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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
For all these stories unfortunately the payoff was not that much, again some of the action seemed to just happen behind the scenes, planning was never shown and consequences didn’t feel that bad especially in Glokta’s story. Due to the fast pacing or the short length it didn’t feel like there was time to really get engrossed in things. Glotka letting the woman go was so quick that I really didn’t get to understand his change of heart, ofc I know it was her caring about the country and what not but still. Same with Jezhal, his injury changing him makes sense in theory but it felt as though that information was just shoved on me rather than shown. Logen and Ferro I would say was not too bad, her inner monolouge of trust was a bit tell-y but it still came slow enough to make sense.
I know ofc that Quai has had something happen to him but I wish that was more subtle, it was made crazy obvious, rather than letting the reader have a sliver of doubt it was just made to be so in my face. The endings also kind of felt as though there was little pay off. Glotka’s Dogoska plot moved the war at crazy speed and ended pretty abrubtly. I did like the ending and the mystery of who killed the prince and the bank but it didn’t add too much. The northmen’s war were lowkey so anticlimactic, tbh not just them but any wars were really not written in a way for me to be fully hyped about it, they were pretty average. I just cared about the outcome which sort of ruins the whole thing, at least Threetrees death was impactful.
The book was still good and nice to get through but there didn’t feel to be a sufficient villain, ofc I know there are the fantasy elements and Khalul is the villain, but its just not fleshed out enough to actually care about. We also don’t have any direct encounters with any important villain. Nonetheless, I do home to see everyone back in ardua soon or at least 2 groups there together in the next book. All of this is not to say that the book was bad because it was definitely still good with really good character writing which I enjoy reading, especially Logen and Glokta.
Book 2 is more of the same as Book 1 - despite appearing to have the elements of a great fantasy, it falls mostly flat. I can see, on paper, why this cast of characters with widely varied backgrounds and motivations should grab my attention, and I can see the efforts for those characters to change and develop. Instead I find them shallow and two dimensional with very few exceptions. There were, I think, two choices made in this story that I found both believable and interesting - everything else I didn't buy or didn't care.
If the information is all there, and the effort is visible, I think that just means I'm not engaged with the writing. A lot of the imagery felt redundant. Rarely anything surprised me. The author seems most interested and most capable in writing depictions of violence - they were slightly too graphic for my taste, which I wouldn't hold against the book in a vacuum, but it just kept happening again and again. The newly introduced depictions of sex were honestly gross (defenders would say that's on purpose, but I still hated reading it).
The first book suffered from being all build up - this was at least not that. But I was tired and bored of it halfway through. I keep waiting for a fascinating ending to come in and tie the mess together, but with no reason to have confidence it will.
If the information is all there, and the effort is visible, I think that just means I'm not engaged with the writing. A lot of the imagery felt redundant. Rarely anything surprised me. The author seems most interested and most capable in writing depictions of violence - they were slightly too graphic for my taste, which I wouldn't hold against the book in a vacuum, but it just kept happening again and again. The newly introduced depictions of sex were honestly gross (defenders would say that's on purpose, but I still hated reading it).
The first book suffered from being all build up - this was at least not that. But I was tired and bored of it halfway through. I keep waiting for a fascinating ending to come in and tie the mess together, but with no reason to have confidence it will.
adventurous
dark
funny
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:
Yes
4 stars = Fantastic and easy to recommend.
“Those with the least always lose the most in war.”
Contains more of what you got from the first book in the series, but with more magic, more political machinations, and a deeper attachment to a whole cast of morally grey characters. It wraps up nicely at the end with some business left unfinished but no cliffhanger. I look forward to reading about how it all comes together in the end.
“The years pass, the unimaginable becomes everyday, the hideous becomes tedious, the unbearable becomes routine.”
-----
First Sentence: Damn mist.
Favorite Quote: Where did the nobles’ money come from, but from taxes on the peasants in the fields? Who are their soldiers, but the sons and husbands of common folk? What gives the lords their power? Only the compliance of their vassals, nothing more. When the peasantry become truly dissatisfied, that power can vanish with terrifying speed.
“Those with the least always lose the most in war.”
Contains more of what you got from the first book in the series, but with more magic, more political machinations, and a deeper attachment to a whole cast of morally grey characters. It wraps up nicely at the end with some business left unfinished but no cliffhanger. I look forward to reading about how it all comes together in the end.
“The years pass, the unimaginable becomes everyday, the hideous becomes tedious, the unbearable becomes routine.”
-----
First Sentence: Damn mist.
Favorite Quote: Where did the nobles’ money come from, but from taxes on the peasants in the fields? Who are their soldiers, but the sons and husbands of common folk? What gives the lords their power? Only the compliance of their vassals, nothing more. When the peasantry become truly dissatisfied, that power can vanish with terrifying speed.
If you are reading this, it is probably because you are not sure how the first book left you feeling about reading the second. That, or you need reassurance on how amazing this trilogy is. I will not say that this is the best series I have ever read, nor would I put it in my top 10, however, I would tell you to continue reading because there is more action in this book and more character development. More secrets are revealed and more are told. Do not let yourself down by stopping now. Glokta will preach to your inner demons, West will humble you, Jezel will teach you a lesson, Ninefingers will make your heart beat again if you haven't felt it in a while, and Bayaz will open up your mind to the wide world they all live in. Do yourself the favor of following these characters to a touch of enlightenment.
A bit better than the first in the series, but the story is really just average. The humor can be hit or miss, but the characters are definitely the best part of the book.
Wow! The character building! Joe is really awesome at it. He takes write up to them and you get to meet and learn all about these characters up close and personal. You may not like them. So of them I would hate in real life. But Joe helps you discover how awful they really are. It is great. Oh yeah, there is a story in there too. But it is the characters that make the story come alive.