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bookish_benny's reviews
379 reviews
The Martian by Andy Weir
4.0
You can find more reviews on my blog, here: https://bensblurb336971199.wordpress.com/home/
Welcome to my review of The Martian by Andy Weir. A book that was self published in 2011 then had the rights purchased by Crown Publishing who then re-released it in 2014. It is also the debut novel Andy published under his own name.
Some information about the book:
Release date: 2011, re-released February 2014
Published by: Crown Publishing (Penguin Random House)
Pages: 375-387 depending on format
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: No, standalone
Blurb:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
“Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.”
I used the audible version of this book and I’ve got to be completely honest, I have never been a big fan of audiobooks but Wil Wheaton does an amazing job of narrating Mark Whatney’s trip to Mars that when I tried the sample, I bought the book moments later. He literally brings Mark to life. The hope, the dissatisfaction when something bad happened, the sarcasm and even the joy were all conveyed so well. Then there are other characters whom Wil breathes life into and it is all done really well.
I am now someone who has picked up more audiobooks based off of my experience with The Martian!
“It’s true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl.”
The Martian is a story about Mark Whatney who finds himself trapped on Mars fighting for survival. It really is a science fiction story and I cannot imagine the research that Andy had to put into this to have it all sound believable because when you read this/listen to this, it really sounds like a science report. Everything is detailed so finely and everything makes sense thanks to Mark Whatney recording daily logs which is how Andy has gotten around someone being trapped alone on Mars, talking to themselves.
I don’t normally read sci-fi, even though I enjoy what I have read, and this was a great book that really showed what sci-fi can offer. It doesn’t all have to be spaceships, aliens and lasers to create thoughts and emotions within you for the character and their plight. I found myself genuinely interested to see if Mark Whatney was going to survive or die on Mars. I will leave that for you to find out.
Now I think most people will know The Martian as a huge movie which is thought to be an unofficial prequel to Interstellar thanks to Matt Damon being in both movies and having a connection between the movies for his characters despite them having different names.
I have not seen The Martian but after finishing the audiobook I am definitely going to watch it. This is a fun story about the most horrible situation made real for one man and his daily story as he tries to beat the odds of survival on the red planet.
Welcome to my review of The Martian by Andy Weir. A book that was self published in 2011 then had the rights purchased by Crown Publishing who then re-released it in 2014. It is also the debut novel Andy published under his own name.
Some information about the book:
Release date: 2011, re-released February 2014
Published by: Crown Publishing (Penguin Random House)
Pages: 375-387 depending on format
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: No, standalone
Blurb:
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
“Maybe I’ll post a consumer review. Brought product to surface of Mars. It stopped working. 0/10.”
I used the audible version of this book and I’ve got to be completely honest, I have never been a big fan of audiobooks but Wil Wheaton does an amazing job of narrating Mark Whatney’s trip to Mars that when I tried the sample, I bought the book moments later. He literally brings Mark to life. The hope, the dissatisfaction when something bad happened, the sarcasm and even the joy were all conveyed so well. Then there are other characters whom Wil breathes life into and it is all done really well.
I am now someone who has picked up more audiobooks based off of my experience with The Martian!
“It’s true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl.”
The Martian is a story about Mark Whatney who finds himself trapped on Mars fighting for survival. It really is a science fiction story and I cannot imagine the research that Andy had to put into this to have it all sound believable because when you read this/listen to this, it really sounds like a science report. Everything is detailed so finely and everything makes sense thanks to Mark Whatney recording daily logs which is how Andy has gotten around someone being trapped alone on Mars, talking to themselves.
I don’t normally read sci-fi, even though I enjoy what I have read, and this was a great book that really showed what sci-fi can offer. It doesn’t all have to be spaceships, aliens and lasers to create thoughts and emotions within you for the character and their plight. I found myself genuinely interested to see if Mark Whatney was going to survive or die on Mars. I will leave that for you to find out.
Now I think most people will know The Martian as a huge movie which is thought to be an unofficial prequel to Interstellar thanks to Matt Damon being in both movies and having a connection between the movies for his characters despite them having different names.
