willowshield8's review
I couldn't finish reading "Bladed Faith" by David Dalglish because I struggled to connect with the characters throughout the book. After 250 pages, I found them to be disappointingly flat, with no noticeable character growth. The author's attempt to switch between scenes of training and the character's reintegration into society to overthrow the empire lacked the emotional depth required to convey the revenge and anger the character should have felt. This lack of emotional engagement ultimately hindered my ability to become invested in the story and its characters.
booksthatburn's review against another edition
It’s possible that this would turn out to be foreshadowing the discovery that this guy is bad, but I was offput by a conversation where the fantasy arms dealer CEO explains that it’s fine for him to pay for revolutions with funds gotten from selling arms to the colonizers, thus making more money as they buy more weapons to put down the revolutions he’s funding. Oh also he’s a tragic gay widower whose husband died for one of those revolutions. I’m uninterested in pinkwashing arms dealers who enable colonizers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Excrement and Rape
tripaj's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this book was so cool. i love the idea of multiple gods and
Spoiler
humans becoming godsSpoiler
i’ve never read a book like this!! can’t wait to read book 2emiann2023's review
4.0
The Bladed Faith has a lot going for it.
Cyrus is a relatable protagonist, and his struggles are realistic. His companions are interesting, and the story overall is very entertaining.
It was a slow build up, but the action feels earned, which is a nice change from a lot of books that just expect you to believe the protagonist is powerful without offering any context. This book has that, and it shows Cyrus beneath the mask, which is a nice touch too.
I liked that there was a lot of different perspectives, but honestly the only one I connected with was Cyrus. The others were interesting, but I couldn't help but feel like they were dragging away from the main story. But that's just my opinion.
I will be interested to see where we go from here. What our hero will do.
Cyrus is a relatable protagonist, and his struggles are realistic. His companions are interesting, and the story overall is very entertaining.
It was a slow build up, but the action feels earned, which is a nice change from a lot of books that just expect you to believe the protagonist is powerful without offering any context. This book has that, and it shows Cyrus beneath the mask, which is a nice touch too.
I liked that there was a lot of different perspectives, but honestly the only one I connected with was Cyrus. The others were interesting, but I couldn't help but feel like they were dragging away from the main story. But that's just my opinion.
I will be interested to see where we go from here. What our hero will do.
tul_duru_thunderhead's review
dark
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
alexmcwilliams's review
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
lpcowling's review
5.0
I was looking for something fun to read over the holiday period, and Bladed Faith had been sitting on my bookcase for a while now, unread. So, I decided to give it a go and was rewarded with what I wanted - it was so much fun! From Cyrus' training to his involvement in the rebellion, to the incredible ending and epilogue, fun, and thrill.
The world-building is top-notch and speaks to a larger universe without getting bogged down in the mire of info-dumping, but weaved expertly through the story with the kill that only comes from the experience earned by telling many, many stories.
The ending, how clever and unpredictable, and how much anticipation it builds for reading the sequel, is unparalleled by anything I've read this year.
I eagerly await book two, five stars.
The world-building is top-notch and speaks to a larger universe without getting bogged down in the mire of info-dumping, but weaved expertly through the story with the kill that only comes from the experience earned by telling many, many stories.
The ending, how clever and unpredictable, and how much anticipation it builds for reading the sequel, is unparalleled by anything I've read this year.
I eagerly await book two, five stars.