sboard's review
dark
funny
tense
slow-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
4.0
lexbeau's review against another edition
4.0
I have never read better dialogue or more complex characters. The book took a while (about halfway) to catch my interest so I took 1 star off, but once it did it was hard to put down. The world is also fascinating and the magic is mysterious. Overall a great read!
oskarsigvardsson's review against another edition
dark
funny
tense
fast-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
3.5
samsoto's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nellegunpowderfictionandplot's review against another edition
Too much misogyny. Approximately half a female character.
ostrava's review against another edition
4.0
Originally, I wrote in another review about how I liked the portrayal of heroism in the story, and how the structure was a satisfying experiment.
Now though, after inspecting it more critically, I find myself uninterested in its subversive characteristics. The second book seems to be proofing my suspicion that there isn't anything going on with the actual story of the series. You're here mostly just for the characters, less because of their complexity and more because of their amusing nature. It's a satisfying and thrilling trilogy, but there's just so many ways you can praise it before realizing that there isn't that much emotion, or that much depth. There is however, lots of action and comedy and good pacing, and do I don't need more than that right now.
Now though, after inspecting it more critically, I find myself uninterested in its subversive characteristics. The second book seems to be proofing my suspicion that there isn't anything going on with the actual story of the series. You're here mostly just for the characters, less because of their complexity and more because of their amusing nature. It's a satisfying and thrilling trilogy, but there's just so many ways you can praise it before realizing that there isn't that much emotion, or that much depth. There is however, lots of action and comedy and good pacing, and do I don't need more than that right now.
zozoisgolden's review against another edition
5.0
This will definitely need a longer review but yes, I see why people rave about this. It's perfect classical fantasy material.
v171's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, this ended up really surprising me. I walked into this book having heard some of the more common criticisms, namely the almost complete lack of plot. I'm more of a character reader myself, so I wasn't terribly worried. But even though interesting character work is important to me as a reader, I also really REALLY don't like it when the first book of a series exists solely as an introduction without its own story to lean on, so I started this off This book expecting to be really critical of that. However I knew that Abercrombie's character work was very well regarded, so I was curious to see how that tension panned out. And I have to admit, the characters won me over hard.
We follow several different POV characters as they move about their own individual adventures without any real consistent through line or story. There are hints of a larger conflict brewing, but it's kept hidden away from the reader for the most part. Each character is dynamic and interesting in unique ways: a pompous noble-blooded soldier who starts to grow a heart for "commoners", a mutilated and discarded war veteran turned cold blooded investigator, a violent one-track minded brute, a frenzied rage fueled former slave, and a cryptic and cynical wizard. Each have their own motivations and goals which rarely overlap with each other. But each story was so compelling on its own that I found it really fascinating to follow, even without a strong connection between them. While the book didn't have a compelling story alone, each of these characters had a compelling, fully fleshed out story, lending to a satisfying reading experience. The ending I also found compelling enough that I am now motivated to jump right into the sequel. Maybe I'll resist that urge to push through some of the rest of my TBR, but maybe not!
We follow several different POV characters as they move about their own individual adventures without any real consistent through line or story. There are hints of a larger conflict brewing, but it's kept hidden away from the reader for the most part. Each character is dynamic and interesting in unique ways: a pompous noble-blooded soldier who starts to grow a heart for "commoners", a mutilated and discarded war veteran turned cold blooded investigator, a violent one-track minded brute, a frenzied rage fueled former slave, and a cryptic and cynical wizard. Each have their own motivations and goals which rarely overlap with each other. But each story was so compelling on its own that I found it really fascinating to follow, even without a strong connection between them. While the book didn't have a compelling story alone, each of these characters had a compelling, fully fleshed out story, lending to a satisfying reading experience. The ending I also found compelling enough that I am now motivated to jump right into the sequel. Maybe I'll resist that urge to push through some of the rest of my TBR, but maybe not!
melinatl's review
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
ajpes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5