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firefly8041's review against another edition
4.0
3.75. First half, 3.5, second half 3.75 building to a 4.
covall's review against another edition
4.0
Not as good as the first in the series. Had some funny parts again and a few things to make you think about. I liked r he ending and am really curious what the next book is going to be like.
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
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 against another edition
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 against another edition
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.