erinarkin20's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars.
I know very little about Alexander the Great but the second I read the summary of Legacy of Kings I needed to have it in my hands. Thankfully I was able to grab a copy at BEA this year and I forced myself to wait a little while before I dove in but the second I started it, I didn’t want to put it down. A lot happens in this book and there are quite a few different points of view but all were appropriately placed and necessary. I am going to try to do this review spoiler free (hopefully) so I don’t ruin this book for anyone and really due to the length and number of characters, you can bet I won’t cover everything anyway.
The first character I’m going to talk about is Katerina. She has grown up an orphan because of the death of her mother. While she has spent the last ten years living in a small village with her friend Jacob and his family, they are both starting to realize that they are growing up and somewhat attracted to each other. On the day we are introduced to Kat, we find out that she has a secret. She has always had a connection with animals and these days she is pushing to figure out what it really means.
On the same day we are introduced to Jacob. Jacob is the strongest boy in the village and this year he was chosen to be Larissa’s (the village they live in) contestant in The Blood Tournament. He is so proud and when he tells Kat, he clearly expects her share in his excitement. Instead, she is afraid for him because she knows the village boys are never lucky enough to make it out of the arena alive and now that she knows they both have feelings for each other, she is worried she will never see him alive again once he leaves.
See, The Blood Tournament is held in an arena and the event is supposed to honor the participants for their bravery but the landscape features natural challenges combined with fighting taking place all over. A single victor is named by the crowd and the King but no one from the villages has ever won and few of them even survive so now you know why Kat is worried about Jacob. As Jacob heads out, Kat manages to follow him and stay hidden until it is too late to turn around and as they get to Pella, Jacob joins the group headed for the stadium.
Things move quickly in this story and as the tournament comes to a close, things change drastically for both Kat and Jacob. Jacob comes out of the tournament the victor and as odd as that is, he is also able to now join the royal army which means he will be staying in Pella indefinitely. As for Kat, she never wavered in her hope that Jacob would win and when she ends up winning a lot of money and then punching a drunk Lord who tried to take her winnings back, she draws the attention of Prince Alexander and his closest friend, Heph.
Alexander is the heir to the throne but he has always seen himself as slightly damaged due to his limp and issue with his leg. Because of this, he has a goal of searching for the Fountain of Youth, which he believes will heal his leg and make him stronger. With Heph losing the tournament, they have lost the access they need to money and now with his father leaving Pella, Alex knows he is really just a figurehead leader.
Again, there are a lot of moving parts here but I really liked Alexander as a character. He is drawn to Kat in a way he can’t explain and she is drawn to him but neither of them have romantic feelings for each other…it is something else entirely. I’m not going to say much more here about that but the impact that this new friendship Alex has on his friendship with Heph is the key. As Alex and Kat begin to spend more time together, Heph is spending more time with Cyn, Alex’s half-sister, and a wedge begins to form between the two friends. This is really only due to the fact that they just aren’t talking to each other and confiding what they are doing and Cyn, who is whispering things to Heph to make him doubt their friendship.
So first, Cyn is not my favorite. I can sympathize with her regarding her mother’s fate and what she has experienced in her life but she could have taken another path to get what she wanted. The fact that she didn’t care about anyone and was willing to throw both Heph and Alex under the bus…and really anyone else who got in her way, made her one of those characters that I just wanted to punch.
Another important person in this story is Alexander’s mother. She is definitely a piece of work and willing to do anything for power. She was creepy and when you really find out what she is up to, you will agree with me on this whole thing. And if you don’t, I don’t know if we can be friends (I’m kidding, although I might judge you a little).
I loved how Herman built up this world and created these characters. Everything is so realistic yet still has that Fantasy feel to it. The characters are what really make this book and as I mentioned, you do get quite a few points of view but as a reader, it was important to see all these different perspectives to really see what was going on.
Now, I have really only given you a glimpse of what this story is really about and I'm pretty sure some of it is me just rambling on. Regardless, this book sets the stage for the rest of this epic story and I am sure I haven’t done this much justice – mainly because I don’t want to ruin any bit of the book for readers. Trust me when I say that if you like a detailed story that brings in pieces of history and ties it back to a Fantasy story, you should definitely check this out. The second I picked it up, I was unwilling to put it down. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to get my hands on the next book of this series as I look forward to learning more about these characters and where they are headed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
I know very little about Alexander the Great but the second I read the summary of Legacy of Kings I needed to have it in my hands. Thankfully I was able to grab a copy at BEA this year and I forced myself to wait a little while before I dove in but the second I started it, I didn’t want to put it down. A lot happens in this book and there are quite a few different points of view but all were appropriately placed and necessary. I am going to try to do this review spoiler free (hopefully) so I don’t ruin this book for anyone and really due to the length and number of characters, you can bet I won’t cover everything anyway.
