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mattevans92's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
_yumitsang_'s review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
themanfromdelmonte's review
2.0
Why I’m reading this instead of the three much better books sitting on the unread shelf, I don’t know. (I blame you, Kindle Unlimited) However, here we are. The plot is about a mage and his best mate. The best mate bows out fairly early and only makes intermittent appearances subsequently as he’s been banged up for a murder. You might have thought this was quite straight forward, but no.
What we get instead is a lot of how crap a mage he is, how often he gets beaten up, how he can’t stay out of trouble and how he hasn’t got any friends, blah blah blah. We could have had that once and it would have been sufficient.
And that’s where this book falls down. It’s terribly wordy and desperately trying to be hard boiled, when the events described are more like diary entries. The prose could do with a great deal more show, not tell. Apart from being probably (much) shorter it might possibly get the sense of urgency it needs.
At 52% and 240 pages in we’re not much further forward. Thinking only of you, dear reader, I selflessly ploughed on. Finally, at 73% it kicks into gear, although looking at the page count and thinking ‘we’re inside the last 100 pages. Thank God.’ is possibly not the encomium the author was hoping for.
What we get instead is a lot of how crap a mage he is, how often he gets beaten up, how he can’t stay out of trouble and how he hasn’t got any friends, blah blah blah. We could have had that once and it would have been sufficient.
And that’s where this book falls down. It’s terribly wordy and desperately trying to be hard boiled, when the events described are more like diary entries. The prose could do with a great deal more show, not tell. Apart from being probably (much) shorter it might possibly get the sense of urgency it needs.
At 52% and 240 pages in we’re not much further forward. Thinking only of you, dear reader, I selflessly ploughed on. Finally, at 73% it kicks into gear, although looking at the page count and thinking ‘we’re inside the last 100 pages. Thank God.’ is possibly not the encomium the author was hoping for.
neilsef's review
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Mennik Thorn is the only freelance Mage in a city teeming with Mages, all of whom are affiliated to one of the three High Mages.
While helping his friend, Benny, obtain an item from the home of one of the High Mages, things go explosively wrong and they end up as prime suspects in a gruesome murder. Mennik sets out to find who is behind the murder and clear his and Benny's names, but this brings him into conflict with the authorities, other powerful Mages, Ghosts and Gods.
This was a very entertaining and engaging adventure with a marvellous cast of characters, the foremost of whom is Mennik Thorn who is immediately likeable.
The story plot line is nicely balanced between character-building, world-building and action scenes, with plenty of twists and turns to keep your attention and turning pages.
hindessm's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting world with some engaging characters whose futures I now really want to learn about. So I guess I'll be reading the next book when it comes out.
kevinscorner's review against another edition
4.0
Nik is a struggling mage-for-hire, a mediocre one at that. After a job he takes as an owed favor to a friend goes horribly wrong with him ending up being accused of murder, he must once again return to the corrupt world of the wealthy and mighty high mages he swore off years ago.
Shadow of a Dead God has strong Dresden Files vibes, but as a flintlock fantasy rather than an urban fantasy. Mennik “Nik” Thorn reminded me so much of Harry Dresden actually, not only in his mage-for-hire status, but also his wit, dry humor, and down-in-the-dumps attitude. I found him to be an immensely likable lead despite his bungling of pretty much everything he does.
I loved the world Patrick Samphire built because it feels entirely thought out and lived in. I also loved that this had a solid magic system, which is atypical of these types of stories. The story is fast paced and does not have a dull moment, revolving around a convoluted conspiracy that Nik tries to unravel just in the nick of time (pun intended).
Shadow of a Dead God has strong Dresden Files vibes, but as a flintlock fantasy rather than an urban fantasy. Mennik “Nik” Thorn reminded me so much of Harry Dresden actually, not only in his mage-for-hire status, but also his wit, dry humor, and down-in-the-dumps attitude. I found him to be an immensely likable lead despite his bungling of pretty much everything he does.
I loved the world Patrick Samphire built because it feels entirely thought out and lived in. I also loved that this had a solid magic system, which is atypical of these types of stories. The story is fast paced and does not have a dull moment, revolving around a convoluted conspiracy that Nik tries to unravel just in the nick of time (pun intended).
nekoshka's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Emotional abuse
justasking27's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Like the Lies of Locke Lamora, yes, but only if Locke were also bad at his job. It got better at the end but "everything that can go wrong will go worse" is not my cup of tea.
shelvesofstarlight's review against another edition
5.0
The characters of this book were well written and developed and I loved reading about them so much. Nik as the protagonist was dynamic and all of his connections to the plot twists and political workings of the world, especially becasue it made the stakes even higher for the conflict that arises. Plus, his voice was funny and just made it all the more enjoyable to read. The other characters were also fun and I especially liked Ash Gaurd and the captain especially becasue I liked how they weren't black and white enforcers of the law and how she helped Nik along when he needed it. I hope that they all continue to develop in the next book of the series.
The plot was well written and I really liked how it all unfolded as it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The fact there were so many subplots throughout the book that all managed to tie together nicely at the end while leaving enough to form conflict in the subsequent books. The magic system was very impressive and I could actually picture how it was working based on the descriptions in the book, in addition, I really liked the political landscape of Agastos and how it all fed into the plot too.
The writing was engaging and funny and I really enjoyed reading it! AS I have already said the book is well crafted and the magic was super cool. The magical beasts and the gods and how that all fed in was so much fun and I hope that we get to understand it all a bit more in the next book!
The plot was well written and I really liked how it all unfolded as it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The fact there were so many subplots throughout the book that all managed to tie together nicely at the end while leaving enough to form conflict in the subsequent books. The magic system was very impressive and I could actually picture how it was working based on the descriptions in the book, in addition, I really liked the political landscape of Agastos and how it all fed into the plot too.
The writing was engaging and funny and I really enjoyed reading it! AS I have already said the book is well crafted and the magic was super cool. The magical beasts and the gods and how that all fed in was so much fun and I hope that we get to understand it all a bit more in the next book!
zgale98's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0