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jackhalfawake's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is a great dark fantasy adventure story. The plot picks up from the very beginning and progresses, at speed, to its fateful conclusion. If you have a stomach for rogues, Jalan is a great protagonist - equal parts brave and cowardly, heroic and self-centered. He never reforms, never really changes from the man he starts out as, but it is as fun to read about his vices getting him into trouble as it is to read of his virtues getting him out of them. And the side characters are well-drawn, if not complex, and their interactions with Jalan are a consistent delight.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I am struggling, even now, to stop myself from starting the next volume immediately. I simply must know what happens next.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I am struggling, even now, to stop myself from starting the next volume immediately. I simply must know what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
sean86's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
jackcryan's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Good second trilogy book. Same critique that the characters don’t change much.
brd0001's review against another edition
3.0
I mean, the story is fine. The characters are fine. I had a hard time finishing it because everything was just bland to me. I will have to psych myself up to read the third book in this series and hope it gets better.
malignantcactus's review against another edition
4.0
Overall very solid. Second half a bit on the weak side, due to a feeling of an over reliance of a particular event. Jal is a bit frustrating in the final two pages for me. Still a good book, Mark I love you. You're one of my favs man.
kainerebus's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent addition to The Broken Empire universe.
Jal isn't the same as Jorg, but his story is just as fascinating! What a cliffhanger to go out on. Starting book 3 now!
Jal isn't the same as Jorg, but his story is just as fascinating! What a cliffhanger to go out on. Starting book 3 now!
peterkeep's review
5.0
A great trilogy continues with a great book. Mark Lawrence has really shown a mastery over slowly unwinding a character's psyche. Jal is as deeply complex a character as I've read, but his surface level actions and thoughts are also a great source of comedy. The difference between actual events and his thought process/narration is really fun to see. I like how easily Lawrence is able to spin two or three stories/timelines together consistently in his books, and this one was no different. The device used to tell those other stories is clever and well-done, and the multiple storylines do a nice job of playing off of each other, building intrigue and driving the plot forward.
The writing is obviously good - Lawrence really showed off his poetic style in his first trilogy, and he does a good job of keeping his writing fresh while still holding a high standard in his prose. There were a couple of instances where he used one of my favorite transitional devices: reusing a line to tie one scene to another, where whatever is happening or being said is exactly (or close to) the same in both scenes, but means something different for each. Joe Abercrombie has done this before, and I love it every time I see it.
Lastly, the actual story is really good. Jal and Snorri are on an adventure, and the Liar's Key (the actual key, not the book) is a cool wrinkle to add. The game between the Red Queen and her adversaries is really interesting and gets fleshed out pretty well. Snorri's story advances into some cool directions too.
There really isn't anything wrong with the book. Lawrence has pretty much mastered that line between fantasy and horror, of bleak and comedy. It's a really fun dynamic, and it makes for some of my favorite books.
The writing is obviously good - Lawrence really showed off his poetic style in his first trilogy, and he does a good job of keeping his writing fresh while still holding a high standard in his prose. There were a couple of instances where he used one of my favorite transitional devices: reusing a line to tie one scene to another, where whatever is happening or being said is exactly (or close to) the same in both scenes, but means something different for each. Joe Abercrombie has done this before, and I love it every time I see it.
Lastly, the actual story is really good. Jal and Snorri are on an adventure, and the Liar's Key (the actual key, not the book) is a cool wrinkle to add. The game between the Red Queen and her adversaries is really interesting and gets fleshed out pretty well. Snorri's story advances into some cool directions too.
There really isn't anything wrong with the book. Lawrence has pretty much mastered that line between fantasy and horror, of bleak and comedy. It's a really fun dynamic, and it makes for some of my favorite books.
cultneophyte7's review against another edition
5.0
Damnit! This book is amazing! Freakingly fuckin' amazing.
This HAS to be the best Mark Lawrence book I've read and I've read all six. Loved every fucking bit of it. Loved it more than the King of Thorns, if not as much. Way better than the Prince of Fools, for sure. The Prince of Fools might have had some lousy and boring parts, but that's not the case this time. The journey of Snorri and Jalan continues as they travel through the Broken Empire in search of answers, while dodging the agents of The Dead King and the Blue Lady. The key of Loki, the Liar, the god of thievery and trickery takes the central point in the story and guides the actions of all the characters. We also get glimpses of the past as we get to know more about the Red Queen and her siblings.
The story is perfectly paced and engrossing at all times. This was the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. Jal and Snorri are joined by two more complex characters, an apprentice volva Kara and a little orphan Hennan, who prove to be more than important. Jalan's character continues to evolve with every passing chapter, making him endearing to the audiences as we go along. He is unconsciously growing courageous and stronger and we see him doing things old Jal wouldn't even have thought of. This book is about the value of friendship and for what it's worth. I have simply fallen in love with the character. The best thing of all was the way the book ended. I had not seen that coming, not from a long way out. It was perfect.
The only regret is that I have to wait six more months before the Wheel of Osheim comes out.
This HAS to be the best Mark Lawrence book I've read and I've read all six. Loved every fucking bit of it. Loved it more than the King of Thorns, if not as much. Way better than the Prince of Fools, for sure. The Prince of Fools might have had some lousy and boring parts, but that's not the case this time. The journey of Snorri and Jalan continues as they travel through the Broken Empire in search of answers, while dodging the agents of The Dead King and the Blue Lady. The key of Loki, the Liar, the god of thievery and trickery takes the central point in the story and guides the actions of all the characters. We also get glimpses of the past as we get to know more about the Red Queen and her siblings.
The story is perfectly paced and engrossing at all times. This was the first book in a long time that I couldn't put down. Jal and Snorri are joined by two more complex characters, an apprentice volva Kara and a little orphan Hennan, who prove to be more than important. Jalan's character continues to evolve with every passing chapter, making him endearing to the audiences as we go along. He is unconsciously growing courageous and stronger and we see him doing things old Jal wouldn't even have thought of. This book is about the value of friendship and for what it's worth. I have simply fallen in love with the character. The best thing of all was the way the book ended. I had not seen that coming, not from a long way out. It was perfect.
The only regret is that I have to wait six more months before the Wheel of Osheim comes out.
jbergin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25