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A review by fantine525
Pół króla by Joe Abercrombie
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I’m going to try and write this review without spoilers.
I would say that this book has three major plot twists. I found the first one, at the very beginning of the story, to be very predictable; but it’s understandable - the author needed to get the action going and it’s not his fault, that there was no way to actually make the oncoming betrayal less obvious. I knew the book was going to be about revenge, that’s why I saw it coming.
The second plot twist was a bit less obvious, but once I connected the dots I couldn’t un-see it. I had to rule out any chance of coincidence;it was just impossible for two characters to share exactly the same characteristics. So the grand reveal on those last 50 pages or so wasn’t shocking at all.
Because I saw those plot twists coming, I was feeling rather confident (and maybe a little disappointed ) and thought, that nothing will be able to surprise me now. I couldn’t be more wrong. The last chapter absolutely blew me away; I was sitting there, my jaw on the floor, because it was 2:30 am and I was convinced, that all the issues had been resolved. Like, I was ready to close the book and go to sleep, maybe a bit disappointed by the novel; I was ready to give it like 3 stars when I wake up in the morning. And then this happens! I cannot say I’m dissatisfied now and I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series, as soon, as I’m done with all my exams.
Although the scheming and the plot twists were great, I still found the world building to be a bit lacking. It was by no means bad, but just kinda boring and maybe a little unoriginal.
Was this book inspired by Hamlet? I think it was. But it’s alright, I love Hamlet, and the keyword here is “inspired”, because Shakespeare’s play and this novel only share a few general similarities.
Altogether, this was by no means the best book I read this year and I do hope the next volumes of this series are going to be better, but it definitely was a great relief to finally read an actual novel and not just another text book. This was a much needed break from school life.
I would say that this book has three major plot twists. I found the first one, at the very beginning of the story, to be very predictable; but it’s understandable - the author needed to get the action going and it’s not his fault, that there was no way to actually make the oncoming betrayal less obvious. I knew the book was going to be about revenge, that’s why I saw it coming.
The second plot twist was a bit less obvious, but once I connected the dots I couldn’t un-see it. I had to rule out any chance of coincidence;
Because I saw those plot twists coming, I was feeling rather confident (and maybe a little disappointed ) and thought, that nothing will be able to surprise me now. I couldn’t be more wrong. The last chapter absolutely blew me away; I was sitting there, my jaw on the floor, because it was 2:30 am and I was convinced, that all the issues had been resolved. Like, I was ready to close the book and go to sleep, maybe a bit disappointed by the novel; I was ready to give it like 3 stars when I wake up in the morning. And then this happens! I cannot say I’m dissatisfied now and I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series, as soon, as I’m done with all my exams.
Although the scheming and the plot twists were great, I still found the world building to be a bit lacking. It was by no means bad, but just kinda boring and maybe a little unoriginal.
Was this book inspired by Hamlet? I think it was. But it’s alright, I love Hamlet, and the keyword here is “inspired”, because Shakespeare’s play and this novel only share a few general similarities.
Altogether, this was by no means the best book I read this year and I do hope the next volumes of this series are going to be better, but it definitely was a great relief to finally read an actual novel and not just another text book. This was a much needed break from school life.