iam_griff's review against another edition
4.0
This story was so very different from a lot of the fantasy stories I've read. The characters were very deep, well developed & there was some character growth. Not every character was as they seemed & you had to pay attention to some nuances as the story progressed. Magic was used in abundance & not subtle as in many fantasy stories. Not a lot of sword fighting or combat threw out the book, but was a nice change as what little there was I felt the author didn't explain the movements as the fight was purely for story progression. I do recommend this for any fan of fantasy adventure works.
kodermike's review
3.0
I won't hold back - this is a train wreck of a book. At first pass, these are the stock characters every GM has dealt into an ongoing campaign, the initial quest as straight forward as they come: rob the ancient tomb, plunder some gold, get the magic sword.
Why read it, then? There's an argument there. You could say its because it's a Michael Bay train wreck, a Wachowski style production. Larger than life explosions, Brandon Frazier as one of the male leads, over the top dungeon crawler.
And then chapter one starts.
The Barrow is a well written tale of gritty fantasy. The biggest problem this book faces, I think, is that if you haven't read the comic it's a prequel to, then there's no way to filter the volume of information being dumped on you. What's important? What's filler? I couldn't tell, and that's a problem. In a sea of gritty fantasy epics, this is certainly dark, more adult than most of its competition. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but it wasn't from a lack of style or ability, so your mileage may vary.
The ARC for this novel was kindly provided to me by Pyr for review.
Why read it, then? There's an argument there. You could say its because it's a Michael Bay train wreck, a Wachowski style production. Larger than life explosions, Brandon Frazier as one of the male leads, over the top dungeon crawler.
And then chapter one starts.
The Barrow is a well written tale of gritty fantasy. The biggest problem this book faces, I think, is that if you haven't read the comic it's a prequel to, then there's no way to filter the volume of information being dumped on you. What's important? What's filler? I couldn't tell, and that's a problem. In a sea of gritty fantasy epics, this is certainly dark, more adult than most of its competition. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but it wasn't from a lack of style or ability, so your mileage may vary.
The ARC for this novel was kindly provided to me by Pyr for review.
luckbe's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book. I really, really wanted to. I loved that it was sexy, and dark, and gritty, and brutal, and terrible. It was like a filthy trip into the dark parts of the human mind, and I was eager to see where it would go, and what would happen when it got there.
Unfortunately, it failed to live up to its promise. The plot was inconsistent, and it left the book feeling like two halves of a whole that just didn't quite fit together in the middle. The first half is a dark, erotic adventure novel. The second half is just dark, not erotic, and ends in an orgy of horror that seems to serve no actual purpose except to be edgy and brutal. The middle of the book is too much description about every last detail of every person's clothing and not enough of anything else (I don't need to know all about every person's buttons. I don't. I love costumes but this was too much.) Some people die, and eventually the story moves forward, but a lot of other stuff happens that doesn't further the plot and just creates loose ends that are never followed up on.
I originally picked this book up at the library and returned it before finishing it. Later, I special ordered it at the bookstore because I moved and the new library didn't have it. I wish I'd never ordered it, not because I hated it, but because the half of the book that I read before was so much better than the book as a whole. That said, I still love Stjepan, and I may yet read a sequel now that Mark Smylie has had some time to mature as an author.
Unfortunately, it failed to live up to its promise. The plot was inconsistent, and it left the book feeling like two halves of a whole that just didn't quite fit together in the middle. The first half is a dark, erotic adventure novel. The second half is just dark, not erotic, and ends in an orgy of horror that seems to serve no actual purpose except to be edgy and brutal. The middle of the book is too much description about every last detail of every person's clothing and not enough of anything else (I don't need to know all about every person's buttons. I don't. I love costumes but this was too much.) Some people die, and eventually the story moves forward, but a lot of other stuff happens that doesn't further the plot and just creates loose ends that are never followed up on.
Spoiler
Because all of those characters die.I originally picked this book up at the library and returned it before finishing it. Later, I special ordered it at the bookstore because I moved and the new library didn't have it. I wish I'd never ordered it, not because I hated it, but because the half of the book that I read before was so much better than the book as a whole. That said, I still love Stjepan, and I may yet read a sequel now that Mark Smylie has had some time to mature as an author.
lizzy_22's review
DNF at 32%
Bored, bored, bored. It's been two days and I have NO desire to pick up my kindle and keep reading this. Endless exposition and extreme perversion for perversions sake, no thanks.