I have not seen The Martian but after finishing the audiobook I am definitely going to watch it. This is a fun story about the most horrible situation made real for one man and his daily story as he tries to beat the odds of survival on the red planet.
The Two-Faced Queen by Nick Martell
5.0
I have written my review on my Book Blog at https://bensblurb336971199.wordpress.com/2021/02/26/the-two-faced-queen-review/
To summarise though: Nick has written a brilliant story about mystery, murder, magic and Michael Kingman. He has weaved a tricky tale of deceit and untrustworthy characters, power hungry monsters and broken alliances. There is magic unlike you’ve seen before twists and turns akin to a rollercoaster. Yes Nick’s books start off slow but once that rollercoaster goes over that drop and you’re looking down into those pages wondering what is going to come next you won’t want to let go for fear of never getting your heart back out of your mouth.
To summarise though: Nick has written a brilliant story about mystery, murder, magic and Michael Kingman. He has weaved a tricky tale of deceit and untrustworthy characters, power hungry monsters and broken alliances. There is magic unlike you’ve seen before twists and turns akin to a rollercoaster. Yes Nick’s books start off slow but once that rollercoaster goes over that drop and you’re looking down into those pages wondering what is going to come next you won’t want to let go for fear of never getting your heart back out of your mouth.
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
2.0
2.5 Stars
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I was interested to read it.
I for the most part thought the story was interesting as a psychological horror until about the 70% mark where I felt it kind of got a bit less interesting. The main protagonist, carrying out his plan and then it just kind of fell flat and left me with unanswered questions and a feeling of being unsatisfied.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I was interested to read it.
I for the most part thought the story was interesting as a psychological horror until about the 70% mark where I felt it kind of got a bit less interesting. The main protagonist, carrying out his plan and then it just kind of fell flat and left me with unanswered questions and a feeling of being unsatisfied.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
5.0
I have a book blog and sci-fi and fantasy discord at www.sffoasis.co.uk - I'd love to have you join the discord!
Jade City is the first book in a trilogy (Green Bone Saga) set in the fictional island country of Kekon. I would compare the capital city, Kanloon, to a modern day China in terms of landscape and social norms but take this with a pinch of salt as I've never visited China and can only use my interpretation of the world Fonda has built alongside the media I have seen of China.
So this is a very modern fantasy book. Not quite urban fantasy but not quite epic fantasy. I would definitely say this could fall into the sub-genre of 'Asian fantasy' but I know that some authors do not like this title so for now I'll just list this as fantasy because that is what it is.
This is a gangster story. It focuses on the rising tensions between the Peak and No-Peak clans. The clans are on either side of the island and have differences such as the Peak clan is overseen by a woman while the No-Peak clan is overseen by a man. They have similarities in that they both involve themselves in protection rackets and profiteering and of course the use of Jade.
“Screw you, Hilo,” she snapped. “I can kill my ex-boyfriends myself.”
Jade in this story is exactly what it sounds like. It's the gem you know of but in this world it also imbues power - imagine a stone that you wear or touch and it gives you magical adrenaline. This jade can be studded into your ears, your chest or other body parts. It can be placed into your weapons like daggers or guns and anyone with Jade is considered to be of a higher social status than someone without any jade and the more jade you have, the more fearsome you are thought to be since you have to take this jade from defeated opponents.
“Sometimes even the most loyal and devoted men make mistakes when they’re forced to make decisions under terrible circumstances.”
Unfortunately for some people the jade does nothing for them and these people are called Stone-eyes. They can't feel the effect of the jade and so are almost cast down to the bottom of the proverbial food chain since they can't compete with anyone else. The people who handle, mine or control the jade are called the Green Bones - thus where the name of the series comes from.
This is a unique magic system and I really loved it. It's something that is easily identifiable like a hard magic system where you know the rules because if someone has jade you know what they can do. I liked the idea that this gem was the most powerful item you could want and that people would literally risk their lives in this story to get it, even going as far as killing others in cold blood for the power they craved or needed. Jade is everywhere and in some cases is even a currency being used over actual money because of its value. Having something like jade as a focal point is great because it shows you how each character reacts to it giving you a wide and diverse range of opinions and follow-up actions.
