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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
‘The Barrow’ is an epic fantasy adventure, set in the world of the Artesia comic books, by the same author and illustrator, Mark Smylie. For those of you who are familiar with the Artesia comic books, ‘The Barrow’ follow Artesia’s brother, Stjepan, on a dangerous quest to retrieve a fabled sword from the tomb of notorious Demon King. The story is some sort of prequel to the Artesia comic books and is as such accessible for new readers. If you don’t know anything about the comic books, as I did when I first started this book, you’ll have no trouble following or enjoying the story at all. Artesia herself only makes a few brief appearances in this novel, but if I’ve heard correctly, we’ll learn more about her in the sequel to ‘The Barrow’.
First I’d like to warn people who are not familiar with the comic books and who are interested in picking this book up. This is a book that doesn’t shy away from anything. There is crude language, extreme, bloody violence, death all around and some very explicit and disturbing sex scenes and sexual references. I for one was not put off by this, though it made me feel slightly uncomfortable at times. It fit the story and somehow didn’t feel ‘wrong’ in the context of the book. But I’m pretty sure some people won’t want to read stuff like this and if you know that you are opposed to the things I mentioned above, than I don’t think this book is for you unfortunately.
The prologue that Smylie wrote for The Barrow is one of the best I’ve read in ages. In many ways it’s a story in itself that paves the way for the rest of the book. We meet Stjepan Black-Heart, Erim, Harvald and Gilgwyr, who, together with a band of thieves and criminals, are breaking in to a temple of the Nameless cult and stealing the gold and – more importantly – a map to The Barrow. You might have guessed, ‘breaking in to a temple of the Nameless cult’ sounds pretty dangerous and it is. Prepare for your first introduction to Smylie’s thrilling action scenes and the horror of some of the creatures he has inhabited this intriguing world with.
From there on follows a very extensive and intricate quest-like adventure where the surviving members of the gang first try to make sense of the map and then try to locate the Barrow. It would be too easy if the map just plainly led them to the Barrow, wouldn’t it? Off course it’s cursed. In a thrilling series of events the map is destroyed and it looks like everyone who had hopes of becoming rich when finding Azharad’s Barrow has to go back to their daily occupations. But then the map shows up somewhere no one had expected to find it. It brings with it some complications but the quest is back on and they all set out to find the Barrow and the sword.
I have to applaud the world building here, it was magnificently done. It might be a bit confusing and overwhelming at times, but it’s extremely interesting when one of the characters tells you something more about the history of the Known World. It gives the story a lot more context, especially since not all the characters are from the same part of the country or the same race. I’m always interested to know more about a certain culture’s history, their customs and their religion. Traveling through the lands of the Known World we get to know more and more about all these things, which delighted me.
Smylie has chosen a varied cast of characters for his story. I think it’s safe to say that the most important one is Stjepan Black-Heart, a royal cartographer with more than one obscure side-job. He’s both cruel, stone-hearted and solitary, but sometimes you can see a glimpse of a more caring, softer person deep inside. He met Gilgwyr and Harvald at the University, which teaches next to the more ordinary things also magic, and they are all in on this scheme to steal the sword from the Barrow. Gilgwyr owns a brothel and is one sick bastard. Seriously, get ready for some perverted thoughts and some weird stuff when you read from his point of view. Harvald is the son of a once rich and noble family that has fallen from grace due to his sister’s escapades. Harvald seems like a clever, sane person, but looks can deceive. Erim is a young girl that disguises as a boy and she is Stjepan’s protégé. She’s fierce, a skilled fighter and very loyal, though she is in a constant internal struggle over her own thoughts and virtue. Arduin and Annwyn are Harvald’s siblings. Arduin is every bit the image of a nobleman, the knight in shining armour, looking down on anyone who is not worth his time. Stjepan and his gang are definitely far beneath him and he’s not afraid to show it. Annwyn, famed for her beauty, has suffered immensely from the scandal that rocked her family and has since become a recluse. She is a very dubious character, but the ending explains everything concerning her behaviour throughout the story.
On to another thing that I thought was worth mentioning about this book: the sexuality. As I’ve said before, there is some seriously disturbing sexual behaviour and thoughts in this book, but it’s more than that. A lot of the characters are explicitly bisexual and they are also very open about this. The only ones that I’ve seen shy away from the sexuality are Erim, who’s scared to be condemned for her thoughts though she does have more than a few lewd thoughts, trust me, and Arduin, who is just a prude nobleman. Than we have the character of Erim, who is a girl but prefers to disguise as a boy. Does she identify more with a boy than a girl or is it simply to have an advantage in this male-dominated, criminal world? I’ll let you make up your own mind.
