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r4hand's review against another edition
2.0
Meh... It wasn't terrible, but wasn't particularly good either. The story as a whole is rather bland and really never hooked me like a good book does. I finished it and will call it good.
brittney_tyler's review against another edition
5.0
To start with, I need to say that epic fantasy is one of my all-time favorite genres of literature. My favorite book series of all time is The Lord of the Rings so I went into this book with the thought that I would probably love it, and I wasn't disappointed in that regard. I gave this book an overall 4.5 star rating for reasons to be detailed in the following paragraphs.
First off, I love how this book sets up this world and its story wonderfully for the rest of the series. I enjoyed the way he used the ancient Roman world for a template, such as the Fhrey system of government and the way they treat the Rhules. It was a lot of fun to try to and see if I could find all the similarities or not. I also loved the nod to Druidic culture in characters such as Suri because every good fantasy book needs a good Merlin-like character, at least in my opinion. He is my all-time favorite literary character.
Speaking of amazing characters, this book has some of its own, especially strong female characters. Some of my favorites in this book were the aforementioned Suri, Persephone, Moya, and Brin. These four women are some of the most pivotal characters in the story because when everyone else is panicking because of the Fhrey invasion, they are determined to do whatever it takes for their people- the Rhules- to survive, going so far as to take on supposed gods. These women are very inspiring and are a great addition to the book.
However, I did have one small qualm with the book, which is the reason I rated 4.5 instead of 5 stars. The writing style was not as engaging as I would have liked it, which lead to me not getting completely lost in the story like I wanted to. Although, this is a personal preference and other readers should not be deterred by this.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the following additions to the series when they are released. Also, I am interested in reading other works by him as well.
First off, I love how this book sets up this world and its story wonderfully for the rest of the series. I enjoyed the way he used the ancient Roman world for a template, such as the Fhrey system of government and the way they treat the Rhules. It was a lot of fun to try to and see if I could find all the similarities or not. I also loved the nod to Druidic culture in characters such as Suri because every good fantasy book needs a good Merlin-like character, at least in my opinion. He is my all-time favorite literary character.
Speaking of amazing characters, this book has some of its own, especially strong female characters. Some of my favorites in this book were the aforementioned Suri, Persephone, Moya, and Brin. These four women are some of the most pivotal characters in the story because when everyone else is panicking because of the Fhrey invasion, they are determined to do whatever it takes for their people- the Rhules- to survive, going so far as to take on supposed gods. These women are very inspiring and are a great addition to the book.
However, I did have one small qualm with the book, which is the reason I rated 4.5 instead of 5 stars. The writing style was not as engaging as I would have liked it, which lead to me not getting completely lost in the story like I wanted to. Although, this is a personal preference and other readers should not be deterred by this.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the following additions to the series when they are released. Also, I am interested in reading other works by him as well.
apothecaryalyth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
lukehoop's review against another edition
5.0
Flew through this book. Very excited for the rest of the series. Extremely likable characters and a fast paced plot.
2nd Reading: Picked up on lots more character development the second time. Still enjoyed it a lot. Paying more attention to Fhrey society and Rhune history this time through.
2nd Reading: Picked up on lots more character development the second time. Still enjoyed it a lot. Paying more attention to Fhrey society and Rhune history this time through.
nomiii's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a while to get used to this writing style but it picked up in the second half
elfduchess's review against another edition
5.0
ReRead in September 2021
Adjusted rating more like 2 stars
Well, this is awkward.
I was one of those people that loved Riyria Revelations (I do plan on rereading that sometime soon-ish to see if I still do) and was super excited for a new series by who was probably my favorite author at the time. I think that goes far in explaining why there's such a disparity in my ratings. (Also explains why I didn't originally read past the second book in the series.)
Anyway, this book is ... okay. It was just okay. The things that set it apart from the other fantasy I read, I've realized that I don't actually like.
And by that, I mean the setting. This is an early culture. This is stone age. (If you play Civ, they haven't even made their way through the ancient era yet.) I've learnt, reading this book and how awkward and uncomfortable I was at times, that I like more advanced cultures even in my fantasy.
