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tatere's review
4.0
If only some dramatic stuff would happen every once in a while here ... #joke
This was at least the third re-read for me. I found myself frequently comparing the Dominion to Krasia in Peter Brett's Demon Cycle, and it highlighted how important the Lady and the night are in broadening the culture of the Dominion, and making it more plausible to find yourself sympathizing with even some of the men there. The very seat of power is based at, and made possible by, the lake of the Lady. It's still a screwed-up system in many ways, but you can squint at it and see castles and Barons and Ladies and serfs instead of Tyrs and Serras and serafs without too much of a stretch. There truly is more than one kind of strength there.
Brett's Krasians, by contrast, have no alternative aspects. Everyone either is or wants to be an amoral murdering genderist psychopathic bully. Oh, but with "honor", and they kill the demon-type things as a national pastime, so it's OK.
Also, "The Broken Crown" has Jewel in it, so it wins hands-down for that alone.
This was at least the third re-read for me. I found myself frequently comparing the Dominion to Krasia in Peter Brett's Demon Cycle, and it highlighted how important the Lady and the night are in broadening the culture of the Dominion, and making it more plausible to find yourself sympathizing with even some of the men there. The very seat of power is based at, and made possible by, the lake of the Lady. It's still a screwed-up system in many ways, but you can squint at it and see castles and Barons and Ladies and serfs instead of Tyrs and Serras and serafs without too much of a stretch. There truly is more than one kind of strength there.
Brett's Krasians, by contrast, have no alternative aspects. Everyone either is or wants to be an amoral murdering genderist psychopathic bully. Oh, but with "honor", and they kill the demon-type things as a national pastime, so it's OK.
Also, "The Broken Crown" has Jewel in it, so it wins hands-down for that alone.
genarti's review against another edition
just lost momentum / wasn't in the mood for it -- might well pick it up again sometime!
marktimmony's review against another edition
5.0
The first book in a six-volume series, this took me by surprise and now I can't get enough! This is not the type of book you can skim, because you'll just miss too much. West's prose is detailed, colourful and engrossing. Prepare yourself for a highly satisfying journey into a new world and an epic tale that gets bigger as it unfolds. All the keys of a great fantasy writer are here - depth of history, power-hungry gods and tons of political intrigue in an Empire vying for a war of retribution against their Northern neighbours. The thing that sets this apart is that, while West uses a standard formula, she displays a flare for world-building and convoluted plot lines that should entice any reader looking for something to sink their teeth into.
metafiktion's review
adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
evakristin's review
5.0
In The Sacred Hunt West is just stretching her wings; in The Broken Crown she soars. Since I finished Malazan a few years ago I've been searching for something to scratch that itch. West is no Erikson, but she gets damn close, and this is only the first book in the series.
I deeply enjoyed exploring the Annagarian culture, obviously heavily inspired by Far East feudalism, and veiled behind Spanish sounding names. Diora de'Marente quickly became a favourite, though West's constant reminders of how perfect she is at times became a bit much.
But hey, my old favourite Evayne is back, and there was far fewer raising of brows in this one compared to TSH. Very much looking forward to the next book!
I deeply enjoyed exploring the Annagarian culture, obviously heavily inspired by Far East feudalism, and veiled behind Spanish sounding names. Diora de'Marente quickly became a favourite, though West's constant reminders of how perfect she is at times became a bit much.
But hey, my old favourite Evayne is back, and there was far fewer raising of brows in this one compared to TSH. Very much looking forward to the next book!
assimbya's review
3.0
This book was a bit of a fantasy novel guilty pleasure for me, as it wasn't actually written that well, and there waasn't much to it beyond the surface level of the plot. But it was a good book to get immersed in for a few days, with its many characters and labyrinthine plot, and I did find it quite interesting.
myth's review
Unfortunately I could not finish this. Normally I am undaunted by length of book and amount of politics, but while I could understand what was going on WHY it was going on was beyond me. The amount of idiot ball holding put me off, too, but my biggest gripe is the way the book deals with women and how expendable all but the super special ones are. Maybe it gets better later on. Maybe it doesn't. I can't slog through to find out.
spiringempress's review
4.0
In the morning, she would wake, and she would plan. Because she had declared war, and now she must fight it. Nothing else was left her. Nothing at all.
West's The Broken Crown is completely unique and unlike any fantasy book that I have ever come across before. The closest comparison is ASOIAF and only because the book contains a cast of characters with their individual agendas and goals, as well as, establishing a foundation for an epic and drawn out story. However, it is not a true comparison and no one should expect this series to be anything like ASOIAF because it is wholly original with some standout characters.
The story starts in one place and then continues with a set of characters in the Dominion of Annagar, where the clan Tor Leonne reigns dominant. It focuses on the clan Marano that consists of two brothers, Sendari and Adano, who vie for control of the indomitable Serra Theresa, who possesses the gift of the voice. The voice is hinted to be the ability to control the actions of other people, as well as, read the intention behind people's words. Serra Theresa has spent her entire life behind the closed doors of the clan Marano. She also promised to take care of her brother and his late wife's daughter, Diora, who also possesses the voice.
