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lady_mel's review
4.0
This book follows Ashtadukht, her guardian Tirdad, and their companion Waray, a half-div, on their adventures through ancient Iran. And it has puns, bad ones, and plenty of them. But, I like puns.
Ashtadukht is a Star-Reckoner, and a terrible one at that. The reason for this, and also for the mysterious illness that has plagued her all her life, was something totally unexpected.
Ashtadukht is a Star-Reckoner, and a terrible one at that. The reason for this, and also for the mysterious illness that has plagued her all her life, was something totally unexpected.
songwind's review
5.0
Wow.
Darrell suggested I read his book for TBRindr, and I'm darn glad that he did.
I like unusual in my fantasy, and this book delivers it in a ton of ways. First of all, the setting. The Sasanid empire is unusual as a choice. The only other books I've read that even touch on the setting are Eric Flint and David Drake's Belesarius books. And you can tell the author has done his homework. From the political geography through religion and customs, the world feels very real and lived in. The concepts of Zoroastrianism (fantasized, ofc) are spread through the book and form a pervasive part of the lives of both antagonists and protagonists.
Second, the protagonist. The choice to use a young widow, who's only marginally competent at her job, and who suffers from a debilitating condition similar to RA or Fibro is certainly unusual. Her unique attitude and behavior toward the divs (djinn/demon-like creatures) she is meant to control also adds interest.
Her character's development is also great to read. Her change in attitudes, confidence, power and more keep her interesting. And the big twist that occurs in the third act is handled great. Drake does a good job of giving you enough hints to think "could it be?" without giving the game away. I was ready for it when it happened, but it was still nothing I'd have expected in the early stages.
Similar things could be said about her companions.
And the denouement was beautiful, fitting, and heartbreaking. When I read the last page, I just sat for a while.
Was it perfect? Of course not. I had my quibbles and pet peeves, but the overall experience of the book was more than enough to make up for it. I found some of the transitions that leapt over significant time were not handled clearly, for example. And I thought the characterization of Ahriman was rather trivial and juvenile for the Great Adversary. But these things are fairly minor parts of the story so they didn't greatly diminish my enjoyment.
Darrell suggested I read his book for TBRindr, and I'm darn glad that he did.
I like unusual in my fantasy, and this book delivers it in a ton of ways. First of all, the setting. The Sasanid empire is unusual as a choice. The only other books I've read that even touch on the setting are Eric Flint and David Drake's Belesarius books. And you can tell the author has done his homework. From the political geography through religion and customs, the world feels very real and lived in. The concepts of Zoroastrianism (fantasized, ofc) are spread through the book and form a pervasive part of the lives of both antagonists and protagonists.
Second, the protagonist. The choice to use a young widow, who's only marginally competent at her job, and who suffers from a debilitating condition similar to RA or Fibro is certainly unusual. Her unique attitude and behavior toward the divs (djinn/demon-like creatures) she is meant to control also adds interest.
Her character's development is also great to read. Her change in attitudes, confidence, power and more keep her interesting. And the big twist that occurs in the third act is handled great. Drake does a good job of giving you enough hints to think "could it be?" without giving the game away. I was ready for it when it happened, but it was still nothing I'd have expected in the early stages.
Similar things could be said about her companions.
And the denouement was beautiful, fitting, and heartbreaking. When I read the last page, I just sat for a while.
Was it perfect? Of course not. I had my quibbles and pet peeves, but the overall experience of the book was more than enough to make up for it. I found some of the transitions that leapt over significant time were not handled clearly, for example. And I thought the characterization of Ahriman was rather trivial and juvenile for the Great Adversary. But these things are fairly minor parts of the story so they didn't greatly diminish my enjoyment.
oddroad's review against another edition
4.0
I have found this book through the TBRindR-service over on reddit which means I got it for free which means fucking nothing because if a book is free and bad it's wasted time and if it's good hey free book awesome!=D On a more serious note no it does not mean I'm pressured or obligated to say I like the book and I wouldn’t if you believe that is up to you but I stand by my word if I don’t like it you will find out (and the other way around too of course)
First of all I have to tell it is based on Persian-Mythology which I know next to nothing about so some of my complaints down the line might not be that hard for someone with an more intimate knowledge of the culture this book is based on. While conceived as a stand-alone novel it has spun out in a series with the second book already published
That said here we go.
World
As said in the opening paragraph the book takes place in a world inspired by ancient Persia, to be more precise in a fictionalised version of Iran. What I love about the world and the way it’s built on one hand it feels totally real and alive but on the other remains that mysteriousness I would expect of a fantasy novel based on a completely different culture than the one I live in. It does this in the way certain characters interact with each other or in little gestures or figures of speech and it never is presented through the eyes of an outsider which works in favour of keeping the world foreign to a reader like me.
Which sadly is one critique I have because sometimes when the characters work on a case or meet a div it sometimes feels like I’m missing out a detail or foreshadowing because I don’t really know what it was based on or what that div (think demon) means in the context of the story or to what it alludes (or should). That is where I think an outsider character from a country inspired by mediaeval Europe would have helped get more into the story or at least soften the blow of some of the later chapters which delve further into the Mythologie and don’t get me wrong it’s not that nothing is explained just that the explanation is kept to a minimum (makes sense in the story because all of the characters already know the world they inhabit) but the many different divs and deity that (sometimes) play a large role in the story could help with a little more introduction (or a lexicon the version I read didn’t have one) and yes I could google most of the stuff I don’t think that should be necessary for a book I read as a distraction.
The magic system is in its conception interesting but not really explained throughout the story (limitations, strain on the user) and it’s effects really differ every time someone uses it which gives a feeling of a Deus Ex Machina, but still the idea is cool and the magic is not the main focus of the story of even the encounters, they rely on the wit of the characters.
Characters
There will be spoilers in here so beware dear review-reader😉
The characters we follow throughout the story are easily the highlight of the book all three of the main cast are well written nuanced characters which actively drive the plot and their personal plot forward as the subject matter sometimes gets dark there is no real happy ending but each of the characters have a full character arc that concludes in a believable way, only real minus here that I’m surely write the names wrong so sorry for that.
