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eccles's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Another engaging romantic fantasy. This one seemed to run out of steam at the end TBH, but was pretty fun for the first 3/4s. In the final scene, redeeming the undead, she describes some of them as having their heads in “carrier bags” made of something or other. Proof positive that by that stage she’d just given up and was hurrying to get to the end, as I was.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
I'm just about out of first-time reads by this author. And I found this one uneven. It was a slow read, it's hard to decide how much was me and how much was the book. After the joy of reading Penric, reading these other books were challenging. And then we get to the mad ride and it kind of zooms. And all the threads come together. And just about everyone gets the right ending. 3.5 of 5.
wetdryvac's review against another edition
5.0
These three books all have a common thread for me: Somehow, I can't pick them up. Repeatedly. I get half way through and just never want to read 'em again. And there's a push for that third quarter, and then they pay off *insanely* well.
Unlike most of Bujold's work, I probably won't be rereading these a lot, but they're extremely well done. This one's probably the least approachable of the lot, and ended up being my favorite in the same way An Exchange of Hostages (Matthew's work) was. Very uncomfortable in a lot of ways, but presenting a mad, agonizing thing as a whole that functions within itself.
*shrugs*
Definitely gonna be reading some fluff next, though.
Unlike most of Bujold's work, I probably won't be rereading these a lot, but they're extremely well done. This one's probably the least approachable of the lot, and ended up being my favorite in the same way An Exchange of Hostages (Matthew's work) was. Very uncomfortable in a lot of ways, but presenting a mad, agonizing thing as a whole that functions within itself.
*shrugs*
Definitely gonna be reading some fluff next, though.
erinh865's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sylum'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rdfalgout's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bleulucy's review against another edition
I love this series and have read it several times over.
yak_attak's review against another edition
3.5
A strange one, Bujold's powerful and subtle writing is on full display in both the most compelling beginning to one of the Chalion books, as well as probably the most poignant ending - but the muddy middle is where the book loses its way. Don't get me wrong, Bujold's writing is still strong, her characters deeply enjoyable, unique, both pleasant to spend time with and realized enough to breathe their own life into the story. And the plot itself could be strong - a murder mystery intrigue about a mad prince, and the captain who falls in love with the murderer - all wrapped up in that understated, languid medieval setting that is a joy to immerse yourself in.
But immersion most is what you get here, our protagonist rebounds from encounter to encounter with little drive. We meet, love, lose track of, are reminded of character after character, until Bujold's intrigue has been drawn up into a fever pitch that we still don't really understand the scope of. There's a lot of waiting around, running to the same three buildings, and getting one more piece of information. It's a joy to read, and the writing is as strong as ever - possibly in the best in some cases, but as a whole package it's oddly deflated. Worth your time, but perhaps expect a little less.
But immersion most is what you get here, our protagonist rebounds from encounter to encounter with little drive. We meet, love, lose track of, are reminded of character after character, until Bujold's intrigue has been drawn up into a fever pitch that we still don't really understand the scope of. There's a lot of waiting around, running to the same three buildings, and getting one more piece of information. It's a joy to read, and the writing is as strong as ever - possibly in the best in some cases, but as a whole package it's oddly deflated. Worth your time, but perhaps expect a little less.
ashleylm's review against another edition
3.0
I'm shocked, shocked I tell you to give a work by Ms. Bujold anything less than 4 or 5 stars, but this one didn't really grab me. For the most part Nothing Happened. I expect that, say, in a mystery, where the plots often consist of people finding out details about the past ("Now tell me, Lady Barknell, where you were between 7 and 9 yesterday evening at the time of the crime!") but it's not what I expect for a rip-roaring fantasy adventure, or whatever this was.
And it was so confusing--not the characters, not what was happening, but the rules about what had happened, could happen, should happen, etc., vis-a-vis all the supernatural elements. It made me long for The Lord of the Rings which, granted, had a very detailed back story, but essentially it boiled down to "ring bad, destroying the ring good" which is clear and easy to appreciate.
As usual, she writes well, and individual sentences are pleasant, and the paragraphs pass by nicely—you never wince and wish her editor were more careful—but it was about 2/3 through before something New actually took place, as opposed to people learning more about old stuff that had already occured, and by then it was too little too late. I went all the way to the end (it's a decent book, just not up to her usual standard) and did not feel the ending was so magnificent as to alter my take on the bulk of the book—the ending was every bit as dull and confusing.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
And it was so confusing--not the characters, not what was happening, but the rules about what had happened, could happen, should happen, etc., vis-a-vis all the supernatural elements. It made me long for The Lord of the Rings which, granted, had a very detailed back story, but essentially it boiled down to "ring bad, destroying the ring good" which is clear and easy to appreciate.
As usual, she writes well, and individual sentences are pleasant, and the paragraphs pass by nicely—you never wince and wish her editor were more careful—but it was about 2/3 through before something New actually took place, as opposed to people learning more about old stuff that had already occured, and by then it was too little too late. I went all the way to the end (it's a decent book, just not up to her usual standard) and did not feel the ending was so magnificent as to alter my take on the bulk of the book—the ending was every bit as dull and confusing.
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!