“A man who wears the crown of a king cannot wear the jade of a warrior. Gold and jade, never together.”
There are a diverse range of characters and their roles which initially took me some time to get my head around. Like in some other Asian inspired fantasy books I've read, people have a name, then a title and sometimes even a nickname. This can be confusing because you have to remember who is who but it doesn't take long to get used to it. There is the student who doesn't think he is doing well enough, a sister who has been estranged from her family due to her marriage and the pressure of the oldest brother taking control of the clan. There are more characters with their own dynamics for you to get into too. It works really well, the characters are really believable and if you met one of them after reading this book I genuinely feel that I could tell them something that they've done from the book because the visuals that Fonda produces are really sublime.
“The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.
On my honor, my life, and my jade.”
I really enjoyed the clan and hierarchy that came with it. It's interesting and shows a great dynamic between the two clans, the rivalry between the families and the people within. It really focuses on the No-Peak clan who I would say are the protagonist or the "good guys" and the Peak clan as the antagonist although everyone wants to see themselves as the good guys so they both think they're doing good and for the right reasons, not caring too much for those that get caught in the middle if it means progress is being made.
“Let me take five of my Fists into the Armpit.”
One of the main characters in the book I loved is Bero. He is a young, scrappy, wannabe gangster who is a nobody in Kanloon and has no jade. He wants to become a somebody and plays a small part in the story initially but later on his role really gets more prominent in the story and the whole story is much better for it as he is the catalyst for drama (for the characters) and excitement (for us the readers). He is like a bullet, small but damaging. I found him fascinating and exciting to read about. I found myself rooting for him, wishing him to get jade and get away from enemies and sticky situations. I think that in a world where everyone is very black and white, Bero is the colour red splashing across the canvas. I mentioned him to Fonda on Twitter and she said "wait till you see what he does in Jade War". I can't wait to see what he does in JW.
The combat in this book is perfect. I don't say that lightly but Fonda has nailed it. Fight scenes are really tough to write well and especially when you are dealing with something that has been done before like martial arts. Multiple films have provided great martial arts fight scenes and Fonda has done brilliantly as the fight scenes in this book are understandable, they flow really well and the pacing is on point.
The world that Fonda has built is a key part of this story. It's the canvas that Jade City sits on and she builds the city of Kanloon and the island of Kekon so that they're really believable. She doesn't spend pages describing the city blocks, restaurants, cafes or houses but instead gives you enough to push you in the right direction allowing your own imagination to fill in the gaps meaning that everyone will have their own visual of the world, which is cool.
Rating 5/5 - Jade City is a fantastic story. It brings together what makes fantasy cool and mixes it with a modern, dangerous, compelling and vibrant world where the line between friend and foe are tested. I loved the magic system, the characters are exciting and real, while the stakes are high and ever-growing. I can't recommend this story enough and can't wait to see how Jade War is going to blow me away all over again.
Jade City is the first book in a trilogy (Green Bone Saga) set in the fictional island country of Kekon. I would compare the capital city, Kanloon, to a modern day China in terms of landscape and social norms but take this with a pinch of salt as I've never visited China and can only use my interpretation of the world Fonda has built alongside the media I have seen of China.
So this is a very modern fantasy book. Not quite urban fantasy but not quite epic fantasy. I would definitely say this could fall into the sub-genre of 'Asian fantasy' but I know that some authors do not like this title so for now I'll just list this as fantasy because that is what it is.
This is a gangster story. It focuses on the rising tensions between the Peak and No-Peak clans. The clans are on either side of the island and have differences such as the Peak clan is overseen by a woman while the No-Peak clan is overseen by a man. They have similarities in that they both involve themselves in protection rackets and profiteering and of course the use of Jade.
“Screw you, Hilo,” she snapped. “I can kill my ex-boyfriends myself.”
Jade in this story is exactly what it sounds like. It's the gem you know of but in this world it also imbues power - imagine a stone that you wear or touch and it gives you magical adrenaline. This jade can be studded into your ears, your chest or other body parts. It can be placed into your weapons like daggers or guns and anyone with Jade is considered to be of a higher social status than someone without any jade and the more jade you have, the more fearsome you are thought to be since you have to take this jade from defeated opponents.