Ashtadukht play the role of reluctant heroine/villain, she is on a quest for vengeance on the div responsible for the death of her husband. She is portrayed as a strong woman who knows what she is capable of but is also painfully aware of the world around her and the limitations of the society and her own body. Which makes her the first fantasy hero I read that has a disability which is not overcome or healed or something but plays a mayor role throughout the story and limits her ability to use star-reckoning. Ashta has to endure much throughout the course of the story but always seems to come out, maybe a little worse for wear but alive
Tirdad cousin and caretaker for our heroine. At start he is the sword at her side and plays the role of the strong male protector, he never loses that but it somehow softens as it’s shown he really cares for Ashtadukht and later for Waray. He is also a somewhat reluctant hero who only gets into situations because he cares for his cousin and knows he cant argue with her.
Waray is a half-div, devourer of all eggs and a prankster. She follows Ashta and Waray after she saves them from an ambush. Waray mostly takes the role of comic relieve with a tragic back story revealed later in the book. She begins as more of a lone wolf and only occasionally travels with the other characters but always seems to be there when something happens, throughout the books she grows and in the end regards Ashta as her friend.
All other characters are only really there to support the main cast and there is not really a single one that stands out much from the crowd and only a few crop up more than once or twice in the story, the main focus really is the group around Ashta and what happens to them.
There is also a Texan spoon in there and no I mean that seriously and I love that little wooden thing
I don’t feel like there is any bigger meaning behind the story other than to entertain (or I haven’t found it which is a real possibility) apart from the fantasy usual stuff (vengeance and how far it can lead you, found family and the implications, your place in the world) and I honestly don’t care there is a place for books who only want to entertain and here we have one not only to entertain but who presents characters to you that feel alive and real while you never have the feeling you need to “get it”
One last minor/somewhat major complaint before I bow out. The way the book is structured feels sometimes weird and awkward because for me at least it felt like a TV-series in the style of the X-Files with a case/div a week and in between season finales(there are several parts which could work that way) and a somewhat strange passage of time in between the chapters it doesn’t feel like one journey. That made it hard to really dive into the world for me because every time I got drawn in the chapter ended and I often had to adjust to a completely different set of events for the next one, only the last few chapters feel somewhat more cohesive manly because they all follow one event, one journey and end it in a fitting way.
TLDR: Persion-Mythology with a great cast that feels alive, a world that feels foreign with all good and bad things that means and a weird pacing, sorry for my english
First of all I have to tell it is based on Persian-Mythology which I know next to nothing about so some of my complaints down the line might not be that hard for someone with an more intimate knowledge of the culture this book is based on. While conceived as a stand-alone novel it has spun out in a series with the second book already published
That said here we go.
World
As said in the opening paragraph the book takes place in a world inspired by ancient Persia, to be more precise in a fictionalised version of Iran. What I love about the world and the way it’s built on one hand it feels totally real and alive but on the other remains that mysteriousness I would expect of a fantasy novel based on a completely different culture than the one I live in. It does this in the way certain characters interact with each other or in little gestures or figures of speech and it never is presented through the eyes of an outsider which works in favour of keeping the world foreign to a reader like me.
Which sadly is one critique I have because sometimes when the characters work on a case or meet a div it sometimes feels like I’m missing out a detail or foreshadowing because I don’t really know what it was based on or what that div (think demon) means in the context of the story or to what it alludes (or should). That is where I think an outsider character from a country inspired by mediaeval Europe would have helped get more into the story or at least soften the blow of some of the later chapters which delve further into the Mythologie and don’t get me wrong it’s not that nothing is explained just that the explanation is kept to a minimum (makes sense in the story because all of the characters already know the world they inhabit) but the many different divs and deity that (sometimes) play a large role in the story could help with a little more introduction (or a lexicon the version I read didn’t have one) and yes I could google most of the stuff I don’t think that should be necessary for a book I read as a distraction.
The magic system is in its conception interesting but not really explained throughout the story (limitations, strain on the user) and it’s effects really differ every time someone uses it which gives a feeling of a Deus Ex Machina, but still the idea is cool and the magic is not the main focus of the story of even the encounters, they rely on the wit of the characters.
Characters
There will be spoilers in here so beware dear review-reader😉
The characters we follow throughout the story are easily the highlight of the book all three of the main cast are well written nuanced characters which actively drive the plot and their personal plot forward as the subject matter sometimes gets dark there is no real happy ending but each of the characters have a full character arc that concludes in a believable way, only real minus here that I’m surely write the names wrong so sorry for that.
Ashtadukht play the role of reluctant heroine/villain, she is on a quest for vengeance on the div responsible for the death of her husband. She is portrayed as a strong woman who knows what she is capable of but is also painfully aware of the world around her and the limitations of the society and her own body. Which makes her the first fantasy hero I read that has a disability which is not overcome or healed or something but plays a mayor role throughout the story and limits her ability to use star-reckoning. Ashta has to endure much throughout the course of the story but always seems to come out, maybe a little worse for wear but alive
Tirdad cousin and caretaker for our heroine. At start he is the sword at her side and plays the role of the strong male protector, he never loses that but it somehow softens as it’s shown he really cares for Ashtadukht and later for Waray. He is also a somewhat reluctant hero who only gets into situations because he cares for his cousin and knows he cant argue with her.
Waray is a half-div, devourer of all eggs and a prankster. She follows Ashta and Waray after she saves them from an ambush. Waray mostly takes the role of comic relieve with a tragic back story revealed later in the book. She begins as more of a lone wolf and only occasionally travels with the other characters but always seems to be there when something happens, throughout the books she grows and in the end regards Ashta as her friend.
All other characters are only really there to support the main cast and there is not really a single one that stands out much from the crowd and only a few crop up more than once or twice in the story, the main focus really is the group around Ashta and what happens to them.
