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barb4ry1 's review for:
City of Kings
by Rob J. Hayes
Actual rating: 3.5/5
Hayes set the bar high with Where Loyalties Lie. I was curious if he would outdo himself in near future. Let's see.
City of Kings is set in the same world as Hayes' other books and while focused on characters introduced in his previous series, it works as a standalone. Rose and Black Thorn are a power couple, but in reality, it's pregnant Rose who holds the steering wheel. She wants to become the queen of Wilds and everything goes according to plan until her army tries to conquer Crucible - the City of Kings. Its defences are unbreakable, its walls unassailable, all built so one hundred can hold back a thousand.
Unfortunately for her soldiers, Rose is adamant about breaking Crucible's defences before she gives birth. A slaughter ensues. Thousands of people die. I like morally ambiguous characters. I'm fine with anti-heroes. I'm not ok with power-hungry idiots, though. And Rose behaves like one. Failure is not an option for her and a price to pay is irrelevant. Rose is, undoubtedly, a strong and charismatic heroine but I don't care about her. Additionally, I fail to see how senior, battle-hardened generals yield to her will despite her questionable choices. Are they so afraid of Black Thorn?
Black Thorn is a fearless warrior who used to be a cruel outlaw. He wants to make his wife happy. Even when it requires sacrificing thousands of people. Sweet. I'll be honest - I don't feel this couple's dynamics. Intellectually, I can see it. Emotionally, I just don't relate to them.
The same is, unfortunately, true for other characters. There was no one I could relate to in this book. Anders is a funny fellow, and he's stolen the show in many places. He does have charm and wit and some of his scenes were hilarious. And yet when you see him for who he is (a coward, a drunkard, a traitor), he's as despicable as almost every single character illustrated on the pages of City of Kings.
On the other hand, all characters share difficult and violent pasts. One can assume that characters' behaviour may be treated as an exploration of how trauma can affect a person, cutting them out of the world, instilling violent fantasies of revenge, and leaving psychological wounds that linger long after the physical trauma had healed.
It's a violent, gruesome book and Hayes holds nothing back. Some scenes displayed savage cruelty that didn't sit well with me. On the other hand, good action scenes force the reader to turn the pages making it a quick read. The events develop at a breakneck pace, and strong twists and turns keep the reader at the edge of a seat.
There's plenty of battle scenes many fantasy readers will love. Personally, I'm not into large-scale battles - they tire me. But here, they're done very well and I'm sure others will be enthralled in them.
In the end, I think it's a good standalone book that will appeal to many fantasy readers. I didn't give it four stars because of lack of connection with the characters, but it's hugely subjective. If you'll be able to take a breath between the outpourings of gore and violence, you'll appreciate this effective, deeply unsettling and violent siege story.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Hayes set the bar high with Where Loyalties Lie. I was curious if he would outdo himself in near future. Let's see.
City of Kings is set in the same world as Hayes' other books and while focused on characters introduced in his previous series, it works as a standalone. Rose and Black Thorn are a power couple, but in reality, it's pregnant Rose who holds the steering wheel. She wants to become the queen of Wilds and everything goes according to plan until her army tries to conquer Crucible - the City of Kings. Its defences are unbreakable, its walls unassailable, all built so one hundred can hold back a thousand.
Unfortunately for her soldiers, Rose is adamant about breaking Crucible's defences before she gives birth. A slaughter ensues. Thousands of people die. I like morally ambiguous characters. I'm fine with anti-heroes. I'm not ok with power-hungry idiots, though. And Rose behaves like one. Failure is not an option for her and a price to pay is irrelevant. Rose is, undoubtedly, a strong and charismatic heroine but I don't care about her. Additionally, I fail to see how senior, battle-hardened generals yield to her will despite her questionable choices. Are they so afraid of Black Thorn?
Black Thorn is a fearless warrior who used to be a cruel outlaw. He wants to make his wife happy. Even when it requires sacrificing thousands of people. Sweet. I'll be honest - I don't feel this couple's dynamics. Intellectually, I can see it. Emotionally, I just don't relate to them.
The same is, unfortunately, true for other characters. There was no one I could relate to in this book. Anders is a funny fellow, and he's stolen the show in many places. He does have charm and wit and some of his scenes were hilarious. And yet when you see him for who he is (a coward, a drunkard, a traitor), he's as despicable as almost every single character illustrated on the pages of City of Kings.
On the other hand, all characters share difficult and violent pasts. One can assume that characters' behaviour may be treated as an exploration of how trauma can affect a person, cutting them out of the world, instilling violent fantasies of revenge, and leaving psychological wounds that linger long after the physical trauma had healed.
It's a violent, gruesome book and Hayes holds nothing back. Some scenes displayed savage cruelty that didn't sit well with me. On the other hand, good action scenes force the reader to turn the pages making it a quick read. The events develop at a breakneck pace, and strong twists and turns keep the reader at the edge of a seat.
There's plenty of battle scenes many fantasy readers will love. Personally, I'm not into large-scale battles - they tire me. But here, they're done very well and I'm sure others will be enthralled in them.
In the end, I think it's a good standalone book that will appeal to many fantasy readers. I didn't give it four stars because of lack of connection with the characters, but it's hugely subjective. If you'll be able to take a breath between the outpourings of gore and violence, you'll appreciate this effective, deeply unsettling and violent siege story.
Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.