rachaelc1878's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review as part of the First Reads on here.
Well, I absolutely loved this! The whole premise of pain magic was fascinating I thought, so intriguing.
I really enjoyed Rojan's journey and that even though he's the hero he's do utterly flawed and nowhere near perfect.
I'm definitely going to read the other two books of the trilogy.
Well, I absolutely loved this! The whole premise of pain magic was fascinating I thought, so intriguing.
I really enjoyed Rojan's journey and that even though he's the hero he's do utterly flawed and nowhere near perfect.
I'm definitely going to read the other two books of the trilogy.
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
3.0
I must say that I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second half.
The worldbuilding was great - as was the mystery of how it all happened - and what exatly had happened. Also the main character was humorous and fun to read.
In the second half we see only a bit of the world anymore - and besides one major reveal nothing new appears anymore. Also the witty character starts to doupt himself more and more. That would be quite fine, if it was a progression of the character, but at first he is a womanizer. He is sure he can get any woman he wants if just really sets his mind to it. And then there are those doubts about WHY he is the way he is, and that it has a reason, and oh so much insight into him.
The story is quite dark, so I really enjoyed the witty side of the main character more - it balanced out all the gore and dark parts nicely.
And back to progression - the last sentence it full on back to how he was before. => That just didn't feel believable to me.
There is one important female chharacter that gets some pagetime - and I very much enjoyed how badly she can kick ass. Untill we found out - she actually can't... That was annoying.
It was a quick and fun read - if you can something this dark and gory fun... ;) So despite the weaker second half I'll give it 3,5 stars.
The worldbuilding was great - as was the mystery of how it all happened - and what exatly had happened. Also the main character was humorous and fun to read.
In the second half we see only a bit of the world anymore - and besides one major reveal nothing new appears anymore. Also the witty character starts to doupt himself more and more. That would be quite fine, if it was a progression of the character, but at first he is a womanizer. He is sure he can get any woman he wants if just really sets his mind to it. And then there are those doubts about WHY he is the way he is, and that it has a reason, and oh so much insight into him.
The story is quite dark, so I really enjoyed the witty side of the main character more - it balanced out all the gore and dark parts nicely.
And back to progression - the last sentence it full on back to how he was before. => That just didn't feel believable to me.
There is one important female chharacter that gets some pagetime - and I very much enjoyed how badly she can kick ass. Untill we found out - she actually can't... That was annoying.
It was a quick and fun read - if you can something this dark and gory fun... ;) So despite the weaker second half I'll give it 3,5 stars.
bassgirl456's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.25
galexie64's review against another edition
3.0
The overall writing quality was good. The author does repeat quite a bit, constantly reminding of what we read in the last chapter. The book is also really anti religion and has a poor portrayal of women. There is also quite a bit of language in the book. I'm not planning on reading the next one.
night_starry's review against another edition
4.0
This is the beginning of a great series about the consequences of magic.
update:
When I first read the book I did not pick up on all the portrayal issues concerning women and the main character being a jerk. After reading some reviews years later I realized my younger self must have put blinders on. I knocked it down a star.
update:
When I first read the book I did not pick up on all the portrayal issues concerning women and the main character being a jerk. After reading some reviews years later I realized my younger self must have put blinders on. I knocked it down a star.
ashtheaudiomancer's review against another edition
3.0
A solid-page turner with amazing world building, but ultimately a bit dour and depressing overall. Not to say the ending is bad. Just one too many revelations of Bad Things Happening piled on top of each other for my tastes.
anniemariek's review against another edition
3.0
First Look: This is one book that I picked up for no reason other than that I liked the cover. The premise is cool, but that cover just grabbed my attention.
Setting: It's interesting, but also confusing. A few people have guns (newly invented technology, in this case), but not everyone. Because of...reasons? The concept of the synth and the glow, two sort-of magical substances that provide energy to the city, is well-explained, but what's unclear is how it relates to the magic system. The magic is the weakest part of this book. Why do some people have magic but not others? How, exactly, did Rojan even learn to use it? What is his connection to the glow? The non-fantasy elements of the setting, like the social structure and that of the city itself, make sense and are compelling, but the magic element didn't work for me.
