipping, then we learn more about him through his actions and thoughts, then some backstory to explain why he is the way he is, and then more intrigue with him flipping the coin 22 times while traveling with Ella and it always lands on the lion. That's interesting and I'm REALLY hoping we get more Farda in book three.
In December I decided that I would give Of Darkness and Light the month of January. Because of Farda and Dayne (and because we already purchased the third book), I have decided that I will give Of War and Ruin the month of February. Also, today I learned there's a fourth book and that makes me so mad! Edit, my dude! Edit! I don't think I have a fourth book in me. Book 3 is 1,007 pages and the text just keeps getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, and...
The best part about not writing AAA books is no one can make you make cuts (reference for this joke: https://music.youtube.com/podcast/ZdcQl0UtRXQ).
Okay, bye.
adventurous
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Reading this series reminds me of how I felt when I first discovered fantasy as a kid.
Ryan Cahill took a somewhat familiar feeling story in the first book, and evolved it into something bigger, better and wholly it's own canon.
That reveal at the end!
The world-building and character list is growing arms and legs at this point, and I'm totally here for it.
I cannot wait to continue this series
Ryan Cahill took a somewhat familiar feeling story in the first book, and evolved it into something bigger, better and wholly it's own canon.
That reveal at the end!
The world-building and character list is growing arms and legs at this point, and I'm totally here for it.
I cannot wait to continue this series