“Sometimes even the most loyal and devoted men make mistakes when they’re forced to make decisions under terrible circumstances.”
Unfortunately for some people the jade does nothing for them and these people are called Stone-eyes. They can't feel the effect of the jade and so are almost cast down to the bottom of the proverbial food chain since they can't compete with anyone else. The people who handle, mine or control the jade are called the Green Bones - thus where the name of the series comes from.
This is a unique magic system and I really loved it. It's something that is easily identifiable like a hard magic system where you know the rules because if someone has jade you know what they can do. I liked the idea that this gem was the most powerful item you could want and that people would literally risk their lives in this story to get it, even going as far as killing others in cold blood for the power they craved or needed. Jade is everywhere and in some cases is even a currency being used over actual money because of its value. Having something like jade as a focal point is great because it shows you how each character reacts to it giving you a wide and diverse range of opinions and follow-up actions.
“A man who wears the crown of a king cannot wear the jade of a warrior. Gold and jade, never together.”
There are a diverse range of characters and their roles which initially took me some time to get my head around. Like in some other Asian inspired fantasy books I've read, people have a name, then a title and sometimes even a nickname. This can be confusing because you have to remember who is who but it doesn't take long to get used to it. There is the student who doesn't think he is doing well enough, a sister who has been estranged from her family due to her marriage and the pressure of the oldest brother taking control of the clan. There are more characters with their own dynamics for you to get into too. It works really well, the characters are really believable and if you met one of them after reading this book I genuinely feel that I could tell them something that they've done from the book because the visuals that Fonda produces are really sublime.
“The clan is my blood, and the Pillar is its master.
On my honor, my life, and my jade.”
I really enjoyed the clan and hierarchy that came with it. It's interesting and shows a great dynamic between the two clans, the rivalry between the families and the people within. It really focuses on the No-Peak clan who I would say are the protagonist or the "good guys" and the Peak clan as the antagonist although everyone wants to see themselves as the good guys so they both think they're doing good and for the right reasons, not caring too much for those that get caught in the middle if it means progress is being made.
“Let me take five of my Fists into the Armpit.”
One of the main characters in the book I loved is Bero. He is a young, scrappy, wannabe gangster who is a nobody in Kanloon and has no jade. He wants to become a somebody and plays a small part in the story initially but later on his role really gets more prominent in the story and the whole story is much better for it as he is the catalyst for drama (for the characters) and excitement (for us the readers). He is like a bullet, small but damaging. I found him fascinating and exciting to read about. I found myself rooting for him, wishing him to get jade and get away from enemies and sticky situations. I think that in a world where everyone is very black and white, Bero is the colour red splashing across the canvas. I mentioned him to Fonda on Twitter and she said "wait till you see what he does in Jade War". I can't wait to see what he does in JW.
The combat in this book is perfect. I don't say that lightly but Fonda has nailed it. Fight scenes are really tough to write well and especially when you are dealing with something that has been done before like martial arts. Multiple films have provided great martial arts fight scenes and Fonda has done brilliantly as the fight scenes in this book are understandable, they flow really well and the pacing is on point.
The world that Fonda has built is a key part of this story. It's the canvas that Jade City sits on and she builds the city of Kanloon and the island of Kekon so that they're really believable. She doesn't spend pages describing the city blocks, restaurants, cafes or houses but instead gives you enough to push you in the right direction allowing your own imagination to fill in the gaps meaning that everyone will have their own visual of the world, which is cool.
Rating 5/5 - Jade City is a fantastic story. It brings together what makes fantasy cool and mixes it with a modern, dangerous, compelling and vibrant world where the line between friend and foe are tested. I loved the magic system, the characters are exciting and real, while the stakes are high and ever-growing. I can't recommend this story enough and can't wait to see how Jade War is going to blow me away all over again.
Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura
4.0
I have a Booktube channel! You can subscribe at Youtube.com/BensBlurb
This story is essentially Poe’s Origin Story. It’s actually a really good one and gives you a lot of the character development you would have missed from his appearances in the last trilogy which I think is important because he is such a prominent character in those movies.