There is also a Texan spoon in there and no I mean that seriously and I love that little wooden thing
I don’t feel like there is any bigger meaning behind the story other than to entertain (or I haven’t found it which is a real possibility) apart from the fantasy usual stuff (vengeance and how far it can lead you, found family and the implications, your place in the world) and I honestly don’t care there is a place for books who only want to entertain and here we have one not only to entertain but who presents characters to you that feel alive and real while you never have the feeling you need to “get it”
One last minor/somewhat major complaint before I bow out. The way the book is structured feels sometimes weird and awkward because for me at least it felt like a TV-series in the style of the X-Files with a case/div a week and in between season finales(there are several parts which could work that way) and a somewhat strange passage of time in between the chapters it doesn’t feel like one journey. That made it hard to really dive into the world for me because every time I got drawn in the chapter ended and I often had to adjust to a completely different set of events for the next one, only the last few chapters feel somewhat more cohesive manly because they all follow one event, one journey and end it in a fitting way.
TLDR: Persion-Mythology with a great cast that feels alive, a world that feels foreign with all good and bad things that means and a weird pacing, sorry for my english
sarkos's review against another edition
2.0
It's an interesting premise and unique setting, but the writing could use some work. The author tends to skip between scenes and POVs without warning, and is overly fond of flowery archaic language, regardless of how apt it is. I had to rely quite heavily on the Kindle dictionary lookup feature.
Here's a sample sentence from a battle scene: "The lines clashed, erupting in a riotous din that carried for farsangs, and the formidable Eshm sisters hammered a sanguinolent wedge into the centre of the melee."
So, "farsangs" is great, it's clear from the context that it's a unit of measurement, and in fact it's an Iranian word so it is apt. However, "sanguinolent" I had to look up. According to the dictionary, this word is used in a medical context to describe liquids mixed with blood. And it's derived from Latin so it doesn't even fit the Iranian context. So why not just use the word "bloody"?
Here's a sample sentence from a battle scene: "The lines clashed, erupting in a riotous din that carried for farsangs, and the formidable Eshm sisters hammered a sanguinolent wedge into the centre of the melee."
So, "farsangs" is great, it's clear from the context that it's a unit of measurement, and in fact it's an Iranian word so it is apt. However, "sanguinolent" I had to look up. According to the dictionary, this word is used in a medical context to describe liquids mixed with blood. And it's derived from Latin so it doesn't even fit the Iranian context. So why not just use the word "bloody"?
vinjii's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A hero that is bad at her job? Count me in.
The setting is ancient Iran? Again, count me in.
The magic comes from the stars and is unpredictable? Have I mentioned, count me in?
Ashtadukht is a great character, deeply flawed and well fleshed out. The magic system is fascinating, unpredictable and novel. The setting is fantastic and, from what I could tell, well researched. All in all, A Star-Reckoner's Lot did not disappoint.
Every time Ashtadukht uses her magic she has to consider whether or not it's worth the risk. Power given by the stars and planets can be favourable or not, and sometimes things go terribly wrong. I highly enjoyed reading about a protagonist that can't possibly be overpowered because their magic is unpredictable and might let them down.
While I liked all characters, I absolutely adored Waray. She, and her obsession with eggs, turned out to be the highlight of this book. Waray basically dropped in and stole the show!
Darrell Drake tells the story in a dry, detached tone, which adds humour to the tale. The prose is engaging, not difficult (save for a few complex words, which I had to look up) resulting in a quick, enjoyable read.
The book starts out slow, takes time to introduce the characters, but quickly turns into something I could not put down. At the beginning we follow Ashtadukht through a few assignments, all seemingly unrelated, but once the overarching plot emerged, I realised it was extremely well set up. I have to admit, however, that I got confused a few times along the way. There's time-jumps between the chapters, and it took me a while to find my bearings. There's a few twists and turns I did not see coming, but looking back, they were well-foreshadowed.
I recommend A Star-Reckoner's Lot to any fantasy fan who is looking to pick up more self-published books and enjoys a setting that isn't pseudo-medieval Europe.
A hero that is bad at her job? Count me in.
The setting is ancient Iran? Again, count me in.
The magic comes from the stars and is unpredictable? Have I mentioned, count me in?
Ashtadukht is a great character, deeply flawed and well fleshed out. The magic system is fascinating, unpredictable and novel. The setting is fantastic and, from what I could tell, well researched. All in all, A Star-Reckoner's Lot did not disappoint.
Every time Ashtadukht uses her magic she has to consider whether or not it's worth the risk. Power given by the stars and planets can be favourable or not, and sometimes things go terribly wrong. I highly enjoyed reading about a protagonist that can't possibly be overpowered because their magic is unpredictable and might let them down.
While I liked all characters, I absolutely adored Waray. She, and her obsession with eggs, turned out to be the highlight of this book. Waray basically dropped in and stole the show!
Darrell Drake tells the story in a dry, detached tone, which adds humour to the tale. The prose is engaging, not difficult (save for a few complex words, which I had to look up) resulting in a quick, enjoyable read.
The book starts out slow, takes time to introduce the characters, but quickly turns into something I could not put down. At the beginning we follow Ashtadukht through a few assignments, all seemingly unrelated, but once the overarching plot emerged, I realised it was extremely well set up. I have to admit, however, that I got confused a few times along the way. There's time-jumps between the chapters, and it took me a while to find my bearings. There's a few twists and turns I did not see coming, but looking back, they were well-foreshadowed.
I recommend A Star-Reckoner's Lot to any fantasy fan who is looking to pick up more self-published books and enjoys a setting that isn't pseudo-medieval Europe.
spiraldots's review against another edition
3.0
Review originally published on my blog
So I received a copy of this from the author months ago and it’s taken me a while to get around to finally reading as I was saving it for the self-published square of Fantasy Bingo and was trying to not read too much on my Kindle.
