kaspersbooks's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
sydney_arcuri's review
4.0
4.5/5
EDIT: After finishing this book I and taking a few days to think about my ratings I decided to bump it up from 4 to 4.5 stars. I still stand by my opinion that I enjoyed the first book more (mostly because I enjoyed the characters more). But I still think this story is amazing.
So far I like book one better than this book. Not to say that this book was bad, I just wish we got more chapters the focused on Krushita and Aqreen instead of the many chapters that focused on Tyrak. But that's just how I feel. I cannot wait for the next book, and can't wait to see where this series goes.
EDIT: After finishing this book I and taking a few days to think about my ratings I decided to bump it up from 4 to 4.5 stars. I still stand by my opinion that I enjoyed the first book more (mostly because I enjoyed the characters more). But I still think this story is amazing.
So far I like book one better than this book. Not to say that this book was bad, I just wish we got more chapters the focused on Krushita and Aqreen instead of the many chapters that focused on Tyrak. But that's just how I feel. I cannot wait for the next book, and can't wait to see where this series goes.
valkyrie's review
adventurous
dark
2.25
There’s a good book hidden in here somewhere, but this read like a poorly written first draft. All the time spent on Tyrak felt repetitive and utterly pointless, and I was disappointed that the characters we followed in the first book are barely present in the background. Debating whether I should bother with the conclusion to this trilogy.
bookswithjk's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
While lush and vivid in its prose and worldbuilding, I was a bit disappointed at how pushed back the women in this book were. The title of the book is “A Dark Queen Rises”, and yet we spend a long time focusing on male violence and male conquests. I had to skim pages of Tyrak’s fights at the end of the book because I wanted to see more of Krushni.
I am still looking forward to the finale though (is it true this series was changed from 10/12 books to just three books?!). I’d love to see the princess from the first book meet up with the dark queen. Based on the title, I will assume they are!
I am still looking forward to the finale though (is it true this series was changed from 10/12 books to just three books?!). I’d love to see the princess from the first book meet up with the dark queen. Based on the title, I will assume they are!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, and Genocide
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
lopab94's review
5.0
The saga continues from [b:Upon a Burning Throne|37570597|Upon a Burning Throne (Burnt Empire Saga, #1)|Ashok K. Banker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525807593l/37570597._SY75_.jpg|55748474] and I loved it as much as the first! I love the new twists on this old story that I've known since I was a toddler. Fell in love with Krushita and Drishya and can't wait to see where this goes. [a:Ashok K. Banker|3387850|Ashok K. Banker|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1580782809p2/3387850.jpg] has quickly become on of my favorite authors and I look forward to seeing how the Burn Empire Saga ends and read much more by him.
sagelund's review
dark
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
2.0
The series longs to set up grand and intricate political scheming with powerful high-fantasy magic, something akin to a religious epic. However, the author seemed to forget nearly all mention of the principle characters of the first book, and continues to dredge new solutions out of nowhere because characters have relations to gods or can tap into magics. It's a series of impossible situations and impossible solutions wrought from powers never set-up or explained. Cool things happen because the author says so and you're to just accept it with a shrug and a "that's cool I guess."
humanpuke's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The story is still interesting, and I liked seeing more of Jarsun and his evil machinations but man the battle/action scenes really pulled me out of the story.
Each battle/conquest was the most EVIL the most CRAZY the most UNSTOPPABLE force of evil to ever evil to the point that it felt cartoonish. We were supposed to be scared for the protagonists in each encounter but it just felt overwritten and it removed all the tension.
There were so many confrontations that I was never worried about Krushita or any of the other main characters. It just felt repetitive.
I love the world and the characters are interesting. The battle scenes were just a big miss for me and this book has a lot of battle scenes.
Each battle/conquest was the most EVIL the most CRAZY the most UNSTOPPABLE force of evil to ever evil to the point that it felt cartoonish. We were supposed to be scared for the protagonists in each encounter but it just felt overwritten and it removed all the tension.
There were so many confrontations that I was never worried about Krushita or any of the other main characters. It just felt repetitive.
I love the world and the characters are interesting. The battle scenes were just a big miss for me and this book has a lot of battle scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Gore, Murder, and Death
booktribe's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Needed less Tyrak and more Krushita.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Animal death
Minor: Cannibalism
tammie_reads's review
5.0
CW: graphic violence/gore, body horror, infanticide, drug use
I HAVE SO?? MANY?? QUESTIONS???
Probably slightly less than a full 5 stars in terms of my personal enjoyment because this book had more battle scenes than the first book, which is just not my personal preference (but I have a feeling I'm probably in the minority here so if you found book 1 a bit slow and not action-packed enough, you'll probably enjoy book 2 more), but this was just such a good follow-up to the first book that I'm just going to give it 5 stars anyway.
This is now one of my new favourite series. It is just so grand and epic in every sense of the word, and the intricacy and care that Ashok Banker has put into the worldbuilding in this series is absolutely phenomenal (though like I mentioned in my review of the first book, I am not familiar at all with the Mahabharata, so I'm not able to judge it in comparison to the original text). I was a little worried about following completely new characters, but my worries were completely unfounded. I absolutely loved Krushita and Drishya, as well as some of the side characters (Bulan in particular is a favourite).
I have so many questions that are still unanswered, which is to be expected in book 2 of a 9+ book series, and I cannot wait to have them answered in future books. Apparently, the third book is titled The Blind King's Wrath, and I am literally buzzing with excitement because I cannot wait to see how all of this is going to be somehow connected.
If you are a fan of political fantasies and/or fantasies with a more classical style of narration, I cannot recommend this series enough.
I HAVE SO?? MANY?? QUESTIONS???
Probably slightly less than a full 5 stars in terms of my personal enjoyment because this book had more battle scenes than the first book, which is just not my personal preference (but I have a feeling I'm probably in the minority here so if you found book 1 a bit slow and not action-packed enough, you'll probably enjoy book 2 more), but this was just such a good follow-up to the first book that I'm just going to give it 5 stars anyway.
This is now one of my new favourite series. It is just so grand and epic in every sense of the word, and the intricacy and care that Ashok Banker has put into the worldbuilding in this series is absolutely phenomenal (though like I mentioned in my review of the first book, I am not familiar at all with the Mahabharata, so I'm not able to judge it in comparison to the original text). I was a little worried about following completely new characters, but my worries were completely unfounded. I absolutely loved Krushita and Drishya, as well as some of the side characters (Bulan in particular is a favourite).
I have so many questions that are still unanswered, which is to be expected in book 2 of a 9+ book series, and I cannot wait to have them answered in future books. Apparently, the third book is titled The Blind King's Wrath, and I am literally buzzing with excitement because I cannot wait to see how all of this is going to be somehow connected.
If you are a fan of political fantasies and/or fantasies with a more classical style of narration, I cannot recommend this series enough.