A review by jmconway
A Time of Blood, by John Gwynne
5.0
"There is much in life that is beyond our control, events that sweep us up and along, actions that wrap us tight in their consequences. Stop raging about the things you cannot change. Just be true to yourself and do what you can do. Love those worth loving, and to the Otherworld with the rest of it. That is all any of us can do."
9/10 - Another fantastic instalment from Gwynne! A Time of Blood continues where we finished in A Time of Dread, think bigger, more battles and more fantastically developed characters.
I continue to love how Gwynne portrays his characters, particularly his ability to completely realise their emotions and decisions. Not only do they all have unique moral codes, motivations and desires but the way character decisions impact the storyline is exceptionally crafted. I particularly enjoyed Riv (I'll avoid spoilers) coming to terms with new revelations, and I thought the elements of jealousy between her and other characters was a nice addition.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the battle scenes. Exceptional. Gwynne writes in such detail that I truly felt the battle swinging from one side to another and my heart was in my mouth as I feared for the characters I have grown attached to. Honestly in just over 450 pages it's mad how much Gwynne has squished into this book!
"The heart cannot be ruled, but it can be fooled."
9/10 - Another fantastic instalment from Gwynne! A Time of Blood continues where we finished in A Time of Dread, think bigger, more battles and more fantastically developed characters.
I continue to love how Gwynne portrays his characters, particularly his ability to completely realise their emotions and decisions. Not only do they all have unique moral codes, motivations and desires but the way character decisions impact the storyline is exceptionally crafted. I particularly enjoyed Riv (I'll avoid spoilers) coming to terms with new revelations, and I thought the elements of jealousy between her and other characters was a nice addition.
I can't finish this review without mentioning the battle scenes. Exceptional. Gwynne writes in such detail that I truly felt the battle swinging from one side to another and my heart was in my mouth as I feared for the characters I have grown attached to. Honestly in just over 450 pages it's mad how much Gwynne has squished into this book!
"The heart cannot be ruled, but it can be fooled."