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A review by thinde
The Fantastically Underwhelming Epic of a Dead Wizard and an Average Bard by Kian N. Ardalan
2.0
Note: My review below is of an older edition. This book has since been re-edited.
There's a decent story in this book but it is drowning in bad grammar and malapropisms. For example, one of Simantiar's contemporaries apparently studies "machinations" rather than mechanical devices... and several times emotions "toil" in someone's stomach rather than roil. At first, the errors happened about every two pages, then every two paragraphs and by the end, they were near-constant irritations. [Please Kian, find a copy editor.]
The second problem I had with the story was the overuse of flashbacks. At times I didn't know which time period we were reading about. The story would stay with the same POV character but in a different time, and then use ambiguous pronouns to keep things as confusing as possible. I suspect all the back and forth was to obscure the gaping plot-hole at the story's core.
We eventually learn that over 1000 years ago there was a big magical battle. A battle that the bad guy won. But, instead of simply killing the good guy, he chose to use a life-after-death curse so that they could face each other again in the far future. A future where one arbitrary and selfish choice by any random stranger would apparently justify the bad guy's moral stance. It made no sense. Here's a tip for arch-villains: When you've defeated your enemy, simply move on to the world domination phase... don't play with your food.
There's a decent story in this book but it is drowning in bad grammar and malapropisms. For example, one of Simantiar's contemporaries apparently studies "machinations" rather than mechanical devices... and several times emotions "toil" in someone's stomach rather than roil. At first, the errors happened about every two pages, then every two paragraphs and by the end, they were near-constant irritations. [Please Kian, find a copy editor.]
The second problem I had with the story was the overuse of flashbacks. At times I didn't know which time period we were reading about. The story would stay with the same POV character but in a different time, and then use ambiguous pronouns to keep things as confusing as possible. I suspect all the back and forth was to obscure the gaping plot-hole at the story's core.
We eventually learn that over 1000 years ago there was a big magical battle. A battle that the bad guy won. But, instead of simply killing the good guy, he chose to use a life-after-death curse so that they could face each other again in the far future. A future where one arbitrary and selfish choice by any random stranger would apparently justify the bad guy's moral stance. It made no sense. Here's a tip for arch-villains: When you've defeated your enemy, simply move on to the world domination phase... don't play with your food.