kitvaria_sarene's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up this book when I heard the words "Asian" and "fantasy" in one sentence. I've always loved Asian culture, and how very different it is from ours, so I couldn't resist. And I really love how he caught the soul of the culture so well, without the story becoming stale, or feeling like non fiction.
I really liked the two main characters - as they are on opposing sites, and Matthews manages to make you cheer for both of them. Depending on what part of the story you're in you will change your opinion of who's the bad guy, or if there really is a bad and a good guy at all. I really enjoyed that, as I hate "all black or white" stories. This one has a lot of grey areas and it did all the characters justice.
The writing style was fluid, though there were quite some typos now gone I hope). It is a really easy read, perfect as a little breather between the big tomes! There were some very wise quotes I marked down right away.
The plot was interesting, and kept me reading all the way through without long delays. It is a good mixture of quite grim and bloody in some parts, but hopeful and positive in others.
I would have wished for a bit more depth and complexity - and especially a bit more info about the magic used in the book. Though I hope that'll follow in the later books :)
All in all a good four star book that kept me entertained throughout the story!
-----------------------
Edit: By now I have read the whole trilogy and can say that they get better and better. Matthews is quickly learning and has by now advanced to become one of my favorite authors!
I really liked the two main characters - as they are on opposing sites, and Matthews manages to make you cheer for both of them. Depending on what part of the story you're in you will change your opinion of who's the bad guy, or if there really is a bad and a good guy at all. I really enjoyed that, as I hate "all black or white" stories. This one has a lot of grey areas and it did all the characters justice.
The writing style was fluid, though there were quite some typos now gone I hope). It is a really easy read, perfect as a little breather between the big tomes! There were some very wise quotes I marked down right away.
The plot was interesting, and kept me reading all the way through without long delays. It is a good mixture of quite grim and bloody in some parts, but hopeful and positive in others.
I would have wished for a bit more depth and complexity - and especially a bit more info about the magic used in the book. Though I hope that'll follow in the later books :)
All in all a good four star book that kept me entertained throughout the story!
-----------------------
Edit: By now I have read the whole trilogy and can say that they get better and better. Matthews is quickly learning and has by now advanced to become one of my favorite authors!
lanko's review
5.0
This was read in Fantasy-Faction's Book Club and I really enjoyed it.
The story is told from two characters, each one hailing from a different province that are at war for decades. This worked really well, actually better than I expected and both characters were pretty good and had some great moments.
The pace of the book is really fast. The initial chapters and a long prologue may give the opposite reaction but this goes roller-coaster mode after that and only real life stuff that couldn't wait prevented me of plowing through the book in two days.
There's also interesting magic involving spirits and Ki and although both characters are only beginning to grasp at it, there are really cool moments involving the world and some other characters, like an hermit in a mountain village and a certain serving girl.
Sometimes you will find some typos, some very contemporary wording now and then (the story is based on ancient China) and some parts, mostly in the beginning, the writing may feel a bit rough, but the story kept me engaged enough that I really didn't care much for this as I kept flipping pages, something I certainly couldn't say about most of other self-published material I came across.
It certainly got me curious to know what the heck happens next and since the author is active in the community, so for me these two factors counterbalances the little thing above.
The story is told from two characters, each one hailing from a different province that are at war for decades. This worked really well, actually better than I expected and both characters were pretty good and had some great moments.
The pace of the book is really fast. The initial chapters and a long prologue may give the opposite reaction but this goes roller-coaster mode after that and only real life stuff that couldn't wait prevented me of plowing through the book in two days.
There's also interesting magic involving spirits and Ki and although both characters are only beginning to grasp at it, there are really cool moments involving the world and some other characters, like an hermit in a mountain village and a certain serving girl.
Sometimes you will find some typos, some very contemporary wording now and then (the story is based on ancient China) and some parts, mostly in the beginning, the writing may feel a bit rough, but the story kept me engaged enough that I really didn't care much for this as I kept flipping pages, something I certainly couldn't say about most of other self-published material I came across.
It certainly got me curious to know what the heck happens next and since the author is active in the community, so for me these two factors counterbalances the little thing above.
mistrum_crowe's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely a series that I would like to keep an eye on. The characters are well-written, with some pleasing parallels that I imagine will be expanded on in later editions. The plot is full of intrigue and a lot more scope than I was expecting. The only thing that bothers me at the moment is the two different, equally vague magic systems that don't get as much time devoted to them as I would like. Still worth a moment of your time, especially if you're fed up with Medieval Europe as a fantasy backdrop.
matt_darksidreads's review
4.0
I was provided a review copy of the book for an honest review.
