reubendb's review against another edition
4.0
The beauty of this book is how it takes a very original idea and makes it seem like a fantasy world you're comfortable and understand. The manipulation of colours? That's what this book is based around? Only a master story teller like Brent Weeks can pull that off. Very original, amazing twists, multiple view points to consider.
Some people will say that some characters are a tad over developed or the book could have been condensed. Rookie mistakes. That development is going to pay of in spades for the rest of the series.
Some people will say that some characters are a tad over developed or the book could have been condensed. Rookie mistakes. That development is going to pay of in spades for the rest of the series.
itsranch's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
I hated this book. The characters were all dislikable and the main girly Karris says “Women suffer their periods for men” immediately no, no thank you no more for me. A 13 y/o named Kip who falls into boobs during combat?? No thanks! The sexism and sexualization of women is so prevalent in this book that it takes away from what could be a cool plot. I could literally describe each woman in this book by the characteristics of their boobs. It just falls so phenomenally flat that I am FLABBERGASTED by the absolute love for this book.
willardmarx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-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
4.5
The main character is an asshole and it's amazing
isaacrubberducky's review against another edition
2.0
This book is really disappointing. It sets up a fantastic world, and delivers on a lot of great fantasy tropes in fun ways, but the further you get the more the author's teenage style horniness shows up in weird and jarring ways. At first it is just weird tidbits from the perspective of the main character who is a horny teenage boy, and you tell yourself "well its probably just a perspective thing, I don't like this, but I can look past it". But it only gets more prevalent and then it gets weird. For example, there's a chapter from the perspective of an elite warrior woman who is being held captive about how much she misses wearing pretty dresses and how graphically unpleasant her period is, and how long its been since she got laid. A woman trained to be one the best warriors in the world, imprisoned, ... and shes thinking about clothes and sex? If that kind of thing doesn't bother you, then you'll probably love this book, but if it does I'd stay away.
boredcelery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ailsahatton's review against another edition
4.0
When one of the first lines is 'it was the kind of beauty that makes you shit your pants', you know it's going to be good.
Solid novel, solid magic system/world building, oddly endearing and believable main character not at all like your usual fantasy hero??? Plus some great heroines, which you know, my weakness.
Reserving the rest of my judgement for after the next books, but there were several twists that I didn't at all catch that were REALLY well crafted for the complexity of how it altered your thinking of the novel.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO END UP HAPPY but I have a horrible feeling they won't.
;______;
Solid novel, solid magic system/world building, oddly endearing and believable main character not at all like your usual fantasy hero??? Plus some great heroines, which you know, my weakness.
Reserving the rest of my judgement for after the next books, but there were several twists that I didn't at all catch that were REALLY well crafted for the complexity of how it altered your thinking of the novel.
I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO END UP HAPPY but I have a horrible feeling they won't.
;______;
runcibleshaw's review against another edition
3.0
This series was on a list of fantasy/sci-fi series that was recommended to me. I didn't know anything about the series or the author going into it. I would like to think that I gave it a fair chance.
First, the good:
The magic system is fun. I love bright saturated colors and I could really picture the Drafters (magic users in this world) glowing different colors of the rainbow. I liked the religious empire vs "pagan" old gods worldbuilding. The action moved along at a nice clip and I never felt bored.
The Bad:
The world felt very thin. More like an outline of a world based on seven colors, rather than a full fleshed out setting. Perhaps, the other books in the series go into more depth, but I will not be reading those. The characters were all just completely unlikeable. By the end I didn't care who accomplished what, because they had all slaughtered innocent people, tortured people, or just acted like assholes. Gavin Guile had charming scenes, but then you find out that he's been keeping his brother in a prison for 15 years, basically torturing him that whole time. Even the doe-eyed young Kip, who acts as the POV character through much of the books, eventually turns into a raging monster. Finally, the book ends without really resolving any of the major plot points. It felt too much like a setup for a sequel, rather than a self-contained work.
The Ugly:
Where to begin... At first I thought that Weeks was writing from the perspective of a callow, horny, and self-loathing teenage boy, Kip. And, he was. However, when the perspective of the narrative moves away from Kip to the other supposedly older, more mature characters, the prose still feels like it's being written by a 15 year old boy. Weeks seems unable to refrain from talking about women's breasts as a major character trait. Kip's self-deprecating comments about his own weight also rubbed me the wrong way.
Summary:
A mildly interesting magic system and world absolutely ruined by an author who writes like a teenage boy.
First, the good:
The magic system is fun. I love bright saturated colors and I could really picture the Drafters (magic users in this world) glowing different colors of the rainbow. I liked the religious empire vs "pagan" old gods worldbuilding. The action moved along at a nice clip and I never felt bored.
The Bad:
The world felt very thin. More like an outline of a world based on seven colors, rather than a full fleshed out setting. Perhaps, the other books in the series go into more depth, but I will not be reading those. The characters were all just completely unlikeable. By the end I didn't care who accomplished what, because they had all slaughtered innocent people, tortured people, or just acted like assholes. Gavin Guile had charming scenes, but then you find out that he's been keeping his brother in a prison for 15 years, basically torturing him that whole time. Even the doe-eyed young Kip, who acts as the POV character through much of the books, eventually turns into a raging monster. Finally, the book ends without really resolving any of the major plot points. It felt too much like a setup for a sequel, rather than a self-contained work.
The Ugly:
Where to begin... At first I thought that Weeks was writing from the perspective of a callow, horny, and self-loathing teenage boy, Kip. And, he was. However, when the perspective of the narrative moves away from Kip to the other supposedly older, more mature characters, the prose still feels like it's being written by a 15 year old boy. Weeks seems unable to refrain from talking about women's breasts as a major character trait. Kip's self-deprecating comments about his own weight also rubbed me the wrong way.
Summary:
A mildly interesting magic system and world absolutely ruined by an author who writes like a teenage boy.
lenconfetti's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
hawaiianabyss's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0