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godofwar's review against another edition
3.0
2.5. a promising beginning (with dragons!) slowly devolves into sword fight after sword fight with little in the way of character development or world building, save the occasional infodump in chunks of dialogue. there was so much promise in the premise, and the departure from medieval europe was extremely welcome - but the characters feel too distant to make it a solid read.
(i also have a major issue with the gendered structure of the world/the cisheteronormativity and the fact sexual assault is a plot point, because Of Course it is, i guess it's impossible to write fantasy without the inclusion of r*pe; given the setting, i was hoping that there'd be even more instances of defying the norms of the genre, but... nope.)
though i can appreciate winters' writing, because he really does an incredible job with his action scenes, there's just way too many, and it becomes exhausting after the first 150 pages. i'm also kind of #bitter that the dragons don't really have a dominating presence; yeah, they're definitely pertinent to the plot, but i just feel with a title like the rage of dragons they should have been more of a focus instead of only having a part to play in the beginning and closing battles. hopefully the subsequent books actually have more substance because i really do love the concept, and it's so good to see diversity in fantasy! but that alone isn't enough to carry the series for me.
(i also have a major issue with the gendered structure of the world/the cisheteronormativity and the fact sexual assault is a plot point, because Of Course it is, i guess it's impossible to write fantasy without the inclusion of r*pe; given the setting, i was hoping that there'd be even more instances of defying the norms of the genre, but... nope.)
though i can appreciate winters' writing, because he really does an incredible job with his action scenes, there's just way too many, and it becomes exhausting after the first 150 pages. i'm also kind of #bitter that the dragons don't really have a dominating presence; yeah, they're definitely pertinent to the plot, but i just feel with a title like the rage of dragons they should have been more of a focus instead of only having a part to play in the beginning and closing battles. hopefully the subsequent books actually have more substance because i really do love the concept, and it's so good to see diversity in fantasy! but that alone isn't enough to carry the series for me.
cedrisc's review against another edition
DNF 15% started off interesting and then I just couldn't get into it.
chriszook's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars. Very solid start to what promises to be an excellent trilogy.
scarletcoog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sparksbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a refreshing and interesting addition to the epic fantasy genre. Like most epic fantasy stories it took a little bit to fully understand the world, especially the titles used that signify a person’s rank and/or caste. Once I started understanding who everyone was, I fell head first into the world and the danger within.
Tau is a character with one large motivator: anger. He’s an ordinary man in a world with extraordinary magic and people born stronger and with more power than him. Tragedy strikes when people close to him are murdered and his desire for revenge fuels him through the story to become stronger and a better fighter. While this is his main motivator, he also is motivated by his love for some he thought he would live a pretty ordinary life with before all of this started.
I loved the world-building for this Zulu-inspired fantasy world and the ways the magic system is explained. The world is very complicated and leaves you wondering who the true aggressor is in the never-ending war that the Omehi people find themselves in for two hundred years. Tau has a bit of the hero’s journey experience, growing from a low commoner to a fearsome swordsman of the Ihashe. Winter makes sure that this growth is believable and not just a magically sudden growth by going through Tau’s gruesome training and the lengths to which Tau will go to become stronger and a better fighter.
I could not put this book down and finished it quicker than I thought I would! I cannot wait to pick up the next book and keep reading!
Favorite Quotes:
“Let them think me a monster,” the Dragon Queen thought. “I will be a monster, if it means we survive.”
She slipped out of reach and walked away. Tau watched her go, the most perfect being who had ever existed.
Tau tried to be her mountain and found that she helped him more than he could her. She was everything he hadn’t known was missing. She was his first thought in the morning and his last at night. He had trouble considering anything but her smile, her eyes, her voice…her.
“I am your curse,” the Lesser said. “I am your end.”
“If I can be better than them, then any of us can be. The Nobles? They are great because we are on our knees. No more. I choose to stand.”
“Our challenge is significant,” she said. “Thus, we command those loyal to the queen to be particularly clever and amazingly lucky.”
And just like that, there was no going back. A dragon had been called, and someone would have to die.
Tau is a character with one large motivator: anger. He’s an ordinary man in a world with extraordinary magic and people born stronger and with more power than him. Tragedy strikes when people close to him are murdered and his desire for revenge fuels him through the story to become stronger and a better fighter. While this is his main motivator, he also is motivated by his love for some he thought he would live a pretty ordinary life with before all of this started.
I loved the world-building for this Zulu-inspired fantasy world and the ways the magic system is explained. The world is very complicated and leaves you wondering who the true aggressor is in the never-ending war that the Omehi people find themselves in for two hundred years. Tau has a bit of the hero’s journey experience, growing from a low commoner to a fearsome swordsman of the Ihashe. Winter makes sure that this growth is believable and not just a magically sudden growth by going through Tau’s gruesome training and the lengths to which Tau will go to become stronger and a better fighter.
I could not put this book down and finished it quicker than I thought I would! I cannot wait to pick up the next book and keep reading!
Favorite Quotes:
“Let them think me a monster,” the Dragon Queen thought. “I will be a monster, if it means we survive.”
She slipped out of reach and walked away. Tau watched her go, the most perfect being who had ever existed.
Tau tried to be her mountain and found that she helped him more than he could her. She was everything he hadn’t known was missing. She was his first thought in the morning and his last at night. He had trouble considering anything but her smile, her eyes, her voice…her.
“I am your curse,” the Lesser said. “I am your end.”
“If I can be better than them, then any of us can be. The Nobles? They are great because we are on our knees. No more. I choose to stand.”
“Our challenge is significant,” she said. “Thus, we command those loyal to the queen to be particularly clever and amazingly lucky.”
And just like that, there was no going back. A dragon had been called, and someone would have to die.
amy14's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
tubazen's review against another edition
5.0
If Children of Blood and Bone is LOTR
Then this is The Blade Itself. Intense, action-packed, and with a badass protagonist whose badassness is actually earned in narrative. Highly recommended if you like revenge stories, or just beautifully described swordplay. Also, the world is beautifully imagined and I have so many questions I need answered in the sequal. Highly recommended.
Then this is The Blade Itself. Intense, action-packed, and with a badass protagonist whose badassness is actually earned in narrative. Highly recommended if you like revenge stories, or just beautifully described swordplay. Also, the world is beautifully imagined and I have so many questions I need answered in the sequal. Highly recommended.
lostcadence's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed the first two books in this compelling epic fantasy-lite series. Its greatest strength is that it's a page turner - fast-paced and hard to put down once it gets going. Focusing on themes of colonialism, caste systems, and vengeance, the world and its characters become more complex as the series evolves. The Xhosa-inspired mythology (entirely fictional, but with elements from African rather than Western myths) makes it rather unique. It also takes inspiration from some small parts of progression fantasy, though the magic isn't the core of that progression. However, it suffers from a few potential flaws, including some frustrating YA tropes (at least early on) around romance and poor decision-making.
rubyfaye00's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Easiest 5 stars this year