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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
A Crown for Cold Silver started out slow and made me wonder just how many characters I was going to be introduced to before I got to the story. Then, it got so good that it became one of the best books I’ve read this year, and I’m hoping Alex Marshall writes a sequel. The story didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but I can tell there is more to be told, and I want to know what happens next, especially with Zosia, my favorite character by far. All of the characters are great. They’re complex, flawed, even irritating at times, but Zosia is amazing because she kicks major butt, but makes plenty of mistakes, and she’s an older character.
In fact, none of the characters in this book are your run of the mill Fantasy characters. Not everyone is white, straight, young, and beautiful or handsome. The older woman, Zosia, isn’t a witch, and Hoartrap, who is a sorcerer, is built like a barbarian. These are just two of the characters you meet that don’t fit the average Fantasy archetypes. The world is racially diverse, gender norms don’t exist, and sexuality is a non-issue in their society. However, the author doesn’t present these details in such a way as to make the story into one that either has no morals or is vastly superior to our own world. The world in which the characters live is as messed up as ours. They just have different problems.
This book is not for kids, or anyone who has a problem with excessive cussing. I don’t think there’s a single character that doesn’t let some foul language rip at least once. There is also a lot of bloodshed and violence (none of it is sexual though), and the characters get themselves into quite a few deadly situations. Not all of them make it, and the ones that don’t aren’t the ones you expect. Actually, you should be prepared to be surprised by quite a few events throughout the story, because around the time when you think you have everything figured out and know who is up to what, you’ll end up doing a double take. You might do several double takes before you’re done. If you’re looking for an epic fantasy full of non-standard characters, or if you love Dungeons and Dragons or the “A Song of Fire and Ice” series, you’ll love A Crown for Cold Silver.
In fact, none of the characters in this book are your run of the mill Fantasy characters. Not everyone is white, straight, young, and beautiful or handsome. The older woman, Zosia, isn’t a witch, and Hoartrap, who is a sorcerer, is built like a barbarian. These are just two of the characters you meet that don’t fit the average Fantasy archetypes. The world is racially diverse, gender norms don’t exist, and sexuality is a non-issue in their society. However, the author doesn’t present these details in such a way as to make the story into one that either has no morals or is vastly superior to our own world. The world in which the characters live is as messed up as ours. They just have different problems.
This book is not for kids, or anyone who has a problem with excessive cussing. I don’t think there’s a single character that doesn’t let some foul language rip at least once. There is also a lot of bloodshed and violence (none of it is sexual though), and the characters get themselves into quite a few deadly situations. Not all of them make it, and the ones that don’t aren’t the ones you expect. Actually, you should be prepared to be surprised by quite a few events throughout the story, because around the time when you think you have everything figured out and know who is up to what, you’ll end up doing a double take. You might do several double takes before you’re done. If you’re looking for an epic fantasy full of non-standard characters, or if you love Dungeons and Dragons or the “A Song of Fire and Ice” series, you’ll love A Crown for Cold Silver.
DNF @ Pg. 267 (After Part 1) - I had high hopes for this as an epic revenge story but it’s dragging and I don’t care what happens any longer. I won’t be dragged down with it. Got to pg. 267 after 16 days.
Starts slow, but this book is GOOOOOD. Once all the pieces fall into place, and you realize all of the characters' backgrounds it becomes a pretty epic story. And to make things even more fun, it turns a lot of fantasy novel, and gender stereotypes on their head. Can't wait for the sequel!
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I do not know what is wrong with me. Or with this book. Or maybe it's just a mismatch. But everything about this book--the characters, the setting, the magic--is right up my alley. It seemed custom-written for me. I even went ahead and checked out all three books from the library on the strength of friend reviews of the first book alone. (And let me tell you these are some hefty books). I enjoyed reading them, I thought, I just . . . kept not wanting to pick it up. Which is extremely odd for me. I actually put it down in favor of a non-fiction book which is . . . nearly unprecedented.
I may try these books again later. Maybe it was I just wasn't in the right place for them. I still recommend them. I'm just not sure why I didn't enjoy them.
I may try these books again later. Maybe it was I just wasn't in the right place for them. I still recommend them. I'm just not sure why I didn't enjoy them.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-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
adventurous
medium-paced
Maybe just a bit too long, it still kept me engaged right up to the end.
not bad, just not the kind of story I'm looking for.
Not sure if it was just a "right place, right time" happening, but ACCS was exactly what I wanted. Sardonic fantasy that throws you right in the deep end - by about halfway through the book you feel like you've got a handle on the world, and what's happening, and then the compelling character drama and well-written action carries you the rest of the way. I'll definitely keep reading this series.
Brilliant! Marshall gives me hope about the state of the genre, where too often characters are two-dimensional, plots formulaic, and way too much time is spent on utterly boring battle scenes. 4/5 of this book is mercifully free of the latter, and I would have given it 4 stars had the last fifth been mostly about exactly that. The problem is that with a focus on fighting, the caracters also lose their three-dimensionality, and the narrative just never takes off. Luckily the bulk of the book is interesting, both in terms of characters and the world. There's a nice balance of aspects 'required' of good fantasy. Looking forward to the follow-up.