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blackhobbit's review
4.0
It had started at three stars until the middle of the book. It had became a five star book when it started to find it focus. It was hopping around from character to character. I had to knocked it to four stars because of the beginning. I can’t see why it is a lot of people favorite series, but hopefully I will find out soon.
unnursvana's review against another edition
4.0
There is a lot going on in this series and the scope is so large that the story itself feels, in a way, very compressed together. It's sometimes as if you're being told about events from the past in a very abridged version rather than a full narrative, which makes the text perhaps a little dry and the plot becomes much more important than the characters themselves. At least in the first book Liu is really building up the world and setting the scene. It takes the story a while to get going, but as soon as it all starts, it doesn't really stop, and you just must hold on tight on this incredible journey. You never really know what is going to happen next.
The story is very much going from one event or one conflict to another, as if we are witnessing historical events. I feel like there are perhaps some characteristics of Wuxia-storytelling going on here, which is not for everyone. The world seems both ancient and new and the fantasy within the story is perhaps a little more low-key than some would like, but it works well for this story. At first the fantasy comes mainly from the gods who pop up from time to time and are interfering in human affairs – and that part kind of adds another angle to all this political intrigue. And that's where I think the charm of this story is. This great, morally grey world deals with old traditions and modern opinions, as well as the ruthlessness of war, different philosophies and politics. Every small thing has an impact on something else and it so well strung together into this big, epic story. Every character is flawed in their own way, but so interesting and works well within the world. Nothing feels out of place or miscalculated. Everything has a point to it.
The story is very much going from one event or one conflict to another, as if we are witnessing historical events. I feel like there are perhaps some characteristics of Wuxia-storytelling going on here, which is not for everyone. The world seems both ancient and new and the fantasy within the story is perhaps a little more low-key than some would like, but it works well for this story. At first the fantasy comes mainly from the gods who pop up from time to time and are interfering in human affairs – and that part kind of adds another angle to all this political intrigue. And that's where I think the charm of this story is. This great, morally grey world deals with old traditions and modern opinions, as well as the ruthlessness of war, different philosophies and politics. Every small thing has an impact on something else and it so well strung together into this big, epic story. Every character is flawed in their own way, but so interesting and works well within the world. Nothing feels out of place or miscalculated. Everything has a point to it.
ohrory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
smt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
thebi_brarian's review against another edition
Was really looking forward to this but everything was so surface level that I didn't feel like I ever got to know the cast of characters or have time to become invested in the things happening in their lives.
vatakarnic33's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.75
helrak_larsen's review against another edition
5.0
This book made me cry and laugh. This book made me so happy and so sickly sad at the same time. Regardless of the fact that I am not used to so many names, emperors there and kings there, I enjoyed myself a lot.
I wasn't going to annotate things in this book, but the sentence on page 475 changed my mind: "I hope someday you can live in a world where you don't have to be afraid to be a woman." This book gets 5 stars after that sentence! Can't wait to start book 2!
spoiler!
When Mata died I had to take a break from the book, because I broke down with grief. I loved all the characters around Mata, it felt like everyone disappeared (they did). I cried for 2 hours after Réfiroa (Mata's horse) died and that it had spent 10 years together in the war.
5 stars (life changing book)
I wasn't going to annotate things in this book, but the sentence on page 475 changed my mind: "I hope someday you can live in a world where you don't have to be afraid to be a woman." This book gets 5 stars after that sentence! Can't wait to start book 2!
spoiler!
When Mata died I had to take a break from the book, because I broke down with grief. I loved all the characters around Mata, it felt like everyone disappeared (they did). I cried for 2 hours after Réfiroa (Mata's horse) died and that it had spent 10 years together in the war.
5 stars (life changing book)
danielle_brown3's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.0
Extremely boring. Rapid succession of characters who don’t have any bearing on the plot. Unsatisfying ending
the_morrigan8's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.5