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eblyth's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mwplante's review against another edition
3.0
I'm really not sure what to do with this one. It took me a long while to get through, but it ultimately has a lot of the Eriksonian depth and texture that is missing from the other Bauchelain & Korbal Broach stories. It rambles and sputters in places, but springs from a bold, conceptual energy that I have to admire. Points for ambition and really masterful, layered misdirection.
mhedgescsus's review against another edition
1.0
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing fantasy books.
A disappointingly disjointed story that didn't strike any positive chords for me.
After a disappointing first book in this series, I have found books 2-4 (this is the 5th chronologically) to be absolutely wonderful and some of the funniest, and best short stories I have ever read. The escapades of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and their manservant Emancipor Reese are horror comedy books with wonderful Erikson philosophy in heavy doses - and I was hungry for more of that.
Unfortunately, this book had virtually none of the main characters, and instead followed a group of people that the main characters have wronged in the previous books who are hunting them on the "Crack'd Pot Trail". But the hunters run out of food and start to eat the group of travelling poets who are with them, but force them to spin their tales to impress them each night to earn another day of living. The theme of this plot is right in line with the rest of the books, but unfortunately the way it was presented was awful to me.
I've never been a big fan of "stories within stories" - and that's pretty much all this is. It's not funny like the previous books, it's too disjointed, and none of the characters I found to be interesting enough to hold up a story on their own.
If you are reading this series, I suggest you skip this book.
A disappointingly disjointed story that didn't strike any positive chords for me.
After a disappointing first book in this series, I have found books 2-4 (this is the 5th chronologically) to be absolutely wonderful and some of the funniest, and best short stories I have ever read. The escapades of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and their manservant Emancipor Reese are horror comedy books with wonderful Erikson philosophy in heavy doses - and I was hungry for more of that.
Unfortunately, this book had virtually none of the main characters, and instead followed a group of people that the main characters have wronged in the previous books who are hunting them on the "Crack'd Pot Trail". But the hunters run out of food and start to eat the group of travelling poets who are with them, but force them to spin their tales to impress them each night to earn another day of living. The theme of this plot is right in line with the rest of the books, but unfortunately the way it was presented was awful to me.
I've never been a big fan of "stories within stories" - and that's pretty much all this is. It's not funny like the previous books, it's too disjointed, and none of the characters I found to be interesting enough to hold up a story on their own.
If you are reading this series, I suggest you skip this book.
zmftimelord's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read two of these story collections, and I’m not enjoying them enough. There are moments of brilliant writing, rich and lively description, and a sense that Erikson is a master craftsman. But then I laugh out loud at overwrought descriptions or dialogue that is just painfully written. And the sex scenes that appear in these stories? They are truly worthy (has anyone nominated him?) of those “Bad sex in fiction” awards — wow, they are so badly written.
korin_catbyte's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dhilger's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
orlion's review against another edition
4.0
Huh, it's been about a year and I still have not reviewed this book. Well, time to take some few moments of my day to do so. In Crack'd Pot Trail, the story follows those who have sworn to hunt Bauchelain and Korbal Broach down for their crimes and they end up in this stretch of desert....
Okay, the plot is not important. Like all Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas, this is all about Steven Erikson getting something off his chest. In this case, he is letting off some steam for various reasons related to being an author in the Fantasy Genre. You know the problems:
1)Waaah! The critics won't take my work seriously!
2)Waaah! The fans take my work too seriously!
3)Waaah! Those critics miss the point! Don't you recognize my genius?
4)Waaah! Those who are successful don't actually understand their craft and steal from more talented writers!
5)Waaah! Waaah! WAAAAAAAAH!
You've also heard variants of these from the reader's sides including critiques that include buzzwords as "world building", "character development", and "plot" and so forth.
Erikson, in about 180 pages, essentially tells all those who hold these views to go f*ck themselves. And that is what I have found enjoyable about this novella. It is a fairly accurate, if satirical, view of the culture that has been built around the fantasy genre. A culture that so often is trying to be more then it is that it often becomes its worse critic as it seeks to devour itself.
Oh, did I mention there's cannibalism in this book? Because there totally is.
