kgagne's review
3.0
Overall, this book was less amusing than the previous one. The story took a dramatic turn less than halfway through, and everything after that seemed much more introspective and drawn out.
lizshayne's review
3.0
Not quite as good as its predecessor, but the first "quest" is one of my favorite moments in fantasy.
tani's review
4.0
The Woad to Wuin is the second book in the Sir Apropos of Nothing series, and although I didn't like it as much as the first book, I still enjoyed it a lot. It's a very fun read that actually takes on some of Apropos' issues in terms of the way that he looks at the world and handles his anger. Given the kind of character that Apropos is, I was very happy with that aspect of the book. As this book shows, with just a little push, Apropos is capable of going off in the complete wrong direction, and I really hope that the next book deals more with the fallout of what happened here because it's pretty big.
It is, however, more disjointed than the first book, and maybe goes a little over the top on the satire angle, especially in the beginning of the story. The first section of the book is a straight satire of Lord of the Rings, but with more sex, because it's Apropos. (Yup, sexual violence is still a big thing in this series.) It does actually fit into the story, but not as well as it could. I found it amusing, but also a bit too much, simply because, when taken with the rest of the story, it feels disjointed and out-of-place.
In addition, though I liked that the book dealt with something that is a serious emotional issue for Apropos, I didn't love the way that it was done. Between Apropos' lack of understanding of what has happened to him and then the hectic finishing pace of the story, the impact of Apropos' actions throughout the book on him is pretty lost, which is a shame because it makes so much sense for his emotional development. As I said above, I really hope that it doesn't just get shoved aside in the next book because it's a big deal.
Still, the book doesn't lack in many of the elements that made me like the first book so much. Apropos is still his mercenary and cowardly self, with those moments of utter brilliance that make him so fun to read about. There are many more subtle twistings of fantasy tropes throughout that work much better than the Lord of the Rings parody. The secondary characters are great, and when the action gets going, it's non-stop.
I listened to the GraphicAudio version of this, and I think that it's a great way to experience the fun of Apropos. Scott McCormick is fantastic as Apropos, and the rest of the cast also does an amazing job. If you're into audiobooks, I highly recommend this series.
It is, however, more disjointed than the first book, and maybe goes a little over the top on the satire angle, especially in the beginning of the story. The first section of the book is a straight satire of Lord of the Rings, but with more sex, because it's Apropos. (Yup, sexual violence is still a big thing in this series.) It does actually fit into the story, but not as well as it could. I found it amusing, but also a bit too much, simply because, when taken with the rest of the story, it feels disjointed and out-of-place.
In addition, though I liked that the book dealt with something that is a serious emotional issue for Apropos, I didn't love the way that it was done. Between Apropos' lack of understanding of what has happened to him and then the hectic finishing pace of the story, the impact of Apropos' actions throughout the book on him is pretty lost, which is a shame because it makes so much sense for his emotional development. As I said above, I really hope that it doesn't just get shoved aside in the next book because it's a big deal.
Still, the book doesn't lack in many of the elements that made me like the first book so much. Apropos is still his mercenary and cowardly self, with those moments of utter brilliance that make him so fun to read about. There are many more subtle twistings of fantasy tropes throughout that work much better than the Lord of the Rings parody. The secondary characters are great, and when the action gets going, it's non-stop.
I listened to the GraphicAudio version of this, and I think that it's a great way to experience the fun of Apropos. Scott McCormick is fantastic as Apropos, and the rest of the cast also does an amazing job. If you're into audiobooks, I highly recommend this series.
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