You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
zone_a3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
boglord's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Genocide, Sexual violence, Excrement, Grief, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
bananja's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
braiths_book_thoughts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Rouge and warrior meet up for an epic quest
Magic
Romance
Strong world building and rich lore.
What I actually got was a book that bored me to tears, proof that Christopher has no idea how to write women, humour that falls flat, a quest that doesn't draw you in but leaves you reeling at all the sudden and forced events that had little to no connection with each other and a scene where two teens shot a cat.
Charming.
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
kvsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
peonyprice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Animal death and Sexual assault
catsy2022's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I didn't even write my review before I returned the damn book... I really enjoyed this one, the writing was very digestible, the world was so richly developed and the characters were endearing.
This is my first book by this author but I've heard good things about Between Two Fires as well, which I also have.
Kinch na Shannack is a thief trained by the Takers' Guild but unable to pay them for the cost of training (kpop trainee company much), so now is indebted to them. One day he and his gang choose a mark, an Ispanthian soldier who surely and promptly knocks the shit out of them and spares Kinch. He is then tasked with going on the journey with the Spanth by the guild, with an assassin-adept sent to encourage him. Along the way they also pick up some other companions.
This was a really fast-paced book, NGL. Something is always happening and it doesn't exactly feel like a waste of pages. I felt like it did really serve to build more of the world and to develop the characters. In what could have been another generic fantasy novel, there are so many unique elements that drew me in.
In the backstory of this world, humanity has been at war with the goblins for literally decades. Some nations have an uneasy truce with the goblins, who tend to live underground in big warrens, yet also can take to the sea. They remind me a bit of what darkspawn came to be in Dragon Age. In the war, horses were almost completely massacred but mostly died to a sickness (which is a bit like mad cow disease AFAIK).
There are a few words here and there in the various languages and some helpful explanations of what accents sound like. There are tonnes of poems and songs and some mystery around the pantheon of gods.
I was reading this book alongside another one about a sneaky dude, so I did get a bit confused between the two, but this does stand out as its own thing. The comedian thief has almost been done to death but Kinch has such a rich perspective with his backstory and culture giving him a funny voice. I did like the small parts where characters react to him, especially when he laughs about something he's thinking of and they all look at him like he's insane.
I seriously loved the world building in this. The first few pages have a map, calendar and year cycle to give context to the passage of time. The magic system was so so interesting with several different sub-schools and capabilities.
Isn't that lucky? Some of the jokes didn't quite land for me and even though I like songs, we will never hear then despite the sheer number of them...
Still it seems this book will definitely scale up. I'm in for the sequel/s
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Torture and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
pageturn_industries's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Cursing
Moderate: Animal death and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death
thehappylittleelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
However! It’s not necessarily a bad thing. The voice of the main character is great, as is the humor. If you like a series of small stories with a very loose overarching plot with a mouthy main character, you’ll love this.
Graphic: Death, Genocide, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol
heathersbooks100's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death