‘The Barrow’ is a richly narrated, dark story that kept me hooked all the way through. The worldbuilding is extensive and interesting and the characters are varied and complex. Nothing is as it seems in this book, there are twists aplenty that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot of gore, more than one disturbing scene and explicit sex and that might put you off, but if you think this won’t be an issue, read this, it’s one hell of a book.
First I’d like to warn people who are not familiar with the comic books and who are interested in picking this book up. This is a book that doesn’t shy away from anything. There is crude language, extreme, bloody violence, death all around and some very explicit and disturbing sex scenes and sexual references. I for one was not put off by this, though it made me feel slightly uncomfortable at times. It fit the story and somehow didn’t feel ‘wrong’ in the context of the book. But I’m pretty sure some people won’t want to read stuff like this and if you know that you are opposed to the things I mentioned above, than I don’t think this book is for you unfortunately.
The prologue that Smylie wrote for The Barrow is one of the best I’ve read in ages. In many ways it’s a story in itself that paves the way for the rest of the book. We meet Stjepan Black-Heart, Erim, Harvald and Gilgwyr, who, together with a band of thieves and criminals, are breaking in to a temple of the Nameless cult and stealing the gold and – more importantly – a map to The Barrow. You might have guessed, ‘breaking in to a temple of the Nameless cult’ sounds pretty dangerous and it is. Prepare for your first introduction to Smylie’s thrilling action scenes and the horror of some of the creatures he has inhabited this intriguing world with.
From there on follows a very extensive and intricate quest-like adventure where the surviving members of the gang first try to make sense of the map and then try to locate the Barrow. It would be too easy if the map just plainly led them to the Barrow, wouldn’t it? Off course it’s cursed. In a thrilling series of events the map is destroyed and it looks like everyone who had hopes of becoming rich when finding Azharad’s Barrow has to go back to their daily occupations. But then the map shows up somewhere no one had expected to find it. It brings with it some complications but the quest is back on and they all set out to find the Barrow and the sword.
I have to applaud the world building here, it was magnificently done. It might be a bit confusing and overwhelming at times, but it’s extremely interesting when one of the characters tells you something more about the history of the Known World. It gives the story a lot more context, especially since not all the characters are from the same part of the country or the same race. I’m always interested to know more about a certain culture’s history, their customs and their religion. Traveling through the lands of the Known World we get to know more and more about all these things, which delighted me.
Smylie has chosen a varied cast of characters for his story. I think it’s safe to say that the most important one is Stjepan Black-Heart, a royal cartographer with more than one obscure side-job. He’s both cruel, stone-hearted and solitary, but sometimes you can see a glimpse of a more caring, softer person deep inside. He met Gilgwyr and Harvald at the University, which teaches next to the more ordinary things also magic, and they are all in on this scheme to steal the sword from the Barrow. Gilgwyr owns a brothel and is one sick bastard. Seriously, get ready for some perverted thoughts and some weird stuff when you read from his point of view. Harvald is the son of a once rich and noble family that has fallen from grace due to his sister’s escapades. Harvald seems like a clever, sane person, but looks can deceive. Erim is a young girl that disguises as a boy and she is Stjepan’s protégé. She’s fierce, a skilled fighter and very loyal, though she is in a constant internal struggle over her own thoughts and virtue. Arduin and Annwyn are Harvald’s siblings. Arduin is every bit the image of a nobleman, the knight in shining armour, looking down on anyone who is not worth his time. Stjepan and his gang are definitely far beneath him and he’s not afraid to show it. Annwyn, famed for her beauty, has suffered immensely from the scandal that rocked her family and has since become a recluse. She is a very dubious character, but the ending explains everything concerning her behaviour throughout the story.
On to another thing that I thought was worth mentioning about this book: the sexuality. As I’ve said before, there is some seriously disturbing sexual behaviour and thoughts in this book, but it’s more than that. A lot of the characters are explicitly bisexual and they are also very open about this. The only ones that I’ve seen shy away from the sexuality are Erim, who’s scared to be condemned for her thoughts though she does have more than a few lewd thoughts, trust me, and Arduin, who is just a prude nobleman. Than we have the character of Erim, who is a girl but prefers to disguise as a boy. Does she identify more with a boy than a girl or is it simply to have an advantage in this male-dominated, criminal world? I’ll let you make up your own mind.
