gf5770902's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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
4.5
andyreadsfantasy's review
5.0
Definitely a different kind of story. At first I thought the narrative was kind of strange (it is), but I see now that it adds to the uniqueness of the story and adds humor. I only give 5 stars if a book can really captivate me. This one did! Every time I picked it up I was excited to read.
If you like this book, be prepared to read the next. It ends pretty much in the middle of the story...there is no real natural pause here. I am looking forward to immediately buying book 2 and keep going.
If you like this book, be prepared to read the next. It ends pretty much in the middle of the story...there is no real natural pause here. I am looking forward to immediately buying book 2 and keep going.
lclowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
zachswain's review
2.0
I have a tough time with this book. The series seems like it could have potential, but it continually knocked me out of my suspension of disbelief by having scenes that made me go "Huh?" Mild spoilers below.
- Rezkin's raised in a seemingly monastic setting, without understanding some basic tenants of relationships, but he totally understands courtly behavior, the history of the monarchy, etc. He doesn't understand "children", calling himself a "small man", but totally gets the woman using her "assets" to persuade him.
- Frischa (audiobook...no clue how to spell it) was annoying. I honestly was hoping for her to be offed or written out. The book would gain a minimum of 1 star without her. Seeing that she persists in future books was a major "Will not read" for me.
- Tam, and the others he runs into on his journey, are idiots. Likeable, but unbelievable idiots. Maybe Rezkin really is just that good at sneaking around, but they don't seem to notice him missing for large chunks of time, and don't recognize his lack of socialization or misunderstanding of some basic interpersonal relationships.
- Rezkin is unbelievably good at everything. Like "chosen one" syndrome taken to a ridiculous degree. He takes over two thieves' guilds in a night barely lifting a finger, and walks a gauntlet that hasn't been walked in remembered time without breaking a sweat, while guiding two people along with him. The book is a non-stop run of over the top, flawless victories.
- They used the phrase "girl friend" in a book set during a time when people were arranging marriages and courting each other. It seemed oddly anachronistic.
The premise...isn't horrible. You give me an itinerant-looking-for-answers story and I'm with ya, but throw in annoying side characters, a Mary Sue, and enough situations that routinely cause me to go "Huh?" and I'm not continuing the series.
- Rezkin's raised in a seemingly monastic setting, without understanding some basic tenants of relationships, but he totally understands courtly behavior, the history of the monarchy, etc. He doesn't understand "children", calling himself a "small man", but totally gets the woman using her "assets" to persuade him.
- Frischa (audiobook...no clue how to spell it) was annoying. I honestly was hoping for her to be offed or written out. The book would gain a minimum of 1 star without her. Seeing that she persists in future books was a major "Will not read" for me.
- Tam, and the others he runs into on his journey, are idiots. Likeable, but unbelievable idiots. Maybe Rezkin really is just that good at sneaking around, but they don't seem to notice him missing for large chunks of time, and don't recognize his lack of socialization or misunderstanding of some basic interpersonal relationships.
- Rezkin is unbelievably good at everything. Like "chosen one" syndrome taken to a ridiculous degree. He takes over two thieves' guilds in a night barely lifting a finger, and walks a gauntlet that hasn't been walked in remembered time without breaking a sweat, while guiding two people along with him. The book is a non-stop run of over the top, flawless victories.
- They used the phrase "girl friend" in a book set during a time when people were arranging marriages and courting each other. It seemed oddly anachronistic.
The premise...isn't horrible. You give me an itinerant-looking-for-answers story and I'm with ya, but throw in annoying side characters, a Mary Sue, and enough situations that routinely cause me to go "Huh?" and I'm not continuing the series.
liseronnocturne's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
yyooh17's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This book is very enjoyable to read.
Yes it’s not the most well edited and yes it’s quite simplistic but I find it very funny reading about all of Rezkin’s misunderstandings. Perfect for when I want to read something less heavy but still within my favourite genre.
It has a series now too!! When I first read it there was only two 💔
(Rating it higher purely based off enjoyment rather than the quality)
Back after reading the series
This series has improved A LOT. Especially in character development and overall quality. Very much looking forward to the next one.
Yes it’s not the most well edited and yes it’s quite simplistic but I find it very funny reading about all of Rezkin’s misunderstandings. Perfect for when I want to read something less heavy but still within my favourite genre.
It has a series now too!! When I first read it there was only two 💔
(Rating it higher purely based off enjoyment rather than the quality)
Back after reading the series
This series has improved A LOT. Especially in character development and overall quality. Very much looking forward to the next one.
chromeorange's review
1.0
This book is awful. Absolutely awful. How it currently has a 4.2 on here is beyond me.
