verlkonig's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
ielerol's review against another edition
4.0
It seems to me that Guy Gavriel Kay's books are becoming increasingly interested in metacommentary about storytelling and history. While I haven't read everything he's written before, it is a thread that's always been there, but it's become more explicit and dominant over time. There are also ideas here about the intersection between individual lives and larger historical events, and the tension between chance and choice in the course of a life. I like metacommentary and introspective digressions on the nature of memory, narrative, and history, so I have no complaints about this trend.
It does mean that the pace and tone of this book switches regularly between those introspective passages and more straightforward dramatic storytelling, but I don't mind. Frankly I regularly complain about books that maintain a high level of dramatic tension throughout. I read to relax, that stuff isn't relaxing! The horse racing scene in this book is genuinely one of the most exciting, edge-of-my-seat reading experienced I've had in ages (it helps that it's not a battle, which is the usual big exciting set piece in a historical fantasy, in fact I like very much that in a book at least partly about famous mercenaries there are no battle scenes), but I am glad the whole book wasn't like that.
I have two primary complaints, one is that I still can't take "Jad" seriously as the name of a god (I think constantly of Ursula K. Le Guin complaining about audiobook narrators who pronouced Ged like "Jed"), and also I found the several transformations of loutish young men into thoughtful and competent people to be less than convincing, especially the High Patriarch. It's not that I don't think people are capable of that kind of change, I just don't think it's the sort of thing happens as a straightforward transformation based on a single challenge. Antonino's change was more supported, but it still felt a bit convenient.
It does mean that the pace and tone of this book switches regularly between those introspective passages and more straightforward dramatic storytelling, but I don't mind. Frankly I regularly complain about books that maintain a high level of dramatic tension throughout. I read to relax, that stuff isn't relaxing! The horse racing scene in this book is genuinely one of the most exciting, edge-of-my-seat reading experienced I've had in ages (it helps that it's not a battle, which is the usual big exciting set piece in a historical fantasy, in fact I like very much that in a book at least partly about famous mercenaries there are no battle scenes), but I am glad the whole book wasn't like that.
I have two primary complaints, one is that I still can't take "Jad" seriously as the name of a god (I think constantly of Ursula K. Le Guin complaining about audiobook narrators who pronouced Ged like "Jed"), and also I found the several transformations of loutish young men into thoughtful and competent people to be less than convincing, especially the High Patriarch. It's not that I don't think people are capable of that kind of change, I just don't think it's the sort of thing happens as a straightforward transformation based on a single challenge. Antonino's change was more supported, but it still felt a bit convenient.
sembray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
koseuta's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
hay_shock's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't for me. It well written & there are interesting characters. However there isn't enough of a moving story line for me to truly enjoy the book.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
4.0
This somewhat captured the beauty and lyrical storytelling of my favorite of GGK’s books, The Lions of Al Rassan, with memorable characters and an interwoven plot.
cosmicforest's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.5