The first character I’m going to talk about is Katerina. She has grown up an orphan because of the death of her mother. While she has spent the last ten years living in a small village with her friend Jacob and his family, they are both starting to realize that they are growing up and somewhat attracted to each other. On the day we are introduced to Kat, we find out that she has a secret. She has always had a connection with animals and these days she is pushing to figure out what it really means.
On the same day we are introduced to Jacob. Jacob is the strongest boy in the village and this year he was chosen to be Larissa’s (the village they live in) contestant in The Blood Tournament. He is so proud and when he tells Kat, he clearly expects her share in his excitement. Instead, she is afraid for him because she knows the village boys are never lucky enough to make it out of the arena alive and now that she knows they both have feelings for each other, she is worried she will never see him alive again once he leaves.
See, The Blood Tournament is held in an arena and the event is supposed to honor the participants for their bravery but the landscape features natural challenges combined with fighting taking place all over. A single victor is named by the crowd and the King but no one from the villages has ever won and few of them even survive so now you know why Kat is worried about Jacob. As Jacob heads out, Kat manages to follow him and stay hidden until it is too late to turn around and as they get to Pella, Jacob joins the group headed for the stadium.
Things move quickly in this story and as the tournament comes to a close, things change drastically for both Kat and Jacob. Jacob comes out of the tournament the victor and as odd as that is, he is also able to now join the royal army which means he will be staying in Pella indefinitely. As for Kat, she never wavered in her hope that Jacob would win and when she ends up winning a lot of money and then punching a drunk Lord who tried to take her winnings back, she draws the attention of Prince Alexander and his closest friend, Heph.
Alexander is the heir to the throne but he has always seen himself as slightly damaged due to his limp and issue with his leg. Because of this, he has a goal of searching for the Fountain of Youth, which he believes will heal his leg and make him stronger. With Heph losing the tournament, they have lost the access they need to money and now with his father leaving Pella, Alex knows he is really just a figurehead leader.
Again, there are a lot of moving parts here but I really liked Alexander as a character. He is drawn to Kat in a way he can’t explain and she is drawn to him but neither of them have romantic feelings for each other…it is something else entirely. I’m not going to say much more here about that but the impact that this new friendship Alex has on his friendship with Heph is the key. As Alex and Kat begin to spend more time together, Heph is spending more time with Cyn, Alex’s half-sister, and a wedge begins to form between the two friends. This is really only due to the fact that they just aren’t talking to each other and confiding what they are doing and Cyn, who is whispering things to Heph to make him doubt their friendship.
So first, Cyn is not my favorite. I can sympathize with her regarding her mother’s fate and what she has experienced in her life but she could have taken another path to get what she wanted. The fact that she didn’t care about anyone and was willing to throw both Heph and Alex under the bus…and really anyone else who got in her way, made her one of those characters that I just wanted to punch.
Another important person in this story is Alexander’s mother. She is definitely a piece of work and willing to do anything for power. She was creepy and when you really find out what she is up to, you will agree with me on this whole thing. And if you don’t, I don’t know if we can be friends (I’m kidding, although I might judge you a little).
I loved how Herman built up this world and created these characters. Everything is so realistic yet still has that Fantasy feel to it. The characters are what really make this book and as I mentioned, you do get quite a few points of view but as a reader, it was important to see all these different perspectives to really see what was going on.
Now, I have really only given you a glimpse of what this story is really about and I'm pretty sure some of it is me just rambling on. Regardless, this book sets the stage for the rest of this epic story and I am sure I haven’t done this much justice – mainly because I don’t want to ruin any bit of the book for readers. Trust me when I say that if you like a detailed story that brings in pieces of history and ties it back to a Fantasy story, you should definitely check this out. The second I picked it up, I was unwilling to put it down. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to get my hands on the next book of this series as I look forward to learning more about these characters and where they are headed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy!
bookwife's review against another edition
3.0
Alright I just want to start off by saying that I skipped a lot.. so this is not the most accurate review. And a lot of people have loved this book so do NOT read this review and think that the book was horrible. Because the story itself was not bad. The story was actually really, really good. I kind of feel like it was 6 stories all shoved into one book.. and I HATE that. I love it when an author uses more than 1 POV but when it jumps around like it did with this book I can't stand it. I can't get attached to one character when it does that. I wanted to know about Kat. I really didn't care about Jos or Cyn. but I really couldn't even grow an emotional attachment with Kat because it jumped around so much. So I kind of skimmed through a lot of the book.