Anyway, I finally decided to give it a read when I got Kindle Unlimited and realised I was about to start reading a lot more self-published novels. This book is inspired by 6th century Iran which I don’t know much about and so I am unable to tell how accurate it is, but the setting was absolutely fantastic and was definitely one of the highlights of the book and it definitely makes me want to learn more about 6th century Iran myself which I feel will only just make me appreciate this book even more!
The main plot of the story starts out with Ashtadukht wanting to hunt down the Div that killed her husband, although of course that’s not going to go that smoothly as she keeps being called off to perform her duties as a star-reckoner despite being awful at it. Ashtadukht being awful at her powers is something I really enjoyed as often the main character is incredibly skilled and so seeing her constantly fail or end up with unexpected results was very fun.
As far as writing goes, this was brilliant. It took a while to get used to the writing as the author has a tendency to use his clearly extensive vocabulary but thankfully as I was reading on my Kindle, it was easy enough to look up the unfamiliar words. This meant it was a bit slower to read for me than usual and I got distracted part of the way through which meant there was a slight gap between my reading so the beginning was less fresh in my mind when I went back to it.
One very important thing I should mention about this book is that it starts off slow but just keeps getting better. I wasn’t a big fan of it at the start but wasn’t going to give up so early and I’m glad I stuck with it and the ending, in particular, was brilliant and means I’m definitely going to want to read more by this author!
I’ve not mentioned the characters too much because we don’t know that much about them at the start and slowly learn more about them as the novel progresses and this slow introduction to them all was something I really enjoyed and so I want to save that enjoyment for other readers. One thing I will mention though is that I absolutely adore Waray and her fascination with eggs which constantly amused me throughout the book.
To conclude, despite being a slow start this is definitely worth sticking with and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’re doing the Fantasy Bingo it’s an excellent choice as it fulfills several squares and of course is just an enjoyable read in general. It’s also nice to read a Fantasy book with a very different setting than usual. For those that are hesitant about reading self-published books, I’d recommend this as a great example of how fantastic they can be.
So I received a copy of this from the author months ago and it’s taken me a while to get around to finally reading as I was saving it for the self-published square of Fantasy Bingo and was trying to not read too much on my Kindle.
Anyway, I finally decided to give it a read when I got Kindle Unlimited and realised I was about to start reading a lot more self-published novels. This book is inspired by 6th century Iran which I don’t know much about and so I am unable to tell how accurate it is, but the setting was absolutely fantastic and was definitely one of the highlights of the book and it definitely makes me want to learn more about 6th century Iran myself which I feel will only just make me appreciate this book even more!
The main plot of the story starts out with Ashtadukht wanting to hunt down the Div that killed her husband, although of course that’s not going to go that smoothly as she keeps being called off to perform her duties as a star-reckoner despite being awful at it. Ashtadukht being awful at her powers is something I really enjoyed as often the main character is incredibly skilled and so seeing her constantly fail or end up with unexpected results was very fun.
As far as writing goes, this was brilliant. It took a while to get used to the writing as the author has a tendency to use his clearly extensive vocabulary but thankfully as I was reading on my Kindle, it was easy enough to look up the unfamiliar words. This meant it was a bit slower to read for me than usual and I got distracted part of the way through which meant there was a slight gap between my reading so the beginning was less fresh in my mind when I went back to it.
One very important thing I should mention about this book is that it starts off slow but just keeps getting better. I wasn’t a big fan of it at the start but wasn’t going to give up so early and I’m glad I stuck with it and the ending, in particular, was brilliant and means I’m definitely going to want to read more by this author!
I’ve not mentioned the characters too much because we don’t know that much about them at the start and slowly learn more about them as the novel progresses and this slow introduction to them all was something I really enjoyed and so I want to save that enjoyment for other readers. One thing I will mention though is that I absolutely adore Waray and her fascination with eggs which constantly amused me throughout the book.
To conclude, despite being a slow start this is definitely worth sticking with and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’re doing the Fantasy Bingo it’s an excellent choice as it fulfills several squares and of course is just an enjoyable read in general. It’s also nice to read a Fantasy book with a very different setting than usual. For those that are hesitant about reading self-published books, I’d recommend this as a great example of how fantastic they can be.
barb4ry1's review
3.0
Ashtadukht is a star-reckoner. The worst there's ever been.
Who the hell is a star-reckoner you may ask? Well, they’re a bunch of mysterious ritualist-astronomers who dispatch divs – malevolent and depraved creatures. Think of them as of Persian monster hunters who’re able to command the might of constellations in a fight. Their power is rooted in astronomy and given by stars and planet. Drawing a lot isn’t always safe, it can go bad as planets aren’t always favorable to star-reckoner. When it backfires, consequences may be serious and undesired.
A Star Reckoner’s Lot was founded through Kickstarter campaign that allowed the author to polish the book by using the help of a professional editor and buying fantastic cover. A lot of attention was put to book content quality and presentation. I appreciate this a lot.
The story is, undoubtedly, unique as it happens in the Sasanian Empire. Not a usual fantasy setting. If you’re becoming tired of pseudo-medieval Europe flavor in books, this one will be refreshing. It’s worth noting it’s work of fiction so it isn’t actual Iran portrayed in a book although the lore is permeated with tons of research the author’s done on the topic of Sasanian Empire, Persian mythos, and other things.
It’s actually difficult to summarize the plot as the story is told in loose arcs and at times it jumps few months from page to page. Basically, we follow the story of Ashtadukht – a star – reckoner who’s driven by the need to find the div that murdered her husband. The path of Ashtadukht's troubled life weaves through the lands and culture of Sasanian Iran, taking purchase on its lore and landmarks, and often leaving the mundane behind for otherworldly creatures and settings. Ashtadukht seeks revenge but she usually gives divs a chance to live. It’s up to them if they use it.
She's followed by her cousin Tirdad and Waray who is mischievous, bloodthirsty and crazy. It's not surprising as she's a half-div who tries to fight against her nature. Characters in this book are flawed and complex. We don't get much backstory, rather we observe their development through few arcs/episodes. It's, for me, one of the issues - some of these episodes diverge strongly from the tone of the rest of the book. Also, block structure isn't my favorite one -the main plot and foreshadowed twist emerge from loose story arcs. Personally, I find this choice of narration difficult to follow, it breaks the flow of the story. As a result, at times, I felt disconnected from the events.
