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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
There is nothing I love more than quest driven stories surrounding a gang of old mercenaries- it is my niche. I really enjoyed this novel, it does read like the first in a trilogy with the amount of world building, however this is nothing unexpected. The characters made the book an easy read and I will definitely be continuing with the series.
I liked this story! Definitely holding out for a sequel, because surely this will be a series of some kind??
In a way, this book starts out similarly to MBotF in that the readers get the story from the middle rather than the beginning. Most of the background material is told with third person memories. I liked the variety of characters, but maybe I'm more snooty about my fantasy now in that I was a little irritated at how the primary civilizations we come across are mirror images of Earth civs? EVEN SO having a devil-worshipping organized religion, arranged gay marriage & femme knights with moustaches not to mention bug-based drugs is pretty awesome!
But still, while I like the story a lot, I never got to the point of sympathizing with any of the characters. It's not that they were too rough, too brazen or too unlikeable, it's just that I felt that *spark* wasn't there for me - it didn't click. I don't know why, but I'm hoping a sequel comes out soon so maybe it can fix that! I guess my boiled down review is: read this for the story & not for the characters, it's still worth it.
In a way, this book starts out similarly to MBotF in that the readers get the story from the middle rather than the beginning. Most of the background material is told with third person memories. I liked the variety of characters, but maybe I'm more snooty about my fantasy now in that I was a little irritated at how the primary civilizations we come across are mirror images of Earth civs? EVEN SO having a devil-worshipping organized religion, arranged gay marriage & femme knights with moustaches not to mention bug-based drugs is pretty awesome!
But still, while I like the story a lot, I never got to the point of sympathizing with any of the characters. It's not that they were too rough, too brazen or too unlikeable, it's just that I felt that *spark* wasn't there for me - it didn't click. I don't know why, but I'm hoping a sequel comes out soon so maybe it can fix that! I guess my boiled down review is: read this for the story & not for the characters, it's still worth it.
I really thought I was done with big set piece fantasy. This is exactly what I needed. Starts as a simple revenge plot and evolved into messing with the eldritch. I love eldritch shit! On top of that I love the entire cast, each for very different reasons. And on top of all of that, its fun!
This is a hard review. I've waited a couple weeks to post it hoping my brain could sort out my thoughts on it.
The main character is Zosia, a middle-aged woman who has been living a quiet life the last twenty years. Before that, she led an army with her five henchmen (the Five Villains) and took the crown of the land. Being queen wasn't for her and she gave it up by faking her own death.
I loved the concept of a middle-aged (reviews had called her old) woman coming out of retirement to fight again. Zosia though is not a character I enjoyed. She had her moments, but I never felt a connection with her. The rest of the characters are a mixed bag.
The writing seemed okay, but the pace was very erratic. Mix in way too many elements and under-defined characters and we end up with an interesting, but frequently slow book. I am happy to see that a sequel is coming out. I was under the assumption it was a solo book, but the ending left me perplexed as it seemed to foreshadow the next book.
The main character is Zosia, a middle-aged woman who has been living a quiet life the last twenty years. Before that, she led an army with her five henchmen (the Five Villains) and took the crown of the land. Being queen wasn't for her and she gave it up by faking her own death.
I loved the concept of a middle-aged (reviews had called her old) woman coming out of retirement to fight again. Zosia though is not a character I enjoyed. She had her moments, but I never felt a connection with her. The rest of the characters are a mixed bag.
The writing seemed okay, but the pace was very erratic. Mix in way too many elements and under-defined characters and we end up with an interesting, but frequently slow book. I am happy to see that a sequel is coming out. I was under the assumption it was a solo book, but the ending left me perplexed as it seemed to foreshadow the next book.
3.5
I love epic fantasy that subverts poetic justice and similar tropes, a'la George Martin. I also love Joe Abercrombie, Marshall's obvious inspiration's, blending of fantasy and realism in war. So it's a shame that this book, with such a great, nontraditional main character, ended with such a whimper.
There's subverting tropes, and then there's refusing any pay off. If a character spends more than a year searching for their son and lives through an unwinnable battle, I can see the subversion in having him die from friendly fire before he finds his family. It doesn't make me happy as a reader, but I understand where the author is coming from. I can't see five similar things happening at the same battle. War is hell, yes, and it doesn't have a happy ending, but at some point it's just misery for the sake of misery.
Which, again, is a real shame, as the characters are top notch. There isn't a government force not led by a woman, including a ruthlessly murderous teenage pontiff. This is a book starring a 50+ year old, bisexual, woman. Older. Bisexual. Woman. I'm flailing. In Zosia's youth, she led an army to overthrow the king, along with her generals, the Five Villains. The villains are now two decades older and scattered across the land. Some have turned to drugs, peddling and using. Some are married with children., (including a gay couple whose kids call them First Father and Second Father ♥‿♥.) One is a completely batcrap crazy sorcerer who might be trying to end the world. The use. Zosia sets out to bring the Villains back together after she’s betrayed, but old friends and new may have different motivations.
