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nigellicus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
5.0
Two brothers accidentally enrage an entire holy army and flee for their lives with the most dangerous elite troops and killers on their trail, plunging into a dried seabed desert with their companions, only to find all sorts of danger and terrors al around them. This is a lot of fun, the relationship with the brothers occasinally touching but mostly believably aggravating. They may not be the master assassins they're taken for, but they're not entirely stupid and quite resourceful when cornered. They also find themselves tasked with a secret mission that could affect the entire world, if they survive that long.
mwplante's review against another edition
4.0
So glad to have Robert Redick back!! A very promising start to a new trilogy within another wonderfully realized, wholly original world. Funny, poignant and thrilling by turns. The White Child gives me nightmares!!
emma_reads95's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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? Yes
4.5
gingerpuff11's review
adventurous
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? No
4.75
hindessm's review against another edition
4.0
Took a little while to get into this book but by the end I was unable to put it down.
ashley_crookham's review against another edition
5.0
"An abused notion, madness. Like cold. It is not really there, you know; cold is just a thing we feel when heat is gone"
simoneandherbooks's review
3.0
I've been slowly getting more into fantasy and high fantasy recently. I think it's turning out to be one of my favorite genres and male fantasy authors is a place I haven't explored yet. Yes, you have the classics like J.R.R. Tolkien, but with authors like George R.R. Martin, there's a certain style to their books completely different from how female fantasy authors approach the genre.
I'm glad that I started with MASTER ASSASSINS in exploring the genre with male authors. It was definitely a different voice than I'm used to reading and took me some getting used to, but I still ended up loving this book.
Most of the book takes place with Kandri and Mektu and their friends fleeing from the Rasanga and the Prophet who is getting revenge for the deaths of her two sons. One of them just happen to be her favorite and is a little salty about that. The story is extremely rich with a ton of description and realistic characters and their actions. I really felt like I was on this journey with the boys escaping from this evil Prophet. The mistaken identity was well handled and you'll definitely be binge reading this book.
What I loved the most is how Redick organized the book. The story is broken up into the present and the past. The present keeps the story moving forward so you're always inundated with action and understanding of what's happening. However, the story also gives you a glimpse into Kandri and Mektu's past. You see how they grew up and how they basically made it to where they are. This kind of world building allows for the story to keep moving forward without having to stop and explain everything that's going on.
I thought I would get lost in the names and language used here, but it was expertly done. I didn't search around Google or for some appendix on what everything meant. I was able to enjoy the book without having to pull myself out of that joy.
The writing itself is not the most refined thing ever, but I think it works with the characters and high stakes situation these boys are in. There's a lot of cursing and the language is simple, but it also makes for entertaining reading. If you're a fan of big action films, then you know that there's some rough and tumble language to convey stronger emotions.
I think the only thing that really annoyed me was the human trafficking and raping of women. Redick uses these two serious issues throughout the story, but I really wish it wasn't women being sold off and put into brothels. I feel like in a new fantasy series coming out in 2018 you can do more than just have the bad guys raping women and selling them off.
However, Redick does use it well and also has a ton of female characters who are bad ass and fighting for themselves. I don't know if it's a good trade-off. As long as these issues serve a purpose to the plot, then I'm not totally against it. I will say that it is pretty jarring if you're sensitive to that material.
Aside from that, I thought this book was great! If you're into lots of action and adventure, brotherly relationships, and high fantasy, then I think you'll love this one. It's an amazing start to another epic fantasy series and I can't wait to read the next one.
I'm glad that I started with MASTER ASSASSINS in exploring the genre with male authors. It was definitely a different voice than I'm used to reading and took me some getting used to, but I still ended up loving this book.
Most of the book takes place with Kandri and Mektu and their friends fleeing from the Rasanga and the Prophet who is getting revenge for the deaths of her two sons. One of them just happen to be her favorite and is a little salty about that. The story is extremely rich with a ton of description and realistic characters and their actions. I really felt like I was on this journey with the boys escaping from this evil Prophet. The mistaken identity was well handled and you'll definitely be binge reading this book.
What I loved the most is how Redick organized the book. The story is broken up into the present and the past. The present keeps the story moving forward so you're always inundated with action and understanding of what's happening. However, the story also gives you a glimpse into Kandri and Mektu's past. You see how they grew up and how they basically made it to where they are. This kind of world building allows for the story to keep moving forward without having to stop and explain everything that's going on.
I thought I would get lost in the names and language used here, but it was expertly done. I didn't search around Google or for some appendix on what everything meant. I was able to enjoy the book without having to pull myself out of that joy.
The writing itself is not the most refined thing ever, but I think it works with the characters and high stakes situation these boys are in. There's a lot of cursing and the language is simple, but it also makes for entertaining reading. If you're a fan of big action films, then you know that there's some rough and tumble language to convey stronger emotions.
I think the only thing that really annoyed me was the human trafficking and raping of women. Redick uses these two serious issues throughout the story, but I really wish it wasn't women being sold off and put into brothels. I feel like in a new fantasy series coming out in 2018 you can do more than just have the bad guys raping women and selling them off.
However, Redick does use it well and also has a ton of female characters who are bad ass and fighting for themselves. I don't know if it's a good trade-off. As long as these issues serve a purpose to the plot, then I'm not totally against it. I will say that it is pretty jarring if you're sensitive to that material.
Aside from that, I thought this book was great! If you're into lots of action and adventure, brotherly relationships, and high fantasy, then I think you'll love this one. It's an amazing start to another epic fantasy series and I can't wait to read the next one.
_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
4.0
The bad: that cover.
The good: everything else.
Seriously though - complicated and nuanced fantasy of the best kind. And some near perfect bits:
"Her name, Ariqina, will be the word that dances on the tip of his tongue, the clear note above the harangues and recitations, the sour trumpets, the curses and cackling and threats, Ariqina, the name that stitches all the scraps of him together into something he admires, something worth the trouble to recall."
"And suddenly, the sky is full of shooting stars. They scatter and flash like scarlet minnows; they skip and go dark and blaze again; they trickle earthward like rain on glass. For an instant, he is aware of nothing but their beauty, a heaven strange and infinite and open."
The good: everything else.
Seriously though - complicated and nuanced fantasy of the best kind. And some near perfect bits:
"Her name, Ariqina, will be the word that dances on the tip of his tongue, the clear note above the harangues and recitations, the sour trumpets, the curses and cackling and threats, Ariqina, the name that stitches all the scraps of him together into something he admires, something worth the trouble to recall."
"And suddenly, the sky is full of shooting stars. They scatter and flash like scarlet minnows; they skip and go dark and blaze again; they trickle earthward like rain on glass. For an instant, he is aware of nothing but their beauty, a heaven strange and infinite and open."
tmarthal's review against another edition
5.0
Started out slow and strange. The interspersed flashbacks tell a story and lead to an overarching plot of the series as well as the singular plot of the first book. The characters are great, the interplay between the brothers and their abilities are great; they are what you expect them to be, all the way through.