There are few twists in the book, the main twist was foreshadowed throughout the book but is a bold one. It can be emotionally devastating to some. I'm not sure I really buy character change that happens after the incident (I don't want to spoil things so I use very general terms). The twist is rooted in a backstory we don't actually get enough to fully understand / appreciate it. As a result, things turned out a little flat.
And here lies a problem and a reason I couldn't give this book 4 stars. At a certain moment, I lost interest in the story. Yes, the twist was strong, the writing was rich and Darrell Drake certainly doesn't lack creativity and imagination. On the other hand I can't help but notice and admit that I finished the book only for sake of finishing it. I wasn't really invested in the story, I wasn't engaged in characters arcs. I felt disconnected more often than not.
Maybe if the narration wasn't as wry and distant as it is, I would engage more in the story? There weren't enough shifts of tone that would allow to dig deeper in backstories of characters. There was quite a lot of puns, many of them were rather cheap.
Overall I think it's a book with an interesting premise and good prose. The author certainly knows his craft and has rich vocabulary (something I always appreciate as non-native english speaker). The setting is pretty unique and we observe plenty of bizarre creatures. What was lacking for me, may not be an issue for you :)
Who the hell is a star-reckoner you may ask? Well, they’re a bunch of mysterious ritualist-astronomers who dispatch divs – malevolent and depraved creatures. Think of them as of Persian monster hunters who’re able to command the might of constellations in a fight. Their power is rooted in astronomy and given by stars and planet. Drawing a lot isn’t always safe, it can go bad as planets aren’t always favorable to star-reckoner. When it backfires, consequences may be serious and undesired.
A Star Reckoner’s Lot was founded through Kickstarter campaign that allowed the author to polish the book by using the help of a professional editor and buying fantastic cover. A lot of attention was put to book content quality and presentation. I appreciate this a lot.
The story is, undoubtedly, unique as it happens in the Sasanian Empire. Not a usual fantasy setting. If you’re becoming tired of pseudo-medieval Europe flavor in books, this one will be refreshing. It’s worth noting it’s work of fiction so it isn’t actual Iran portrayed in a book although the lore is permeated with tons of research the author’s done on the topic of Sasanian Empire, Persian mythos, and other things.
It’s actually difficult to summarize the plot as the story is told in loose arcs and at times it jumps few months from page to page. Basically, we follow the story of Ashtadukht – a star – reckoner who’s driven by the need to find the div that murdered her husband. The path of Ashtadukht's troubled life weaves through the lands and culture of Sasanian Iran, taking purchase on its lore and landmarks, and often leaving the mundane behind for otherworldly creatures and settings. Ashtadukht seeks revenge but she usually gives divs a chance to live. It’s up to them if they use it.
She's followed by her cousin Tirdad and Waray who is mischievous, bloodthirsty and crazy. It's not surprising as she's a half-div who tries to fight against her nature. Characters in this book are flawed and complex. We don't get much backstory, rather we observe their development through few arcs/episodes. It's, for me, one of the issues - some of these episodes diverge strongly from the tone of the rest of the book. Also, block structure isn't my favorite one -the main plot and foreshadowed twist emerge from loose story arcs. Personally, I find this choice of narration difficult to follow, it breaks the flow of the story. As a result, at times, I felt disconnected from the events.
There are few twists in the book, the main twist was foreshadowed throughout the book but is a bold one. It can be emotionally devastating to some. I'm not sure I really buy character change that happens after the incident (I don't want to spoil things so I use very general terms). The twist is rooted in a backstory we don't actually get enough to fully understand / appreciate it. As a result, things turned out a little flat.
And here lies a problem and a reason I couldn't give this book 4 stars. At a certain moment, I lost interest in the story. Yes, the twist was strong, the writing was rich and Darrell Drake certainly doesn't lack creativity and imagination. On the other hand I can't help but notice and admit that I finished the book only for sake of finishing it. I wasn't really invested in the story, I wasn't engaged in characters arcs. I felt disconnected more often than not.
Maybe if the narration wasn't as wry and distant as it is, I would engage more in the story? There weren't enough shifts of tone that would allow to dig deeper in backstories of characters. There was quite a lot of puns, many of them were rather cheap.
Overall I think it's a book with an interesting premise and good prose. The author certainly knows his craft and has rich vocabulary (something I always appreciate as non-native english speaker). The setting is pretty unique and we observe plenty of bizarre creatures. What was lacking for me, may not be an issue for you :)
filipmagnus's review
4.0
Disclaimer: This book has been kindly provided by Darrell Drake for free, in exchange for a review. No one said anything about being honest but I wasn't told to lie either, so it evens out somewhere along the line, I reckon.
A Star-Reckoner's Lot has been an interesting ride, one that left me some strong impressions. Some of those are bad but I'm happy to say, the good ones outweigh them by a...Lot! (Hah, I'm a comedian!) I'll start with what bothered me and make my way down to all the good bits so bear with me.
The Bad!
The Narration: At times, too distant. I would find myself losing focus, especially early on before I got more comfortable with the style. Furthermore, some of the word choices slapped me right out of the story and back to reality, which is always a pain!
The Beginning: The Start of this novel was a bit of a slog. The prose is somewhat difficult to get used to and the first few chapters come across as fragmentary and disconnected due to frequent time-skips. I could make the argument that the first chapter, which reads like a prologue and is from Ashtadukht's perspective, isn't necessary. I'm not sure there's a single thing I learned from that chapter that I wouldn't have learned from the next few -- and that's where I would toss the chapter in question into the bin.
The So-So!
Ashtadukht: Of the three main characters the book introduces us to, our sickly star-reckoner is the one I'm least fond of. Due to changes towards the last fourth of the novel, she's no longer on my 'firmly disliked characters' category but I still found her behaviour towards her companions too close to despicable on more counts than I can let pass.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the changes she went through and I'll always treasure the time in her drunken company. Her wit playing against that of Waray and Tirdad made for some great dialogue (read under Dialogue for more on that).