‘The Barrow’ is a richly narrated, dark story that kept me hooked all the way through. The worldbuilding is extensive and interesting and the characters are varied and complex. Nothing is as it seems in this book, there are twists aplenty that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot of gore, more than one disturbing scene and explicit sex and that might put you off, but if you think this won’t be an issue, read this, it’s one hell of a book.
This is one of the BEST BOOKS IVE EVER READ!!! Its amazing! Its like a mix of Game of Thrones and The Disk World, filled with adventures and death and amazingness! I would give this book a rating of 1000++ , Mark Smylie has made an amazing novel and is a disgusting guy but well done!
You r one sick dude but u have an amazing imagination :3
You r one sick dude but u have an amazing imagination :3
8.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/06/24/the-barrow-by-mark-smylie-review/
With the long-awaited release of Black Heart earlier this year, it was time to revisit the world of Artesia via The Barrow, a prequel adventure to the comics/graphic novels that I’ve not yet read. What I remembered about the book I read back in 2014 could’ve filled… well, a paragraph? A short one, at least.
Deep and extensive world-building. A highly addictive read full of adventure, magic, darkness, intrigue, and bloody fights. Also, very graphic sex.
Which… yeah, is basically the Barrow in a nutshell. But let’s go a little deeper, shall we?
To find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map.
Stjepan Black-Heart, murderer, royal cartographer, and adventurer, is desperate for success. But then he’s traversed the whole of the Middle Kingdoms—even escaping their bounds, and crossing the continent itself. But for his greatest adventure, he must turn to somewhere oh so close to home.
When asked just who she was, Erim wasn’t sure what to say. But after a trip to Manon Mole, she would’ve said she was Stjepan’s man. Only hiccup being that she ain’t a man at all, but a woman masquerading as one. What she may lack in confidence, Erim makes up in skill. Her skill with a blade, specifically. But this latest adventure may answer a few questions for her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Harvald Orwain is the youngest son of a once great house, determined to retrieve his family’s honor. He’s also a troublemaker, thief, and architect of the crew’s current mission. After all, only a miracle can resurrect their family name. A miracle, or a mythical sword.
The sword Gladringer is one of the most legendary blades in creation. Used by the last Dragon king to slay the Wormlords and their hell-forged swords, it was lost by a lord known forever as the Fumbler, and fell out of hand and into legend. However, rumor has it that it was taken up by Azharad, an evil warlock without equal, and was buried with him in his barrow when he fell. Many adventurers have set out to find this blade, and only a few returned empty-handed.
Because most never returned at all.
The problem with the barrow is, while it’s thought to exist in the Bale Mole, its precise locale is lost to time. And the Bale Mole is as vast as it is deadly. And yet Harvald and Stjepan have hope. Because they have found something that no one else has.
A map.
But even with a map, a quest into the Bale Mole is fraught with danger. They’ll need a some weapons, some talent, some expendables—they’ll need a crew.
Gilgwyr is a brothel owner and exceptional pervert. The only thing he likes more than sex is power, and the coin to enable it. Leigh, a magus who may not be the evil wizard he was exiled for, but he’s definitely gone a little bit crazy in his years alone. Arduin Orwain is the scion of Harvald’s house, brought low by scandal. Annwyn is the beautiful cause of said scandal. Godewyn Red-Hand is a mercenary, murderer, rapist, and professional asshole. But where the crew is headed, they’ll need all the help they can get.
—
Wilhem Price and Sir Colin Urwed were walking around the Ladies’ Tent, marking a sentry circle, scanning the field and hills around them, when they heard something like a whisper come up from the hill. They turned and looked up the hill just in time to see a plunge of dust jet out from the entrance to the barrow some six hundred paces away up the stone steps. The two of them took a few steps toward the hill and stopped, then looked at each other.
—
A bloody, violent, brutal romp through half the empire to the tomb of an evil necromancer. Absolutely filled with violence, lore, graphic sex, and “oh FUCK” moments. Supported by tension, mystery—and lore the likes of which is rarely seen. Did I mention the graphic, graphic sex? It’s like, I mean, I can’t judge personal preference or taste but… it’s borderline too much. Beastiality, incest, consenting adults and all that. I mean, it’s definitely noticeable, especially in the beginning. But then the adventure takes over.
