Reviews

Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman

mallorn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

meghanreadsmm's review against another edition

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4.0

This series was so compelling, intense and thought-provoking. The characters are quite a bit different than what you usually come across. And some of the locales described were more vivid and disturbing than much of the other scenery.

lithographic's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


This series hit in all the right places when it comes to my vague nostalgia for 'classic' sci-fi fantasy novels with all the typical accompanying flaws, unresolved homoerotic relationships, and questing one could expect. 

eol's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

saraishelafs's review against another edition

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2.0

I didn't like the characters

judithisreading's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

warriorpickle's review against another edition

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4.0

Good book.Good series. Not as good as I remembered, but still enjoyable. Loved the ending still. Couldn't stand how in the book Friedman used "ever so (insert adverb here)" Over and over and over and over. Got distracting for me. I love Gerald Tarrant. One of the coolest characters in any book.

maeclair's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is freaking awesome! The entire Colfire Series held me riveted, but book three is by far my favorite. Both Damien Vryce and Gerald Tarrant have reached turning points in their personal viewpoints and the way they relate to each other. I don’t think I’ve ever read a series with an enemy/friend relationship that was developed so believably or so satisfyingly. My only regret is that the series ended. If I could give it more than five stars I would!

czarmorte's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

a_chickletz's review against another edition

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2.0

This is it, the final book. I read them all. I will admit, of all of them, this was the first book I wanted to give up on.

I have no idea what the hell was happening in this book half the time. I don't think I ever will.
Apparently the huge reveal is that the fae and mankind from many years ago created (mankind unknowingly created, mind you) a sentient being that can create it's own kind called Iszu which are half human half fae. Some Iszu have appeared throughout mankind and conversed with the characters in the book. Others have decided to go off the deep-end and become monsters... hence, the crazy that has happened in the books from day one.

Gerald Tarrant is one interesting character. At times, he reminds me of a psychotic Victor Frankenstien (more or less the Hammer Horror version) and spends his time in this book trying to watch his strange experiments and observations of mankind and the fae go wack. Other times he is spending the book in 'Hell' because he apparently did one good-deed and the gods who turned him into a vampire decided to punish him for it. Guess who has to go into Hell and drag him out of hell? Damien. Yep. He's bitching and griping about it.

Damien and Gerald's friendship has developed over the book. How some readers have taken it, it's some strange love and hate (though stronger on the 'love' when it comes to Damien). I can't tell if he wanted to fuck Gerard or just be super close friends with him.

The ending was a little weird because Gerard apparently (after loosing his powers while Damien takes him back to the living) made some sorcery deal that allowed him a new, mortal body of a younger man and if he was to tell anyone or speak his old name to any-one, it would make the new contract void and he would die or... as he put it, return to the original state of his body. (His head gets cut off in the of the book by his descendant. Yes, that is another plot point that was sorta touched on in book two, but came out of nowhere in this one.)

All in all, for a three star trilogy, I give this final installment two stars. It's not as good as the previous two, but then again, they were never really that good of books to begin with.