Tirdad: From all the characters in the book, this one best fit the shoes your typical warrior wears; a man of honour and war who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty both with blood and with run-of-the-mill manual labour. I disliked nothing about him, or close to nothing but he never surprised me. Having read the synopsis to the second book though, I suspect I'll be surprised by him quite a whole lot.
(Before I continue, I would like to underline that these are my personal feelings towards the characters. If I spoke about the quality of characterization, that falls under the 'Good' section. I am however very partial and refuse to hide it lest the court of public opinion judges me an agent of the Lie!)
The Good!
The Setting: What a unique, wondrous place choice of setting. I know shamefully little of the Sasanian Empire and after reading this I'm hungry to learn more. Of course, this being a fantasy novel, I don't advise you to try and contest a history major's knowledge with what you might glean from A Star-Reckoner's Lot...but Darrell Drake's love and respect for the period shows and resonates with ease.
Star- and Planet-Reckoning: I'm a stickler for interesting magic systems. Using the position of the stars to battle evil creatures of chaos (or the Lie, in this case) is a recipe for success, especially if you're trying to get into my good graces! Planet-Reckoning I found even more interesting and I suspect it's quite a bit stronger (certainly scarier)
The Cover: What a stunning cover this book has. Take a glimpse at it, if you haven't already, come on! Truly a wonder; from what I understand, we have a Kickstarter campaign to thank for the stellar look--money well spent, Darrell.
Waray: This precious half-div egg-chewer is mad as bonkers, and I love her for it. She's got it all -- bloodthirst, a healthy craving for eggs and a deep-rooted need to belong and avoid being lonely. It's like looking into a mirror. On a serious note, Waray was my favourite character and the one I'll remember for a long time to come.
Maybe.
Not my most structured review but there you go. A Star-Reckoner's Lot is an interesting novel, one with a few hurdles that keep me from giving it an amazing five-star review on Goodreads but it well earns its 4/5 'Very good' score. I'm also happy to award this my personal and very nebulous "Hottest(?) cousin on cousin will they/won't they action" award!
Would I re-read it? Not in its entirety. There are parts and strips of dialogue, which I would dearly love to revisit, however.
Would I read the next book in the series? Yes! Yes, I would. A few months from now, I'd love to reacquaint myself with this particular setting and follow along in the star-reckoning journey.
You'll enjoy this book if you are:
- looking for a different and unique setting;
- into astronomy-based magic;
- an Iranian from the seventh century A.D., wondering what's happened with his beloved empire, trying to kick back and relive the old div-hunting glory days;
- a div, probably. Your folks are represented a bit on the dark side but you're evil monsters in service of the Lie, what did you expect?
There you have it! My mostly all too honest review of an exciting indie fantasy novel under the banner of TBRindr, an initiative whose purpose is to highlight indie authors and their works.
This review was originally posted on my blog, https://filip-magnus-writes.blog/
A Star-Reckoner's Lot has been an interesting ride, one that left me some strong impressions. Some of those are bad but I'm happy to say, the good ones outweigh them by a...Lot! (Hah, I'm a comedian!) I'll start with what bothered me and make my way down to all the good bits so bear with me.
The Bad!
The Narration: At times, too distant. I would find myself losing focus, especially early on before I got more comfortable with the style. Furthermore, some of the word choices slapped me right out of the story and back to reality, which is always a pain!
The Beginning: The Start of this novel was a bit of a slog. The prose is somewhat difficult to get used to and the first few chapters come across as fragmentary and disconnected due to frequent time-skips. I could make the argument that the first chapter, which reads like a prologue and is from Ashtadukht's perspective, isn't necessary. I'm not sure there's a single thing I learned from that chapter that I wouldn't have learned from the next few -- and that's where I would toss the chapter in question into the bin.
The So-So!
Ashtadukht: Of the three main characters the book introduces us to, our sickly star-reckoner is the one I'm least fond of. Due to changes towards the last fourth of the novel, she's no longer on my 'firmly disliked characters' category but I still found her behaviour towards her companions too close to despicable on more counts than I can let pass.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the changes she went through and I'll always treasure the time in her drunken company. Her wit playing against that of Waray and Tirdad made for some great dialogue (read under Dialogue for more on that).
Tirdad: From all the characters in the book, this one best fit the shoes your typical warrior wears; a man of honour and war who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty both with blood and with run-of-the-mill manual labour. I disliked nothing about him, or close to nothing but he never surprised me. Having read the synopsis to the second book though, I suspect I'll be surprised by him quite a whole lot.
(Before I continue, I would like to underline that these are my personal feelings towards the characters. If I spoke about the quality of characterization, that falls under the 'Good' section. I am however very partial and refuse to hide it lest the court of public opinion judges me an agent of the Lie!)
The Good!
The Setting: What a unique, wondrous place choice of setting. I know shamefully little of the Sasanian Empire and after reading this I'm hungry to learn more. Of course, this being a fantasy novel, I don't advise you to try and contest a history major's knowledge with what you might glean from A Star-Reckoner's Lot...but Darrell Drake's love and respect for the period shows and resonates with ease.
Star- and Planet-Reckoning: I'm a stickler for interesting magic systems. Using the position of the stars to battle evil creatures of chaos (or the Lie, in this case) is a recipe for success, especially if you're trying to get into my good graces! Planet-Reckoning I found even more interesting and I suspect it's quite a bit stronger (certainly scarier)
The Cover: What a stunning cover this book has. Take a glimpse at it, if you haven't already, come on! Truly a wonder; from what I understand, we have a Kickstarter campaign to thank for the stellar look--money well spent, Darrell.
Waray: This precious half-div egg-chewer is mad as bonkers, and I love her for it. She's got it all -- bloodthirst, a healthy craving for eggs and a deep-rooted need to belong and avoid being lonely. It's like looking into a mirror. On a serious note, Waray was my favourite character and the one I'll remember for a long time to come.
