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katieinca's review
4.0
In order of excellence: worldbuilding, then characters, then plot. The city has kind of an ancient-Baghdad feel, the magic is ... holy-ish, and (minor spoiler) there's a girl who can turn into a lion. There is much swording. Terrific. Then you've got a kernel of of old friends who know just how to insult each other and allude vaguely to dangers survived in their younger days, but also teenage apprentice types to shake things up. And then you've got a super evil bad guy attempting world domination. By means of evil magic, rivers of blood, etc. Of course.
The ending was a little abrupt, which I'm hoping to later be able to dismiss later as "ah well, first book in a trilogy, you know."
The ending was a little abrupt, which I'm hoping to later be able to dismiss later as "ah well, first book in a trilogy, you know."
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Child death, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent and Rape
noranne's review
2.0
As the rating says, it was ok. Nothing special. I found the story rather predictable, the characters too cardboard, the writing style felt clunky, and the love stories were annoying. Not sorry I read it, but not looking for anything more.
mwplante's review against another edition
3.0
ALMOST a 4 for me, but it drags too much in the middle. The characters point this out frequently (complaining about dawdling) and I cannot help but agree... There was simply too much dawdling in what should have been a swashbuckler. Also the main villain wasn't terribly interesting.
On the other hand, all that downtime allowed the author to flesh out some wonderfully realized characters. Saladin Ahmed is clearly an author who pays close attention to making sure none of his characters are cliches. All have flaws and relatable problems, from aging to paying the rent. Even their body-types/physical descriptions consciously defy genre stereotypes, which I appreciated as a breath of fresh air. Favorite characters include Mouw Awa, (deliciously cheesy!) Raseed (this basically good man's struggle with his own inner dogmas was a highlight of the book for me), and the Falcon Prince (in the real world and the best art, being a hero can get a bit messy).
And may I just say how wonderful it is to have a fantasy novel that places the Middle-East & Africa analogues front and center rather than relegating them to some peripheral window-dressing. Here's hoping the "Warlands" to the West get the always-alluded-to-never-visited treatment in this series that the "Crescent Moon Kingdoms" get in most of the other fantasy series.
I look forward to the next book. I read somewhere that now that he's got a trilogy deal the author will be taking the series in a more "epic" direction, and I think his style and commitment to creating heaps of strong, interesting characters will be more suited to this format.
On the other hand, all that downtime allowed the author to flesh out some wonderfully realized characters. Saladin Ahmed is clearly an author who pays close attention to making sure none of his characters are cliches. All have flaws and relatable problems, from aging to paying the rent. Even their body-types/physical descriptions consciously defy genre stereotypes, which I appreciated as a breath of fresh air. Favorite characters include Mouw Awa, (deliciously cheesy!) Raseed (this basically good man's struggle with his own inner dogmas was a highlight of the book for me), and the Falcon Prince (in the real world and the best art, being a hero can get a bit messy).
And may I just say how wonderful it is to have a fantasy novel that places the Middle-East & Africa analogues front and center rather than relegating them to some peripheral window-dressing. Here's hoping the "Warlands" to the West get the always-alluded-to-never-visited treatment in this series that the "Crescent Moon Kingdoms" get in most of the other fantasy series.
I look forward to the next book. I read somewhere that now that he's got a trilogy deal the author will be taking the series in a more "epic" direction, and I think his style and commitment to creating heaps of strong, interesting characters will be more suited to this format.
nkz21752's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.75
temp2792's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
wicked_turtle's review
4.0
Strong characters, world-building, and plot that kept me turning pages well past my usual bedtime. The Middle East influence is refreshingly different and intriguing. My only criticism: when switching POVs, I don't want to read the same scene again in the other character's eyes. The action should always progress, never regress. Still, I enjoyed this story thoroughly and look forward to the next book in the series.
spikeanderson1's review
4.0
Fantasy with an Arab twist. Exotic upon exotic. Great characters and bad guys. Solid writing. I really liked it and will order the next 2 in the series
metalphoenix's review
4.0
I mostly enjoyed this book for two main reasons: the unique composition of the core team, and the unexpected direction the Falcon Prince storyline took in the end.
The characters are definitely the heart of the story. The main group is a weary ghul-hunter who just wants to retire, a warrior torn between his faith and his love for his companions, and the last is a vengeful protector of a destroyed tribe. Add in a Robin Hood figure in the Falcon Prince, and a couple of alchemists, and you've got an intriguing cast with great dynamics.
While most of the book was pretty typical in pacing and plot direction, I was definitely surprised by the ending. The book leans toward an frantic, apocalyptic battle between the heroes and villains. I expected
The world building was a little underwhelming. Ahmed seemed to rely on the novelty of a non-western based world, which was definitely refreshing but could have been more fully realized. We don't get much exploration of the magic system beyond that it works when it needs to, but then sometimes it doesn't. The culture was barely expanded either, except in Zamia's discomfort in the city. I would have liked more in this area, and hopefully future books will flesh out the world.
The characters are definitely the heart of the story. The main group is a weary ghul-hunter who just wants to retire, a warrior torn between his faith and his love for his companions, and the last is a vengeful protector of a destroyed tribe. Add in a Robin Hood figure in the Falcon Prince, and a couple of alchemists, and you've got an intriguing cast with great dynamics.
While most of the book was pretty typical in pacing and plot direction, I was definitely surprised by the ending. The book leans toward an frantic, apocalyptic battle between the heroes and villains. I expected
Spoiler
a more "tragic hero" trajectory for the Falcon Prince, with a stereotypical sacrifice or some other usual fantasy trope. Instead I got a selfish act of self-preservation, at the expense of an innocent. It was fascinating, and a perfect set up for future novels.The world building was a little underwhelming. Ahmed seemed to rely on the novelty of a non-western based world, which was definitely refreshing but could have been more fully realized. We don't get much exploration of the magic system beyond that it works when it needs to, but then sometimes it doesn't. The culture was barely expanded either, except in Zamia's discomfort in the city. I would have liked more in this area, and hopefully future books will flesh out the world.