There are a lot of narrators. Too many, frankly. Not only do Zosia and several of her generals get chapters, so does a barbarian from the Frozen Savannahs, far from the oncoming war; a war nun trapped between her vows to the Black Pope and an oath to the Crimson Queen; and the villain. The book is almost 700 pages; 7 POVs feels like overkill.
But despite all of that, I really like A Crown for Cold Silver. From the opening line, “It was all going so nicely, right up until the massacre.” to a religion that states “Everything happened. Not for reason, mind, … but everything happened”, the author is adept at setting the tone. There’s enough lightness to balance out the general despair, (until the end.) I laughed myself sick when the actual general advised her wanna-be apprentice to ditch the chainmail bikini for the sake of her pubes. The world building is consistent and if a few countries resemble real world ones a bit too much, it’s a relatively small flaw. Not much of the actual magic system was revealed, but instead of feeling like I didn’t know where the author was going, I felt like they were waiting to play their hand.
I think the cliffhanger end, the lack of magical reveal, and my other issues would be easier to swallow if I could find any information confirming a sequel being picked up. I think a series has promise, but with a penchant for spoiling payoffs, this may be one you wait for the author to finish writing all books before starting.
I love epic fantasy that subverts poetic justice and similar tropes, a'la George Martin. I also love Joe Abercrombie, Marshall's obvious inspiration's, blending of fantasy and realism in war. So it's a shame that this book, with such a great, nontraditional main character, ended with such a whimper.
There's subverting tropes, and then there's refusing any pay off. If a character spends more than a year searching for their son and lives through an unwinnable battle, I can see the subversion in having him die from friendly fire before he finds his family. It doesn't make me happy as a reader, but I understand where the author is coming from. I can't see five similar things happening at the same battle. War is hell, yes, and it doesn't have a happy ending, but at some point it's just misery for the sake of misery.
Which, again, is a real shame, as the characters are top notch. There isn't a government force not led by a woman, including a ruthlessly murderous teenage pontiff. This is a book starring a 50+ year old, bisexual, woman. Older. Bisexual. Woman. I'm flailing. In Zosia's youth, she led an army to overthrow the king, along with her generals, the Five Villains. The villains are now two decades older and scattered across the land. Some have turned to drugs, peddling and using. Some are married with children., (including a gay couple whose kids call them First Father and Second Father ♥‿♥.) One is a completely batcrap crazy sorcerer who might be trying to end the world. The use. Zosia sets out to bring the Villains back together after she’s betrayed, but old friends and new may have different motivations.
There are a lot of narrators. Too many, frankly. Not only do Zosia and several of her generals get chapters, so does a barbarian from the Frozen Savannahs, far from the oncoming war; a war nun trapped between her vows to the Black Pope and an oath to the Crimson Queen; and the villain. The book is almost 700 pages; 7 POVs feels like overkill.
But despite all of that, I really like A Crown for Cold Silver. From the opening line, “It was all going so nicely, right up until the massacre.” to a religion that states “Everything happened. Not for reason, mind, … but everything happened”, the author is adept at setting the tone. There’s enough lightness to balance out the general despair, (until the end.) I laughed myself sick when the actual general advised her wanna-be apprentice to ditch the chainmail bikini for the sake of her pubes. The world building is consistent and if a few countries resemble real world ones a bit too much, it’s a relatively small flaw. Not much of the actual magic system was revealed, but instead of feeling like I didn’t know where the author was going, I felt like they were waiting to play their hand.
I think the cliffhanger end, the lack of magical reveal, and my other issues would be easier to swallow if I could find any information confirming a sequel being picked up. I think a series has promise, but with a penchant for spoiling payoffs, this may be one you wait for the author to finish writing all books before starting.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't know if I can adequately convey how much I enjoyed every moment of this book. Even though I was sometimes a little confused between the characters, because I listened to the audiobook without seeing their names, it all worked out.
The author's voice is so distinctive, and the characters so earthy. There's none of the high-mindedness of say, LOTR, which can honestly get tedious. Instead, these are completely believable, gritty people battling thru the muck, blood, and their various weaknesses and addictions. It never tries to glorify anything, but still everyone finds a reason to carry on. In that way, I suppose you could call it a hopeful book, in a very dark a violent way. Despite their bloodlust and confusion, none of them are strictly villains.
The audiobook is absolutely fantastic. I never got tired her voice at all, which is quite a feat for a book that is 25 hours long!
The author's voice is so distinctive, and the characters so earthy. There's none of the high-mindedness of say, LOTR, which can honestly get tedious. Instead, these are completely believable, gritty people battling thru the muck, blood, and their various weaknesses and addictions. It never tries to glorify anything, but still everyone finds a reason to carry on. In that way, I suppose you could call it a hopeful book, in a very dark a violent way. Despite their bloodlust and confusion, none of them are strictly villains.
The audiobook is absolutely fantastic. I never got tired her voice at all, which is quite a feat for a book that is 25 hours long!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Toxic friendship, War
If you're not bothered by the violence and gore, this really is a fantastic book.
