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cpjeanz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tarawe's review against another edition
3.0
I think I enjoyed this book. I think my review and enjoyment suffered from listening to this as an audiobook rather than reading it. I felt my mind wandering a lot while listening but the parts I retained I enjoyed. I think I will try to find a physical copy of this book and give it a reread.
xkrow's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent fantasy book that is an equal parts foray into politics, religion, character work, romance, and well, crows. (As you may gather from my username, I really enjoyed this last part.)
The books begin as it unfolds - slowly, but with a secret hidden underneath. Who is this man on the road? What has brought him here? And what will he do with the diary of Death Magic he has just discovered? You slowly find out his identity and follow his new line of work. This beginning has been called slow, and I agree, but that isn't quite a bad thing. It was really nice to get accustomed to these characters in a normal setting, with the driving force being Caz's backstory, before throwing them into all that follows.
And thrown we are. Bujold spins a masterful tale here, pulling in from all the small elements she had set up earlier to begin crafting a wicked plot. I have to admit, I accidently spoiled myself on two elements of this book by looking somewhere I shouldn't have, but I was surprised to see them play out immediately in the my next reading session, one after the other. Despite knowing they were going to happen, I had not suspected this, assuming they would be saved from the ultimate climax. But no, the rug is pulled from under you at the 40% mark and you're suddenly thrust into an entirely different dimension of this world that is just as fascinating. It is a joy to follow Caz and Iselle and the others as they attempt to maneuver themselves out of this trouble and the twists simply don't stop until the penultimate chapters. I held my breath (metaphorically) through so many parts and the sigh of ultimate relief that left me at the end was breath-taking (heh).
On a more technical note, Bujold's prose is also fantastic. I was immediately sucked into the first chapter by her lush descriptions and they continued throughout. It is densely packed but not tough to read, striking a great balance. Each character feels like someone different. The world sings through her words.
Chapter 22 is absolutely my favorite part of the book, no doubt about it. Its such a wonderful mix of reveals, political scheming, character interaction, and a hint of fairy-tale that creates an extremely entertaining and charming package that left me grinning ear to ear.
The books begin as it unfolds - slowly, but with a secret hidden underneath. Who is this man on the road? What has brought him here? And what will he do with the diary of Death Magic he has just discovered? You slowly find out his identity and follow his new line of work. This beginning has been called slow, and I agree, but that isn't quite a bad thing. It was really nice to get accustomed to these characters in a normal setting, with the driving force being Caz's backstory, before throwing them into all that follows.
And thrown we are. Bujold spins a masterful tale here, pulling in from all the small elements she had set up earlier to begin crafting a wicked plot. I have to admit, I accidently spoiled myself on two elements of this book by looking somewhere I shouldn't have, but I was surprised to see them play out immediately in the my next reading session, one after the other. Despite knowing they were going to happen, I had not suspected this, assuming they would be saved from the ultimate climax. But no, the rug is pulled from under you at the 40% mark and you're suddenly thrust into an entirely different dimension of this world that is just as fascinating. It is a joy to follow Caz and Iselle and the others as they attempt to maneuver themselves out of this trouble and the twists simply don't stop until the penultimate chapters. I held my breath (metaphorically) through so many parts and the sigh of ultimate relief that left me at the end was breath-taking (heh).
On a more technical note, Bujold's prose is also fantastic. I was immediately sucked into the first chapter by her lush descriptions and they continued throughout. It is densely packed but not tough to read, striking a great balance. Each character feels like someone different. The world sings through her words.
Chapter 22 is absolutely my favorite part of the book, no doubt about it. Its such a wonderful mix of reveals, political scheming, character interaction, and a hint of fairy-tale that creates an extremely entertaining and charming package that left me grinning ear to ear.
jnb_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
5.0
kvedja's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5
birdieblues's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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? Yes
4.5
gifpil's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allonsyechoes's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hopeless_wanderer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
gossy's review against another edition
4.0
This book has kind of a slow start and unusual pacing, but not in a bad way! I enjoyed it and plan to read the next in the series.
At the start of the book you’re basically dumped into the rest and recover period after a major event, which is something that I tend to enjoy reading. But you weren’t there for the major event and you aren’t attached to the main character yet, so it’s definitely an unusual start and takes a bit to fully engage, hah.
The book as a whole reminded me a bit of *The Goblin Emperor* in terms of… you could call it agency? The character’s choices matter, but not necessarily along the axis one might expect. And the grander ‘action’ tends to be shaped by outside forces. There’s a certain amount of power in helplessness and helplessness in power as a theme.
At the start of the book you’re basically dumped into the rest and recover period after a major event, which is something that I tend to enjoy reading. But you weren’t there for the major event and you aren’t attached to the main character yet, so it’s definitely an unusual start and takes a bit to fully engage, hah.
The book as a whole reminded me a bit of *The Goblin Emperor* in terms of… you could call it agency? The character’s choices matter, but not necessarily along the axis one might expect. And the grander ‘action’ tends to be shaped by outside forces. There’s a certain amount of power in helplessness and helplessness in power as a theme.