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irmanakova's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic audio это конечно супер, но мне было тяжело разобраться в персонажах, потому что их очень много
topdragon's review against another edition
5.0
As a devoted fan of Michael Sullivan’s Riyria series I’ve been looking forward to diving into his new series ever since I first heard about it. My bottom line opinion may be a little confusing but it’s the best I can describe it: I got everything I expected and I also got everything I didn’t expect.
Those that have read the Riyria books know that Mr. Sullivan writes excellent fantasy novels, with great characters, settings, plots and all those things that make for a good read. The Riyria novels are extremely readable and keep the pages turning without thought to bedtimes or work schedules. They are down-to-earth and targeted at audiences of all ages as opposed to much of today’s “gritty” fantasy and above all, they are great fun to read.
The same can be said for this new series, at least as evidenced by this first book. But at the same time, it’s a lot different. The setting is in the same world as Riyria but thousands of years before those books take place. But whereas Riyria’s characters were limited to just a handful, this series has blown open the entire world. We are introduced to entire races with complex histories and motives and power structures. That may seem to indicate that it isn’t quite as “easy” to read and I suppose one could make that argument but the author’s prose works as always to keep us glued to the page. Some characters have powerful magic and some don’t…or perhaps they do? (More to come on that in follow-on books I feel sure). Intrigue abounds. There are dozens of characters and the ones that become the protagonists are vastly different from one another. It’s as if the author has been working on his world building for decades. The various races are completed by a lot of new words so the glossary at the end was very helpful.
This book is a vastly more complex fantasy story than what we saw in Riyria and more epic in scope. They are both fun reads but in different ways. I am so glad that Michael Sullivan writes an entire series before publishing the first so we won’t have to wait eons for each of the next ones to come out in this five-book series. If this first volume is any indication, we have much to look forward to in subsequent books in the series!
Those that have read the Riyria books know that Mr. Sullivan writes excellent fantasy novels, with great characters, settings, plots and all those things that make for a good read. The Riyria novels are extremely readable and keep the pages turning without thought to bedtimes or work schedules. They are down-to-earth and targeted at audiences of all ages as opposed to much of today’s “gritty” fantasy and above all, they are great fun to read.
The same can be said for this new series, at least as evidenced by this first book. But at the same time, it’s a lot different. The setting is in the same world as Riyria but thousands of years before those books take place. But whereas Riyria’s characters were limited to just a handful, this series has blown open the entire world. We are introduced to entire races with complex histories and motives and power structures. That may seem to indicate that it isn’t quite as “easy” to read and I suppose one could make that argument but the author’s prose works as always to keep us glued to the page. Some characters have powerful magic and some don’t…or perhaps they do? (More to come on that in follow-on books I feel sure). Intrigue abounds. There are dozens of characters and the ones that become the protagonists are vastly different from one another. It’s as if the author has been working on his world building for decades. The various races are completed by a lot of new words so the glossary at the end was very helpful.
This book is a vastly more complex fantasy story than what we saw in Riyria and more epic in scope. They are both fun reads but in different ways. I am so glad that Michael Sullivan writes an entire series before publishing the first so we won’t have to wait eons for each of the next ones to come out in this five-book series. If this first volume is any indication, we have much to look forward to in subsequent books in the series!
rossbm's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
A fun and easy fantasy read. Sometimes the characters and their motivations are quite stupid; like one of the main characters didn't talk to her childhood best friend for 10 years because she felt ashamed that she chickened out of going into the scary woods on a dare with her friend? Come on!
Still, enjoyable enough. A lot of mystery and things being setup for the future.
Still, enjoyable enough. A lot of mystery and things being setup for the future.
mhockenson's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first story I've read from Michael J. Sullivan and all the praise for his work that I've been hearing has definitely been warranted. I was hooked from page one and feel like this is the type of Fantasy novel I've been searching for since I first finished Lord of the Rings. The story is well paced, characters very well fleshed out, and the world described in such vivid detail I felt like I could see it all. Looking forward to seeing where the rest of this story unfolds and what trouble Raithe of Dureya can get himself into.
max341q132543253's review against another edition
3.0
DNF at 50ish%.
This book would probably be quite good for younger readers or people new to fantasy. The prose flows well, I was able to forget I was reading it mostly and just get lost in it, and it doesn't feel either too sappy or too dark.
But I'm DNFing for two reasons:
1. The pacing is slower while reading than it would be in real life. This book showed me there are two kinds of pacing: there's "macropacing", where the events that happen are either interesting and contribute to the plot or not; and there's "micropacing", which is how long it takes for events to happen at an average reading speed. This book has quite fast macro and quite slow micro: characters move quickly from one interesting situation to another, but they do so through overdescribed prose that feels like moving through molasses. Characters will take pages to pluck a chicken and talk about what to do next even when the stakes are fairly low. Given the time it takes me to read a page, I feel like the author wasn't putting enough on each page to hold my attention that long -- and I have read hundreds of books and never had this "micropacing" problem before. I think a traditional publishing editor could have fixed this without changing the substance of the book.
2. The relative lack of surprises. This is a much milder criticism, but if you've read a few epic fantasy series, you likely won't be too shocked by how things go. Again, a younger reader would like this book more than I did. I understand, though, that "the classics are classics for a reason", which is part of why I'm giving this three stars instead of two.
I should say that I tried reading Riyria but DNFed it too, finding the prose kind of awkward and unprofessional -- but that's been fixed now. I think the author's craft has improved quite a bit since Riyria, and I would have liked this series at my current age as a traditional throwback if the micropacing were increased, and would probably like it anyway if I were a teenager again.
This book would probably be quite good for younger readers or people new to fantasy. The prose flows well, I was able to forget I was reading it mostly and just get lost in it, and it doesn't feel either too sappy or too dark.
But I'm DNFing for two reasons:
1. The pacing is slower while reading than it would be in real life. This book showed me there are two kinds of pacing: there's "macropacing", where the events that happen are either interesting and contribute to the plot or not; and there's "micropacing", which is how long it takes for events to happen at an average reading speed. This book has quite fast macro and quite slow micro: characters move quickly from one interesting situation to another, but they do so through overdescribed prose that feels like moving through molasses. Characters will take pages to pluck a chicken and talk about what to do next even when the stakes are fairly low. Given the time it takes me to read a page, I feel like the author wasn't putting enough on each page to hold my attention that long -- and I have read hundreds of books and never had this "micropacing" problem before. I think a traditional publishing editor could have fixed this without changing the substance of the book.
2. The relative lack of surprises. This is a much milder criticism, but if you've read a few epic fantasy series, you likely won't be too shocked by how things go. Again, a younger reader would like this book more than I did. I understand, though, that "the classics are classics for a reason", which is part of why I'm giving this three stars instead of two.
I should say that I tried reading Riyria but DNFed it too, finding the prose kind of awkward and unprofessional -- but that's been fixed now. I think the author's craft has improved quite a bit since Riyria, and I would have liked this series at my current age as a traditional throwback if the micropacing were increased, and would probably like it anyway if I were a teenager again.
jasoneadams's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
ink_and_fury's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-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
3.5