Scan barcode
booksarebetter's review against another edition
3.0
Another book where I tried three chapters and...nada. The writing is fine but I just wasn't connected at all. Maybe it's me, but I'm giving this three stars and I definitely plan on trying again in the future just not right now.
strigine's review against another edition
4.0
Rich worldbuilding, layered characters, nice balance of plot complexity. Definitely looking for the rest of the trilogy.
timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
I never know what to say about these just-good-enough-to-make-you-read-the-next one books.
The setting seems rather familiar. The sole survivor on a battlefield just happens to be a prince - what, again? We have a rukh (roc) and a Cho-Tse (kzin) and veiled assassins (out-ot-place ninjas) in a world that isn't our Asia but also isn't NOT our Asia.
So to fix this, Bear gives us a sky that changes to indicate who's in power where you are at the moment, and in some cases has a moon for each of the power players. Said moons seem to be in the sky all the time, let's not work too hard on the physics of that. Lookit, I can accept djinns and magic horses etc., but this sky stuff is too much. Can you go for a walk, looking up, and see it change? Does it click over in a blink. or change at midnight, or what?
We have to have a Quest, of course, and the setup is OK except that Temur's devotion to Edene is not established but seems to be all-important.
Our lead characters are all nice. Decent, thoughtful, visit Mom every Sunday. The bad guys are bwah-hah-hah, OK. I did like the matter-of-fact, businesslike djinn.
We have a wizardess who has been told she doesn't have much power but she could be strategic. I dunno, I have this feeling that 700 pages from now she's going to go up against an obviously-way-stronger wizard and find that ... well, you know. Not complaining; that's what we WANT in our fantasy. [Although, someday, I want a book from someone about the problems of being by FAR the strongest wizard in the world, battling a constant challenge of can vs. should and conflicting requests]
So we meet the characters, set up the problem, move them toward the Confrontation. and we have to stop, because that's how multi-volume sagas work. Sigh.
Now we come to the horse. Bear does a good job of slowly, slowly revealing that this is not just a good horse. By then end of this volume 1 we see that it can teleport, and I think we are shown that it can talk and/or is telepathic and quite intelligent. Great. What will we learn in volume 2? Can it shake its mane and turn into 200 pegasi that can breathe fire? Can it teleport its rider?
Nevertheless, I will read #2. I've read several other E-Bears and generally liked them,
The setting seems rather familiar. The sole survivor on a battlefield just happens to be a prince - what, again? We have a rukh (roc) and a Cho-Tse (kzin) and veiled assassins (out-ot-place ninjas) in a world that isn't our Asia but also isn't NOT our Asia.
So to fix this, Bear gives us a sky that changes to indicate who's in power where you are at the moment, and in some cases has a moon for each of the power players. Said moons seem to be in the sky all the time, let's not work too hard on the physics of that. Lookit, I can accept djinns and magic horses etc., but this sky stuff is too much. Can you go for a walk, looking up, and see it change? Does it click over in a blink. or change at midnight, or what?
We have to have a Quest, of course, and the setup is OK except that Temur's devotion to Edene is not established but seems to be all-important.
Our lead characters are all nice. Decent, thoughtful, visit Mom every Sunday. The bad guys are bwah-hah-hah, OK. I did like the matter-of-fact, businesslike djinn.
We have a wizardess who has been told she doesn't have much power but she could be strategic. I dunno, I have this feeling that 700 pages from now she's going to go up against an obviously-way-stronger wizard and find that ... well, you know. Not complaining; that's what we WANT in our fantasy. [Although, someday, I want a book from someone about the problems of being by FAR the strongest wizard in the world, battling a constant challenge of can vs. should and conflicting requests]
So we meet the characters, set up the problem, move them toward the Confrontation. and we have to stop, because that's how multi-volume sagas work. Sigh.
Now we come to the horse. Bear does a good job of slowly, slowly revealing that this is not just a good horse. By then end of this volume 1 we see that it can teleport, and I think we are shown that it can talk and/or is telepathic and quite intelligent. Great. What will we learn in volume 2? Can it shake its mane and turn into 200 pegasi that can breathe fire? Can it teleport its rider?
Nevertheless, I will read #2. I've read several other E-Bears and generally liked them,
mssarahmorgan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.75
aceinit's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually did but, ultimately, it left me unfulfilled.
Bear’s world-building is, as always, superb. She has created a unique vision here, where the sky changes according to whose empire you’re in, and where moons wink out of existence as the human life they’re tied to is cut short. And Temur, Samarkar, Hrahina and their Nameless adversary are all intriguing characters who are worth getting to know.
The story itself, though, is where this one falters. I never really bought into Temur being willing to wage a hero’s epic quest for some girl he slept around with a few times but really barely knew. It becomes more improbable given how carefully his relationship with Samarkar is fleshed out by comparison.
In addition, Temur and his band of travelers come together a little too easily. Everyone clicks. Everyone, even the young, pregnant princess-in-peril is uncannily *capable.* Everyone gets along. And, even when they encounter difficulties, the truth is, things weren’t that difficult. I never felt a sense of peril for these characters. The action scenes are written rather hurriedly and, even if a life is in danger, it is suddenly not in the next paragraph. They read too quickly, never giving the reader a chance to lose themselves in battle and fear for their protagonists the way they are able to get lost in Bear’s descriptions of the world itself.
And, though the book mercifully waits almost until its close to give us our prophecies (I’ve ranted on my particular dislike of prophecy as a storytelling device in several reviews of different authors now), a majority of said prophecy comes true in the very next chapter. So, instead of giving the reader something to wonder about, it just seems like a really unnecessary form of foreshadowing at a time (the climax of the novel) when the element of surprise may have worked better.
I’m not sure if I will pick up the second installment or not. Though I would like to know how this journey ultimately ends, I’m not yet convinced the voyage will be worth the payoff. Even with the twist in the novel’s final page.
Bear’s world-building is, as always, superb. She has created a unique vision here, where the sky changes according to whose empire you’re in, and where moons wink out of existence as the human life they’re tied to is cut short. And Temur, Samarkar, Hrahina and their Nameless adversary are all intriguing characters who are worth getting to know.
The story itself, though, is where this one falters. I never really bought into Temur being willing to wage a hero’s epic quest for some girl he slept around with a few times but really barely knew. It becomes more improbable given how carefully his relationship with Samarkar is fleshed out by comparison.
In addition, Temur and his band of travelers come together a little too easily. Everyone clicks. Everyone, even the young, pregnant princess-in-peril is uncannily *capable.* Everyone gets along. And, even when they encounter difficulties, the truth is, things weren’t that difficult. I never felt a sense of peril for these characters. The action scenes are written rather hurriedly and, even if a life is in danger, it is suddenly not in the next paragraph. They read too quickly, never giving the reader a chance to lose themselves in battle and fear for their protagonists the way they are able to get lost in Bear’s descriptions of the world itself.
And, though the book mercifully waits almost until its close to give us our prophecies (I’ve ranted on my particular dislike of prophecy as a storytelling device in several reviews of different authors now), a majority of said prophecy comes true in the very next chapter. So, instead of giving the reader something to wonder about, it just seems like a really unnecessary form of foreshadowing at a time (the climax of the novel) when the element of surprise may have worked better.
I’m not sure if I will pick up the second installment or not. Though I would like to know how this journey ultimately ends, I’m not yet convinced the voyage will be worth the payoff. Even with the twist in the novel’s final page.
noranne's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this. The first half was pretty slow, but it picked up a bit for the second half as some of the storylines started to converge. I'm certainly intrigued with how the series will continue. I really enjoyed all the different religions and how the sky literally manifests the gods of those in power in different areas. It was a bit dry, the writing is certainly almost at a remove from everything that is happening, despite being written in limited third.
kanissa's review against another edition
5.0
I chose this book based on its setting - one of my recent "kicks". The inspiration for Ms Bear's world comes from the the Black Sea. (Think Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, etc.) In this story, we encounter a nomadic steppes culture and groups of powerful magicians.
At first, the worldbuilding just feels so different from your standard fantasy novel that it was all I could focus on. I dare say on a second reading, there will be many more points to enjoy. But Ms Bear does a fantastic job of sucking you into her world, managing to make it feel both exotic and familiar at once.
I found the main characters to all be very sympathetic, although they never really acted in a way that might try one's enthusiasm for them. For the most part, it seems like a simple quest storyline: go find the kidnapped girl, kill the evil ghosts, seek out powerful allies to help you with the two previous points. But the story was never dull and kept my attention.
Definitely will re-read at some point to see what points I missed out in my first go!
At first, the worldbuilding just feels so different from your standard fantasy novel that it was all I could focus on. I dare say on a second reading, there will be many more points to enjoy. But Ms Bear does a fantastic job of sucking you into her world, managing to make it feel both exotic and familiar at once.
I found the main characters to all be very sympathetic, although they never really acted in a way that might try one's enthusiasm for them. For the most part, it seems like a simple quest storyline: go find the kidnapped girl, kill the evil ghosts, seek out powerful allies to help you with the two previous points. But the story was never dull and kept my attention.
Definitely will re-read at some point to see what points I missed out in my first go!
belanna2's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
kltemplado's review against another edition
5.0
Fantasy at its best in a non-Western setting. If you like fantasy tropes, this book is not for you.