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A review by yevolem
Blade of Dream by Daniel Abraham
5.0
Blade of Dreams was far better than Age of Ash, which I enjoyed as well. Its style comes close to what I believe to be the ideal sort of low fantasy. There wasn't anything still present that bothered me from the previous book, so I had no reason to give this any less than my highest rating. Each book I've read from Abraham has only further cemented his status as one of my favorite authors. He's near the top of the most consistently enjoyable authors I've read and possibly has written the most series that I've highly rated.
Age of Ash began with Harvest while Blade of Dream began with the preceding time of Midsummer, which provided what happened before the first book. Although this second book takes place simultaneously with the first book from Harvest onwards the events depicted are almost entirely different. That's to be expected as none of the viewpoint characters from the first book return as one here. Some of the characters who aren't viewpoints this time appear again, but mostly only in the background and they're often left unnamed. I expect that this layering effect will continue in the third book.
The primary viewpoints are Garreth Left, the eldest son of a major trading house, and Elaine a Sal, the heir to the throne, which makes the story take on a significantly more romantic bent when compared to the first. Minor viewpoints include Divol Senit, a captain in the city guard; Lemel Tarrit, the head chef for the royal family; Finar, a bargeman for the Left family, Vasch, Garreth's younger brother, and two that can't be named without spoiling. Not only viewpoint characters matter though as some of the best characters with the most impactful scenes that provide for the most thoughtful consideration are those whom seemingly have the least agency of their own.
The prevalent theme, which each character explored in their own way, was identity and expectations. How much do the expectations of forces outside of ourselves determine who we are? Is the cost of self-determination worthwhile? Are mutually beneficial compromises between the self and society the best possible outcome? There's a particularly well-written passage near the end that lays out an approach to navigating life through knowing which compromises are necessary to have a satisfying though not ideal life. How one ought to live and how that affects others may require painful consideration, though those who don't at all may be ones causing the most pain to themselves and others.
I had some doubts about whether Abraham could tell the same overall story three times, but all of those doubts have been dispelled. A change in perspective can make all the difference. I eagerly await the third book, which assumedly will come out sometime in 2024. This second book will be released on July 18th, 2023.
I received this DRC from Orbit through NetGalley.
Age of Ash began with Harvest while Blade of Dream began with the preceding time of Midsummer, which provided what happened before the first book. Although this second book takes place simultaneously with the first book from Harvest onwards the events depicted are almost entirely different. That's to be expected as none of the viewpoint characters from the first book return as one here. Some of the characters who aren't viewpoints this time appear again, but mostly only in the background and they're often left unnamed. I expect that this layering effect will continue in the third book.
The primary viewpoints are Garreth Left, the eldest son of a major trading house, and Elaine a Sal, the heir to the throne, which makes the story take on a significantly more romantic bent when compared to the first. Minor viewpoints include Divol Senit, a captain in the city guard; Lemel Tarrit, the head chef for the royal family; Finar, a bargeman for the Left family, Vasch, Garreth's younger brother, and two that can't be named without spoiling. Not only viewpoint characters matter though as some of the best characters with the most impactful scenes that provide for the most thoughtful consideration are those whom seemingly have the least agency of their own.
The prevalent theme, which each character explored in their own way, was identity and expectations. How much do the expectations of forces outside of ourselves determine who we are? Is the cost of self-determination worthwhile? Are mutually beneficial compromises between the self and society the best possible outcome? There's a particularly well-written passage near the end that lays out an approach to navigating life through knowing which compromises are necessary to have a satisfying though not ideal life. How one ought to live and how that affects others may require painful consideration, though those who don't at all may be ones causing the most pain to themselves and others.
I had some doubts about whether Abraham could tell the same overall story three times, but all of those doubts have been dispelled. A change in perspective can make all the difference. I eagerly await the third book, which assumedly will come out sometime in 2024. This second book will be released on July 18th, 2023.
I received this DRC from Orbit through NetGalley.