Overall, the story is split between Diora's childhood and her venture into womanhood. In the first part, West establishes the history of the clan Marano and the various relationships between Serra Theresa and her brothers. Adano is a talented military man while Sendari has always favored scholarly pursuits and desires to become Widan, a type of wise man who learns to perform magic. He was also married to Alora, who died giving birth to Diora. Both Serra Theresa and Sendari hold Alora in esteem and made individual promises to keep Diora safe.
Diora's hand is eventually promised to the rising heir within the clan of Tor Leonne. Unbeknownst to her, Sendari along with his friend General Alesso are planning to root out the clan and take over the seat of power. This, of course, leads to a lot of political machinations and an exploration of the system present in the Dominion, which must be carefully maneuvered for Sendair and Alesso to be successful. However, what they fail to take into account is the wrath of a scorned woman, who has made a promise to her sisters by marriage.
This is not an easy book to read. If you think George R.R. Martin or Robert Jordan are detailed-oriented and love to expand on the smallest detail of their book, character, or plot then you'll be impressed that West takes it to another level. Therefore, this is not the book/series for everyone. West explores her characters in-depth and the plots that they become involved in by looking at their daily activities and exchanges. It, therefore, will not appeal to someone, who likes fast-paced fantasy or traditional storylines in this genre.
My only criticism has to do with the cast of characters and how they are featured. The book opens with a healer from the isle of Averalaan Aramarelas, who is abducted by a man named Isladar. It is hinted that he serves a Lord, who is evil. Part of this involves the healer, Askeyia, who is sexually assaulted and becomes pregnant with a child named Kiriel, who can turn the tides of the war against the Lord of Hell. The book also introduces another woman, who goes to take care of Kiriel. However, the next part switches to the characters in Tor Leonne and Kiriel resurfaces later as the political landscape unfolds. It is a weird transition and while the beginning communicated Kiriel's importance, the rest of the book fails to extol on this. However, I am sure that the sequel will explore this more in-depth
West's The Broken Crown is completely unique and unlike any fantasy book that I have ever come across before. The closest comparison is ASOIAF and only because the book contains a cast of characters with their individual agendas and goals, as well as, establishing a foundation for an epic and drawn out story. However, it is not a true comparison and no one should expect this series to be anything like ASOIAF because it is wholly original with some standout characters.
The story starts in one place and then continues with a set of characters in the Dominion of Annagar, where the clan Tor Leonne reigns dominant. It focuses on the clan Marano that consists of two brothers, Sendari and Adano, who vie for control of the indomitable Serra Theresa, who possesses the gift of the voice. The voice is hinted to be the ability to control the actions of other people, as well as, read the intention behind people's words. Serra Theresa has spent her entire life behind the closed doors of the clan Marano. She also promised to take care of her brother and his late wife's daughter, Diora, who also possesses the voice.
Overall, the story is split between Diora's childhood and her venture into womanhood. In the first part, West establishes the history of the clan Marano and the various relationships between Serra Theresa and her brothers. Adano is a talented military man while Sendari has always favored scholarly pursuits and desires to become Widan, a type of wise man who learns to perform magic. He was also married to Alora, who died giving birth to Diora. Both Serra Theresa and Sendari hold Alora in esteem and made individual promises to keep Diora safe.
Diora's hand is eventually promised to the rising heir within the clan of Tor Leonne. Unbeknownst to her, Sendari along with his friend General Alesso are planning to root out the clan and take over the seat of power. This, of course, leads to a lot of political machinations and an exploration of the system present in the Dominion, which must be carefully maneuvered for Sendair and Alesso to be successful. However, what they fail to take into account is the wrath of a scorned woman, who has made a promise to her sisters by marriage.
This is not an easy book to read. If you think George R.R. Martin or Robert Jordan are detailed-oriented and love to expand on the smallest detail of their book, character, or plot then you'll be impressed that West takes it to another level. Therefore, this is not the book/series for everyone. West explores her characters in-depth and the plots that they become involved in by looking at their daily activities and exchanges. It, therefore, will not appeal to someone, who likes fast-paced fantasy or traditional storylines in this genre.
My only criticism has to do with the cast of characters and how they are featured. The book opens with a healer from the isle of Averalaan Aramarelas, who is abducted by a man named Isladar. It is hinted that he serves a Lord, who is evil. Part of this involves the healer, Askeyia, who is sexually assaulted and becomes pregnant with a child named Kiriel, who can turn the tides of the war against the Lord of Hell. The book also introduces another woman, who goes to take care of Kiriel. However, the next part switches to the characters in Tor Leonne and Kiriel resurfaces later as the political landscape unfolds. It is a weird transition and while the beginning communicated Kiriel's importance, the rest of the book fails to extol on this. However, I am sure that the sequel will explore this more in-depth
athenalindia's review
4.0
There are a lot of things I liked about this book. I can be seduced by sprawling fantasies (more so if they're not a quest narrative), strange lands with political intrigues, magic that is secondary to politics but not irrelevant, and interesting gender politics. The Broken Crown has that, in abundance. And yet, at the same time, I don't know if I'm running right out to get the next one. I haven't quite been convinced to add Michelle West to my list of authors I need to follow fervently. That might happen eventually, and I'm certainly happy to read more in this world, or more of her books, but I have not yet hit the point where a switch is flipped and I become evangelical.
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
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