saraubs 's review for:

The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley

3.0

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This was...fine. And usually fine is, well, fine, but between the cover, the premise, and the amazing prologue, I was really hoping for more from this one. This has all the elements I usually want in a fantasy novel: animal companions, battle school, and siblings who are desperate to protect one another. Unfortunately, despite a promising start, Staveley didn't manage to inject any originality into these tropes/archetypes. This was basic fantasy fare, offered up with predictable twists and writing that could have used a firmer edit.

I know this was a debut and I don't wish to be unduly harsh. I did think that there was great potential here, and I'm happy to follow the series along to see if I can discover what has made it such a joy for so many others.