binstonbirchill's review
5.0
I received this book for free through goodreads giveaways.
Eason drops you right into the middle of a world filled with magic, war and gods. Reminded me a little bit of reading Malazan, the best fantasy series ever of course, it has the same sort of confusing nature to what is going on. I would definitely like to read more about this world she has created.
Eason drops you right into the middle of a world filled with magic, war and gods. Reminded me a little bit of reading Malazan, the best fantasy series ever of course, it has the same sort of confusing nature to what is going on. I would definitely like to read more about this world she has created.
napkins's review against another edition
4.0
One of the best offerings I've gotten from Kindle First, for sure. However, it's definitely a book handled best in a long sit-down: the style tends towards stream-of-consciousness, with alternate interpretations of a situation or observation cutting into sentences. It works, but it's definitely something best handled by getting into a rhythm. It makes events and motivations a little harder to follow in short readings.
The world built here is similar: it's a cold, disjointed society that straddles the line between the mortal and the immortal that is about to learn that just because the ruling power has disavowed the gods doesn't mean they're gone. Or happy about it.
The gods are only out for themselves, and kind of refreshingly, so are the characters. Snow and Veiko, our protagonists, mostly just want to stay alive and not be indebted to anyone, god or mortal. In that quest, they end up thoroughly grey, neither supporting the Republic nor either god who seems to want to see it destroyed (though each in their own way). They're looking out for themselves and each other, not looking to save the world.
There's a lot of politics here that are very slowly revealed. It works, but only because the main plot of Enemy is a more supernatural one; the politics haven't come fully into play yet, but we can be sure they will next time.
There's also a lot of neat worldbuilding here. The main society has a lot of parallels to the Roman Empire from the political and military system that has been revealed so far. The key difference here being that it's now a matriarchal society instead - it's a little lazily done, and the society seems to have always been this way while previously having a God who is outspokenly favoring men over women, which is odd, also while being surrounded by neighbors who have more "traditional" societies. Though the magic system, the differences between conjuring, shadow-weaving, and godmagic, is intriguing. I want to know more about the Academy!
Some things are a little weird - the aforementioned mismatch between societal structures and the types of gods they used to worship being one. I'm also fairly sure no one on the production team knows how skin coloration on palms goes - even on ebony skin, palms won't be black enough that black tattoos would be hidden. Snow and Veiko deeply attach themselves to each other oddly quickly, but I'm willing to roll with it. There's also referenced-to and subsequently shrugged-off rape, which I'm still trying to parse how I feel about, because the affected character is the one who does the shrugging-off.
It's intriguing, and I'm eager to see what the next installment brings.
The world built here is similar: it's a cold, disjointed society that straddles the line between the mortal and the immortal that is about to learn that just because the ruling power has disavowed the gods doesn't mean they're gone. Or happy about it.
The gods are only out for themselves, and kind of refreshingly, so are the characters. Snow and Veiko, our protagonists, mostly just want to stay alive and not be indebted to anyone, god or mortal. In that quest, they end up thoroughly grey, neither supporting the Republic nor either god who seems to want to see it destroyed (though each in their own way). They're looking out for themselves and each other, not looking to save the world.
There's a lot of politics here that are very slowly revealed. It works, but only because the main plot of Enemy is a more supernatural one; the politics haven't come fully into play yet, but we can be sure they will next time.
There's also a lot of neat worldbuilding here. The main society has a lot of parallels to the Roman Empire from the political and military system that has been revealed so far. The key difference here being that it's now a matriarchal society instead - it's a little lazily done, and the society seems to have always been this way while previously having a God who is outspokenly favoring men over women, which is odd, also while being surrounded by neighbors who have more "traditional" societies. Though the magic system, the differences between conjuring, shadow-weaving, and godmagic, is intriguing. I want to know more about the Academy!
Some things are a little weird - the aforementioned mismatch between societal structures and the types of gods they used to worship being one. I'm also fairly sure no one on the production team knows how skin coloration on palms goes - even on ebony skin, palms won't be black enough that black tattoos would be hidden. Snow and Veiko deeply attach themselves to each other oddly quickly, but I'm willing to roll with it. There's also referenced-to and subsequently shrugged-off rape, which I'm still trying to parse how I feel about, because the affected character is the one who does the shrugging-off.
It's intriguing, and I'm eager to see what the next installment brings.
nav26's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
urlphantomhive's review
3.0
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Enemy was a book that divided me. On the one hand I was liking it, even though the story was not that special and fits very well in the well established fantasy genre. On the other hand, the writing was, for want of a better word, quirky and it didn't always work for me. So much so, that I still am undecided on this book.
But, my interest has been sparked and I might give the second book a try as well.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Enemy was a book that divided me. On the one hand I was liking it, even though the story was not that special and fits very well in the well established fantasy genre. On the other hand, the writing was, for want of a better word, quirky and it didn't always work for me. So much so, that I still am undecided on this book.
But, my interest has been sparked and I might give the second book a try as well.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
frugephoto's review
3.0
Ok. This one is difficult.
To start off, let me just say that I really enjoyed the creativity and thought that was put into this story. I do quite a bit of reading the fantasy style genre and I haven't read anything quite like this. I found the interactions between classes and characters to be pretty fun at times and it kind of took the place of a sort of "coming of age" feel without being that. At least for me. The the main character is a badass chick who does some incredible things throughout the story. She's the kind of character I like to cheer for.
Now for the negatives.
