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nicklindgren's review
3.0
The Brothers Grossbart have no special powers and are not likeable in any way. They commit horrific acts of murder and vengeance with wanton abandon. Their world is equal parts disgustingly gritty realism and matter-of-fact-fairy-tale-style fantasy. And yet, by the end of this story (which begins as the brothers slaughter the family of the man who broke the eldest brother's nose with a shovel), the reader is moved to feel even a little bit bad for the brothers in their horrible world.
Oh yes - and it's a comedy. If you are prudish or easily offended, you should avoid this book at all costs. If you are the sort of person who wants to hear some knee-slappers about the Black Plague and Medieval heresies, you are in luck.
Chapter Seven, "A Cautionary Yarn, Spun for Fathers and Daughters Alike" is pure genius. It stands on its own as its own little fairy tale/origin story. If you have to read one part of this book straight through at a book store, this is the one.
The first 2/3 of this novel are stunning - the last third drops off precipitously in pacing and variety. It is as if the plot got mired in mud and needed to be put out of its misery, like many of the other characters in the book already. Still, it is a hair's-breadth from four stars. Highly recommended.
Oh yes - and it's a comedy. If you are prudish or easily offended, you should avoid this book at all costs. If you are the sort of person who wants to hear some knee-slappers about the Black Plague and Medieval heresies, you are in luck.
Chapter Seven, "A Cautionary Yarn, Spun for Fathers and Daughters Alike" is pure genius. It stands on its own as its own little fairy tale/origin story. If you have to read one part of this book straight through at a book store, this is the one.
The first 2/3 of this novel are stunning - the last third drops off precipitously in pacing and variety. It is as if the plot got mired in mud and needed to be put out of its misery, like many of the other characters in the book already. Still, it is a hair's-breadth from four stars. Highly recommended.
es42's review
3.0
Hilarious tone, setting, and some great imagery. I dig Jesse Bullington's take on the historical fantasy novel. Unfortunately, the action/combat scenes in the latter half are confusing and messy in a bad way.
neko_cam's review against another edition
3.0
The last third was notably less enjoyable for me, else I’d give it a 4/5 rating.
haliahli's review
3.0
This book is amazing in the fact that it challenges human compassion and forgiveness. You want to feel bad for the Grossbarts but they're so horrible that you think they deserve it. It's a constant toss of emotion. Unfortunately the ending was quickly thrown together (most likely due to a deadline). Because of this the ending was hard to get through. ..it seemed choppy and not nearly as intriguing as the first 3/4 of the book.
babybabayaga's review
4.0
There are very few times where I've read a book and found myself rooting for the bad guy. While the brothers Grossbart are horrible horrible people, I still wanted them to triumph and was pleased when they did. Kudos to Bullington for making such terrific bastards into near likable fellows.
dluman's review
5.0
A dynamic debut for this unique author - a retelling of a central European set of tales, Bullington takes great care to research and present the most authentic view of their characterizations as his, now typical, anti-hero archetype. These men, though professedly not killers but just "good men been done wrong" are killers and are bad men, but by the end of the novel, we at least understand why.
catsy2022's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kmishara's review against another edition
2.0
12 disk set, I only listened to half - the first 5 and the last because I Had to see how they would end up after all of that. Might have been better as a physical book rather than an audio book, because I could then skim through the repetitive gore.
It didn't offend me; it just got tedious. Okay, here's another life threatening situation, I know they'll impossibly beat the evil demon, witch, etc - and the scene would go on and on and on - I guess it takes a lot of words to describe gore.
I have to give the brothers credit for having such unshakable faith in themselves, against all odds and opposition. That got me through two disks, just to see how they held up; but it was finally too much. When I woke up in the morning and Wasn't looking forward to hearing the next chapter when I got in the car....I knew it was time to move on.
I'm giving it two stars, ONLY because of the "Reader" (Christopher Lane). His voice was fascinating, as he moved from strange to stranger, with all the odd creatures and situations. His range is amazing, and is the only reason I got as far as 5 disks to start with.
It didn't offend me; it just got tedious. Okay, here's another life threatening situation, I know they'll impossibly beat the evil demon, witch, etc - and the scene would go on and on and on - I guess it takes a lot of words to describe gore.
I have to give the brothers credit for having such unshakable faith in themselves, against all odds and opposition. That got me through two disks, just to see how they held up; but it was finally too much. When I woke up in the morning and Wasn't looking forward to hearing the next chapter when I got in the car....I knew it was time to move on.
I'm giving it two stars, ONLY because of the "Reader" (Christopher Lane). His voice was fascinating, as he moved from strange to stranger, with all the odd creatures and situations. His range is amazing, and is the only reason I got as far as 5 disks to start with.
mjtucker's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tbr_the_unconquered's review
2.0
Anyone who has seen a Hindi movie from the late 80's would pick up this basic storyline. Two brothers who stick to each other through thick and thin, Orphans who battle insurmountable odds and survive unscathed in the end walking off into the sunset with the hands of two damsels. Except for the damsels part, this book has them all. Not an exciting read but reads like a screenplay of a gorefest.
Of all the things in the tale, I liked the backdrop and the setting the best. The 13th Century Europe with the battles between the Church and the Heretics and also of the Bubonic Plague forms probably the entire backstage curtain for the dramatic and violent lives of the Brothers Grossbart. Hegel and Manfried Grossbart are grave-robbers and ruffians par excellence. They are what would form the ideal picture of macho,chest-thumping, ultra violent manliness more in lines with Conan or Tarzan of Pulp Fiction. Brief romantic encounters and many fights later finds them on their way to Egypt to rob the tombs of the Pharaohs. It is on this travel from Germany to Egypt that they come across many an interesting character from men to demons to witches and other such creatures of myth.
There is a lot of gore in the tale, with every fight the author regales us with the gory details of the thrusts,jabs and punches and which sometimes acts as a deterrent. There is one interesting thing in the tale : When the brothers are drunk on wine, they are prone to debate theology which though profane at times proves to be fun at later points in the book.
Although not a great book, a fun read nonetheless...
Of all the things in the tale, I liked the backdrop and the setting the best. The 13th Century Europe with the battles between the Church and the Heretics and also of the Bubonic Plague forms probably the entire backstage curtain for the dramatic and violent lives of the Brothers Grossbart. Hegel and Manfried Grossbart are grave-robbers and ruffians par excellence. They are what would form the ideal picture of macho,chest-thumping, ultra violent manliness more in lines with Conan or Tarzan of Pulp Fiction. Brief romantic encounters and many fights later finds them on their way to Egypt to rob the tombs of the Pharaohs. It is on this travel from Germany to Egypt that they come across many an interesting character from men to demons to witches and other such creatures of myth.
There is a lot of gore in the tale, with every fight the author regales us with the gory details of the thrusts,jabs and punches and which sometimes acts as a deterrent. There is one interesting thing in the tale : When the brothers are drunk on wine, they are prone to debate theology which though profane at times proves to be fun at later points in the book.
Although not a great book, a fun read nonetheless...