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timinbc's review against another edition
2.0
I was lucky: I read Wake of the Bloody Angel before this one. "Wake" was good, but I might not have read it if I had done this stinker first. If you haven't read this one yet, skip it and go right on to "Wake," which is quite good.
I suspect Bledsoe knew this one didn't work. Near the end, in the pub where he's been telling the story, one of the characters shouts, "That's the worst story I've ever heard," and he's not wrong.
For many, many pages it looks as if a decent story is developing. A very loose rewrite of Arthurian Camelot - but hey, Shakespeare recycled plots too - and Bledsoe's usual ridiculous character names. Horse-and-sword nights named Dave and Ted and Bob. I kept wondering when we'd see LaDainian or MeTrisha or Khrystal. Eddie says at one point "You think?" - how very Arthurian - and we meet a guy who used to be important and is now, like, into the weed, man, like majorly, man, hey pass the brownies, ya wanna ball my chick? Oh, come on.
But for a while we seem to have a legitimate mystery. Plots, confusion, hidden motivations - and too many hints about mysterious offstage players.
So the plot develops. Women swoon or take off their clothes, although there are a few who turn out to be capable. There's a trio of lesser bad guys who are a total clone of Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks. We meet more and more characters. We have an apoplectic-but-incredibly-stupid lord who keeps popping up unnecessarily - and makes Jar Jar Binks seem positively likeable.
By the time Eddie leaves Kern's place, I had already figured out that the plot was going to collapse under its own weight. I had not expected that at this point - and I am not going to hide this as a spoiler because some readers need to know this - the book turns into a Sam Peckinpah bloodbath. Hundreds of people get hacked to pieces, some at close range by some of the key characters. OK, Eddie briefly gets a warning not to get into this killing thing too deeply - but he then proceeds to hack and slash with abandon.
I almost wondered if the entire plot to this point was just setting up the "some folks need killin' " trope so we could have us some slaughtering'. Or maybe the publisher insisted on a nod to the Dresden Files genre, in which the heroes usually get to hack up a few thousand demons and zombies and hell fiends.
And then we come to the plot resolution. Well, hell. Imagine Agatha Christie's worst over plotting, then double it. This makes Luke Skywalker's story look credible. We got a resurrection right out of The Princess Bride. We got disguises, we got body doubles, we got mixed-up parentage, we got several "aha, but what you DIDN'T know is that ..." We got two major characters for whom the resolution is "they went away and were never heard of again." Probably because the author couldn't think what to do with one still-powerful character.
What. A. Load. Of. Bollocks!
But the other books in this series are fine. Go read them.
I suspect Bledsoe knew this one didn't work. Near the end, in the pub where he's been telling the story, one of the characters shouts, "That's the worst story I've ever heard," and he's not wrong.
For many, many pages it looks as if a decent story is developing. A very loose rewrite of Arthurian Camelot - but hey, Shakespeare recycled plots too - and Bledsoe's usual ridiculous character names. Horse-and-sword nights named Dave and Ted and Bob. I kept wondering when we'd see LaDainian or MeTrisha or Khrystal. Eddie says at one point "You think?" - how very Arthurian - and we meet a guy who used to be important and is now, like, into the weed, man, like majorly, man, hey pass the brownies, ya wanna ball my chick? Oh, come on.
But for a while we seem to have a legitimate mystery. Plots, confusion, hidden motivations - and too many hints about mysterious offstage players.
So the plot develops. Women swoon or take off their clothes, although there are a few who turn out to be capable. There's a trio of lesser bad guys who are a total clone of Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks. We meet more and more characters. We have an apoplectic-but-incredibly-stupid lord who keeps popping up unnecessarily - and makes Jar Jar Binks seem positively likeable.
By the time Eddie leaves Kern's place, I had already figured out that the plot was going to collapse under its own weight. I had not expected that at this point - and I am not going to hide this as a spoiler because some readers need to know this - the book turns into a Sam Peckinpah bloodbath. Hundreds of people get hacked to pieces, some at close range by some of the key characters. OK, Eddie briefly gets a warning not to get into this killing thing too deeply - but he then proceeds to hack and slash with abandon.
I almost wondered if the entire plot to this point was just setting up the "some folks need killin' " trope so we could have us some slaughtering'. Or maybe the publisher insisted on a nod to the Dresden Files genre, in which the heroes usually get to hack up a few thousand demons and zombies and hell fiends.
And then we come to the plot resolution. Well, hell. Imagine Agatha Christie's worst over plotting, then double it. This makes Luke Skywalker's story look credible. We got a resurrection right out of The Princess Bride. We got disguises, we got body doubles, we got mixed-up parentage, we got several "aha, but what you DIDN'T know is that ..." We got two major characters for whom the resolution is "they went away and were never heard of again." Probably because the author couldn't think what to do with one still-powerful character.