Although I enjoyed the amount of creativity, I also found it to be extremely distracting and unnecessarily forced at times. The author set up a sort of cockney esk sound to the main character and it just didn't feel right. I usually love that sound on a character but in this case it was really only punctuated by a couple of phrases which repeated themselves endlessly throughout, what felt like, each and every page. Phrases such as "toad shit" and "fuck and damn", while not offensive in the least bit to someone like myself, still felt so overdone and out of place that it pulled me straight out of the story at times. I literally felt like I was listening to some awkward version of Gordon Ramsey.
Another thing that I found bothering me throughout was the speed at which the story took place. I'm ok with whatever time table a author sets up typically but this one did catch me off guard a bit. You start of with a huge chunk of the story taking place in a very short amount of time but all of the sudden the time starts flying by and your left trying to pick up the pieces as they speed past you on the side of the road.
The end felt like a nice closure and did make me want to read more but I think it will be quite some time before I try to pick up that next book.
To start off, let me just say that I really enjoyed the creativity and thought that was put into this story. I do quite a bit of reading the fantasy style genre and I haven't read anything quite like this. I found the interactions between classes and characters to be pretty fun at times and it kind of took the place of a sort of "coming of age" feel without being that. At least for me. The the main character is a badass chick who does some incredible things throughout the story. She's the kind of character I like to cheer for.
Now for the negatives.
Although I enjoyed the amount of creativity, I also found it to be extremely distracting and unnecessarily forced at times. The author set up a sort of cockney esk sound to the main character and it just didn't feel right. I usually love that sound on a character but in this case it was really only punctuated by a couple of phrases which repeated themselves endlessly throughout, what felt like, each and every page. Phrases such as "toad shit" and "fuck and damn", while not offensive in the least bit to someone like myself, still felt so overdone and out of place that it pulled me straight out of the story at times. I literally felt like I was listening to some awkward version of Gordon Ramsey.
Another thing that I found bothering me throughout was the speed at which the story took place. I'm ok with whatever time table a author sets up typically but this one did catch me off guard a bit. You start of with a huge chunk of the story taking place in a very short amount of time but all of the sudden the time starts flying by and your left trying to pick up the pieces as they speed past you on the side of the road.
The end felt like a nice closure and did make me want to read more but I think it will be quite some time before I try to pick up that next book.
mdfn's review
2.0
This was a Kindle First book for me. This was a bit of a conundrum for me. I wanted to like it. The beginning was confusing - call me a traditionalist, but I actually like the buildup. There were so many cultures clashing at the beginning with no explanation. I need the context and it didn't appear until midway through. I spent a lot of the book wondering why things were happening or why it mattered. I did like the development of characters and the direction that the book seemed to be going. I'm still a little unsure of how the cultures work.
It was ok. Just ok.
It was ok. Just ok.
breckman's review
4.0
A fascinating intersection of fantasy cultures and magic systems, much of which is outside the common and the normal for this genre. Surprisingly interesting characters, though lacking a bit in dimension. A quick and compelling fantasy novel with one major irritation in the narration. I managed to mostly get over it partway though the book but it was always jarring and unpleasant running across it. That said, the continuous revelations of the world that feels different yet familiar and the intriguing and unpredictable (in the best way) plot kept me riveted until the very end. I am very curious to see how the plot and, hopefully, the characters develop in the second book.
shendriq's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
grywhp's review
5.0
I've never read anything like this. What a unique voice, and smart. Witty, even. The characters are complex and each drew me in for a different reason. Now I'm attached. Can't wait for #2!
Warning: if you don't like to learn new dialects, or strong female characters, or books with a male/female partnership that isn't romantic...don't read this book.
Warning: if you don't like to learn new dialects, or strong female characters, or books with a male/female partnership that isn't romantic...don't read this book.
ksander's review
4.0
Compelling story in a richly detailed world
Of all the Kindle First books I've read, this is my favorite so far and I eagerly await the next installments. The story itself makes a good read and the two protagonists are engaging and likeable. But what really set this book apart is the richly detailed, painstakingly constructed world the author created. Moreover, the details of this world are revealed in a that's almost aggravating tantalizing: the author doesn't just explain everything up front but gradually pulls the curtain back on different aspects of it over the course of the book. You read about historical events mentioned in passing in the same way Alec Guinness' Obi Wan Kenobi mentions the Clone Wars - something in the past that is such a part of this world's present that EVERYONE knows about it, aside from us readers who need to piece it together. Frankly the world in which the novel is set is a work of art in its own right.
This genre is far from my normal reading but I found this book thoroughly engrossing and immensely entertaining. If you're even just curious about fantasy I think you'll probably like it too.
Of all the Kindle First books I've read, this is my favorite so far and I eagerly await the next installments. The story itself makes a good read and the two protagonists are engaging and likeable. But what really set this book apart is the richly detailed, painstakingly constructed world the author created. Moreover, the details of this world are revealed in a that's almost aggravating tantalizing: the author doesn't just explain everything up front but gradually pulls the curtain back on different aspects of it over the course of the book. You read about historical events mentioned in passing in the same way Alec Guinness' Obi Wan Kenobi mentions the Clone Wars - something in the past that is such a part of this world's present that EVERYONE knows about it, aside from us readers who need to piece it together. Frankly the world in which the novel is set is a work of art in its own right.
This genre is far from my normal reading but I found this book thoroughly engrossing and immensely entertaining. If you're even just curious about fantasy I think you'll probably like it too.