I don't care about the characters. I am a character reader. If I like the characters enough, I can forgive a lackluster (or lacking) plot. (Which is why I was such a fan of Riyria, because I loved Royce and Hadrian.) You could kill off literally anyone and I wouldn't feel anything. I don't love them, I don't hate them, they are just there, seeming pretty darn devoid of real personalities.
The book itself is dreary, filled with doom and gloom (and the usual casual sexism that is inherent to these cultures. Though with the addition of several strong women. YMMV if it makes it better or worse) and so much of the book felt like an uphill struggle for anything good to happen.
This isn't a case of 'bad things happen, but people are mostly good' this is a case of 'bad things happen, people are self-serving and then you die.' (Okay, fantasy books tend to get depressing, usually though, they wait until the second book of a trilogy. This book starts the series off depressingly as well as feeling like an overly long prologue.)
I just...I'm kind of in a bad mood and a little depressed after reading this book. I might continue the series. I do, after all, own the second book and I can get the rest from my library. (And I am super curious about the door. That's the whole of the plot that caught my attention. The door.)
Side note: there is one female Fhrey whose most recent ex is a female and is alluded to (by name) as having had male significant others, too.
Edited to Add
I keep forgetting to add this to my review for this book (and the sequel) there is a lot of violence towards animals. Typical of the more 'ancient culture' fantasies, there are several battles against wolves and bears.
Adjusted rating more like 2 stars
Well, this is awkward.
I was one of those people that loved Riyria Revelations (I do plan on rereading that sometime soon-ish to see if I still do) and was super excited for a new series by who was probably my favorite author at the time. I think that goes far in explaining why there's such a disparity in my ratings. (Also explains why I didn't originally read past the second book in the series.)
Anyway, this book is ... okay. It was just okay. The things that set it apart from the other fantasy I read, I've realized that I don't actually like.
And by that, I mean the setting. This is an early culture. This is stone age. (If you play Civ, they haven't even made their way through the ancient era yet.) I've learnt, reading this book and how awkward and uncomfortable I was at times, that I like more advanced cultures even in my fantasy.
I don't care about the characters. I am a character reader. If I like the characters enough, I can forgive a lackluster (or lacking) plot. (Which is why I was such a fan of Riyria, because I loved Royce and Hadrian.) You could kill off literally anyone and I wouldn't feel anything. I don't love them, I don't hate them, they are just there, seeming pretty darn devoid of real personalities.
The book itself is dreary, filled with doom and gloom (and the usual casual sexism that is inherent to these cultures. Though with the addition of several strong women. YMMV if it makes it better or worse) and so much of the book felt like an uphill struggle for anything good to happen.
This isn't a case of 'bad things happen, but people are mostly good' this is a case of 'bad things happen, people are self-serving and then you die.' (Okay, fantasy books tend to get depressing, usually though, they wait until the second book of a trilogy. This book starts the series off depressingly as well as feeling like an overly long prologue.)
I just...I'm kind of in a bad mood and a little depressed after reading this book. I might continue the series. I do, after all, own the second book and I can get the rest from my library. (And I am super curious about the door. That's the whole of the plot that caught my attention. The door.)
Side note: there is one female Fhrey whose most recent ex is a female and is alluded to (by name) as having had male significant others, too.
Edited to Add
I keep forgetting to add this to my review for this book (and the sequel) there is a lot of violence towards animals. Typical of the more 'ancient culture' fantasies, there are several battles against wolves and bears.
castlethirteen's review against another edition
3.0
While I thoroughly enjoyed this book it felt a bit predictable and simple.
vickeb's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
fhare666's review against another edition
2.0
A bit confused, highly rated but this was not good. Prince storyline was garbage, obvious and juvenile. There's some nuggets here which could have been used to form a good story but didn't. Writing was average. A slog to finish.
karlin0336's review against another edition
Stopped on Chapter 17 (p.228).
I really wanted to like this book, but just never got into it. It's really a shame, since this series is a prequel to two of my favorite fantasy series of all time (the Riyria Revelations and the Riyria Chronicles).
Maybe someday I will give this book another try, but it just isn't my thing right now.
I really wanted to like this book, but just never got into it. It's really a shame, since this series is a prequel to two of my favorite fantasy series of all time (the Riyria Revelations and the Riyria Chronicles).
Maybe someday I will give this book another try, but it just isn't my thing right now.