Maybe.
Not my most structured review but there you go. A Star-Reckoner's Lot is an interesting novel, one with a few hurdles that keep me from giving it an amazing five-star review on Goodreads but it well earns its 4/5 'Very good' score. I'm also happy to award this my personal and very nebulous "Hottest(?) cousin on cousin will they/won't they action" award!
Would I re-read it? Not in its entirety. There are parts and strips of dialogue, which I would dearly love to revisit, however.
Would I read the next book in the series? Yes! Yes, I would. A few months from now, I'd love to reacquaint myself with this particular setting and follow along in the star-reckoning journey.
You'll enjoy this book if you are:
- looking for a different and unique setting;
- into astronomy-based magic;
- an Iranian from the seventh century A.D., wondering what's happened with his beloved empire, trying to kick back and relive the old div-hunting glory days;
- a div, probably. Your folks are represented a bit on the dark side but you're evil monsters in service of the Lie, what did you expect?
There you have it! My mostly all too honest review of an exciting indie fantasy novel under the banner of TBRindr, an initiative whose purpose is to highlight indie authors and their works.
This review was originally posted on my blog, https://filip-magnus-writes.blog/
sheddy's review against another edition
4.0
DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from the author in exchange for a review.
A Star-Reckoner's Lot - Darrell Drake
Without faffing about let me say I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any fantasy reader. It was a very fun, fast-pace ride through the world of Ashtadukt (a star-reckoner), Tirdad (her cousin) and Waray (a div we meet a few chapters into the story) set in ancient Iran, a very needed breath-of-fresh-air location compared to the stereotypical medieval Europe setting rife in fantasy the past few decades. Without getting too spoiler-y, let me give a few pros and cons for ASRL:
PROS:
- Darrell Drake knows what he is talking about, exhibiting a Steven Erikson-esque archeologist knowledge on the location the story is set in
- The real-world locations within the story, I particulary enjoyed searching place and geographical names to see where the characters were heading
- The prose is wonderful, easily up there with the top notch fantasy writers of today
- The story never has a dull moment and is also self-contained, even though there are sequels out
- STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS! Ashta and Waray are some of the most complex women in fantasy I've come across in quite some time
- While we are on her, WARAY! Dammit, what a character, totally original and out-right hilarious
- Morally grey characters (my favourite type), all the main characters have their endearing qualities while not being perfect angels, specters of light and holiness.
- Magic that is simple to understand but also mysterious
- Some of the scenes in the book are so crazy, you can't help but crack-up laughing - especially one particular scene with birds
- Wonderful comic-book like adventures for the first half of the story which I could easily see becoming a TV show
My feelings for this story are overwhelmingly positive but I still do have some cons, none are too major but still important.
CONS:
- I felt some of the dialogue is a bit too modern/juvenile for the setting in story takes place in
- Gushnasp felt a bit disposable to the story - I feel we didn't get to know him well enough for the relationship between him and Ashta to be meaningful or for us to care about it
- On Gushnasp, a very taboo subject is talked about all the way through the book. It did feel icky at times, but for the time the story is set in, I guess it was a lot more socially acceptable.
- One characters development is so dramatic at times it feels like it's a totally different character and they become quite unlikable at the end, whether on purpose or not I'm not sure but in terms of the story, it is very interesting.
- Another character disappears for nearly half the story, at least the more important part of the story
- The last third could've been a hundred pages longer; it wasn't rushed at all, but felt like it needed a bit more room to breathe.
To conclude, Darrell Drake's A Star-Reckoner's Lot is a whirlwind adventure with some shocking, funny and emotional moments that any fantasy reader would get a kick out of. I look forward to continuing the series in the future.
A Star-Reckoner's Lot - Darrell Drake
Without faffing about let me say I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to any fantasy reader. It was a very fun, fast-pace ride through the world of Ashtadukt (a star-reckoner), Tirdad (her cousin) and Waray (a div we meet a few chapters into the story) set in ancient Iran, a very needed breath-of-fresh-air location compared to the stereotypical medieval Europe setting rife in fantasy the past few decades. Without getting too spoiler-y, let me give a few pros and cons for ASRL:
PROS:
- Darrell Drake knows what he is talking about, exhibiting a Steven Erikson-esque archeologist knowledge on the location the story is set in
- The real-world locations within the story, I particulary enjoyed searching place and geographical names to see where the characters were heading
- The prose is wonderful, easily up there with the top notch fantasy writers of today
- The story never has a dull moment and is also self-contained, even though there are sequels out
- STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS! Ashta and Waray are some of the most complex women in fantasy I've come across in quite some time
- While we are on her, WARAY! Dammit, what a character, totally original and out-right hilarious
- Morally grey characters (my favourite type), all the main characters have their endearing qualities while not being perfect angels, specters of light and holiness.
- Magic that is simple to understand but also mysterious
- Some of the scenes in the book are so crazy, you can't help but crack-up laughing - especially one particular scene with birds
- Wonderful comic-book like adventures for the first half of the story which I could easily see becoming a TV show
My feelings for this story are overwhelmingly positive but I still do have some cons, none are too major but still important.
CONS:
- I felt some of the dialogue is a bit too modern/juvenile for the setting in story takes place in
- Gushnasp felt a bit disposable to the story - I feel we didn't get to know him well enough for the relationship between him and Ashta to be meaningful or for us to care about it
- On Gushnasp, a very taboo subject is talked about all the way through the book. It did feel icky at times, but for the time the story is set in, I guess it was a lot more socially acceptable.
- One characters development is so dramatic at times it feels like it's a totally different character and they become quite unlikable at the end, whether on purpose or not I'm not sure but in terms of the story, it is very interesting.
- Another character disappears for nearly half the story, at least the more important part of the story
- The last third could've been a hundred pages longer; it wasn't rushed at all, but felt like it needed a bit more room to breathe.