So I would recommend this book if the whole jumping POV thing doesn't bother you like it does me. I tend to get pissy about that though.
Ill read the next one because the story is interesting, I just don't like how it's written.
So I would recommend this book if the whole jumping POV thing doesn't bother you like it does me. I tend to get pissy about that though.
Ill read the next one because the story is interesting, I just don't like how it's written.
zenithharpink's review against another edition
3.0
I REALLY wanted to love this book. Instead, I was merely mildly entertained. I read a few other reviews that complained (loudly, and in poorly written prose) that the historical inaccuracies were rife. To some extent, I felt this was true, in part-but this book is FICTION. Yes, based on the fact that Alexander the Great was prolifically interested in the same sex, this book omitted a significant portion of his personality. The book was a bit over sexed in my opinion, but only heterosexually, and between characters that were not historically accurate. I was more than willing to suspend my own knowledge of the times in the interest of enjoying the story, a feat which I did not struggle with.
What I DID struggle with was the tense and the cadence of the plot. The tense often switched to present, which was jarring and sounded more like a play-by-play report that didn't quite read right. I couldn't quite place my finger on what was missing, but it brought me out of the narrative often, so it was different than most other books I've read-and I didn't like it. The plot cadence moved VERY sloooooowly, andthenquicklywrappedupinabout2chapters. It felt ill-planned and both under- and over-developed.
The details on palace life, and the detailed descriptions of the buildings and customs felt authenticate and natural, and really made the story real. I think Zofia was brought into the narrative to shed light on this, because as a character in the story she was less than useless-but perhaps this is just building for the next installments of this book franchise.
I liked Kat, and the other characters, though at times their follies and weaknesses were trite, and therefore tiring. I'll be interested to see how they develop their gifts in the stories to come. As it stands, there wasn't a whole lot of resolution at the close of this book, which I found a bit disappointing-it seemed as though this book was merely written to set up the characters, and the world and contextualize the upcoming stories, and did little in the way of plot. The stories were myriad and fragmented, which made it hard to understand or get much invested in the action of the chapter.
I mostly give this book 3 stars for the potential that it represents. It definitely has a dark side, which I appreciate, and the details of living in the time are very interesting. I would recommend to any looking for a strong historical fiction targeted for teens (and therefore an easy read), and is not shy of gore, sex, or general violence.
What I DID struggle with was the tense and the cadence of the plot. The tense often switched to present, which was jarring and sounded more like a play-by-play report that didn't quite read right. I couldn't quite place my finger on what was missing, but it brought me out of the narrative often, so it was different than most other books I've read-and I didn't like it. The plot cadence moved VERY sloooooowly, andthenquicklywrappedupinabout2chapters. It felt ill-planned and both under- and over-developed.
The details on palace life, and the detailed descriptions of the buildings and customs felt authenticate and natural, and really made the story real. I think Zofia was brought into the narrative to shed light on this, because as a character in the story she was less than useless-but perhaps this is just building for the next installments of this book franchise.
I liked Kat, and the other characters, though at times their follies and weaknesses were trite, and therefore tiring. I'll be interested to see how they develop their gifts in the stories to come. As it stands, there wasn't a whole lot of resolution at the close of this book, which I found a bit disappointing-it seemed as though this book was merely written to set up the characters, and the world and contextualize the upcoming stories, and did little in the way of plot. The stories were myriad and fragmented, which made it hard to understand or get much invested in the action of the chapter.
I mostly give this book 3 stars for the potential that it represents. It definitely has a dark side, which I appreciate, and the details of living in the time are very interesting. I would recommend to any looking for a strong historical fiction targeted for teens (and therefore an easy read), and is not shy of gore, sex, or general violence.
eparsons516's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this and am excited for the next one!
However, there were 7 POVs, which can be a bit much, and I wish we got to see more of Alex and Cyn. Also, I don't understand why Zo was even there, even though I enjoyed her POV?
