thymrman's review against another edition
3.0
I will say this was a decent enough book, that just never hit the mark for me. Whether it was the world building, or characters, or story, or the writing style. Nothing really grabbed me and made me love the book. Which in the end I guess it kinda disappointing, I was hoping to find something more in this book.
Part of the issue I had was with the way the world was built and written, lots of new places and people and concepts and similar. So much essentially exposition is dumped on the reader constantly, but it never feels like things are built up well enough for you to really understand it. Nor care about why these people or places are important or mean anything at all. So by the end, I wasn’t engrossed in this world or the character with-in it.
I can’t say the characters ever really stuck with me, and they changed far too often. You get introduced to new people who you think might be important, and than they disappear from the story, only to show up again to assist the main character and than disappear again. Never learning more about them or getting closer to them, or developing any attachment to them. Meanwhile the main character never impressed me, his abilities aren’t well demonstrated and his character development is rough. You get the feeling you are supposed to already know this character and his motivations from the past, but of course you don’t.
Now for the actual writing style and story flow, well it is easy enough to read. But it does feel disjointed and confusing at times. You quickly move between places or between different states the main character is in. While it all technically works, and you can figure out what is happening in the story, it just feels a bit clumsy and rough.
So yea, decent enough average book. But never does anything to rise above that mark for me.
Part of the issue I had was with the way the world was built and written, lots of new places and people and concepts and similar. So much essentially exposition is dumped on the reader constantly, but it never feels like things are built up well enough for you to really understand it. Nor care about why these people or places are important or mean anything at all. So by the end, I wasn’t engrossed in this world or the character with-in it.
I can’t say the characters ever really stuck with me, and they changed far too often. You get introduced to new people who you think might be important, and than they disappear from the story, only to show up again to assist the main character and than disappear again. Never learning more about them or getting closer to them, or developing any attachment to them. Meanwhile the main character never impressed me, his abilities aren’t well demonstrated and his character development is rough. You get the feeling you are supposed to already know this character and his motivations from the past, but of course you don’t.
Now for the actual writing style and story flow, well it is easy enough to read. But it does feel disjointed and confusing at times. You quickly move between places or between different states the main character is in. While it all technically works, and you can figure out what is happening in the story, it just feels a bit clumsy and rough.
So yea, decent enough average book. But never does anything to rise above that mark for me.
squids_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gore, Body horror, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Excrement
ailsaod's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eb00kie's review
4.0
While the 'I burnt my brain therefore I'm a different person' narrative can crumble any decent attempt at character-building, the author is crappy enough at stream-of-consciousness to make the guy sound the same way before and after field neurosurgery and the supporting cast more than make up for it.
I'll say this though, the conniving tenacity of the MC is beautifully done.
I'll say this though, the conniving tenacity of the MC is beautifully done.
jellybean_gene's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book wasn't perfect; descriptions felt rushed or inaccurate at times. But I still couldn't put the damn thing down.
This was an impressive amount of world building. International conflicts, interdimensional realms, interpersonal history and a magic system all in 400-ish pages.
And still it was entertaining and the MC was gritty AF in a way that I found mostly believable or explainable.
Very excited to try the next book in this series.
This was an impressive amount of world building. International conflicts, interdimensional realms, interpersonal history and a magic system all in 400-ish pages.
And still it was entertaining and the MC was gritty AF in a way that I found mostly believable or explainable.
Very excited to try the next book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, War, and Vomit
lycheeteareads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Blood
kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 Stars
I especially enjoyed the main character who is not a good guy, but also not actually evil. I clicked with him very early on and loved his character development over the course of the story!
The side characters were also interesting and well enough fleshed out to stand in their own and not feel like cardboard cutouts as a backdrop.
Some parts of the books felt a bit stretched out to me and could have been a bit tighter.
The violence and fighting especially sometimes felt like a very over the top Hollywood horror movie and instead of taking me to the edge of my seat I was instead smirking a bit.
I think the "monsters" were just too big and too powerful, so the people had to be even more over the top powerful and it spiralled a bit out of control from there.
Aside from that one major annoyance I really enjoyed the book and all the little and big twists and turns it took! A cool world and intriguing plot will make me pick up the second one too!
I especially enjoyed the main character who is not a good guy, but also not actually evil. I clicked with him very early on and loved his character development over the course of the story!
The side characters were also interesting and well enough fleshed out to stand in their own and not feel like cardboard cutouts as a backdrop.
Some parts of the books felt a bit stretched out to me and could have been a bit tighter.
The violence and fighting especially sometimes felt like a very over the top Hollywood horror movie and instead of taking me to the edge of my seat I was instead smirking a bit.
I think the "monsters" were just too big and too powerful, so the people had to be even more over the top powerful and it spiralled a bit out of control from there.
Aside from that one major annoyance I really enjoyed the book and all the little and big twists and turns it took! A cool world and intriguing plot will make me pick up the second one too!
sophies_readingcorner's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I just couldn't get properly into this - the magic system is just terribly explained and never clicked with me. MC is stereotypical edgy, grimdark 'I don't care about anything', yet at the same time is terrified of everything and a complete coward a LOT of the time. Wasn't for me but I did finish it
itabar's review against another edition
I tried. It just took too long to get going.
ireitlitam's review against another edition
fast-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
3.0