We start with Poe when he is about 16 and he is on his homeworld, Yavin-4 looking for adventure and an escape from his boring life. Poe finds a way off Yavin-4 and that’s where his adventure really begins. He doesn’t want to do anything bad but to leave home he hasn’t got any other options.
As a character, Poe Dameron is an excellent one. He has personal issues with his parents that he is trying to deal with and has conflicts within himself surrounding what he wants from life and at what cost is he willing to pay to get it. For example, there is a part where Poe is willing to kill a certain being but later he doesn’t want others to die despite the fact that all of these beings are bad people.
Reading about Poe as a teenager and seeing the choices he had to make is actually really interesting to read. You will see what Poe thinks of droids and how that changes. He initially hates droids and thinks they’re worthless but a chance encounter with one slowly changes what he thinks about them, which makes so much sense when you see him with BB-8 in the movies.
His character really goes on a wild ride and along the way he has to make choices that are life or death for him. The supporting characters are also really well written and they push Poe to deal with his own thoughts. They also have their own very real issues and it brings them to life and to the forefront of your attention.
You get a huge backstory for a certain illegal group in the movies which I found really exciting to read about since I have only digested the movies, it’s a viewpoint I haven’t seen anything of in this universe.
The world is written really well and is Star Wars. There really isn’t much to say except that Alex has absolutely nailed it all and you might as well be watching one of the movies in book form. The action is well written and blasters, spaceships and droids are all as alive on paper as they can possibly be.
The book brings completely new content to the character and some other characters from the movies which I found completely refreshing.
If you enjoyed Star Wars then you will absolutely love this book. It’s a tale of personal battles, young love and doing the right thing for the right reasons.
This story is essentially Poe’s Origin Story. It’s actually a really good one and gives you a lot of the character development you would have missed from his appearances in the last trilogy which I think is important because he is such a prominent character in those movies.
We start with Poe when he is about 16 and he is on his homeworld, Yavin-4 looking for adventure and an escape from his boring life. Poe finds a way off Yavin-4 and that’s where his adventure really begins. He doesn’t want to do anything bad but to leave home he hasn’t got any other options.
As a character, Poe Dameron is an excellent one. He has personal issues with his parents that he is trying to deal with and has conflicts within himself surrounding what he wants from life and at what cost is he willing to pay to get it. For example, there is a part where Poe is willing to kill a certain being but later he doesn’t want others to die despite the fact that all of these beings are bad people.
Reading about Poe as a teenager and seeing the choices he had to make is actually really interesting to read. You will see what Poe thinks of droids and how that changes. He initially hates droids and thinks they’re worthless but a chance encounter with one slowly changes what he thinks about them, which makes so much sense when you see him with BB-8 in the movies.
His character really goes on a wild ride and along the way he has to make choices that are life or death for him. The supporting characters are also really well written and they push Poe to deal with his own thoughts. They also have their own very real issues and it brings them to life and to the forefront of your attention.
You get a huge backstory for a certain illegal group in the movies which I found really exciting to read about since I have only digested the movies, it’s a viewpoint I haven’t seen anything of in this universe.
The world is written really well and is Star Wars. There really isn’t much to say except that Alex has absolutely nailed it all and you might as well be watching one of the movies in book form. The action is well written and blasters, spaceships and droids are all as alive on paper as they can possibly be.
The book brings completely new content to the character and some other characters from the movies which I found completely refreshing.
If you enjoyed Star Wars then you will absolutely love this book. It’s a tale of personal battles, young love and doing the right thing for the right reasons.
The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
3.0
I had high hopes for this book since I really enjoyed The Invisible Library but ultimately this story fell short.
The book starts off very slow and whilst it does pick up nicely in the middle, the ending was very anti-climatic.
There are some excellent parts where the protagonist uses the language to have some cool things happen but ultimately the story was lacking any twists and turns. I also feel the author is telling and not showing enough. Shame!
The book starts off very slow and whilst it does pick up nicely in the middle, the ending was very anti-climatic.
There are some excellent parts where the protagonist uses the language to have some cool things happen but ultimately the story was lacking any twists and turns. I also feel the author is telling and not showing enough. Shame!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
4.0
v
A darker shade of magic is one of those books you read and know big things are going to come from it. Like two sequels and an adoring fan base.