Characters: I liked Rojan. Right away, he establishes himself as a strong character, full of personality. His employment is a little on the sketchy side, and he readily admits he's not without vices, but he has a caring heart beneath it all. He goes through a lot of pain in order to save a niece he's never even met. Francis Knight makes him at once likable and flawed, which is the best kind of character.
Other characters were well-developed, for the most part. Jake, the love interest (a woman), has her own unique personality that plays off Rojan's. The two have a complex relationship, though it's nowhere near as nuanced as her relationship with her business partner, for lack of a better term and the fact that I honestly can't remember the man's name right now.I'm warning you now--I'll have the same problem with my next review. In that last week before I moved into my dorm, I was so distracted I could barely focus on reading. So maybe you should take this review with a grain of salt.
Plot: It starts out interesting, but the second half falls into chaos. Rojan begins with a simple goal: rescue his niece. Then, though, it becomes a quest to free all the captive children, whose pain is being used to power the city. I have no problem with that itself, but from there, it just kept going, and ended with Rojan wanting to take down the entire oppressive government. Or the ruler, at least,. The last half is fast-moving series of events that have little or no explanation, leading to an ending that feels rushed and disorienting.
Uniqueness: It has a little of so many different genres, making it hard to pin down. It's part urban fantasy, with characters with magical powers. It's part dystopian fiction, with a formerly glorious city now full of disease and poverty, plus a dictator that nobody likes. It's also part thriller, part mystery, and part something I can't quite name.
Writing: I have no strong feelings one way or another about the writing. Except for the last few chapters, which made me disoriented in an already-rushed ending, the narration did its job. I got to see inside Rojan's head in a way that made him seem real. Then again, I never felt as fully engaged as I wanted to. I have no specific reasons for this--it just didn't do the trick for me.
Likes: That cover, though...
Not-so-great: Can we get a female character who isn't (a) in need of rescue (b) the object of Rojan's abundant lust (c) a former or present prostitute (d) all of the above? Is that too much to ask?
Overall: Fade to Black has an awesome premise, with a genre-defying setting that's both a fantasy world and a dystopia. Some aspects of it, though, like the magic system, make little sense. I liked the main character, Rojan, and some of the side characters. The plot becomes disjointed and chaotic in the second half. Overall, this just never grabbed my attention, despite its strong points.
Similar Books: It's an urban fantasy in the vein of The City's Son. Its genre-bending setting reminds me of Incarceron. It also makes me think of Steelheart.
Read more of my reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com.
Setting: It's interesting, but also confusing. A few people have guns (newly invented technology, in this case), but not everyone. Because of...reasons? The concept of the synth and the glow, two sort-of magical substances that provide energy to the city, is well-explained, but what's unclear is how it relates to the magic system. The magic is the weakest part of this book. Why do some people have magic but not others? How, exactly, did Rojan even learn to use it? What is his connection to the glow? The non-fantasy elements of the setting, like the social structure and that of the city itself, make sense and are compelling, but the magic element didn't work for me.
Characters: I liked Rojan. Right away, he establishes himself as a strong character, full of personality. His employment is a little on the sketchy side, and he readily admits he's not without vices, but he has a caring heart beneath it all. He goes through a lot of pain in order to save a niece he's never even met. Francis Knight makes him at once likable and flawed, which is the best kind of character.
Other characters were well-developed, for the most part. Jake, the love interest (a woman), has her own unique personality that plays off Rojan's. The two have a complex relationship, though it's nowhere near as nuanced as her relationship with her business partner, for lack of a better term and the fact that I honestly can't remember the man's name right now.
Plot: It starts out interesting, but the second half falls into chaos. Rojan begins with a simple goal: rescue his niece. Then, though, it becomes a quest to free all the captive children, whose pain is being used to power the city. I have no problem with that itself, but from there, it just kept going, and ended with Rojan wanting to take down the entire oppressive government. Or the ruler, at least,
Spoiler
who just so happens to be...*gasp*...Rojan's father. Um...okayUniqueness: It has a little of so many different genres, making it hard to pin down. It's part urban fantasy, with characters with magical powers. It's part dystopian fiction, with a formerly glorious city now full of disease and poverty, plus a dictator that nobody likes. It's also part thriller, part mystery, and part something I can't quite name.
