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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In this take on the reluctant hero, the damaged lone survivor of a previous quest sheds some light on the realities of the heroic dead. Damaged from the traumas previously endured Kell Kressia is sent on a quest.
Multiple problems with the story ensue. I won’t spoil anything but for me there was a lot lacking. The introspective bits by Kell were the best part. Heroes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Heroic acts aren’t all that heroic and all that. Those part I enjoyed but…
The world is very small and narrow of scope. Aside from a few fantastical creatures there’s no magic involved which is fine but there’s just not much to the world and one gets the feeling it could have been built on the fly in the course of a weekend.
If you want some light reading this is a serviceable novel. If you want to feel moved and marvel at the brilliance of the world, the plot, and the author, I’d say this is a hard pass.
Multiple problems with the story ensue. I won’t spoil anything but for me there was a lot lacking. The introspective bits by Kell were the best part. Heroes aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Heroic acts aren’t all that heroic and all that. Those part I enjoyed but…
The world is very small and narrow of scope. Aside from a few fantastical creatures there’s no magic involved which is fine but there’s just not much to the world and one gets the feeling it could have been built on the fly in the course of a weekend.
If you want some light reading this is a serviceable novel. If you want to feel moved and marvel at the brilliance of the world, the plot, and the author, I’d say this is a hard pass.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.25 !
Thank you to Netgally and Angry Robots for giving me this opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
In the five kingdoms, Kell is known as the slayer of the Ice Lich, the only survivor of band of warriors that saved the world from famine and eternal ice. In other words, a hero. But is he?
We quickly learn that Kell is neither a hero nor a coward like the title would suggest, but a simple man who as a teenager just wanted to save the world and survived through a traumatic experience that resulted in ptsd. Now as a new threat emerges he must face his fears and try to save the world once more.
I really liked this book ! First of all this read was a lighter epic fantasy (light as in opposite of dark fantasy) than I usually read. At the beginning especially it doesn’t take itself seriously. While it does have serious topics like ptsd, stereotypes, truth, lies, faith and religion, there were also several slapstick moments (like something out of a Monty Python sketch) that made me laugh. About halfway through the book, as the characters get closer and closer to their goal, the action takes the front scene culminating into a epic end. There was also a good amount of political intrigue that sets up the rest of the saga.
I loved the diversity of the secondary characters, they were all really fleshed out and boy do I hate that nasty ass Reverent Mother the most.
The writing was great and the world building was richly and superbly interwoven into the story. As always Stephen Aryan excels in these areas.
Kell as a main character was really engaging. I really liked how we could see his struggle with being famous, especially the way people see him as a figure from a tale and not a real human being. It’s a good critique of celebrity culture and how we can idolise them in a selfish, possessive way yet. And of course there was a clear critique of organised religion who want to impose their way of thinking and their evil schemes to colonise the world.
There were times where the writing wasn’t polished enough (like repeating something about a character or contradicting statement by a character) but it didn’t impact negatively on my enjoyment especially considering this is an ARC.
The ending has me super excited and I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series!
Thank you to Netgally and Angry Robots for giving me this opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.
In the five kingdoms, Kell is known as the slayer of the Ice Lich, the only survivor of band of warriors that saved the world from famine and eternal ice. In other words, a hero. But is he?
We quickly learn that Kell is neither a hero nor a coward like the title would suggest, but a simple man who as a teenager just wanted to save the world and survived through a traumatic experience that resulted in ptsd. Now as a new threat emerges he must face his fears and try to save the world once more.
I really liked this book ! First of all this read was a lighter epic fantasy (light as in opposite of dark fantasy) than I usually read. At the beginning especially it doesn’t take itself seriously. While it does have serious topics like ptsd, stereotypes, truth, lies, faith and religion, there were also several slapstick moments (like something out of a Monty Python sketch) that made me laugh. About halfway through the book, as the characters get closer and closer to their goal, the action takes the front scene culminating into a epic end. There was also a good amount of political intrigue that sets up the rest of the saga.
I loved the diversity of the secondary characters, they were all really fleshed out and boy do I hate that nasty ass Reverent Mother the most.