Overall, a great read.
However, there were 7 POVs, which can be a bit much, and I wish we got to see more of Alex and Cyn. Also, I don't understand why Zo was even there, even though I enjoyed her POV?
Overall, a great read.
marissacelina's review against another edition
5.0
For more reviews, check out Keep Calm and Love Books
This book follows Alexander the Great, yes the same one we learn about in high school, in his teenage years to becoming the king of Macedonia . It takes place in 360 BC, which is just crazy to read about in Herman's amazing descriptive text. This did take me a while to read and get into but that's only because of the amount of characters with crazy long ancient names. I needed time to remember the roles some of these people played in our protagonist's storylines. With that in mind, there were A LOT of different character arcs. I actually really liked Herman's writing and the distinguishing between the characters, it was really fun and different to read about this mysterious, unknown time period from a historian's (Eleanor Herman) mind.
For everyone's storyline, we have 3 main plots: Alexander, Katerina and Zofia's. Among those we then have the minor plots with different P.O.V chapters: Jacob, Hephaestion, Cynane, and Olympia. It sounds really confusing but it wasn't! I liked how we heard from everyone's head and it gave us more perspective on the story and world we're set in. Speaking of the word, this takes place in, again, 360 BC, so the Gods and Goddesses from Greek mythology are pretty prominent in this. We always get references about how not long ago the Gods roamed the earth. I really liked the incorporation of mythology and how we frequently get references of Zeus, Ares, Oracle of Delphi, Athena etc. Again, Herman is a historian so it does not surprise me that she included history that's pretty accurate to today's knowledge.
This is a quote from the Author's Note at the end of the book:
"Though this is a work of fantasy with some fictional main characters—Katerina, Jacob, and Zofia—I wanted to make their world of 340 BC as historically accurate as possible... While Alexander’s half sister, Cynane, might feel too modern, she really did model herself on the Amazons and was known for her military prowess....His father, the king, was distant and harsh; his manipulative, ambitious mother was devoted to her snakes and widely regarded as a witch; his older half sister, Cynane, was a jealous, competitive Amazon; his younger half brother, Arrhideus, was mentally handicapped; and his tutor, Leonidas, employed educational methods that would today land him in jail for child abuse."
I loved how accurate this was and it really does make me want to read more of her work.
Now, for the actual characters and storylines, the only plot that really advanced in the beginning was Princess Zofia. Right away, her story just goes to the max with drama and she has to fight for what she wants and realize the dangers outside of her well protected and sheltered life in the palace. We left her story very open ended and I'm excited to see how her's will end in the sequel. I also just really want her to help with the war in Pella and meet everyone. We start the book off in Katerina's P.O.V and we can already tell she's not normal. She definitely has some strong magic coursing through her veins and I liked how the book ended with her owning her true self and I'm so excited to see her embrace herself fully. Heph, Alexander's best friend (even in history), was pretty dull, but I still liked hearing his thought. His one problem, which clearly states in the book, is his pride. I really found his pride annoying at times but towards the end, like everything, he was just getting better and I think he's going to be a great hero in the end.
My favourite storyline had to be between Kats and Cynane, Alexander's sister. Something about her abrasive manner and how she'll do anything to prove she doesn't want to be just a lady (GoT's Arya basically) was amazing. From the start of her P.O.V chapter, I knew I'd like her.
"As she slips through the crowd, she intentionally brushes against different men. She’s not sure why she does it—to remind herself of her power over them, perhaps? Or maybe because even through the coarse cloth of her dress, it feels kind of thrilling when they touch—as if anything could happen."
I just feel like there are so many great moments in this book that I need to quote them all for you guys. If you need convincing to read this book at all, just look at all of the glorious reviews it has. This book was amazing and I can say it is my favourite read in 2016 so far. I can't remember a book I read that just left me speechless and MAKE me want to search the web to find out more of the stuff that conspired in 360 BC. Guys, just read it. It's simply amazing and I am now going to read Eleanor Herman's other novels.
Here are some quotes to persuade you further:
Alexander's P.O.V:
"Down on the street, a man driving an empty cart is cursing bitterly, trying to back up his donkey and cart to make way for another vehicle. That’s how it is, Alex thinks. Someone always has to give in. But not for long. He has other plans, plans his father doesn’t know about. And if he succeeds, he’ll be the greatest leader this world has ever known."