This is the dark fantasy you always wanted. Or never wanted to see. Or… probably somewhere in between.
And if the graphic sex didn’t scare you off, the gratuitous violence probably won’t either. But, to be fair, it really isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely grimdark level combat, but Smylie doesn’t have the bloody red streak that you’ll see in Abercrombie and Lawrence. But he does have his own personal touch (what with the all sex and such).
The adventure, the quest is the reason to come and the reason to stay. Set in a world of deep lore and meticulously built from the ground up, Artesia is truly a wonder, say what you will about how it comes across. There’s just so much to it—the depth keeps going. Sometimes this was borderline too much as well; unwanted info that otherwise spoiled the mood, or more likely the pace, though I really couldn’t find myself caring overly much about it. This is the Barrow’s charm, you see. You take one with the other. And to go on this legendary adventure, you’re going to have to pick up a bit of its history. History that was mostly quite entertaining. I only ever really noticed it near the end. Otherwise, I didn’t care.
The adventure itself… well, it’s a treasure hunt through a kingdom of lords and thieves. Of whores and ladies. Of magic and mystery. Of darkness and… darker darkness. It’s everything that you ever dreamt when you first read Narnia and though “hmmm that doesn’t seem realistic”. It’s a treasure-hunt with all the blood and sex and battles and undead and intrigue and mythos and more. It’s a hell of an adventure and a hell of a read.
And it’s just the beginning.
Black Heart, the second Sword & Barrow novel by Mark Smylie, is currently available in three parts as an ebook, but has yet to be picked up by any publisher. If you’re curious about the story there, I’ve a bit of a series of posts about it. I’ll throw the links in down at the bottom. The final entry in the Sword & Barrow, Bright Sword, is in the works. Smylie has said he’s started working on it already, and with Black Heart finally releasing, I’m actually hopeful we’ll see it in the next few years.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/06/24/the-barrow-by-mark-smylie-review/
With the long-awaited release of Black Heart earlier this year, it was time to revisit the world of Artesia via The Barrow, a prequel adventure to the comics/graphic novels that I’ve not yet read. What I remembered about the book I read back in 2014 could’ve filled… well, a paragraph? A short one, at least.
Deep and extensive world-building. A highly addictive read full of adventure, magic, darkness, intrigue, and bloody fights. Also, very graphic sex.
Which… yeah, is basically the Barrow in a nutshell. But let’s go a little deeper, shall we?
To find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map.
Stjepan Black-Heart, murderer, royal cartographer, and adventurer, is desperate for success. But then he’s traversed the whole of the Middle Kingdoms—even escaping their bounds, and crossing the continent itself. But for his greatest adventure, he must turn to somewhere oh so close to home.
When asked just who she was, Erim wasn’t sure what to say. But after a trip to Manon Mole, she would’ve said she was Stjepan’s man. Only hiccup being that she ain’t a man at all, but a woman masquerading as one. What she may lack in confidence, Erim makes up in skill. Her skill with a blade, specifically. But this latest adventure may answer a few questions for her—if it doesn’t kill her first.
Harvald Orwain is the youngest son of a once great house, determined to retrieve his family’s honor. He’s also a troublemaker, thief, and architect of the crew’s current mission. After all, only a miracle can resurrect their family name. A miracle, or a mythical sword.
The sword Gladringer is one of the most legendary blades in creation. Used by the last Dragon king to slay the Wormlords and their hell-forged swords, it was lost by a lord known forever as the Fumbler, and fell out of hand and into legend. However, rumor has it that it was taken up by Azharad, an evil warlock without equal, and was buried with him in his barrow when he fell. Many adventurers have set out to find this blade, and only a few returned empty-handed.
Because most never returned at all.
The problem with the barrow is, while it’s thought to exist in the Bale Mole, its precise locale is lost to time. And the Bale Mole is as vast as it is deadly. And yet Harvald and Stjepan have hope. Because they have found something that no one else has.
A map.
But even with a map, a quest into the Bale Mole is fraught with danger. They’ll need a some weapons, some talent, some expendables—they’ll need a crew.
