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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
If I could give this 3.5 I would. It was very good. I don't think it's worth 4 stars but definitely worth more than 3!?
This book started really strong and had good characters. Good world building as well. The plot started to drag in the middle though and while the story was great fun to read, it all felt familiar to me. I am glad I stuck with it but I felt like there wasn't really anything groundbreaking. Good, escapist fantasy.
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received “The Coward” by Stephen Aryan from the publisher as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I loved everything about the premise of this book. Following a character after their big heroic adventure has always intrigued me. What happens after the fame and when they get home? This story gives you an idea, and it’s not all wonderful and happy as one would expect. While that aspect isn’t quite unique, what made me love this story was the characters that ended up accompanying Kell, the main character who was a hero before and is now called to face new dangers that are cropping back up and threatening the land. I liked how the story weaved his previous heroism into the story in such a natural way that even though you learned a lot, it never felt like an information dump.
As I read, I thought that I had an idea of where the story was going or what was going to happen next, and was pleasantly surprised that the book kept me on my toes! Overall, I really enjoyed this book, Kell, and the company that he kept. The characters were unique and had depth, the story was interesting, and the whole book kept its promise! Looking forward to reading more from this author and reading the rest of this series.
I loved everything about the premise of this book. Following a character after their big heroic adventure has always intrigued me. What happens after the fame and when they get home? This story gives you an idea, and it’s not all wonderful and happy as one would expect. While that aspect isn’t quite unique, what made me love this story was the characters that ended up accompanying Kell, the main character who was a hero before and is now called to face new dangers that are cropping back up and threatening the land. I liked how the story weaved his previous heroism into the story in such a natural way that even though you learned a lot, it never felt like an information dump.
As I read, I thought that I had an idea of where the story was going or what was going to happen next, and was pleasantly surprised that the book kept me on my toes! Overall, I really enjoyed this book, Kell, and the company that he kept. The characters were unique and had depth, the story was interesting, and the whole book kept its promise! Looking forward to reading more from this author and reading the rest of this series.
The Coward is a wonderful adventure tale about Kell Kressia who 10 years ago became a legend amount the Five Kingdoms when he slayed the Ice Lich. Kell was the sole survivor of the team of warriors that went to kill the Ice Queen. Ten years ago, Kell was an arrogant seventeen year old kid that was looking for glory. All he found was years of nightmares and scars both physical and mental. Now a decade later, the Five Kingdoms believes the Ice Lich has returned and calls on Kell to slay her once more. Kell wants to take the money he is offered for the trip north and start a life somewhere far far away as he has no interest in revisiting the horrors that he saw while on the last journey. Along the way up north, a young seventeen year old kid, Gerren finds Kell and tells him that he is going with him to slay the Ice Lich once and for all. The adventure continues from there in an epic fantasy saga with horrific creatures and conditions for the unlikely team of warriors led by Kell. Will Kell live up to his heroic legend status or be the coward that he feels he is?
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A different take on heroes gathering to fight the main villian.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall, very strong book. The author does a good job of focusing on the thought processes of different characters. Unfortunately, the main “plot” of the book is by far the least interesting piece to it. The villain has basically 0 interesting features about them and is overcome quite quickly, which does undermine the supposed world ending threat they are supposed to be.
By far the most interesting sections were the political machinations surrounding the protagonist. While Kell never directly plays a role in the politics of the world, his very presence is the catalyst for a number of schemes, including the twist revealed at the end.
As to the ending, as I mentioned earlier, the antagonist is a major letdown. Also, there are a number of deaths that felt “cheap” in my opinion. They felt like they happened solely to set up the ending the author wanted, rather than a natural conclusion of their arc.
I felt the book could have used another 50-100 pages to better flesh out the villain as well as give greater emphasis on characters major deliberations that lead to character growth. As is, those decisions are often made over a few pages and are not given the weight they deserve.
Despite these comments, I really enjoyed this book. I will be checking out the second book from my local library soon!
By far the most interesting sections were the political machinations surrounding the protagonist. While Kell never directly plays a role in the politics of the world, his very presence is the catalyst for a number of schemes, including the twist revealed at the end.
As to the ending, as I mentioned earlier, the antagonist is a major letdown. Also, there are a number of deaths that felt “cheap” in my opinion. They felt like they happened solely to set up the ending the author wanted, rather than a natural conclusion of their arc.
I felt the book could have used another 50-100 pages to better flesh out the villain as well as give greater emphasis on characters major deliberations that lead to character growth. As is, those decisions are often made over a few pages and are not given the weight they deserve.
Despite these comments, I really enjoyed this book. I will be checking out the second book from my local library soon!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes