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anxiousarachnid's review
3.0
This isn't the best written book, but it's not terrible. If you are in the mood for a fantasy that's very easy to read, this might just be it.
Be aware that sexual assault takes place, although it isn't described.
Be aware that sexual assault takes place, although it isn't described.
cgreenstein's review
1.0
Yet another example of why you shouldn't believe the blurbs on the back of a book. Oh well.
eecee's review
2.0
This was so disappointing I couldn't quite finish it. Got to the last few chapters and realised there was no way the author was ever going to redeem her one dimensional characters, huge and undetailed/inexplicable plot leaps etc.
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
5.0
Can you count how many times a new writer has appeared on the scene with a book that’s so engaging and well written, you hunger for more rather than think ‘well, she’s new, and it was good for a new author… but…’
Well, if you can’t, you better read this one. I promise you, it’s well worth it. Out of Jennifer Fallon’s thirteen books currently available, this was her first to be published and I highly recommend you start here. There is a little confusion, as she later wrote ‘Wolfblade’, which is set before this series… but I still recommend you start here with the Demon Child series, and then proceed to Hythrun Chronicles, which is just as good, if not better.
In this book we discover the Sisterhood of the Blade, who rule Medalon (Med – ah – lon) harshly, lest they let the slightest hint of heathen worship appear. Once plagued with the mythical race, the Harshini and their demons, the Sisterhood now think the mythical race to be extinct. Thinking, however doesn’t lessen the iron fist they rule with, especially with the possibility of the fabled Demon Child appearing…
When the First Sister of the Blade is assassinated, Joyhinia is confident she will be named in her place, but when she isn’t, we see exactly how foul she really is.
Joyhinia’s children, daughter R’Shiel and son Tarja, are drawn into the trouble. Soon enough, they find themselves on the run and amongst the rebellion against the Sisterhood – that is, against everything they’ve ever known.
Then, Brak, a Harshini outcast, brings news that the Harshini may be returning and that R’Shiel herself may be the Demon Child – quite amusing, really, that Joyhinia’s very own daughter could be the flesh and blood of nothing but a myth – and soon it appears that their world may be turning to war with R’Shiel and Tarja caught right in the middle.
Fallon is brilliant in her plotting and world building. Her characters are strong (with the exception of Joyhinia – some have found her to be a little weak) and dependable. You can really feel their emotions through the words; Fallon is great at showing rather than telling, a refreshing change in these epic fantasies.
The real strength in this book however, is the development of the religion and their Gods, where the diversities of each country are well developed in such a believable way. In Medalon you have the Sisterhood, as previously stated. In Hythrun they believe in many different Gods; one for war, love, lying, thieving… just to name a few. Karien believes only in the God of war, and then you have the Harshini who speak with all the Gods seemingly quite often. The banter between them alone is reason enough to read this series.
If you’re new to fantasy then I highly recommend this series. If you’re old to fantasy and have yet to try any of Fallon’s books, I still recommend this series . . . try it out!
Well, if you can’t, you better read this one. I promise you, it’s well worth it. Out of Jennifer Fallon’s thirteen books currently available, this was her first to be published and I highly recommend you start here. There is a little confusion, as she later wrote ‘Wolfblade’, which is set before this series… but I still recommend you start here with the Demon Child series, and then proceed to Hythrun Chronicles, which is just as good, if not better.
In this book we discover the Sisterhood of the Blade, who rule Medalon (Med – ah – lon) harshly, lest they let the slightest hint of heathen worship appear. Once plagued with the mythical race, the Harshini and their demons, the Sisterhood now think the mythical race to be extinct. Thinking, however doesn’t lessen the iron fist they rule with, especially with the possibility of the fabled Demon Child appearing…
When the First Sister of the Blade is assassinated, Joyhinia is confident she will be named in her place, but when she isn’t, we see exactly how foul she really is.
Joyhinia’s children, daughter R’Shiel and son Tarja, are drawn into the trouble. Soon enough, they find themselves on the run and amongst the rebellion against the Sisterhood – that is, against everything they’ve ever known.
Then, Brak, a Harshini outcast, brings news that the Harshini may be returning and that R’Shiel herself may be the Demon Child – quite amusing, really, that Joyhinia’s very own daughter could be the flesh and blood of nothing but a myth – and soon it appears that their world may be turning to war with R’Shiel and Tarja caught right in the middle.