I managed to read this book within 24 hours which is actually the fastest time I’ve ever read anything in (380 pages). I didn’t read this fast out of speed but out of pure page fever. I wanted to know what happened to the characters and I wanted to breathe in more of the world building.
Unfortunately the world building was severely lacking what I wanted. We had the inns and the castles plus the river but I wanted more! I thought the characters were good although wished Delilah Bard had more depth and I would have liked a deeper understanding of the elemental magic used in the book.
Those small negativities aside, I think it is an excellent magical fantasy book and really look forward to reading the sequels, hopefully to see what happens with the other London’s and what we might see of ‘The Shadows’.
A darker shade of magic is one of those books you read and know big things are going to come from it. Like two sequels and an adoring fan base.
I managed to read this book within 24 hours which is actually the fastest time I’ve ever read anything in (380 pages). I didn’t read this fast out of speed but out of pure page fever. I wanted to know what happened to the characters and I wanted to breathe in more of the world building.
Unfortunately the world building was severely lacking what I wanted. We had the inns and the castles plus the river but I wanted more! I thought the characters were good although wished Delilah Bard had more depth and I would have liked a deeper understanding of the elemental magic used in the book.
Those small negativities aside, I think it is an excellent magical fantasy book and really look forward to reading the sequels, hopefully to see what happens with the other London’s and what we might see of ‘The Shadows’.
The Obsidian Throne by James Oswald
4.0
I managed to pick this book up for 50p (about 8% of the normal price) brand new in a The Works store. I didn’t initially read it as I was still on book 3 but I have worked through the books one after the other since and have now finished The Obsidian Throne.
It’s been a long tale since I first read Dreamwalker, wondering what fate would be dished out unto Erroll and Benfro. Well now I have finished it and I’m glad to say that it ties up all the stories in this final book.
I personally really enjoyed the grym, the history of the shepherd and the wolf, the twin kingdoms and the broken world and the use of the order of the fryyd.
I would say if you are reading this review because you have this book left to read then just jump in. It is 600 pages and personally I think it could have been 450-500 but it is ultimately James’s tale to tell.
I would and will continue to recommend this story to other people as a YA GoT.
It’s been a long tale since I first read Dreamwalker, wondering what fate would be dished out unto Erroll and Benfro. Well now I have finished it and I’m glad to say that it ties up all the stories in this final book.
I personally really enjoyed the grym, the history of the shepherd and the wolf, the twin kingdoms and the broken world and the use of the order of the fryyd.
I would say if you are reading this review because you have this book left to read then just jump in. It is 600 pages and personally I think it could have been 450-500 but it is ultimately James’s tale to tell.
I would and will continue to recommend this story to other people as a YA GoT.
The Broken World by James Oswald
4.0
Well... that ended on another cliffhanger!
James has created such an interesting world, bringing in unique ideas surrounding magic, world building and of course DRAGONS!
The story continues exactly where it left off and you can see that each characters story is slowly coming back together for one penultimate ending in the final book.
I really liked what happened with Melyn. I think his thirst for power and Magog tricking him into believing he was his God all those years was incredible. Waiting for the coin to drop on the page only moments after it dropped for me was satisfying.
I don’t fully understand what has happened to poor Errol and I would like to know how Clun has become some dragon killing, monster horse taming stud.
Ultimately this is an excellent book in the Sir Benfro series and I will be reading book 5 immediately so I finish this series satisfied.
James has created such an interesting world, bringing in unique ideas surrounding magic, world building and of course DRAGONS!
The story continues exactly where it left off and you can see that each characters story is slowly coming back together for one penultimate ending in the final book.
I really liked what happened with Melyn. I think his thirst for power and Magog tricking him into believing he was his God all those years was incredible. Waiting for the coin to drop on the page only moments after it dropped for me was satisfying.
I don’t fully understand what has happened to poor Errol and I would like to know how Clun has become some dragon killing, monster horse taming stud.
Ultimately this is an excellent book in the Sir Benfro series and I will be reading book 5 immediately so I finish this series satisfied.