PROTAGONIST/STORY
Calling the protagonist a Mary Sue is an understatement. He (an assassin named Rezkin) serves solely as wish fulfillment for the author. He is the most handsome person in the kingdom. He is the most polite person in the kingdom. He is the most skilled warrior in the kingdom. He is (seemingly) the smartest person in the kingdom. He never makes any mistakes and is never once in any danger from anyone, ever. He does whatever he wants. That's basically the book; him doing whatever he wants. There is no real plot because there is never any conflict. There are no antagonists because there can't be. Rezkin is invincible, omniscient, and perfect. Oh, and somehow he knows quite nearly everything there is to know, and has mastered every skill there is, by age 19. His mysterious training repeatedly serves as a convenient Deus Ex Machina. (How does he know where everything is even though he never left the fort he trained in? Oh...uh....he memorized all the blue prints of every major building as part of his training.) It's eye-rollingly ridiculous.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Even calling them characters is laughable. Others serve only as a mouthpiece for the author's groveling over her own protagonist. They serve no purpose of their own but to fawn over him. Every single female he encounters in the book instantly becomes obsessed with him. Every man he encounters adores him. They have no purpose, goals, or stories of their own except to show us how much Rezkin amazes everyone. He supposedly wants to marry one character, but we're never given a single reason why. Despite claims of her "independence" sometimes, she shows none and, again, has zero personality of her own, aside from worshipping the protagonist (whom she barely knows). I would say the author's shallow, dependent nature of her female characters is a disservice to women, but that's actually how she portrays all her characters, male and female, so I guess it's not really sexist (?).
PROSE
While the flow of the prose is okay, the author has a series of phrases/entreaties she uses over, and over, and over, and over to describe things and they get annoying real quick. Here are a few:
Rezkin cocked his head
Rezkin was surprised how people don't follow the numbered rules
Rezkin was surprised that people don't have more 'skills' like he does
XYZ girl blushes deep red
Rezkin resisted his instincts to protect himself against XYZ innocuous event
Something about Rezkin's eyes, body, grace, politeness, etc.
It's hard to comprehend how annoying it is to hear the same thing dozens of times in a book until you're reading it yourself. It's bad, though, trust me, and it shows a huge lack of vocabulary on the part of the author.
Also, while I listened to the audio book version (the reader was actually amazing), I heard from others that there were a not-insignificant number of typos, bad grammar, and misspellings in the book. Welcome to the world of self-publishing, I guess.
THE END
The book ends abruptly - to where it feels like it's just another chapter. Absolutely nothing is revealed in this book about anything. While there is no real plot (as stated earlier) and thus nothing to really "resolve," there are a number of unexplained mysteries...and they are all still mysteries at the end. Even Rezkin's name, which the author hints at multiple times as having a special meaning, isn't explained. I'm beginning to think the author doesn't know the answer to any of these things, either.
This book is only "fantasy" in the sense that it's a romantic, YA-style fantasy of the author's imagination. It's not a story at all and largely reads like it was written by a 13 year-old.
PROTAGONIST/STORY
Calling the protagonist a Mary Sue is an understatement. He (an assassin named Rezkin) serves solely as wish fulfillment for the author. He is the most handsome person in the kingdom. He is the most polite person in the kingdom. He is the most skilled warrior in the kingdom. He is (seemingly) the smartest person in the kingdom. He never makes any mistakes and is never once in any danger from anyone, ever. He does whatever he wants. That's basically the book; him doing whatever he wants. There is no real plot because there is never any conflict. There are no antagonists because there can't be. Rezkin is invincible, omniscient, and perfect. Oh, and somehow he knows quite nearly everything there is to know, and has mastered every skill there is, by age 19. His mysterious training repeatedly serves as a convenient Deus Ex Machina. (How does he know where everything is even though he never left the fort he trained in? Oh...uh....he memorized all the blue prints of every major building as part of his training.) It's eye-rollingly ridiculous.
OTHER CHARACTERS
Even calling them characters is laughable. Others serve only as a mouthpiece for the author's groveling over her own protagonist. They serve no purpose of their own but to fawn over him. Every single female he encounters in the book instantly becomes obsessed with him. Every man he encounters adores him. They have no purpose, goals, or stories of their own except to show us how much Rezkin amazes everyone. He supposedly wants to marry one character, but we're never given a single reason why. Despite claims of her "independence" sometimes, she shows none and, again, has zero personality of her own, aside from worshipping the protagonist (whom she barely knows). I would say the author's shallow, dependent nature of her female characters is a disservice to women, but that's actually how she portrays all her characters, male and female, so I guess it's not really sexist (?).
PROSE
While the flow of the prose is okay, the author has a series of phrases/entreaties she uses over, and over, and over, and over to describe things and they get annoying real quick. Here are a few:
Rezkin cocked his head
Rezkin was surprised how people don't follow the numbered rules
Rezkin was surprised that people don't have more 'skills' like he does
XYZ girl blushes deep red
Rezkin resisted his instincts to protect himself against XYZ innocuous event
Something about Rezkin's eyes, body, grace, politeness, etc.
It's hard to comprehend how annoying it is to hear the same thing dozens of times in a book until you're reading it yourself. It's bad, though, trust me, and it shows a huge lack of vocabulary on the part of the author.
Also, while I listened to the audio book version (the reader was actually amazing), I heard from others that there were a not-insignificant number of typos, bad grammar, and misspellings in the book. Welcome to the world of self-publishing, I guess.
THE END
The book ends abruptly - to where it feels like it's just another chapter. Absolutely nothing is revealed in this book about anything. While there is no real plot (as stated earlier) and thus nothing to really "resolve," there are a number of unexplained mysteries...and they are all still mysteries at the end. Even Rezkin's name, which the author hints at multiple times as having a special meaning, isn't explained. I'm beginning to think the author doesn't know the answer to any of these things, either.
This book is only "fantasy" in the sense that it's a romantic, YA-style fantasy of the author's imagination. It's not a story at all and largely reads like it was written by a 13 year-old.
max_booth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75