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A review by nathan_porrata
Warmage by Terry Mancour
2.0
It's difficult for me to think of an epic fantasy that feels less epic than this one. It has all the ingredients necessary; large world, evil lord, hordes of enemies, magic everywhere, political intrigue, etc. But it all feels lifeless and boring. There's an essential element missing that leaves it flat and uninteresting, and that element is prose.
I don't expect, or require, an authors prose to be flowery and poetic like Tolkien, or breathlessly fast paced like Sandersons, but it has to at least be interesting enough to convey to me something other than a simple rendition of events. Prose, more than plot or characters, is what grabs a readers attention and instills a sense of commitment necessary to read a long series like this.
Unfortunately, books 1 and 2 both suffer from a boring prose that does little to engage my interest. Even as epic battles with trolls, dragins, magic spells, etc, are described, still I must stifle a yawn at how boring it all is. These books just aren't interesting to read, and no amount of sex or violence can change that.
Not that what the boring prose describes is all that great either. The setting is your standard western European feudal system with goblins, elves, and magic thrown in for good measure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but most writers have the good sense to add something unique to the mix. The world simply is not interesting and I care very little what happens to it.
The tone is also very inconsistent. Throughout most of the story it has a light hearted, almost whimsical feel, but on occasion it will venture into grimdark territory with events so horrific they'll make a Warhammer 40k author blush. Much as I like grimdark like 40k, and whimsy adventures like The Hobbit, the two make strange bedfellows when combined.
Overall, there is little here that makes me want to read on. There are far better fantasy serious out there to spend all my time reading the 10+ books in this series.
I don't expect, or require, an authors prose to be flowery and poetic like Tolkien, or breathlessly fast paced like Sandersons, but it has to at least be interesting enough to convey to me something other than a simple rendition of events. Prose, more than plot or characters, is what grabs a readers attention and instills a sense of commitment necessary to read a long series like this.
Unfortunately, books 1 and 2 both suffer from a boring prose that does little to engage my interest. Even as epic battles with trolls, dragins, magic spells, etc, are described, still I must stifle a yawn at how boring it all is. These books just aren't interesting to read, and no amount of sex or violence can change that.
Not that what the boring prose describes is all that great either. The setting is your standard western European feudal system with goblins, elves, and magic thrown in for good measure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but most writers have the good sense to add something unique to the mix. The world simply is not interesting and I care very little what happens to it.
The tone is also very inconsistent. Throughout most of the story it has a light hearted, almost whimsical feel, but on occasion it will venture into grimdark territory with events so horrific they'll make a Warhammer 40k author blush. Much as I like grimdark like 40k, and whimsy adventures like The Hobbit, the two make strange bedfellows when combined.
Overall, there is little here that makes me want to read on. There are far better fantasy serious out there to spend all my time reading the 10+ books in this series.