Bored, bored, bored. It's been two days and I have NO desire to pick up my kindle and keep reading this. Endless exposition and extreme perversion for perversions sake, no thanks.
twerkingtobeethoven's review
5.0
I think this is, by far, the most sexually-graphic fantasy novel I've ever read. Also, there are plenty of beheadings, blood & guts. Alright, that said, I - being nothing but a wretched human being - love this sort of vileness so I am compelled to rate "The Barrow" five disgusting & filthy stars.
anverie's review
2.0
Loses one star for gratuitous and nonconsensual sex. Obviously an RPG world - places and history described in loving, exacting detail, while characters are superficially intriguing but ultimately barely sketched and/or inconsistent. Absolutely no character growth, and not a lot of character agency. Plot is remarkably by-the-numbers dungeon crawl. Some interesting scenes showed promise, but no follow through. Reading was a slog but I kept up because there were sparks, and one and a half fascinating characters - or perhaps I should say that their potential is fascinating. Writing and editing pretty solid, just lacking depth. Sad.
[EDIT] after some thought, while everything I said still stands, I have to admit the final twist was ingenious, and it reflects back on prior events, showing some hints that are not quite effective foreshadowing, but are clever nonetheless. I'd give another half star, if I could.
[EDIT] after some thought, while everything I said still stands, I have to admit the final twist was ingenious, and it reflects back on prior events, showing some hints that are not quite effective foreshadowing, but are clever nonetheless. I'd give another half star, if I could.
patremagne's review
4.0
Better than I expected and better than the ratings make it seem.
http://abitterdraft.com/2014/04/the-barrow-by-mark-smylie.html
At first glance at the cover and blurb for Mark Smylie’s prose debut The Barrow, you’ll notice that something sets it apart from a significant portion of recent fantasy. There are no warring states, no fight for the throne. There is no greater evil or battle between light and dark. The Barrow, at its heart, is a treasure hunt – an adventure. Sure, it’s got fae and curses, a band of anti-heroes, and a very Dungeons and Dragons-esque feel, but didn’t feel like the kind of bland story you might expect.
Stjepan Black-Heart and his crew have found a map that will supposedly lead them to an ancient barrow, where they hope to find an equally ancient sword worth an unimaginable sum of money. Among Black-Heart’s crew are Erim, a woman disguised as a man, a very sly brothel owned by the name of Gilgwyr, the archetypal mad magician Leigh, mercenary and all-around bastard Godewyn Red-Hand, and the Orwain siblings Arduin and Annwyn, whose family’s reputation lies in ruins thanks to the latter’s scandal. The characters all fill their roles remarkably well for what they are, though several of them aren’t what they seem as is revealed by the politicking and continually unexpected twists that Smylie has created. They weren’t necessarily characters to write home about, but they fit the story.
Though the nicknames like Black-Heart and Red-Hand are pulpy and stereotypical, they’re part of an incredibly detailed world. The Barrow contains one of the most well-drawn and vivid worlds that I’ve read recently, though it wasn’t without its issues. Sometimes the story was bogged down by superfluous names. As soon as I began the prologue, names were dropped left and right – “War of the Throne Thief”, “The Sun Court”, you get the picture. Everything has a name. The bakery that a character briefly stopped at? Name. Any book the mad magician or Black-Heart consult? Name. That tree over there? You bet, it’s got a name. After finishing the prologue, I thought to myself, “Surely this book would benefit from some kind of glossary…” as I flipped to the back of the book and found just that. It was very helpful in understanding the world and its history. I think the previous wars and other historical events were important for the worldbuilding, but the names of stores the gang pass by are irrelevant and do more harm than help.
Skim through the reviews for The Barrow and you’ll see a large division between those who liked it and those who didn’t. In fact, the majority of negative reviews you’ll read come from people who were uncomfortable with the graphic detail of the (very) erotic and bizarre sex scenes. Many also share my feeling that there was a bit too much irrelevant information to digest, but the majority of said poor ratings were based on the over-the-top sex. The thing is, most of the violence and sex served a purpose. Sure, it did get pretty weird, but they weren’t tossed in the book simply for the edginess.