Cynane's P.O.V:
"True loyalty—it’s almost unheard of. And it’s exactly what Cyn has been looking for all these years. Correction: it’s what she has been looking to destroy."
Katerina's P.O.V:
"“There was, long ago, in the time before time, a great battle between gods and monsters,” Ada begins, looking straight ahead. “The gods won but lost much of their power and became almost mortal, mating with humans.”"
Hephaestion's P.O.V:
"“Kat, you’re going to be all right,” he lies. She doesn’t answer. She’s looking in wonder at the sky, moving her pale lips. He turns to see what it is that so fascinates her. It’s the hellion, flying in wide lazy circles over the battlefield, howling as it rises higher and higher, and is gone."
I am so excited to read Herman's sequel to the Blood of Gods and Royals series, Empire of Dust.
This book follows Alexander the Great, yes the same one we learn about in high school, in his teenage years to becoming the king of Macedonia . It takes place in 360 BC, which is just crazy to read about in Herman's amazing descriptive text. This did take me a while to read and get into but that's only because of the amount of characters with crazy long ancient names. I needed time to remember the roles some of these people played in our protagonist's storylines. With that in mind, there were A LOT of different character arcs. I actually really liked Herman's writing and the distinguishing between the characters, it was really fun and different to read about this mysterious, unknown time period from a historian's (Eleanor Herman) mind.
For everyone's storyline, we have 3 main plots: Alexander, Katerina and Zofia's. Among those we then have the minor plots with different P.O.V chapters: Jacob, Hephaestion, Cynane, and Olympia. It sounds really confusing but it wasn't! I liked how we heard from everyone's head and it gave us more perspective on the story and world we're set in. Speaking of the word, this takes place in, again, 360 BC, so the Gods and Goddesses from Greek mythology are pretty prominent in this. We always get references about how not long ago the Gods roamed the earth. I really liked the incorporation of mythology and how we frequently get references of Zeus, Ares, Oracle of Delphi, Athena etc. Again, Herman is a historian so it does not surprise me that she included history that's pretty accurate to today's knowledge.
This is a quote from the Author's Note at the end of the book:
"Though this is a work of fantasy with some fictional main characters—Katerina, Jacob, and Zofia—I wanted to make their world of 340 BC as historically accurate as possible... While Alexander’s half sister, Cynane, might feel too modern, she really did model herself on the Amazons and was known for her military prowess....His father, the king, was distant and harsh; his manipulative, ambitious mother was devoted to her snakes and widely regarded as a witch; his older half sister, Cynane, was a jealous, competitive Amazon; his younger half brother, Arrhideus, was mentally handicapped; and his tutor, Leonidas, employed educational methods that would today land him in jail for child abuse."
I loved how accurate this was and it really does make me want to read more of her work.
Now, for the actual characters and storylines, the only plot that really advanced in the beginning was Princess Zofia. Right away, her story just goes to the max with drama and she has to fight for what she wants and realize the dangers outside of her well protected and sheltered life in the palace. We left her story very open ended and I'm excited to see how her's will end in the sequel. I also just really want her to help with the war in Pella and meet everyone. We start the book off in Katerina's P.O.V and we can already tell she's not normal. She definitely has some strong magic coursing through her veins and I liked how the book ended with her owning her true self and I'm so excited to see her embrace herself fully. Heph, Alexander's best friend (even in history), was pretty dull, but I still liked hearing his thought. His one problem, which clearly states in the book, is his pride. I really found his pride annoying at times but towards the end, like everything, he was just getting better and I think he's going to be a great hero in the end.
My favourite storyline had to be between Kats and Cynane, Alexander's sister. Something about her abrasive manner and how she'll do anything to prove she doesn't want to be just a lady (GoT's Arya basically) was amazing. From the start of her P.O.V chapter, I knew I'd like her.
"As she slips through the crowd, she intentionally brushes against different men. She’s not sure why she does it—to remind herself of her power over them, perhaps? Or maybe because even through the coarse cloth of her dress, it feels kind of thrilling when they touch—as if anything could happen."
I just feel like there are so many great moments in this book that I need to quote them all for you guys. If you need convincing to read this book at all, just look at all of the glorious reviews it has. This book was amazing and I can say it is my favourite read in 2016 so far. I can't remember a book I read that just left me speechless and MAKE me want to search the web to find out more of the stuff that conspired in 360 BC. Guys, just read it. It's simply amazing and I am now going to read Eleanor Herman's other novels.