To conclude, Darrell Drake's A Star-Reckoner's Lot is a whirlwind adventure with some shocking, funny and emotional moments that any fantasy reader would get a kick out of. I look forward to continuing the series in the future.
rustymiller's review against another edition
4.0
I was sent a digital copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review. This is my first book by this author (Darrell Drake). I try to avoid looking at too many reviews before reading most books as I don’t want to be biased going into it. Rather, I let the words *almost literally* speak for themselves. With that in mind, it seemed like this book (A Star-Reckoner’s Lot) has had mixed reviews, but its sequel (An Ill-Fated Sky) is apparently much better. Some comments I have heard are that readers are rewarded in the second book if they can push through the first. So, push through I did…
This book primarily focused on Ashtadukht, a young woman who has the ability to pull from the stars and planets to use a form of magic. However, it seems like her abilities need a great deal of refining as the results come out a little wonky (if at all). It almost felt like in Harry Potter where the spell would miss-fire if it wasn’t pronounced properly – like Diagon Alley vs. diagonally. But I digress.
Ashtadukht has two on-and off-again traveling companions: Tirdad - her cousin, protector, and maybe-love interest (it was apparently acceptable in 6th century Iran) - and Waray - half-div who is constantly battling her own impulses to kill, who has a particular taste for raw eggs, and who is (as my dad used to say) “not wrapped too tight”.
It is hard to really explain the plot because I was confused for most of the first half. It came across as a seemingly random quests with little continuity other than the 3 main characters. While I appreciated the creativity of the author to come up with unique and diverse creatures that were well written, and action sequences that came off with some skill, I couldn’t follow what the bigger mission was. It almost felt that the powers-that-be were just sending her off to 1) get her out of the way for a while, or 2) maybe she would get killed off (and then problem solved).
I love reading flawed characters and all 3 were certainly that. And I prefer well-defined characters where you see motives and background and context. Ideally, I want believable characters even if they could only ever exist in the world that the author creates. These characters were hinting at that and got most of the way there, but they each were somewhat annoying for my taste.
I am most torn with Waray, the half-div. We learn a fair amount of her background. We see a range of emotions, from almost giddy to catatonic barely controlled rage. For the most part that was OK with that, but it made it hard to know who the real Waray was. I also really struggled with the various ways her speech was written, especially when words were pushed together. It was just hard to get through her dialog. And, it felt like the whole egg-eating was all I ever heard …
The whole interaction between Ashtadukht and Tirdad was a struggle. They both seemed immature, held grudges, and wouldn’t acknowledge what they really thought or wanted. I understand that they both were dealing with painful memories, but it didn’t click here.
But there was enough to keep me going. Overall, I likes the prose and world building. The author did well with the handling of the non-humans, and fight scenes were pretty good. I definitely liked the last half better, in part because it felt like the story was finally going somewhere (even if Ashtadukht’s motives seemed extreme). At least I could follow where the story was going. I thought it was also interesting how the author blurred the lines a bit on who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I also had the carrot of the second book dangling in front of me.
I feel like I “got through” this book more than anything else. I certainly didn’t love or hate it, and I had plenty of issues with it. With that in mind, I think there were glimpses of a gem hidden here. From what I hear, the author corrected a lot of the miss-steps in the second book; hopefully I will check that one out some day.
Thank you, Darrell, for sending this to me. Well done! 3.8 / 5 stars.
This book primarily focused on Ashtadukht, a young woman who has the ability to pull from the stars and planets to use a form of magic. However, it seems like her abilities need a great deal of refining as the results come out a little wonky (if at all). It almost felt like in Harry Potter where the spell would miss-fire if it wasn’t pronounced properly – like Diagon Alley vs. diagonally. But I digress.
Ashtadukht has two on-and off-again traveling companions: Tirdad - her cousin, protector, and maybe-love interest (it was apparently acceptable in 6th century Iran) - and Waray - half-div who is constantly battling her own impulses to kill, who has a particular taste for raw eggs, and who is (as my dad used to say) “not wrapped too tight”.
It is hard to really explain the plot because I was confused for most of the first half. It came across as a seemingly random quests with little continuity other than the 3 main characters. While I appreciated the creativity of the author to come up with unique and diverse creatures that were well written, and action sequences that came off with some skill, I couldn’t follow what the bigger mission was. It almost felt that the powers-that-be were just sending her off to 1) get her out of the way for a while, or 2) maybe she would get killed off (and then problem solved).
I love reading flawed characters and all 3 were certainly that. And I prefer well-defined characters where you see motives and background and context. Ideally, I want believable characters even if they could only ever exist in the world that the author creates. These characters were hinting at that and got most of the way there, but they each were somewhat annoying for my taste.
I am most torn with Waray, the half-div. We learn a fair amount of her background. We see a range of emotions, from almost giddy to catatonic barely controlled rage. For the most part that was OK with that, but it made it hard to know who the real Waray was. I also really struggled with the various ways her speech was written, especially when words were pushed together. It was just hard to get through her dialog. And, it felt like the whole egg-eating was all I ever heard …
The whole interaction between Ashtadukht and Tirdad was a struggle. They both seemed immature, held grudges, and wouldn’t acknowledge what they really thought or wanted. I understand that they both were dealing with painful memories, but it didn’t click here.
But there was enough to keep me going. Overall, I likes the prose and world building. The author did well with the handling of the non-humans, and fight scenes were pretty good. I definitely liked the last half better, in part because it felt like the story was finally going somewhere (even if Ashtadukht’s motives seemed extreme). At least I could follow where the story was going. I thought it was also interesting how the author blurred the lines a bit on who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I also had the carrot of the second book dangling in front of me.
I feel like I “got through” this book more than anything else. I certainly didn’t love or hate it, and I had plenty of issues with it. With that in mind, I think there were glimpses of a gem hidden here. From what I hear, the author corrected a lot of the miss-steps in the second book; hopefully I will check that one out some day.
Thank you, Darrell, for sending this to me. Well done! 3.8 / 5 stars.