This book hilariously sets up all the cliches of epic fantasy, and then does the exact opposite of what you expect. Bonus points for a woman hero over 50 and queer relationships as a normal part of society.
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
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
This was going to be 4 Star rating... but the last hundred pages were fairly boring. This was predominantly a fun, casual, nothing super amazing but nothing super awful either, easy kind of read. Characters were entertaining, but two-dimensional. The world was normal. The campaign was the usual.
There was enough quirkiness in all the other awesome characters to keep me going for the duration, but about a hundred pages of blah, bratty, and betchy Ji and Z (and her purported importance, as she really didn't amount to any of the hype,) combined to let the air out of the balloon by the end of this ride.
Sad...there was potential here...
There was enough quirkiness in all the other awesome characters to keep me going for the duration, but about a hundred pages of blah, bratty, and betchy Ji and Z (and her purported importance, as she really didn't amount to any of the hype,) combined to let the air out of the balloon by the end of this ride.
Sad...there was potential here...
You know what, I am not really sure why this one didn't work for me, but something about the format and the way the story was going just didn't keep me interested so I am DNF-ing this at about 40%. I audiobook-ed this so I could attribute my disdain for ti to that, but honestly I don't know if it would have worked any better as a written book.
This story starts off following a young nobleman as he goes to a town and commits a massacre. He's quickly put in his place by the Mayoress of this town who, it turns out, has got rather an interesting backstory, and from that point onwards we follow Zosia as one of our key characters.
Alongside Zosia we meet Princess Gi Yong Bong (sp?), Sullen, Moroto, and quite a few others. Each of them has their own story threads and of course as the story goes more and more of them intersect.
Personally, I liked Sullen probably the best of the characters. He is a young man who it is believed is touched by devils. He has always been shunned for this by his clan, and he is mostly in the company of his mother and crotchety old grandfather. I think I liked him because he was one of the more human and believably sympathetic characters. His plot felt familiar and yet he was a character I was curious enough to want to know more about.
Alongside the characters I mentioned above we have Portalay (sp?) who is some sort of witch character and is entangled in quite a few hierarchies and mysteries. I don't feel like I ever really got to know her, but her story was again intriguing and I found her quite a solid character at first.
There is magic in this story, and we see hints of it in the form of demon characters (Zorsia has one called Choplicker) who accompany their humans in the world. Although this had potential I didn't feel like I really got to the crux of things and I wish there had been more explanation and example.
Things I found quite irritating:
- although the characters were interesting at first I found I was quickly bored by them and I couldn't really connect with any of them. I really struggled to actually root for anyone and I found the sheer number of side characters to be a bit too much.
- the slow pace of the book was mind-numbing. I literally could not drag myself through quickly and I just felt that I was getting a bit bored of hearing people talking and not much action. There was a very dramatic start and then I feel like in the middle it just suddenly all slowed down.
Overall, I just didn't enjoy this enough to spend more time on it. I went into it hoping it would be for me, but came away feeling frustrated that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't rate this as I DNF-ed but it wouldn't have got higher than a 2*s at the rate it was going...
This story starts off following a young nobleman as he goes to a town and commits a massacre. He's quickly put in his place by the Mayoress of this town who, it turns out, has got rather an interesting backstory, and from that point onwards we follow Zosia as one of our key characters.
Alongside Zosia we meet Princess Gi Yong Bong (sp?), Sullen, Moroto, and quite a few others. Each of them has their own story threads and of course as the story goes more and more of them intersect.
Personally, I liked Sullen probably the best of the characters. He is a young man who it is believed is touched by devils. He has always been shunned for this by his clan, and he is mostly in the company of his mother and crotchety old grandfather. I think I liked him because he was one of the more human and believably sympathetic characters. His plot felt familiar and yet he was a character I was curious enough to want to know more about.
Alongside the characters I mentioned above we have Portalay (sp?) who is some sort of witch character and is entangled in quite a few hierarchies and mysteries. I don't feel like I ever really got to know her, but her story was again intriguing and I found her quite a solid character at first.
There is magic in this story, and we see hints of it in the form of demon characters (Zorsia has one called Choplicker) who accompany their humans in the world. Although this had potential I didn't feel like I really got to the crux of things and I wish there had been more explanation and example.
Things I found quite irritating:
- although the characters were interesting at first I found I was quickly bored by them and I couldn't really connect with any of them. I really struggled to actually root for anyone and I found the sheer number of side characters to be a bit too much.
- the slow pace of the book was mind-numbing. I literally could not drag myself through quickly and I just felt that I was getting a bit bored of hearing people talking and not much action. There was a very dramatic start and then I feel like in the middle it just suddenly all slowed down.
Overall, I just didn't enjoy this enough to spend more time on it. I went into it hoping it would be for me, but came away feeling frustrated that I didn't enjoy it. I didn't rate this as I DNF-ed but it wouldn't have got higher than a 2*s at the rate it was going...