Two provinces have been at war for 30 years and now they try to settle their differences and establish peace. The story follows Huang member of the Jiin-Wei, the elite division of the military, and Zhou the diplomat From Wubei as they go through the events that will mark the end of the war. Little do they know that the war they are ending is leading to one that is coming that even the emperor knows little about.
“Sword fighting is not a dance, not in battle. You save all that showing off for the duels if you want to. In battle, when you kill, kill quickly, and be ready for the next enemy to come at you. One strike should be all it takes. It’s all you’ll get”
This is a wonderful Asian inspired fantasy that I fell in love with. The characters are well developed. The two main characters separated by war are almost always in the same place or on the way towards each other. The Huang is driven by loyalty and devotion, where Zhou is driven by revenge and anger. The magic is very original, I can’t remember the last time I found two magic systems in one book. One uses written symbols and spoken words, the other is joining with the inner spirit.
“Well, if you want to go off and die within a week or two that is up to you. But, if you want to survive, then you’ll need training. Once the Spirit is out, you can’t return it or lock it away. It is you and you are it, bound together forever. Accept it and learn from it.”
The world building is very good Matthews paints a vivid landscape that is almost as much of a threat as the enemies that are faced. From traversing the plains with little to no provisions, to traversing the mountain passes in winter. Even as far as the streets of Yaart. I felt a full vibrant world full of the bad side of extended war.
This is an impressive debut and I can’t wait to get into the rest of the series.
Two provinces have been at war for 30 years and now they try to settle their differences and establish peace. The story follows Huang member of the Jiin-Wei, the elite division of the military, and Zhou the diplomat From Wubei as they go through the events that will mark the end of the war. Little do they know that the war they are ending is leading to one that is coming that even the emperor knows little about.
“Sword fighting is not a dance, not in battle. You save all that showing off for the duels if you want to. In battle, when you kill, kill quickly, and be ready for the next enemy to come at you. One strike should be all it takes. It’s all you’ll get”
This is a wonderful Asian inspired fantasy that I fell in love with. The characters are well developed. The two main characters separated by war are almost always in the same place or on the way towards each other. The Huang is driven by loyalty and devotion, where Zhou is driven by revenge and anger. The magic is very original, I can’t remember the last time I found two magic systems in one book. One uses written symbols and spoken words, the other is joining with the inner spirit.
“Well, if you want to go off and die within a week or two that is up to you. But, if you want to survive, then you’ll need training. Once the Spirit is out, you can’t return it or lock it away. It is you and you are it, bound together forever. Accept it and learn from it.”
The world building is very good Matthews paints a vivid landscape that is almost as much of a threat as the enemies that are faced. From traversing the plains with little to no provisions, to traversing the mountain passes in winter. Even as far as the streets of Yaart. I felt a full vibrant world full of the bad side of extended war.
This is an impressive debut and I can’t wait to get into the rest of the series.
tomunro's review
5.0
This is fantasy in a very different setting - as traditional sword and sorcery meets the House of Flying Daggers. Eschewing the dominant medieval European backdrop to so much fantasy fiction, GR Matthews takes us further East to a world where two men are transformed by their experience of peace and war, life and death, love and loneliness.
There is a mythology that underpins this story, but it is not one I was familiar with before. This makes the systems of magic and the kinds of characters a new challenge to get to grips with, but I particularly liked how the author immersed the reader in this very foreign world. Like learning a different language through living in a country, we learn the ways of this place by osmosis as we journey through the story.
The two central characters are an intriguing contrast, in their personalities, their challenges and the changes they experience as a bigger picture plays out around them and their families.
In a story I always want to see characters who are changed and developed by their experiences, and these two certainly have been.
There is a mythology that underpins this story, but it is not one I was familiar with before. This makes the systems of magic and the kinds of characters a new challenge to get to grips with, but I particularly liked how the author immersed the reader in this very foreign world. Like learning a different language through living in a country, we learn the ways of this place by osmosis as we journey through the story.
The two central characters are an intriguing contrast, in their personalities, their challenges and the changes they experience as a bigger picture plays out around them and their families.
In a story I always want to see characters who are changed and developed by their experiences, and these two certainly have been.
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