Gilgwyr is a brothel owner and exceptional pervert. The only thing he likes more than sex is power, and the coin to enable it. Leigh, a magus who may not be the evil wizard he was exiled for, but he’s definitely gone a little bit crazy in his years alone. Arduin Orwain is the scion of Harvald’s house, brought low by scandal. Annwyn is the beautiful cause of said scandal. Godewyn Red-Hand is a mercenary, murderer, rapist, and professional asshole. But where the crew is headed, they’ll need all the help they can get.
—
Wilhem Price and Sir Colin Urwed were walking around the Ladies’ Tent, marking a sentry circle, scanning the field and hills around them, when they heard something like a whisper come up from the hill. They turned and looked up the hill just in time to see a plunge of dust jet out from the entrance to the barrow some six hundred paces away up the stone steps. The two of them took a few steps toward the hill and stopped, then looked at each other.
—
A bloody, violent, brutal romp through half the empire to the tomb of an evil necromancer. Absolutely filled with violence, lore, graphic sex, and “oh FUCK” moments. Supported by tension, mystery—and lore the likes of which is rarely seen. Did I mention the graphic, graphic sex? It’s like, I mean, I can’t judge personal preference or taste but… it’s borderline too much. Beastiality, incest, consenting adults and all that. I mean, it’s definitely noticeable, especially in the beginning. But then the adventure takes over.
This is the dark fantasy you always wanted. Or never wanted to see. Or… probably somewhere in between.
And if the graphic sex didn’t scare you off, the gratuitous violence probably won’t either. But, to be fair, it really isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely grimdark level combat, but Smylie doesn’t have the bloody red streak that you’ll see in Abercrombie and Lawrence. But he does have his own personal touch (what with the all sex and such).
The adventure, the quest is the reason to come and the reason to stay. Set in a world of deep lore and meticulously built from the ground up, Artesia is truly a wonder, say what you will about how it comes across. There’s just so much to it—the depth keeps going. Sometimes this was borderline too much as well; unwanted info that otherwise spoiled the mood, or more likely the pace, though I really couldn’t find myself caring overly much about it. This is the Barrow’s charm, you see. You take one with the other. And to go on this legendary adventure, you’re going to have to pick up a bit of its history. History that was mostly quite entertaining. I only ever really noticed it near the end. Otherwise, I didn’t care.
The adventure itself… well, it’s a treasure hunt through a kingdom of lords and thieves. Of whores and ladies. Of magic and mystery. Of darkness and… darker darkness. It’s everything that you ever dreamt when you first read Narnia and though “hmmm that doesn’t seem realistic”. It’s a treasure-hunt with all the blood and sex and battles and undead and intrigue and mythos and more. It’s a hell of an adventure and a hell of a read.
And it’s just the beginning.
Black Heart, the second Sword & Barrow novel by Mark Smylie, is currently available in three parts as an ebook, but has yet to be picked up by any publisher. If you’re curious about the story there, I’ve a bit of a series of posts about it. I’ll throw the links in down at the bottom. The final entry in the Sword & Barrow, Bright Sword, is in the works. Smylie has said he’s started working on it already, and with Black Heart finally releasing, I’m actually hopeful we’ll see it in the next few years.
Full of rape and objectification of women. None of the women are given their own agency and seem to exist for the sole purpose of gratifying the male characters. I would not recommend this book to anyone because of its problematic portrayal of women.
read three quarters of this book and just found I wasn't invested in the outcome.
This story was so very different from a lot of the fantasy stories I've read. The characters were very deep, well developed & there was some character growth. Not every character was as they seemed & you had to pay attention to some nuances as the story progressed. Magic was used in abundance & not subtle as in many fantasy stories. Not a lot of sword fighting or combat threw out the book, but was a nice change as what little there was I felt the author didn't explain the movements as the fight was purely for story progression. I do recommend this for any fan of fantasy adventure works.
I won't hold back - this is a train wreck of a book. At first pass, these are the stock characters every GM has dealt into an ongoing campaign, the initial quest as straight forward as they come: rob the ancient tomb, plunder some gold, get the magic sword.
Why read it, then? There's an argument there. You could say its because it's a Michael Bay train wreck, a Wachowski style production. Larger than life explosions, Brandon Frazier as one of the male leads, over the top dungeon crawler.
And then chapter one starts.
