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woolgathering_jane's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Central governments have always been the greatest danger to mankind.
This was a classical 20-year old high fantasy. I don't even know why exactly I needed to read one of these so badly months ago, but I'm sure my need is now fulfilled for many months haha. But I have to say, I got exactly what I expected - barely any romance, fairly predictable plot, no representation whatsoever, and well-thought-out battles. The battles with all of the tactics and manoeuvres were definitely the best thing about this story, such a shame they didn't happen until the last 100 pages. Maybe I'm judging this book too harshly because it was such a slow read, but the characters all felt like they each had exactly one character trait and I honestly, I probably won't remember most of them by the end of the year. And the worldbuilding was a little disappointing, but that was because of the expectations I had. I expected a world that would be so complicated and hard to understand, and I was looking forward to it, and I got a world that I could understand after the first chapter and one short info-dump :/
This probably doesn't sound like it deserves the 2.5-star rating, but the overall feeling wasn't so bad. Just wait till you really want to read this type of fantasy, then you'll enjoy it just as much as I did for the first 200 pages before I got fed up haha
This probably doesn't sound like it deserves the 2.5-star rating, but the overall feeling wasn't so bad. Just wait till you really want to read this type of fantasy, then you'll enjoy it just as much as I did for the first 200 pages before I got fed up haha
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Minor: Rape
cheye13's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
It is likely that traditional high fantasy is not my thing. I struggled through this and I noticed that my obstacles were genre staples.
I loved Allanon and his "info dumping." I found his history lecture entertaining, and appreciated both the world-building and the in-world delivery. I loved the concept of the magic system, though vague and underutilized. Once the adventurers assembled, I was invested. I liked each character and their characterization, as individuals as well as how they served the larger plot.
And then a third of the way in, the party splinters. I love ensemble casts and split narratives, but I had just met the characters and inter-party dynamics were just getting interesting. Switching between narratives kept things moving, but soon I was beyond bored unless reading about Shea or Allanon. I like intricate politics in my books; I hate war in my books. A solid eighth of the book is just... battles.
Overall, I found it boring at worst. The writing style was far too verbose for the simple story and settings built, and full chapters could've been mere pages. And a personal pet peeve –one (1) woman appears (62% in, does nothing of significance) and until then, the only women mentioned are Shea's birth mother (deceased) and Dayel's (unnamed) fiancée. Allanon's introductory exposition was the most interesting part of this story.
[I know this book was published in the 70s, and it's easy to condemn in hindsight – therefore I shall!]
I loved Allanon and his "info dumping." I found his history lecture entertaining, and appreciated both the world-building and the in-world delivery. I loved the concept of the magic system, though vague and underutilized. Once the adventurers assembled, I was invested. I liked each character and their characterization, as individuals as well as how they served the larger plot.
And then a third of the way in, the party splinters. I love ensemble casts and split narratives, but I had just met the characters and inter-party dynamics were just getting interesting. Switching between narratives kept things moving, but soon I was beyond bored unless reading about Shea or Allanon. I like intricate politics in my books; I hate war in my books. A solid eighth of the book is just... battles.
Overall, I found it boring at worst. The writing style was far too verbose for the simple story and settings built, and full chapters could've been mere pages. And a personal pet peeve –one (1) woman appears (62% in, does nothing of significance) and until then, the only women mentioned are Shea's birth mother (deceased) and Dayel's (unnamed) fiancée. Allanon's introductory exposition was the most interesting part of this story.
[I know this book was published in the 70s, and it's easy to condemn in hindsight – therefore I shall!]
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Confinement and Kidnapping
Certain descriptors of enemies, particularly gnomes, read as rather insensitive, if not outright orientalist/racist. A side character struggles with mind control/magical brainwashing. A significant part of the book is a direct description of a war battle.