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A review by inkcharm
Edge of Destiny by J. Robert King
2.0
It wasn't too easy rating this book. Ultimately, I have to compare it to [b:Ghosts of Ascalon|6582957|Ghosts of Ascalon (Guild Wars, #1)|Matt Forbeck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331511840s/6582957.jpg|6776435]. While both books are standalones and written by different authors, they tell stories in between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2.
For the first 50 or so pages I believed I'd enjoy [b:Edge of Destiny|8585524|Edge of Destiny (Guild Wars, #2)|J. Robert King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279224310s/8585524.jpg|13454870] over [b:Ghosts of Ascalon|6582957|Ghosts of Ascalon (Guild Wars, #1)|Matt Forbeck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331511840s/6582957.jpg|6776435]. I liked the characters better, I also admittedly liked the premise of the book better. However, Edge of Destiny quickly tumbles from intriguing story lines and loveable characters to lackluster action without a sense of urgency, in which the same actions are repeated over and over again through the whole book. There only minimal character development, the characters constantly lack relatable reason or even emotion. The book lacks drama and suspense, edge-of-the-seat action and interpersonal relationships you care about. Even Logan's and Rytlock's budding friendship-against-all-odds is lackluster and handwaved, and in the end, I found myself not even caring when Logan defied all logic and reason near the end of the book. The plot is there, the potential is there, the lore is there, but it all falls down in the end. We spend page upon page witnessing our heroes beat their foes without any real danger to their own lives, and things just become utterly ridiculous by the point they are able to do away with a dragon champion, a large threat, within one single chapter.
Twice.
The book gets two stars for the lore it provides, and I feel I'm being generous with that. After I thoroughly enjoyed [b:Ghosts of Ascalon|6582957|Ghosts of Ascalon (Guild Wars, #1)|Matt Forbeck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331511840s/6582957.jpg|6776435], this was a letdown with a fantastic plot and great characters that weren't told properly.
For the first 50 or so pages I believed I'd enjoy [b:Edge of Destiny|8585524|Edge of Destiny (Guild Wars, #2)|J. Robert King|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1279224310s/8585524.jpg|13454870] over [b:Ghosts of Ascalon|6582957|Ghosts of Ascalon (Guild Wars, #1)|Matt Forbeck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331511840s/6582957.jpg|6776435]. I liked the characters better, I also admittedly liked the premise of the book better. However, Edge of Destiny quickly tumbles from intriguing story lines and loveable characters to lackluster action without a sense of urgency, in which the same actions are repeated over and over again through the whole book. There only minimal character development, the characters constantly lack relatable reason or even emotion. The book lacks drama and suspense, edge-of-the-seat action and interpersonal relationships you care about. Even Logan's and Rytlock's budding friendship-against-all-odds is lackluster and handwaved, and in the end, I found myself not even caring when Logan defied all logic and reason near the end of the book. The plot is there, the potential is there, the lore is there, but it all falls down in the end. We spend page upon page witnessing our heroes beat their foes without any real danger to their own lives, and things just become utterly ridiculous by the point they are able to do away with a dragon champion, a large threat, within one single chapter.
Twice.
The book gets two stars for the lore it provides, and I feel I'm being generous with that. After I thoroughly enjoyed [b:Ghosts of Ascalon|6582957|Ghosts of Ascalon (Guild Wars, #1)|Matt Forbeck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1331511840s/6582957.jpg|6776435], this was a letdown with a fantastic plot and great characters that weren't told properly.