Writing: I have no strong feelings one way or another about the writing. Except for the last few chapters, which made me disoriented in an already-rushed ending, the narration did its job. I got to see inside Rojan's head in a way that made him seem real. Then again, I never felt as fully engaged as I wanted to. I have no specific reasons for this--it just didn't do the trick for me.
Likes: That cover, though...
Not-so-great: Can we get a female character who isn't (a) in need of rescue (b) the object of Rojan's abundant lust (c) a former or present prostitute (d) all of the above? Is that too much to ask?
Overall: Fade to Black has an awesome premise, with a genre-defying setting that's both a fantasy world and a dystopia. Some aspects of it, though, like the magic system, make little sense. I liked the main character, Rojan, and some of the side characters. The plot becomes disjointed and chaotic in the second half. Overall, this just never grabbed my attention, despite its strong points.
Similar Books: It's an urban fantasy in the vein of The City's Son. Its genre-bending setting reminds me of Incarceron. It also makes me think of Steelheart.
Read more of my reviews at http://anniesepicblog.blogspot.com.
blue1alexa's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sevren's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most unique settings I have read, it does a very good job of mixing technology and magic into a time period all it's own. Any fans of the Dresden Files should definitely pick this book up.
ianbanks's review against another edition
3.0
Fade To Black is Francis Knight’s first novel. It is also the first volume of a series about the private detective/ bounty hunter/ soldier of misfortune Rojan Dizon. In this introductory volume, Rojan has just “recovered” the daughter of a prominent citizen of the towering city of Mahala when he is approached by his brother who wants him to rescue his daughter, recently taken by the mysterious agents of the Ministry for some nefarious purpose of their own…
As it is the first volume of an eponymous series I can tell you safely that things do not end badly for Rojan. However the status quo of life in Mahala changes significantly over the course of this book so that future volumes will be quite interesting.
Which is good because this is quite a promising series: Rojan is a dark character, with a history of sadness and bad things and magical talents that he has barely begun to plumb due to the societal mistrust of things magical. And the setting has loads of potential as well: Mahala is a city state crushed between two larger nations and it has had to resort to some fearsome practices in order to stay alive. And due to the increasing population and lack of space they have grown up rather than out. The result is a city that wants to remind you of Blade Runner, Lankhmar, New Crobuzon and every New York mean street you ever walked down but more often than not – at least for this reader – brings to mind the setting of Marvel’s 2099 series from many years back. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It has a lot to offer a reader who is interested in genre mash-ups. It is a soap opera, a fantasy saga about magic being passed genetically down a line, a war story, a detective novel, a thriller and it contains enough mindbending concepts that could be the basis of novels or stories all on their ownsome, which is what you should be getting when inspiration strikes true.
But for me, it felt a little samey compared to what other writers have achieved with similar stories. However, I wouldn’t say no to picking up future volumes because Knight tells a cracking story and keeps those pages turning.
(This review is also published at http://stuffianlikes.aussieblogs.com.au/2013/04/06/34/
As it is the first volume of an eponymous series I can tell you safely that things do not end badly for Rojan. However the status quo of life in Mahala changes significantly over the course of this book so that future volumes will be quite interesting.
Which is good because this is quite a promising series: Rojan is a dark character, with a history of sadness and bad things and magical talents that he has barely begun to plumb due to the societal mistrust of things magical. And the setting has loads of potential as well: Mahala is a city state crushed between two larger nations and it has had to resort to some fearsome practices in order to stay alive. And due to the increasing population and lack of space they have grown up rather than out. The result is a city that wants to remind you of Blade Runner, Lankhmar, New Crobuzon and every New York mean street you ever walked down but more often than not – at least for this reader – brings to mind the setting of Marvel’s 2099 series from many years back. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It has a lot to offer a reader who is interested in genre mash-ups. It is a soap opera, a fantasy saga about magic being passed genetically down a line, a war story, a detective novel, a thriller and it contains enough mindbending concepts that could be the basis of novels or stories all on their ownsome, which is what you should be getting when inspiration strikes true.
But for me, it felt a little samey compared to what other writers have achieved with similar stories. However, I wouldn’t say no to picking up future volumes because Knight tells a cracking story and keeps those pages turning.
(This review is also published at http://stuffianlikes.aussieblogs.com.au/2013/04/06/34/