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zoe_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.5
This book moves at breakneck speed and I have no idea what the next book has in tow. That being said, I did not expect to find passages of writing that would perfectly fit my thesis in here, so I might end up revisiting it even though it hasn't swept me off my feet. (I'll also probably read the sequel either way, though.)
I feel like most elements here were done passably well but no more than that. The intrigue was interesting but predictable (as soon as a specific thing happens you can go "o-ohhh, that's going to be a problem", already knowing what kind of problem it will be, and you'll be 100% correct), the politics rather superficial. There were so many characters introduced and killed off (sometimes in very quick succession to being introduced) that the entire story is a whirlwind. The main characters were interesting but, again, rather predictable.
What my lack of enthusiasm comes down to, to be completely honest, is probably the book's speed. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I prefer slow moving (fantasy) books, with enough time to explore the environment, to explore the characters, to explore the themes. This book was broad enough to explore themes (the corrupting element of power, the ideals of power, the impossibility of ideals, etc) but neither environments or characters experienced much depth. Even the protagonists ended up becoming more hardened and extreme versions of whom they started out as without going through much development.
I've also seen people criticise the lack of female representation in this, but having read the first book in Bakker's Prince of Nothing series, I feel like this book was practically teeming with interesting female characters. Could it have been better? Sure, but I already mentioned how this book could, perhaps, fit into my thesis and those passages are very Jia-centric/heavy so I feel like the women in this book have made the greatest inpact on me (so far at least), which is enough for me to be content with the female representation (for a first book, at least). Let the men kill each other off, the women have bigger fish to fry.
I feel like most elements here were done passably well but no more than that. The intrigue was interesting but predictable (as soon as a specific thing happens you can go "o-ohhh, that's going to be a problem", already knowing what kind of problem it will be, and you'll be 100% correct), the politics rather superficial. There were so many characters introduced and killed off (sometimes in very quick succession to being introduced) that the entire story is a whirlwind. The main characters were interesting but, again, rather predictable.
What my lack of enthusiasm comes down to, to be completely honest, is probably the book's speed. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I prefer slow moving (fantasy) books, with enough time to explore the environment, to explore the characters, to explore the themes. This book was broad enough to explore themes (the corrupting element of power, the ideals of power, the impossibility of ideals, etc) but neither environments or characters experienced much depth. Even the protagonists ended up becoming more hardened and extreme versions of whom they started out as without going through much development.
I've also seen people criticise the lack of female representation in this, but having read the first book in Bakker's Prince of Nothing series, I feel like this book was practically teeming with interesting female characters. Could it have been better? Sure, but I already mentioned how this book could, perhaps, fit into my thesis and those passages are very Jia-centric/heavy so I feel like the women in this book have made the greatest inpact on me (so far at least), which is enough for me to be content with the female representation (for a first book, at least). Let the men kill each other off, the women have bigger fish to fry.
meanna's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
cassidy_gillum's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
danielscones's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blackringbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.25
mmmlysaght's review against another edition
I tried; I wanted to like this story so much, but I just couldnt do it after five tries.
It felt like Patrick Rothfuss set in an Asian setting. It bears mentioning that I hate Name of the Wind - so I suppose if that's what lights your fire, you'll love this story, but I personally prefer being able to connect emotionally with likeably flawed characters, instead of emotionally inaccessible characters who are good at everything they do.
It felt like Patrick Rothfuss set in an Asian setting. It bears mentioning that I hate Name of the Wind - so I suppose if that's what lights your fire, you'll love this story, but I personally prefer being able to connect emotionally with likeably flawed characters, instead of emotionally inaccessible characters who are good at everything they do.
kim012's review against another edition
2.5
It reads like a history article on Wikipedia, with characters falling in and out of the narrative, always told with enough distance that you never feel like you get close to them. A few stay throughout the whole story, function as anchors as the history unfolds. It’s not really my style, but it is good at what it tries to do. Once you get into it and let go of the expectations modern fantasy has given you, it is a quite captivating read. The latter half is a lot better than the first, which I think is a large part due to the introduction of a handful of female characters, which are blatantly missing in the first half. A game of thrones style adaptation of this - where the characters are fleshed out and the story is allowed to span over seasons - would be incredible I think.
thepreach3rman's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
aimer263's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25