Here are some quotes to persuade you further:
Alexander's P.O.V:
"Down on the street, a man driving an empty cart is cursing bitterly, trying to back up his donkey and cart to make way for another vehicle. That’s how it is, Alex thinks. Someone always has to give in. But not for long. He has other plans, plans his father doesn’t know about. And if he succeeds, he’ll be the greatest leader this world has ever known."
Cynane's P.O.V:
"True loyalty—it’s almost unheard of. And it’s exactly what Cyn has been looking for all these years. Correction: it’s what she has been looking to destroy."
Katerina's P.O.V:
"“There was, long ago, in the time before time, a great battle between gods and monsters,” Ada begins, looking straight ahead. “The gods won but lost much of their power and became almost mortal, mating with humans.”"
Hephaestion's P.O.V:
"“Kat, you’re going to be all right,” he lies. She doesn’t answer. She’s looking in wonder at the sky, moving her pale lips. He turns to see what it is that so fascinates her. It’s the hellion, flying in wide lazy circles over the battlefield, howling as it rises higher and higher, and is gone."
I am so excited to read Herman's sequel to the Blood of Gods and Royals series, Empire of Dust.
justanothernerdling's review against another edition
4.0
I actually quite liked this! This is a re-telling of the story of Alexander the Great, an awesome blend of magic, myth and history. It takes place between Greece and Macedonia. It’s kind of like Game of Thrones, in the sense that the different chapters are from the point of view of different characters, but, unlike GoT, the amount of characters is actually manageable.
I thought that this book had a great and diverse set of characters. Sure there are historical inaccuracies, but hey, it’s a re-telling. The main characters are Kat, Alex, Jacob, Zofia, Cyn and Heph, and they all relate to each other in some way or another. Kat and Jacob come from the same village, and are finally coming together when Jacob tells her he’s going to participate in the Blood Tournament, something kind of like the Hunger Games. Kat follows him and becomes Alex’s guest. Alex’s best friend is Heph, who likes Cyn. He (Alex) is meant to marry Zophia for political reasons.
Each of the characters were built super well! They have real quirks and personalities, and had their own motivations, which sometimes lead to unusual situations. Personally, Heph really isn’t my favorite, but Kat and Alex are cool. Jacob is quite clingy, and Cyn... well I can’t say much about her without spoiling the entire book.
What I really enjoyed was the world-building. I absolutely loved both the way it was put together and written, and what the world was like. There was a certain... grace to it, and elegancy, even though it was also dark and bloody. It’s really hard to explain, but it was really unique.
There was a great mystery behind Kat’s character, which I loved reading about! Again, I can’t say more, simply because it would give away too much.
The book had a great rhythm and was nice to read - I managed to reading it practically one sitting.
I’m giving this a 4.5/5 feathers! Can’t wait for part 2!
I thought that this book had a great and diverse set of characters. Sure there are historical inaccuracies, but hey, it’s a re-telling. The main characters are Kat, Alex, Jacob, Zofia, Cyn and Heph, and they all relate to each other in some way or another. Kat and Jacob come from the same village, and are finally coming together when Jacob tells her he’s going to participate in the Blood Tournament, something kind of like the Hunger Games. Kat follows him and becomes Alex’s guest. Alex’s best friend is Heph, who likes Cyn. He (Alex) is meant to marry Zophia for political reasons.
Each of the characters were built super well! They have real quirks and personalities, and had their own motivations, which sometimes lead to unusual situations. Personally, Heph really isn’t my favorite, but Kat and Alex are cool. Jacob is quite clingy, and Cyn... well I can’t say much about her without spoiling the entire book.
What I really enjoyed was the world-building. I absolutely loved both the way it was put together and written, and what the world was like. There was a certain... grace to it, and elegancy, even though it was also dark and bloody. It’s really hard to explain, but it was really unique.
There was a great mystery behind Kat’s character, which I loved reading about! Again, I can’t say more, simply because it would give away too much.
The book had a great rhythm and was nice to read - I managed to reading it practically one sitting.