The Barrow is a well written tale of gritty fantasy. The biggest problem this book faces, I think, is that if you haven't read the comic it's a prequel to, then there's no way to filter the volume of information being dumped on you. What's important? What's filler? I couldn't tell, and that's a problem. In a sea of gritty fantasy epics, this is certainly dark, more adult than most of its competition. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but it wasn't from a lack of style or ability, so your mileage may vary.
The ARC for this novel was kindly provided to me by Pyr for review.
Why read it, then? There's an argument there. You could say its because it's a Michael Bay train wreck, a Wachowski style production. Larger than life explosions, Brandon Frazier as one of the male leads, over the top dungeon crawler.
And then chapter one starts.
The Barrow is a well written tale of gritty fantasy. The biggest problem this book faces, I think, is that if you haven't read the comic it's a prequel to, then there's no way to filter the volume of information being dumped on you. What's important? What's filler? I couldn't tell, and that's a problem. In a sea of gritty fantasy epics, this is certainly dark, more adult than most of its competition. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but it wasn't from a lack of style or ability, so your mileage may vary.
The ARC for this novel was kindly provided to me by Pyr for review.
I wanted to like this book. I really, really wanted to. I loved that it was sexy, and dark, and gritty, and brutal, and terrible. It was like a filthy trip into the dark parts of the human mind, and I was eager to see where it would go, and what would happen when it got there.
Unfortunately, it failed to live up to its promise. The plot was inconsistent, and it left the book feeling like two halves of a whole that just didn't quite fit together in the middle. The first half is a dark, erotic adventure novel. The second half is just dark, not erotic, and ends in an orgy of horror that seems to serve no actual purpose except to be edgy and brutal. The middle of the book is too much description about every last detail of every person's clothing and not enough of anything else (I don't need to know all about every person's buttons. I don't. I love costumes but this was too much.) Some people die, and eventually the story moves forward, but a lot of other stuff happens that doesn't further the plot and just creates loose ends that are never followed up on.
I originally picked this book up at the library and returned it before finishing it. Later, I special ordered it at the bookstore because I moved and the new library didn't have it. I wish I'd never ordered it, not because I hated it, but because the half of the book that I read before was so much better than the book as a whole. That said, I still love Stjepan, and I may yet read a sequel now that Mark Smylie has had some time to mature as an author.
Unfortunately, it failed to live up to its promise. The plot was inconsistent, and it left the book feeling like two halves of a whole that just didn't quite fit together in the middle. The first half is a dark, erotic adventure novel. The second half is just dark, not erotic, and ends in an orgy of horror that seems to serve no actual purpose except to be edgy and brutal. The middle of the book is too much description about every last detail of every person's clothing and not enough of anything else (I don't need to know all about every person's buttons. I don't. I love costumes but this was too much.) Some people die, and eventually the story moves forward, but a lot of other stuff happens that doesn't further the plot and just creates loose ends that are never followed up on.
Spoiler
Because all of those characters die.I originally picked this book up at the library and returned it before finishing it. Later, I special ordered it at the bookstore because I moved and the new library didn't have it. I wish I'd never ordered it, not because I hated it, but because the half of the book that I read before was so much better than the book as a whole. That said, I still love Stjepan, and I may yet read a sequel now that Mark Smylie has had some time to mature as an author.
I think this is, by far, the most sexually-graphic fantasy novel I've ever read. Also, there are plenty of beheadings, blood & guts. Alright, that said, I - being nothing but a wretched human being - love this sort of vileness so I am compelled to rate "The Barrow" five disgusting & filthy stars.
Loses one star for gratuitous and nonconsensual sex. Obviously an RPG world - places and history described in loving, exacting detail, while characters are superficially intriguing but ultimately barely sketched and/or inconsistent. Absolutely no character growth, and not a lot of character agency. Plot is remarkably by-the-numbers dungeon crawl. Some interesting scenes showed promise, but no follow through. Reading was a slog but I kept up because there were sparks, and one and a half fascinating characters - or perhaps I should say that their potential is fascinating. Writing and editing pretty solid, just lacking depth. Sad.
[EDIT] after some thought, while everything I said still stands, I have to admit the final twist was ingenious, and it reflects back on prior events, showing some hints that are not quite effective foreshadowing, but are clever nonetheless. I'd give another half star, if I could.
[EDIT] after some thought, while everything I said still stands, I have to admit the final twist was ingenious, and it reflects back on prior events, showing some hints that are not quite effective foreshadowing, but are clever nonetheless. I'd give another half star, if I could.