Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

1 review

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 
Review:
Reading the second book in a series is like moving to the next stage of a relationship with someone. You start to familiarize yourself with them beyond the superficial, and in doing so attune yourself to their true strengths, flaws, and annoying habits. Such is the case with The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan. Given that the sequel repeats many of the themes, characterizations, and plot points of the first book, I was able to identify flaws more easily in Swan’s writing. Long story short, if you disliked or had significant reservations about the first book, you might not like the second book because it’s more of the same.
 
In objective terms, there is much to pick apart in A Tyranny of Faith. Of particular annoyance is that his characters start an absurd number of sentences with an oath, in the vein of “Good God!” or “Bloody Hell!” but adapted to their world’s mythology. I quickly became sick of characters reacting to literally every situation by muttering “Nema’s tits!” or “Nema’s blood!” or one of the other dozen or so oaths that Swan cycles through in the book. 
 
Another fact about the book that’s hard to get around is that 80% of the narrative is characters standing around talking to each other. Some of this dialogue reads organically, but a lot of it is rather clunky exposition. I recognize that some awkward exposition is inevitable in most fantasy books—and The Tyranny of Faith is still better on this front than, say, Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings—but I did find it grating after a while. 
 
Like a lot of second books in trilogies, The Tyranny of Faith suffers from a lethargy in character and plot development. Although Helena, Bressinger, and Vonvalt maintain the strong characterization they had in the first book, they otherwise undergo little transformation throughout the book. (There’s also the problem that two of the main characters are essentially the same person, resulting in a curious and unnecessary redundancy). Similarly, the plot drags out a bit as it stretches toward the third book’s conclusion.
 
Despite my harsh critiques of The Tyranny of Faith on a technical level, I still enjoyed it for the most part. In the few and far-between moments that Swan dedicates to character interactions, explorations into themes of morality, and plot momentum, he crafts scenes that are evocative and riveting. For instance, I enjoyed his haunting descriptions of the mysterious afterlife. I plan to read the third book in the series because I am curious as to how he resolves the thematic questions he poses in this book and the first book.
 
The Run-Down: 
You will probably like The Tyranny of Faith if . . . 
·      You loved the first book and want more of the same
 
You might not like The Tyranny of Faith if . . .
·      You didn’t like the first book or were hoping for a sequel that switches things up
 
 
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