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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Love Guy Gav, and as this is his most popular series I had high hopes. The story is strong and the emotions in the characters and events feel true. Knowing his other work though you can absolutely tell that this is an earlier, slightly clumsier version of his voice. I absolutely enjoyed it and am looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.
There are books which draw you in with their huge cast of interesting characters and there are some whose magical systems leaves you speechless. There are books of war and death, of friendship and weasley brothers, of coming of age and well, of aged wizards (I'm looking at you Raymond Feist)
And then there are books which are poetry in motion. Beautifully structured, gracefully written which deserves the recognition of being an art in the world of fantasy. This is one such tale.
The first thing that comes to mind when you read this book is Dragons and Dungeons. The second thing would probably be Narnia or Harry Potter. But unlike the latter two, this isn't a world which exists within one nor you're as young as you'd like to be when you discover FIONAVAR.
Summoned to a world between worlds and the balance of the entire cosmos lies in the hands and fates of five young people. Five people, completely different from each other, each with their personal issues. And in the world of Fionavar, bonds are broken before they can be made. This is a spectacular tale of black vs white vs grey.
I love the way Guy Gavriel writes. He doesn't waste time in doling out words just for the sake of making it beautiful. Forget words, he skips out sentences and actions. Too often, I've found myself anticipating if something is going to happen only to turn the page and find oh well, it did.
Book 1 ended with a dire warning. The gongs have sounded, the Gods have spoken and the darkness has spread forth. Will these 5 be the catalyst and where their paths lie is yet to be determined.
And then there are books which are poetry in motion. Beautifully structured, gracefully written which deserves the recognition of being an art in the world of fantasy. This is one such tale.
The first thing that comes to mind when you read this book is Dragons and Dungeons. The second thing would probably be Narnia or Harry Potter. But unlike the latter two, this isn't a world which exists within one nor you're as young as you'd like to be when you discover FIONAVAR.
Summoned to a world between worlds and the balance of the entire cosmos lies in the hands and fates of five young people. Five people, completely different from each other, each with their personal issues. And in the world of Fionavar, bonds are broken before they can be made. This is a spectacular tale of black vs white vs grey.
I love the way Guy Gavriel writes. He doesn't waste time in doling out words just for the sake of making it beautiful. Forget words, he skips out sentences and actions. Too often, I've found myself anticipating if something is going to happen only to turn the page and find oh well, it did.
Book 1 ended with a dire warning. The gongs have sounded, the Gods have spoken and the darkness has spread forth. Will these 5 be the catalyst and where their paths lie is yet to be determined.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I've finished the audiobook on autopilot. It's not that it is bad necessary, but it did just completely failed to grab my attention in any meaningful way. There are too many nearly indistinguishable characters, wrapped inside of a very standard fantasy story.
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had heard good things about this book and was eager to read it. However, it was just NOT catching my interest at all, despite having an interesting premise. I was hoping to give it a chance at least until page 100, but I just couldn't do it. The characters were so flat, dull, and non-reactive that it felt impossible to connect with any of them or even picture them as actual people. Seriously, their lack of reaction is disturbing. They travel to another dimension, but they might as well have just popped over to a quirky bar across town for how little they seemed to care. No wonderment, no excitement, no thrill.
To top it all off, the writing was grating (IMO). It was like enduring the prose of someone who loved to hear themselves talk. If the writing had more lyricism or artistic skill, I could more easily forgive this, but it doesn't. It was just...ugh. I've never read Kay's work before, so I don't know if this is his usual writing style (I hope not), but regardless, this book is not for me.
To top it all off, the writing was grating (IMO). It was like enduring the prose of someone who loved to hear themselves talk. If the writing had more lyricism or artistic skill, I could more easily forgive this, but it doesn't. It was just...ugh. I've never read Kay's work before, so I don't know if this is his usual writing style (I hope not), but regardless, this book is not for me.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dumb
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
meh.
second try at reading this first novel (and first of a series) of kay’s, and i made it all the way through this time.
it’s astounding to me how little i like this book, because his later books (especially, for me, ‘a brightness long ago’) are just SO beautifully written (amazing passages of prose) and so existentially emotional. every character sings and has resonance, the story feels so *there*. really, some of my favorite writing!
here tho, it just never lands for me. probably because the main ensemble of other-world crashing characters (all white, all cis, all mostly straight) are just so lackluster. any shine they end up with comes from being saved, trained or befriended by a MUCH better cast of secondary characters. and, it just really feels like a settler + savior vibe overall.
also, pretty significant (and unwarranted to tell the storyline it’s connected to) SA at end of book.
i do not love it, and won’t read the rest of the series. and remain flummoxed that my experience with this author can be so inconsistent! truly, both ends of the spectrum!
second try at reading this first novel (and first of a series) of kay’s, and i made it all the way through this time.
it’s astounding to me how little i like this book, because his later books (especially, for me, ‘a brightness long ago’) are just SO beautifully written (amazing passages of prose) and so existentially emotional. every character sings and has resonance, the story feels so *there*. really, some of my favorite writing!
here tho, it just never lands for me. probably because the main ensemble of other-world crashing characters (all white, all cis, all mostly straight) are just so lackluster. any shine they end up with comes from being saved, trained or befriended by a MUCH better cast of secondary characters. and, it just really feels like a settler + savior vibe overall.
also, pretty significant (and unwarranted to tell the storyline it’s connected to) SA at end of book.
i do not love it, and won’t read the rest of the series. and remain flummoxed that my experience with this author can be so inconsistent! truly, both ends of the spectrum!