The writing was great and the world building was richly and superbly interwoven into the story. As always Stephen Aryan excels in these areas.
Kell as a main character was really engaging. I really liked how we could see his struggle with being famous, especially the way people see him as a figure from a tale and not a real human being. It’s a good critique of celebrity culture and how we can idolise them in a selfish, possessive way yet. And of course there was a clear critique of organised religion who want to impose their way of thinking and their evil schemes to colonise the world.
There were times where the writing wasn’t polished enough (like repeating something about a character or contradicting statement by a character) but it didn’t impact negatively on my enjoyment especially considering this is an ARC.
The ending has me super excited and I’m looking forward to read the next book in this series!
6.1/10
I picked up The Coward because I loved the idea of the premise. This idea of a kid left as the sole survivor of a heroic quest, being called up again as the danger comes back. And then that hero trying to run from what others would say is their duty. My first and biggest issue with this book comes from a disconnect between my view of how this would play out versus how it did. I do recognize that that is my fault entirely, but this is a subjective review anyway. I'll try to back up my opinions here either way.
The premise of the novel seems to tout itself as a character driven story with Kell Kressia at its center. But I didn't like much of his characterization. Kell is surely affected by his journey and all that he endured, but not nearly to the extent that I had assumed and hoped. I wanted a story of a deeply broken man, just barely getting by, with genuine terror at being asked to pick up his blade again. Instead, I felt Kell was more of a bitter and reluctant hero fueled a bit more by anger than fear. Further, it seems at about halfway that Kell accepts his quest wholeheartedly and no longer is hesitant or showing many, if any, signs of cowardice.
There's not too much more I'd like to say in this specific regard without getting into spoilers, so stay tuned for part two.
As for the rest of the book, I found the cast to be fine, I didn't hate any of these characters but didn't find myself forming much of an attachment to any either. Willow and her people, the Alfar, however, were fairly interesting. Overall, despite what I said above, I did enjoy this a bit, and I'd consider it better than the average book. A decent pick up, just don't get too far ahead of yourself and start to assume how it ought to go based on what you'd have liked.
*Spoilers ahead*
Okay, so as I said earlier, Kell Kressia did not seem to be the coward that I was led to believe he would be. Yes, he starts his journey with the intent to take the King's money and run to start a new life, but through his own thoughts, Kell seems to present more as selfish than as a coward. Kell does attempt to avoid his duty, but after being thwarted by Gerren twice, he simply gives in? I'm not convinced that the circumstances he was in made this quest unavoidable, and the change in character to confront the quest was not convincing. I think my problems mostly lie in the connotation of the word "coward." Perhaps you can argue that most of his early actions do brand Kell as a coward by the strict definition of the word. But for me, a coward would be someone deathly terrified of this danger and considering what he lived through, highly emotional about it. Yet Kell never breaks down in tears. He was a 17 year old boy, traumatized, now 27 with bandaids barely over these wounds, and when they should be reopened, Kell seems uncomfortable at best.
*Personal Journal ahead, feel free to skip*
This is my second attempt at reviewing what I've read this year. As of right now, I intend to keep it up. As I wrote just above this section, this is sort of my personal reflection of the review. A review of my review, I guess. I included a quote to start my first review, and it's something I think I'd like to do in these; but there wasn't a quote that made me feel like it was worth mentioning on its on. I did a brief search through the book, but admittedly, I didn't try too hard. I don't mean to be excessively harsh, and maybe it's not necessarily a bad thing; does every book need to have a standout quote? As for the rest of the review, it went off without a hitch. I think it's a little shorter than my first, which is what I'd prefer, so that's good. Though, that could simply be because I didn't enjoy this book as much as the one I read just before. Time will tell whether I'm getting more articulate and efficient with my words or if there's just a heavy correlation between my enjoyment and the length of my review.
I picked up The Coward because I loved the idea of the premise. This idea of a kid left as the sole survivor of a heroic quest, being called up again as the danger comes back. And then that hero trying to run from what others would say is their duty. My first and biggest issue with this book comes from a disconnect between my view of how this would play out versus how it did. I do recognize that that is my fault entirely, but this is a subjective review anyway. I'll try to back up my opinions here either way.
The premise of the novel seems to tout itself as a character driven story with Kell Kressia at its center. But I didn't like much of his characterization. Kell is surely affected by his journey and all that he endured, but not nearly to the extent that I had assumed and hoped. I wanted a story of a deeply broken man, just barely getting by, with genuine terror at being asked to pick up his blade again. Instead, I felt Kell was more of a bitter and reluctant hero fueled a bit more by anger than fear. Further, it seems at about halfway that Kell accepts his quest wholeheartedly and no longer is hesitant or showing many, if any, signs of cowardice.
There's not too much more I'd like to say in this specific regard without getting into spoilers, so stay tuned for part two.
As for the rest of the book, I found the cast to be fine, I didn't hate any of these characters but didn't find myself forming much of an attachment to any either. Willow and her people, the Alfar, however, were fairly interesting. Overall, despite what I said above, I did enjoy this a bit, and I'd consider it better than the average book. A decent pick up, just don't get too far ahead of yourself and start to assume how it ought to go based on what you'd have liked.
*Spoilers ahead*
Okay, so as I said earlier, Kell Kressia did not seem to be the coward that I was led to believe he would be. Yes, he starts his journey with the intent to take the King's money and run to start a new life, but through his own thoughts, Kell seems to present more as selfish than as a coward. Kell does attempt to avoid his duty, but after being thwarted by Gerren twice, he simply gives in? I'm not convinced that the circumstances he was in made this quest unavoidable, and the change in character to confront the quest was not convincing. I think my problems mostly lie in the connotation of the word "coward." Perhaps you can argue that most of his early actions do brand Kell as a coward by the strict definition of the word. But for me, a coward would be someone deathly terrified of this danger and considering what he lived through, highly emotional about it. Yet Kell never breaks down in tears. He was a 17 year old boy, traumatized, now 27 with bandaids barely over these wounds, and when they should be reopened, Kell seems uncomfortable at best.
*Personal Journal ahead, feel free to skip*
This is my second attempt at reviewing what I've read this year. As of right now, I intend to keep it up. As I wrote just above this section, this is sort of my personal reflection of the review. A review of my review, I guess. I included a quote to start my first review, and it's something I think I'd like to do in these; but there wasn't a quote that made me feel like it was worth mentioning on its on. I did a brief search through the book, but admittedly, I didn't try too hard. I don't mean to be excessively harsh, and maybe it's not necessarily a bad thing; does every book need to have a standout quote? As for the rest of the review, it went off without a hitch. I think it's a little shorter than my first, which is what I'd prefer, so that's good. Though, that could simply be because I didn't enjoy this book as much as the one I read just before. Time will tell whether I'm getting more articulate and efficient with my words or if there's just a heavy correlation between my enjoyment and the length of my review.
My love for ‘The Coward’ knows no bounds… Almost.
I wanted so badly to give this novel a 5-star rating because everything from the storytelling to the execution was beautiful, however there were a few flaws.
So let’s get right into the bad…. What kept me from rating this novel a full 5 was the fact that there were so many typos. I know that not every aspect can be perfect when going through the process of writing and publishing an entire novel but the sheer amount of mistakes I came across while reading slightly put me off. From incorrect tenses to missing commas, I was disappointed to see just how much slipped through the cracks and made it into the final work. Luckily none of the mistakes were large enough to put me off and I don’t think that they made a serious dent in my reading experience. Other than the spelling errors I was minorly disappointed by the climax of this story. I felt like it fell through and a lot of the information was rushed into the last 50 pages or so. I will say that I am looking forward to picking up the second book though to see how all of the information plays out.
Now onto the good things… I absolutely adored so much about this novel that putting it down hurt. I tried to pace myself and give myself time to fully absorb the thoughts and actions of the characters and while it pained me to do so, I am glad that I did it. I absolutely loved Vahli and Willow and I was thoroughly entertained by Gerren, Bronwyn, and Malomir !!! I was pleased to see each character got a chance to be fleshed out and that they weren’t just Kell’s poorly written sidekicks. Every character felt relatable and like they had a genuine purpose outside supporting the main character. I also loved the way that Kell was written. I enjoyed the fact that as a reader it wasn’t pushed on me that Kell was the only important aspect of the book. He felt like just another character within the band of quirky and interesting people. In that aspect I believe Kell felt more like a real person rather than someone a reader wouldn’t be able to truly relate to. Kell Kressia is a man struggling with PTSD, Depression, as well as many other things and it shows and resonates within the reader. The settings and information and the story itself were also so beautifully written and I was able to picture almost everything that happened within the novel.