I’m giving this a 4.5/5 feathers! Can’t wait for part 2!
suhbreenah's review against another edition
5.0
Wow this book was such a wild ride! I was kind of worried about getting into an epic fantasy because I tend to move through those kinds of books really slowly but no regrets here. As a person who loves history I was drawn to this book in particular involving the history of the time of Alexander the Great, though I wasn't sure how well that would mesh with the magic elements I'd heard about. However I think it worked really well, partially because the book didn't only follow Alexander, which I hadn't known prior to starting it. I definitely wouldn't be worried about being unable to distinguish characters. I, as someone who usually struggles with that, didn't have any trouble with it at all. Each character manages to be unique with their own twists to have you rooting for each one as you read their perspective chapters. This book is a little slow because it starts off with a lot of build-up but by the end you won't regret it. Highly recommend.
I'd also like to briefly discuss the magic system. The different kinds of Blood Magic really intrigued me, though I feel like it was presented in such a way that it felt a little out of place at first. I also would be much more interested in seeing these powers manifest in other characters. I think we definitely saw those hints in Heph and Cyn, and I'd really like to see how those progress over Kat's animal abilities. And what about Alexander? Did they just split the magic between them since they're twins, or is he something completely different? I really want to see that explored in the future. AND really interested to see more of Olympias's story with Riel. This curse thing is intruiging.
All in all, really enjoyed this. Looking forward to the next, and I'm strongly hoping for more action and magic in the books ahead after all the backstories presented in this installment.
Spoiler
I feel like I was annoyed with each character in this book at one point in time. Not annoyed as in I did not like their presence in the story, but annoyed as you would be towards a sibling making a wrong move. I loved the way the characters were written, especially Olympias and Cyn. If I had to pick a least favorite I'd probably have to say Kat just because I felt like she very much went into an almost Disney princess trope in that she did nothing wrong except fall in love and whatnot. She just seemed to be a weaker character to me, and I feel like her backstory wasn't as big of a reveal as it was presented to be. But Cyn. Wow I loved her. She was so kick-butt and even though she was kind of evil I feel like I understand her motives enough to still prefer her to Kat and even to cheer her on. Also I must say I'd MUCH rather see her with Heph. They feel like they're much more natural and interesting for each other vs Kat winning over his affections despite her meanness, another situation we've seen plenty of times. Oh and I cannot leave this review without talking about Olympias. I love to hate her. Her backstory completely changed my view of her, and now I'm just kind of stuck about how to keep disliking her as much as I did before. I love that Herman wrote from her different perspectives because it really illustrates the politics in a whole new way. Royal drama has gotten so interesting and this book definitely follows that pattern.I'd also like to briefly discuss the magic system. The different kinds of Blood Magic really intrigued me, though I feel like it was presented in such a way that it felt a little out of place at first. I also would be much more interested in seeing these powers manifest in other characters. I think we definitely saw those hints in Heph and Cyn, and I'd really like to see how those progress over Kat's animal abilities. And what about Alexander? Did they just split the magic between them since they're twins, or is he something completely different? I really want to see that explored in the future. AND really interested to see more of Olympias's story with Riel. This curse thing is intruiging.
All in all, really enjoyed this. Looking forward to the next, and I'm strongly hoping for more action and magic in the books ahead after all the backstories presented in this installment.
bookishnicole's review against another edition
I recevied this book from Goodreads First Reads Program.
I DNF'd around page 200. I couldn't connect with the characters or get invested in what happened with them. I usually read on my hour long commute each way, but found it difficult to want to pick up the book the two days that I had it with me.
I think part of the problem is that there are too many POV's, you have Kat, Jacob, Alexander, Heph, Cyn, Zo and The Queen. I also didn't like how every name was shorted, like Timourus (Not the actual name because I can't remember it without the book in front of me) became referenced as "Tim" which I will admit I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty confident that they did not shorten names like that in the time of Alexander the Great but I could be wrong.
I probably could have kept reading and pushed through it, but there are too many books to force yourself through one that you're not really enjoying.
I DNF'd around page 200. I couldn't connect with the characters or get invested in what happened with them. I usually read on my hour long commute each way, but found it difficult to want to pick up the book the two days that I had it with me.
I think part of the problem is that there are too many POV's, you have Kat, Jacob, Alexander, Heph, Cyn, Zo and The Queen. I also didn't like how every name was shorted, like Timourus (Not the actual name because I can't remember it without the book in front of me) became referenced as "Tim" which I will admit I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty confident that they did not shorten names like that in the time of Alexander the Great but I could be wrong.
I probably could have kept reading and pushed through it, but there are too many books to force yourself through one that you're not really enjoying.