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A review by daybreak
The Masters by Ricardo Pinto
Sorry to say it but this book is 70% useless description and 30% plot, character time and dialogue combined.
The issue might have been that the author really wanted to worldbuild. As far as this is concerned, he does build quite the rich world, one that is quite distinct from usual fantasy settings, with interesting hierarchies and lore.
However, there is just no balance at all : we cannot spend 3/4 of a chapter reading how the sea roils, how birds fly, how the MC is crossing a river then get only a few lines that actually advances the plot and build the characters.
I feel like the book was fine enough at first but as soon as they set out for the journey, it becomes a real chore to read. From what I gather from the titles, this would have continued for the rest of this first book too as they would only reach their destination in the last chapter.
Anyway, aside from this, the prose is quite beautiful but, unfortunately, at times (more than a few) too obscure or very clunky which takes the attention away as one has to go over the line again and again.
The issue might have been that the author really wanted to worldbuild. As far as this is concerned, he does build quite the rich world, one that is quite distinct from usual fantasy settings, with interesting hierarchies and lore.
However, there is just no balance at all : we cannot spend 3/4 of a chapter reading how the sea roils, how birds fly, how the MC is crossing a river then get only a few lines that actually advances the plot and build the characters.
I feel like the book was fine enough at first but as soon as they set out for the journey, it becomes a real chore to read. From what I gather from the titles, this would have continued for the rest of this first book too as they would only reach their destination in the last chapter.
Anyway, aside from this, the prose is quite beautiful but, unfortunately, at times (more than a few) too obscure or very clunky which takes the attention away as one has to go over the line again and again.