Overall this was a wonderful read and I’m so glad I picked it up!! Even with its flaws I believe that ‘The Coward’ deserves more recognition and higher ratings than it currently has.
And if you have thought about picking this novel up I highly suggest that you do!!!
I wanted so badly to give this novel a 5-star rating because everything from the storytelling to the execution was beautiful, however there were a few flaws.
So let’s get right into the bad…. What kept me from rating this novel a full 5 was the fact that there were so many typos. I know that not every aspect can be perfect when going through the process of writing and publishing an entire novel but the sheer amount of mistakes I came across while reading slightly put me off. From incorrect tenses to missing commas, I was disappointed to see just how much slipped through the cracks and made it into the final work. Luckily none of the mistakes were large enough to put me off and I don’t think that they made a serious dent in my reading experience. Other than the spelling errors I was minorly disappointed by the climax of this story. I felt like it fell through and a lot of the information was rushed into the last 50 pages or so. I will say that I am looking forward to picking up the second book though to see how all of the information plays out.
Now onto the good things… I absolutely adored so much about this novel that putting it down hurt. I tried to pace myself and give myself time to fully absorb the thoughts and actions of the characters and while it pained me to do so, I am glad that I did it. I absolutely loved Vahli and Willow and I was thoroughly entertained by Gerren, Bronwyn, and Malomir !!! I was pleased to see each character got a chance to be fleshed out and that they weren’t just Kell’s poorly written sidekicks. Every character felt relatable and like they had a genuine purpose outside supporting the main character. I also loved the way that Kell was written. I enjoyed the fact that as a reader it wasn’t pushed on me that Kell was the only important aspect of the book. He felt like just another character within the band of quirky and interesting people. In that aspect I believe Kell felt more like a real person rather than someone a reader wouldn’t be able to truly relate to. Kell Kressia is a man struggling with PTSD, Depression, as well as many other things and it shows and resonates within the reader. The settings and information and the story itself were also so beautifully written and I was able to picture almost everything that happened within the novel.
Overall this was a wonderful read and I’m so glad I picked it up!! Even with its flaws I believe that ‘The Coward’ deserves more recognition and higher ratings than it currently has.
And if you have thought about picking this novel up I highly suggest that you do!!!
Got a about twenty pages in before the poor quality of writing turned me off of reading any further. It’s abysmal. Do not waste your money.
adventurous
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's a pretty straightforward read, with some fun tropes of the fantasy genre, and I like how exhausted the main character is. I also like the world building, although this book ends with still *so much* unexplained. I also would have preferred the final antagonist to be slightly different, but ultimately it was a fun hang.
PLOT: 4/5
i really enjoyed the plot. it was unique, and it's always good to just read a fantasy book. slow at the beginning, but picked up.
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
loved. good growth and development. i liked how the most terrifying characters were literally just buff women.
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
mid. felt like aryan was scared of commas. (aryan is a terrible last name. poor guy.) sentence structure was incredibly repetitive and felt juvenile.
ENJOYMENT: 4/5
like i said, you can't go wrong with a classic fantasy novel. i am slightly in love with every character. world building was wonderful and not intimidating.
FINAL RATING: 3.9/4
i really enjoyed the plot. it was unique, and it's always good to just read a fantasy book. slow at the beginning, but picked up.
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
loved. good growth and development. i liked how the most terrifying characters were literally just buff women.
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
mid. felt like aryan was scared of commas. (aryan is a terrible last name. poor guy.) sentence structure was incredibly repetitive and felt juvenile.
ENJOYMENT: 4/5
like i said, you can't go wrong with a classic fantasy novel. i am slightly in love with every character. world building was wonderful and not intimidating.
FINAL RATING: 3.9/4
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated