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A review by novoaust
The Horns of Grief by E.J. Doble
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Horns of Grief is the sequel to The Fangs of War, which was one of my favorite reads of 2022. As a result, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this one and it didn't disappoint.
With every Doble book I read, I can't help but gush about the writing. It's beautiful in every sense of the word. His prose allows the reader to truly savour every detail, while still reading in an accessible way. I am currently reading my way through Malazan, and Doble's writing style reminds me of Erikson's, and that's right up my alley.
Similar to the first book, we follow 4 main points of views, with some others sprinkled in here and there. Savanta was my favorite POV to follow while Revek was my least, and that switched around completely this time around. Revek is a fantastic villain who is truly easy to hate, and yet following him was exciting. Cavara's storyline brought the fantastical elements, and as a result, was very interesting. Where I thought Jinx would end up getting her own perspective, we instead follow Eli, her brother's husband.
The Horns of Grief expands this world, keeping everything unique about it. Be it the various cultures or creatures, Doble is building something massive and epic, while still creating a world that feels familiar. This one reads like military fantasy due to the world being wartorn, but there are so many little complexities to it that this isn't simply a book about war.
The only reason this one wasn't a 5 star read is that I felt less story was told as a whole, and as a result, some storylines dragged to me. With Savanta and Eli, it felt as though no progression really happened. With Savanta, she remained angry and bitter, trying to push back against the Iron Queen but to no avail. There were some interesting twists with her story, but the direction of her storyline didn't become clear until the very last chapter. With Eli, he was simply engrossed in a battle for the entirety of the book, and I personally wished it would have ended sooner.
Like the first book, this one ends on a bang, and will have readers eagerly awaiting the third installment.
With every Doble book I read, I can't help but gush about the writing. It's beautiful in every sense of the word. His prose allows the reader to truly savour every detail, while still reading in an accessible way. I am currently reading my way through Malazan, and Doble's writing style reminds me of Erikson's, and that's right up my alley.
Similar to the first book, we follow 4 main points of views, with some others sprinkled in here and there. Savanta was my favorite POV to follow while Revek was my least, and that switched around completely this time around. Revek is a fantastic villain who is truly easy to hate, and yet following him was exciting. Cavara's storyline brought the fantastical elements, and as a result, was very interesting. Where I thought Jinx would end up getting her own perspective, we instead follow Eli, her brother's husband.
The Horns of Grief expands this world, keeping everything unique about it. Be it the various cultures or creatures, Doble is building something massive and epic, while still creating a world that feels familiar. This one reads like military fantasy due to the world being wartorn, but there are so many little complexities to it that this isn't simply a book about war.
The only reason this one wasn't a 5 star read is that I felt less story was told as a whole, and as a result, some storylines dragged to me. With Savanta and Eli, it felt as though no progression really happened. With Savanta, she remained angry and bitter, trying to push back against the Iron Queen but to no avail. There were some interesting twists with her story, but the direction of her storyline didn't become clear until the very last chapter. With Eli, he was simply engrossed in a battle for the entirety of the book, and I personally wished it would have ended sooner.
Like the first book, this one ends on a bang, and will have readers eagerly awaiting the third installment.