If you like your fantasy dark, your characters darker, and your worlds deep (dark) and full of terrors*, Mark Smylie’s debut The Barrow will have you by the teeth by the end of one of the most exciting prologues I’ve read and it will hold on all the way through the equally impressive finale.
http://abitterdraft.com/2014/04/the-barrow-by-mark-smylie.html
At first glance at the cover and blurb for Mark Smylie’s prose debut The Barrow, you’ll notice that something sets it apart from a significant portion of recent fantasy. There are no warring states, no fight for the throne. There is no greater evil or battle between light and dark. The Barrow, at its heart, is a treasure hunt – an adventure. Sure, it’s got fae and curses, a band of anti-heroes, and a very Dungeons and Dragons-esque feel, but didn’t feel like the kind of bland story you might expect.
Stjepan Black-Heart and his crew have found a map that will supposedly lead them to an ancient barrow, where they hope to find an equally ancient sword worth an unimaginable sum of money. Among Black-Heart’s crew are Erim, a woman disguised as a man, a very sly brothel owned by the name of Gilgwyr, the archetypal mad magician Leigh, mercenary and all-around bastard Godewyn Red-Hand, and the Orwain siblings Arduin and Annwyn, whose family’s reputation lies in ruins thanks to the latter’s scandal. The characters all fill their roles remarkably well for what they are, though several of them aren’t what they seem as is revealed by the politicking and continually unexpected twists that Smylie has created. They weren’t necessarily characters to write home about, but they fit the story.
Though the nicknames like Black-Heart and Red-Hand are pulpy and stereotypical, they’re part of an incredibly detailed world. The Barrow contains one of the most well-drawn and vivid worlds that I’ve read recently, though it wasn’t without its issues. Sometimes the story was bogged down by superfluous names. As soon as I began the prologue, names were dropped left and right – “War of the Throne Thief”, “The Sun Court”, you get the picture. Everything has a name. The bakery that a character briefly stopped at? Name. Any book the mad magician or Black-Heart consult? Name. That tree over there? You bet, it’s got a name. After finishing the prologue, I thought to myself, “Surely this book would benefit from some kind of glossary…” as I flipped to the back of the book and found just that. It was very helpful in understanding the world and its history. I think the previous wars and other historical events were important for the worldbuilding, but the names of stores the gang pass by are irrelevant and do more harm than help.
Skim through the reviews for The Barrow and you’ll see a large division between those who liked it and those who didn’t. In fact, the majority of negative reviews you’ll read come from people who were uncomfortable with the graphic detail of the (very) erotic and bizarre sex scenes. Many also share my feeling that there was a bit too much irrelevant information to digest, but the majority of said poor ratings were based on the over-the-top sex. The thing is, most of the violence and sex served a purpose. Sure, it did get pretty weird, but they weren’t tossed in the book simply for the edginess.
If you like your fantasy dark, your characters darker, and your worlds deep (dark) and full of terrors*, Mark Smylie’s debut The Barrow will have you by the teeth by the end of one of the most exciting prologues I’ve read and it will hold on all the way through the equally impressive finale.
thejosh2099's review
2.0
This book had some interesting ideas, and then it had some...interesting...ideas.
But it just didn't work for me, which sucks because I had high hopes for this one.
But it just didn't work for me, which sucks because I had high hopes for this one.
meggles15436's review
3.0
It is honestly hard for me to rate this book. Mainly because I am really not sure how I feel about it. There were aspects I didn't like. All the detail kind of took me out of the story a little bit. Don't get me wrong, detail is never a bad thing when it comes to world building, but this book had some massive information overload. Just when I felt my brain would explode due to all the info, violence and battles would ensue. Which I enjoy anyways, but it was a nice change from drowning in details. The violence is really well done.
The sex is....well it's odd and intriguing. Like a train wreck. You want to look away, but the perverseness of it all make it difficult to do.
I'll most likely reread it at some point, but for now, I neither liked it nor did I hate it.
The sex is....well it's odd and intriguing. Like a train wreck. You want to look away, but the perverseness of it all make it difficult to do.
I'll most likely reread it at some point, but for now, I neither liked it nor did I hate it.
dei2dei's review
3.0
It was alright. I found the sex overly gratuitous without adding anything to the plot (and poorly written at that). Not in love with it, and frankly I would have enjoyed it more without those badly-written sex scenes.