What. A. Load. Of. Bollocks!
But the other books in this series are fine. Go read them.
subparcupcake's review against another edition
3.0
It was really difficult to decide how to rate this one. I was so annoyed with it most of the time I was reading it. The story and the way the characters behaved and reacted to situations just seemed so utterly unrealistic, it had me rolling my eyes so much that it made me dizzy. But in spite of that.. I felt compelled to keep reading. I would put it down, but then pick it back up because I wanted to know what would happen next. I even ended up staying up a little later than usual so I could finish it. That, in the end, is what saved it from being a two star rating. When the fourth book comes out I'll still probably read it.. But I'm hoping it ends up being better than this one. If not... I may just have to call it quits on this series.
telerit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
lcdarkslayer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
git_r_read's review against another edition
5.0
Fantasy or alternate Renaissance tale, whatever you want to call this series, it's a superb set of tales told. It's one of my favorites and I am glad I have them on audio and told to me by Stefan Rudnicki. I like his voice and the way he voices characters, especially women. Not overly done, just softer and I can tell who is speaking each time. This is important to me. I will stop listening to a book if the narrator is crappe for whatever reason and it usually has to do with how the narrator portrays the opposite sex. The older I get the more particular I am. I know I am in good listening hands with Stefan Rudnicki.
All that said, this is a superb story. Each one in the series I've read so far are great, but this one is superb. The intrigue was more intricate. Arthurian legend-flavored and I am slightly addicted to Arthurian legend. I have shelves of books with various takes on it. I will get this in handheld so I can add it those shelves. I sat in the car in the driveway or parking lot just a little longer, drove around the block a couple of times just to see what was going to happen next. It doesn't diminish the story, it deliciously enhances it.
The reader/listener gets more Eddie LaCrosse backstory, another peek into what makes him tick.
The things done in the name of love, in the name of country or the law of the land. Court intrigues, politics and Eddie's distaste for them. I do love how blunt he can be. And how saddened he can get by the human condition.
I can absolutely recommend this book, series and author.
All that said, this is a superb story. Each one in the series I've read so far are great, but this one is superb. The intrigue was more intricate. Arthurian legend-flavored and I am slightly addicted to Arthurian legend. I have shelves of books with various takes on it. I will get this in handheld so I can add it those shelves. I sat in the car in the driveway or parking lot just a little longer, drove around the block a couple of times just to see what was going to happen next. It doesn't diminish the story, it deliciously enhances it.
The reader/listener gets more Eddie LaCrosse backstory, another peek into what makes him tick.
The things done in the name of love, in the name of country or the law of the land. Court intrigues, politics and Eddie's distaste for them. I do love how blunt he can be. And how saddened he can get by the human condition.
I can absolutely recommend this book, series and author.
jaymeks's review against another edition
3.0
While I am partial to the Arthurian legends, I thought this book was much better written than the previous two. Once I got about 50 pages in, I was hooked and couldn't put it down. While I kind of knew the ending already, I thought some of the subtle changes really helped the story, and twisted the ending just enough to make it a good one.
litwrite's review against another edition
4.0
My favourite in the series so far - I loved Bledsoe's take on the King Arthur myths. I'm impressed with how strong these books have been, consistent page turners and fantastic airport reading material.
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
If Jim Butcher ever decided to write a most enjoyable Dresden-style mystery around King Arthur, it'd be like this. [b:Dark Jenny|8684873|Dark Jenny (Eddie LaCrosse, #3)|Alex Bledsoe|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312051949s/8684873.jpg|13557123] is familiar and yet different, so you get a little "aha" moment every now and again when another piece falls into place, giving you the opportunity to enjoy a familiar story and setting, but with nothing quite the same as you remember. This also stands alone in the Eddi LaCrosse series; you don't need to have read the others to understand or enjoy it.
Small tip: if you're picky about historical accuracy and can't bear to watch a movie or read a book where "That wasn't even *invented* yet!", you might want to think again. It's nothing major, but the few things I noticed might drive you insane.
If, however, you love something that's tongue-in-cheek, doesn't care about tiny specifics but does care about smart comments and a disinterested hero who nonetheless gets pulled into the middle of a crisis, start reading!
Small tip: if you're picky about historical accuracy and can't bear to watch a movie or read a book where "That wasn't even *invented* yet!", you might want to think again. It's nothing major, but the few things I noticed might drive you insane.
If, however, you love something that's tongue-in-cheek, doesn't care about tiny specifics but does care about smart comments and a disinterested hero who nonetheless gets pulled into the middle of a crisis, start reading!
alishaaye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0