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steveneu's review
5.0
I'm agreeing with a lot of reviews. That ending really pushes this story from a 4 to a 5 star rating for me. I had a feeling, but still wasn't sure how it would play out in the final chapters and I did not want to be disappointed. Happy to say it concluded quite satisfyingly enough that I would re-read this novel again in the future. A nice range of characters, an entertaining story/quest, and a great ending! - highly recommended
madmooney's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc of this title (as part of their "New Faces 2023" campaign). I am so happy to hear that this was published prior to Orbit's re-issue, and that I will have to only wait a few months for its sequel, [b:The Bitter Crown|103453994|The Bitter Crown (Eidyn, #2)|Justin Lee Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1677552726l/103453994._SX50_.jpg|126781881].
I do want to say that this was originally going to be scored a 3.5 as I had a problem with a few of the author's choices (some of which I will detail below), but the the twist at the end has redeemed this 1st Eidyn installment. I will forgive my little peeves for now, especailly if it is possible that they were in written in service of the twist (or rather that they make sense retroactively due to the twist). We will see how they carry forth in Book 2.
Little irks:
Aranok - On first appearance, a character who is 'too hard on himself' and 'expects perfection from himself', something that is repeated often by the surrounding characters. Very much a 'rules for thee and not for me'-character. Once again, there is an aspect of this book that explains the use of this tired trope, so I will wait and watch to see if this persists in the follow up.
Magic System - not well defined nor that interesting. This is only the 1st installment, so I will give the author time to expand as his world expands.
Despite the above, I was invested from start to finish, and even more invested in those last few chapters.
One final thing: this was pitched as epic Scottish fantasy (also evidenced in the title of the series), but I was not feeling it to be particularily Scottish. It could be that I have read a lot of UK fantasy in the past, so I was not able to pick out the unique flavours our from the background in this case. I think I went in expecting more Highlander in this.
I do want to say that this was originally going to be scored a 3.5 as I had a problem with a few of the author's choices (some of which I will detail below), but the the twist at the end has redeemed this 1st Eidyn installment. I will forgive my little peeves for now, especailly if it is possible that they were in written in service of the twist (or rather that they make sense retroactively due to the twist). We will see how they carry forth in Book 2.
Little irks:
Aranok - On first appearance, a character who is 'too hard on himself' and 'expects perfection from himself', something that is repeated often by the surrounding characters. Very much a 'rules for thee and not for me'-character. Once again, there is an aspect of this book that explains the use of this tired trope, so I will wait and watch to see if this persists in the follow up.
Magic System - not well defined nor that interesting. This is only the 1st installment, so I will give the author time to expand as his world expands.
Despite the above, I was invested from start to finish, and even more invested in those last few chapters.
One final thing: this was pitched as epic Scottish fantasy (also evidenced in the title of the series), but I was not feeling it to be particularily Scottish. It could be that I have read a lot of UK fantasy in the past, so I was not able to pick out the unique flavours our from the background in this case. I think I went in expecting more Highlander in this.
griffdog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mashuu's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
yeahiguessman's review against another edition
3.75
“It is each person’s right to choose how the world knows them”
katietreebee's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Wow. That was incredible! I am absolutely blown away by that story, especially the ending!!!! So annoyed it was sat on my TBR for so long and I am immediately going to dive into book 2!
puzzled_pagan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
You know, I wasn't sure about this book until that ending. The world was fun, the magic was incentive, and I liked the characters, it just felt like it was kind of spinning it's wheels for a lot of the story. But boy did that ending make me want to see where the story goes. The only problem now is my frustration that fantasy authors just don't seem to know how to write a complete novel anymore. It's all just prelude to an ongoing tale, instead of a satisfying story that could lead to more. I liked it, I just wish it had a conclusion, instead of being part of a saga.
thegingeralex's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
barf_mobile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The twist and the ending were well done, I just wish the characters were less like wet cardboard. They all seem to follow archetypes and don't really develop or deviate from that. Maybe the next book will expand on them. Samily in paticular has a lot of potential as a character, but really failed to have much meaningful development. I didn’t really feel that the discussions about god and faith were all that interesting, but were a very prominent element.