And thus, in an effort to be this all encompassing critique on the current affair of genre literature, the novella forgets it is a Bauchelain and Korbal Broach tale and they really do not feature much at all.
Oh, Erikson, one day your cleverness will piss your readership off so much that they'll stop buying your books.
Okay, the plot is not important. Like all Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas, this is all about Steven Erikson getting something off his chest. In this case, he is letting off some steam for various reasons related to being an author in the Fantasy Genre. You know the problems:
1)Waaah! The critics won't take my work seriously!
2)Waaah! The fans take my work too seriously!
3)Waaah! Those critics miss the point! Don't you recognize my genius?
4)Waaah! Those who are successful don't actually understand their craft and steal from more talented writers!
5)Waaah! Waaah! WAAAAAAAAH!
You've also heard variants of these from the reader's sides including critiques that include buzzwords as "world building", "character development", and "plot" and so forth.
Erikson, in about 180 pages, essentially tells all those who hold these views to go f*ck themselves. And that is what I have found enjoyable about this novella. It is a fairly accurate, if satirical, view of the culture that has been built around the fantasy genre. A culture that so often is trying to be more then it is that it often becomes its worse critic as it seeks to devour itself.
Oh, did I mention there's cannibalism in this book? Because there totally is.
And thus, in an effort to be this all encompassing critique on the current affair of genre literature, the novella forgets it is a Bauchelain and Korbal Broach tale and they really do not feature much at all.
Oh, Erikson, one day your cleverness will piss your readership off so much that they'll stop buying your books.
acardattack's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
Way too long for what this presents. There is very little plot, it's slow, confusing at times, the titular characters apparently don't show up until the last page
I DNFed 1/3 in. I just couldnt anymore. I wanted to. There is some slight humor, and as always some great names, but this could have been 50 page interesting novella
I DNFed 1/3 in. I just couldnt anymore. I wanted to. There is some slight humor, and as always some great names, but this could have been 50 page interesting novella
mhedgescsus's review against another edition
1.0
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing fantasy books.
A disappointingly disjointed story that didn't strike any positive chords for me.
After a disappointing first book in this series, I have found books 2-4 (this is the 5th chronologically) to be absolutely wonderful and some of the funniest, and best short stories I have ever read. The escapades of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and their manservant Emancipor Reese are horror comedy books with wonderful Erikson philosophy in heavy doses - and I was hungry for more of that.
Unfortunately, this book had virtually none of the main characters, and instead followed a group of people that the main characters have wronged in the previous books who are hunting them on the "Crack'd Pot Trail". But the hunters run out of food and start to eat the group of travelling poets who are with them, but force them to spin their tales to impress them each night to earn another day of living. The theme of this plot is right in line with the rest of the books, but unfortunately the way it was presented was awful to me.
I've never been a big fan of "stories within stories" - and that's pretty much all this is. It's not funny like the previous books, it's too disjointed, and none of the characters I found to be interesting enough to hold up a story on their own.
If you are reading this series, I suggest you skip this book.
A disappointingly disjointed story that didn't strike any positive chords for me.
After a disappointing first book in this series, I have found books 2-4 (this is the 5th chronologically) to be absolutely wonderful and some of the funniest, and best short stories I have ever read. The escapades of Bauchelain, Korbal Broach, and their manservant Emancipor Reese are horror comedy books with wonderful Erikson philosophy in heavy doses - and I was hungry for more of that.
Unfortunately, this book had virtually none of the main characters, and instead followed a group of people that the main characters have wronged in the previous books who are hunting them on the "Crack'd Pot Trail". But the hunters run out of food and start to eat the group of travelling poets who are with them, but force them to spin their tales to impress them each night to earn another day of living. The theme of this plot is right in line with the rest of the books, but unfortunately the way it was presented was awful to me.
I've never been a big fan of "stories within stories" - and that's pretty much all this is. It's not funny like the previous books, it's too disjointed, and none of the characters I found to be interesting enough to hold up a story on their own.
If you are reading this series, I suggest you skip this book.
jester99's review against another edition
2.0
2,5 - too indulgent, too long, even though it has its moments.