Fallon is brilliant in her plotting and world building. Her characters are strong (with the exception of Joyhinia – some have found her to be a little weak) and dependable. You can really feel their emotions through the words; Fallon is great at showing rather than telling, a refreshing change in these epic fantasies.
The real strength in this book however, is the development of the religion and their Gods, where the diversities of each country are well developed in such a believable way. In Medalon you have the Sisterhood, as previously stated. In Hythrun they believe in many different Gods; one for war, love, lying, thieving… just to name a few. Karien believes only in the God of war, and then you have the Harshini who speak with all the Gods seemingly quite often. The banter between them alone is reason enough to read this series.
If you’re new to fantasy then I highly recommend this series. If you’re old to fantasy and have yet to try any of Fallon’s books, I still recommend this series . . . try it out!
moosmoo's review
5.0
I’ve read this series so many times and it never gets old.
I love all the characters, the storyline, the world around them, I’ll be moving onto Treason Keep soon but will read a few other books in the interim
I love all the characters, the storyline, the world around them, I’ll be moving onto Treason Keep soon but will read a few other books in the interim
ashybear02's review against another edition
3.0
2.5. I loved the concept of this book. It had all the things I have been missing in the past few fantasy novels I'd read. An interesting call to adventure, magic and characters from all parts of the world that was created.
I was drawn in almost instantly by an alternate version of power that didn't involve a king or queen, but the Sisterhood.
The concept of this book was good, but at times I felt was poorly executed. At times I felt it was rushed and very clichéd. I knew what was happening, but only because I'd seen it many times before. I suppose you could say I loved the plot, but the writing was only okay.
That being said, I was fortunate enough to have read another series The Tide Lords before this and it was one of my favourite series, so I know her writing improves!
The plot has interested me enough to keep me reading the next two!
I was drawn in almost instantly by an alternate version of power that didn't involve a king or queen, but the Sisterhood.
The concept of this book was good, but at times I felt was poorly executed. At times I felt it was rushed and very clichéd. I knew what was happening, but only because I'd seen it many times before. I suppose you could say I loved the plot, but the writing was only okay.
That being said, I was fortunate enough to have read another series The Tide Lords before this and it was one of my favourite series, so I know her writing improves!
The plot has interested me enough to keep me reading the next two!
kittyfoil's review
2.0
DNF at 95%. Reading this was a painful drag. Part of the reason for that is that this is grimdark fantasy a.k.a high fantasy dystopia. This means that the happiest these characters will ever be is in the beginning, and they didn't even start out very happy. It is a real downer. Put simply as someone who reads romances for the happy endings this genre just isn't my cup of tea. Like there is nothing that can make me enjoy Game of Thrones. Also trigger warning for rape. I hate it when rape is used as a narrative device but more on that later. The other part is just poor pacing. I don't think that Jennifer Fallon is a bad writer. There is good characterization and dialogue, but plot is her weakness. Whenever she needs the plot to move she uses literal deus ex machina having the gods appear as characters to make the plot do things. Like, she just has the god of love make the two mains fall in love, something which could have happened organically. This book is over three-hundred pages there is time for a romantic subplot. I think this is an interesting concept. It is probably the one of the few books I have read where a matriarchal society is not viewed in a positive light. Women in power make the same mistakes men do, and are just a susceptible to corrupting power. The author clearly views taking power through unscrupulous means as a bad thing because characters are punished for doing this, most notably R'shiel who gets raped after inciting a rebellion that she doesn't really believe in. This is just a really long drawn out political drama. The government of Medalon are atheists, but because they are a much smaller country they are pressured by monotheists into persecuting the polytheists. The fact that they are atheists makes them look really silly especially since the gods are demonstrably real. The polytheists also look really silly for putting their faith in the gods because the gods aren't really interested in helping people, but in helping themselves. The Harshini are pacifists, but that means that they are really useless in the face of conflict, and have to use other people to do their dirty work for them. Being heroic and honorable in this world like Tarja is viewed as abjectly silly because it is easier to follow the system than to rebel against it when you think it is wrong, and everyone is in it for themselves. The people in power will do whatever they must to keep it, even at the expense of destroying the things they are supposed to protect. I feel like the fun of fiction for me is to imagine that the world can be better than what it is currently, which is why grimdark fiction just really gets me down.
jlsigman's review
2.0
Not enough to make me want to read the rest of the series. The two main characters act like idiots too often.