Scan barcode
peterkeep's review
5.0
I wasn't surprised by this at all. I went in pretty much guaranteed to love it. Joe Abercrombie? I'm game. At this point, I don't care what genre he's writing in, I'll read it. I loved that this is his big entrance into the YA genre, and it's just dripping with typical Abercrombie cynicism.
If there's a negative to be had, it's that the book is a bit short, but that's fine. Everything was still really solid: the characters got developed, the plot felt sprawling....everything was just tighter I guess.
The whole viking setup is fun, the world mythology is intriguing, but the characters and plotting are the best here. Yarvi's crew of comrades are really great to read about. There's the fun banter, the moral grayness, and depth that give them a real place in a story that starts and finishes this quickly. Even though they're minor characters for the most part, they really shine.
The plot is fun, too. It's not exactly new territory, a prince who was never supposed to be king somehow stumbles onto the throne, and problems ensue. Even the has been written a few times. But Joe Abercrombie is so good at what he does that it doesn't matter. It's fun, it's exciting, there are twists, and it's got everything else you'd expect from him.
Also, if this (and my last book, [b: Six of Crows|23437156|Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423913869s/23437156.jpg|42077459]) are any indication of what the young adult genre is evolving into, then I'm in. In turning the writing level a bit down and shortening up the plots to keep it from spiraling into an 800 page tome, neither book compromised on characterization, plotting, or pulled punches with the conflict. People got hurt. People died. There's some real honest-to-goodness violence. It's nice to see that writing in the YA genre doesn't mean you have to water your book down.
If there's a negative to be had, it's that the book is a bit short, but that's fine. Everything was still really solid: the characters got developed, the plot felt sprawling....everything was just tighter I guess.
The whole viking setup is fun, the world mythology is intriguing, but the characters and plotting are the best here. Yarvi's crew of comrades are really great to read about. There's the fun banter, the moral grayness, and depth that give them a real place in a story that starts and finishes this quickly. Even though they're minor characters for the most part, they really shine.
The plot is fun, too. It's not exactly new territory, a prince who was never supposed to be king somehow stumbles onto the throne, and problems ensue. Even the
Spoiler
backstabbing by the friendly uncle, and subsequent revenge storyAlso, if this (and my last book, [b: Six of Crows|23437156|Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423913869s/23437156.jpg|42077459]) are any indication of what the young adult genre is evolving into, then I'm in. In turning the writing level a bit down and shortening up the plots to keep it from spiraling into an 800 page tome, neither book compromised on characterization, plotting, or pulled punches with the conflict. People got hurt. People died. There's some real honest-to-goodness violence. It's nice to see that writing in the YA genre doesn't mean you have to water your book down.
merilizabeth's review against another edition
2.0
Var jau būt, ka neveiksmīgs tulkojums, bet var jau būt ne visai mans žanrs. Ja tas aizņēma man tik daudz laika, lai izlasītu, tad lasīt nākamo daļu īsti nav vērts.
Maybe the translation was awkward or it was not my genre completely. If this took me suck a long time to read it was not really worth it. I am not gonna pick up the next book. Sorry, not for me. Even the plot seemed to be too much twisted and rushed and just too much overall.
Maybe the translation was awkward or it was not my genre completely. If this took me suck a long time to read it was not really worth it. I am not gonna pick up the next book. Sorry, not for me. Even the plot seemed to be too much twisted and rushed and just too much overall.
issa_her's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.0
sarahrnr's review against another edition
4.0
Al final me ha encantado, lo empecé y tenía un problema con Yarvi, me lo imaginaba demasiado pequeño para el mundo que nos presenta, me daba hasta rabia que fuese así, más tarde en la parte en la que es esclavo la verdad es que se me hizo un poco larga hasta que escapan, desde ahí empieza la mejor parte, cuando empieza a darse cuenta en lo que ha cambiado, lo fuerte y sabio que se está haciendo, esto empieza cuando mata a la capitana, se da cuenta de que es capaz de matar, y más adelante cuando son capturados por Gorm, cuando te planta cara, madre mía, ahí ya se hace valer y utiliza su astucia para llegar al termino de ese viaje. Me ha encantado como Yarvi ha crecido a lo largo del libro, como se va superando. Muy guay, y con muchas ganas de seguir con la trilogía.
apousson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
aloneso's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.75
ynanutshell's review against another edition
5.0
This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It had me torn between throwing it across the room and bursting out in deranged laughter (I still don't know why). I found myself vividly imagining Joe Abercrombie's wonderfully crafted characters in my mind's eye, as if they were flesh and blood.
Now, I'm going to be honest here. I have a terrible habit of skimming through details and going straight to the action and dialogue. But, for some reason, I was hooked onto each and every word on all three-hundred-something pages of this book. Props to Joe Abercrombie for that!
I'd love to say more, but I'm too busy reading the next instalment to the Shattered Sea... most likely in one sitting.
Now, I'm going to be honest here. I have a terrible habit of skimming through details and going straight to the action and dialogue. But, for some reason, I was hooked onto each and every word on all three-hundred-something pages of this book. Props to Joe Abercrombie for that!
I'd love to say more, but I'm too busy reading the next instalment to the Shattered Sea... most likely in one sitting.
magikspells's review against another edition
2.0
This definitely isn't a bad two starts, but it was exactly how I felt about this book. It was just ok. For high fantasy, I usually want it to be a little more character driven and there were just so few connections between most of the characters. I felt like I had to be told how people felt about each other because otherwise everyone seemed to just be revolving around each other. I may or may not pick up the next one, we'll see.
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I've had this on my shelf for quite awhile, but never was super motivated to pick it up. I really liked it a lot. I loved the journey of the main character, and can't wait to read the next in the series to see what happens.