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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
I’m so frustrated by the characters and the longer I read, the more bored I get
Take #2: DNF @ 45% because while it caught my attention early on, I got bored and then it became a slog and nobody has time for this.
And yet some part of me is already willing to try it A THIRD TIME (eventually??) because this is one of those want-to-love books that I really just think isn't going to happen, deep down. Le sigh. Anger is warring with indifference.
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Audio DNF @ 13% - nothing was happening and I was bored.
In my defense, I'm going to try the physical copy eventually and see if that works any better.
And yet some part of me is already willing to try it A THIRD TIME (eventually??) because this is one of those want-to-love books that I really just think isn't going to happen, deep down. Le sigh. Anger is warring with indifference.
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Audio DNF @ 13% - nothing was happening and I was bored.
In my defense, I'm going to try the physical copy eventually and see if that works any better.
This was good actually! I enjoyed the focus on the three separated siblings. I found Kaden's chapters the most boring, but someone's had to be. And there wasn't enough Adare.
Spoiler
Hateful characters got their comeuppance Titus Andronicus- style, which was gruesome but also satisfying (a moustache-twirling improbable escape would have bummed me out, but I guess that's what happened with Bad Leach and the Minister). My hot prediction: Gwenna and Val are going to hook up.
Not going to lie, I had super low expectations going into this book. Usually books in this particular fantasy sub-genre, written by men, are pretty sexist. Staveley surprised. There were several well rounded women characters, with motivations that did not revolve around men. I loved the plot and the setting. There were maybe one too many descriptions of how attractive the women were but they didn't feel out of place as they all came from the male perspective so it was consistent with the worldbuilding. My biggest issue was with Adare's storyline. It felt underdeveloped and it did that thing I hate where this supposedly smart character acts like an idiot (although there was a bit of a twist to it here that I liked). There just needed to be one extra scene at the beginning of Adare securing her position as finance minister, showing her ability to politically maneuver in a male-dominated world. Super excited to read the second book.
Awesome *proper* epic fantasy with excellent world building; giant-bird riding elite juiced-up special-ops warriors, orders of monks established to battle immortals living in another dimension, saga-level political intrigue around the ascension to the throne and the emperor's family. You know, all the stuff you want in a book.
The *entire* novel though is essentially just the set-up to the real story. And we don't know anything about this Brian guy as an author right? How long will he take between books? Will he do a GeorgeRRMartin on us? Can he maintain this colossal chronicle? :P
So risk getting emotionally invested in something that may meander into mundanity. Gamble on Brian finishing this story before he loses the ability to write in a horror accident. Or don't. You know, up to you.
The *entire* novel though is essentially just the set-up to the real story. And we don't know anything about this Brian guy as an author right? How long will he take between books? Will he do a GeorgeRRMartin on us? Can he maintain this colossal chronicle? :P
So risk getting emotionally invested in something that may meander into mundanity. Gamble on Brian finishing this story before he loses the ability to write in a horror accident. Or don't. You know, up to you.
I listened to the spoken word version and good grief. Do not let your narrator do accents, especially those of people from other cultures. Ever.
Great new fantasy series.
Absolutely loved this book. The story threads drew me in and kept me hooked throughout. I loved the main characters and really cared about what was happening to them. The magic use in this world is very unique too and I'm interested to see how it plays out over the next books.
Absolutely loved this book. The story threads drew me in and kept me hooked throughout. I loved the main characters and really cared about what was happening to them. The magic use in this world is very unique too and I'm interested to see how it plays out over the next books.
For a first book, Staveley hits the nail right on the head with several things, such as:
* Despite being in three very different parts of the world, each of the three are introduced with little fuss, and it's relatively easy to get an idea of their personalities and the situation they are currently in.
* The story is fast-paced and really pulls you in. I found it hard to put the book down in between sittings. Each character's section (usually comprising of 1-3 chapters) leaves us wanting to know what happens next, and by the time we finish the subsequent chapter section, we are wondering the same about the other character.
* There is definitely a lot of scope left in the story for future books.
That said, some of the things that prevented me from giving this five stars were:
* Not enough attention to the female character. Adare is stuck in the least interesting situation as the Finance Minister in the Empire's capital city, which leaves little of interest to talk about, but I felt as if she was being neglected in the narrative for the two brothers.
* The prose is very... practical. It narrated the events required and gets out of its own way. There is very little in the prose that would make me want to re-read the book, nor are there many layers to the characters or story that would make me want to re-read.
Overall, this was a really promising first book, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the same from this author.
* Despite being in three very different parts of the world, each of the three are introduced with little fuss, and it's relatively easy to get an idea of their personalities and the situation they are currently in.
* The story is fast-paced and really pulls you in. I found it hard to put the book down in between sittings. Each character's section (usually comprising of 1-3 chapters) leaves us wanting to know what happens next, and by the time we finish the subsequent chapter section, we are wondering the same about the other character.
* There is definitely a lot of scope left in the story for future books.
That said, some of the things that prevented me from giving this five stars were:
* Not enough attention to the female character. Adare is stuck in the least interesting situation as the Finance Minister in the Empire's capital city, which leaves little of interest to talk about, but I felt as if she was being neglected in the narrative for the two brothers.
* The prose is very... practical. It narrated the events required and gets out of its own way. There is very little in the prose that would make me want to re-read the book, nor are there many layers to the characters or story that would make me want to re-read.
Overall, this was a really promising first book, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the same from this author.