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Sign of the Eight
A fast-paced, captivating epic fantasy from Benjami Lebert, one of Germany's most talented authors!
Two messengers, six allies, one fight for survival!
A gateway to a world of the past, of vanished names, hopes and dreams has opened in the depths of the Black Forest. Two messengers have come to our present from the immense sunken realms of time.
Tristan is the messenger of doom. Martha is the messenger of preservation. They used to be lovers, now they are sworn enemies. They have come together to fight one final, decisive battle.
But they cannot fight this fight alone. Both must win allies to fight by their side. Time is of the essence and there can only be a few - everything revolves around the eight, a mystical number that refers to infinity.
Tristan and Martha must search the Black Forest to find six comrades-in-arms to join their fight. Ultimately, five fighters for doom and three fighters for preservation will face each other. And the battle of the eight will continue until only one of them is left and the fate of humanity is sealed.
For many years Benjamin Lebert has been one of the most interesting literary voices in Germany. -Joachim Scholl, Deutschlandradio Kultur
In short chapters with many changes of perspective, preliminary interpretations and cliff hangers, Benjamin Lebert creates a rapid narrative pace at which he seldom decelerates. Atmospherically dense, he describes uncanny encounters in the forest, and in a sometimes very poetic language he lets the reader participate in the emotional world of the protagonists. -Deutschlandfunk Kultur
Two messengers, six allies, one fight for survival!
A gateway to a world of the past, of vanished names, hopes and dreams has opened in the depths of the Black Forest. Two messengers have come to our present from the immense sunken realms of time.
Tristan is the messenger of doom. Martha is the messenger of preservation. They used to be lovers, now they are sworn enemies. They have come together to fight one final, decisive battle.
But they cannot fight this fight alone. Both must win allies to fight by their side. Time is of the essence and there can only be a few - everything revolves around the eight, a mystical number that refers to infinity.
Tristan and Martha must search the Black Forest to find six comrades-in-arms to join their fight. Ultimately, five fighters for doom and three fighters for preservation will face each other. And the battle of the eight will continue until only one of them is left and the fate of humanity is sealed.
For many years Benjamin Lebert has been one of the most interesting literary voices in Germany. -Joachim Scholl, Deutschlandradio Kultur
In short chapters with many changes of perspective, preliminary interpretations and cliff hangers, Benjamin Lebert creates a rapid narrative pace at which he seldom decelerates. Atmospherically dense, he describes uncanny encounters in the forest, and in a sometimes very poetic language he lets the reader participate in the emotional world of the protagonists. -Deutschlandfunk Kultur
304 pages, Hardcover
Published March 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 25, 2020
Der Versuch, mit dem Holzhammer Tiefe und Spannung zu erzeugen, scheitert: Leberts erster Fantasy-Jugendroman ist vor allem eine Ansammlung billiger Cliffhanger und sämtlicher Genre-Klischees. Unnötig sexuell explizit und brutal und in vielerlei Hinsicht einfach schlecht geschrieben, kann man ihn auch Erwachsenen kaum ans Herz legen, Jugendlichen aber erst recht nicht.
March 25, 2020
Benjamin Lebert konnte mich damals in meiner Jugend mit seinem Debüt Crazy richtig begeistern. Nach langer Zeit kommt er ins Jugendbuch Genre zurück und ich war total gespannt was er sich ausgedacht hat:
Einst sind Martha und Tristan Menschen gewesen, nun sind sie Boten einer längst
vergangenen Welt und tief verfeindet. Sie steht für das Bewahren, er für den Untergang.
Sie sind gekommen, um Verbündete zu finden für den alles entscheidenden Kampf der Acht.
Der unsere Zukunft besiegeln wird.
Zugegeben war der Einstieg in das Buch ziemlich hart für mich. Ich hatte Probleme mit dem Schreibstil und die Geschichten hatte mich teilweise verwirrt. Nach einer gewissen Zeit hatte ich mich dann daran gewöhnt und so kam ich dann auch gut voran.
Die Charaktere sind gut ausgearbeitet und vor allem authentisch da sie sich ihrem Alter entsprechend verhalten.
So wie Martha und Tristan Gut und Böse darstellen so bekommen wir auch Einblick in die guten Seiten der Charaktere allerdings auch in deren tiefste Abgründe. Die Jugendlichen müssen sich entscheiden auf welcher Seite sie kämpfen möchten so gibt es natürlich bei einigen ganz klare Präferenzen andere sind sich noch nicht ganz sicher da sie nicht wissen wie sie ihr Leben gestalten wollen. Dieser Findungsprozess und die innere Zerrissenheit ist ganz interessant dargestellt und hat mir gut gefallen.
Der Autor hat es geschafft die Story sehr sprachgewaltig und wortgewandt zu erzählen so das die Dunkelheit der Geschichte sich sehr beklemmend und düster in der Atmosphäre niederschlägt.
Insgesamt hatte ich ein bisschen was anderes von der Geschichte erwartet, statt einem Fantasy Roman kommt es mir eher wie ein düsteres Märchen vor. Außerdem hat mir das Rekrutieren der Acht zu lange gedauert und das Ende kam dann irgendwie viel zu schnell. Für ein Jugendbuch ist es auch an manchen Stellen recht brutal. Damit hab ich kein Problem aber das hatte ich nicht erwartet. Durch die gut ausgearbeitet Charaktere, eine düstere Atmosphäre und ein paar schöne Wendungen zum Ende der Geschichte schafft es der Autor den Leser bei der Stange zu halten, sobald man sich in der Geschichte zurechtgefunden hat.
3/5 Sterne
Einst sind Martha und Tristan Menschen gewesen, nun sind sie Boten einer längst
vergangenen Welt und tief verfeindet. Sie steht für das Bewahren, er für den Untergang.
Sie sind gekommen, um Verbündete zu finden für den alles entscheidenden Kampf der Acht.
Der unsere Zukunft besiegeln wird.
Zugegeben war der Einstieg in das Buch ziemlich hart für mich. Ich hatte Probleme mit dem Schreibstil und die Geschichten hatte mich teilweise verwirrt. Nach einer gewissen Zeit hatte ich mich dann daran gewöhnt und so kam ich dann auch gut voran.
Die Charaktere sind gut ausgearbeitet und vor allem authentisch da sie sich ihrem Alter entsprechend verhalten.
So wie Martha und Tristan Gut und Böse darstellen so bekommen wir auch Einblick in die guten Seiten der Charaktere allerdings auch in deren tiefste Abgründe. Die Jugendlichen müssen sich entscheiden auf welcher Seite sie kämpfen möchten so gibt es natürlich bei einigen ganz klare Präferenzen andere sind sich noch nicht ganz sicher da sie nicht wissen wie sie ihr Leben gestalten wollen. Dieser Findungsprozess und die innere Zerrissenheit ist ganz interessant dargestellt und hat mir gut gefallen.
Der Autor hat es geschafft die Story sehr sprachgewaltig und wortgewandt zu erzählen so das die Dunkelheit der Geschichte sich sehr beklemmend und düster in der Atmosphäre niederschlägt.
Insgesamt hatte ich ein bisschen was anderes von der Geschichte erwartet, statt einem Fantasy Roman kommt es mir eher wie ein düsteres Märchen vor. Außerdem hat mir das Rekrutieren der Acht zu lange gedauert und das Ende kam dann irgendwie viel zu schnell. Für ein Jugendbuch ist es auch an manchen Stellen recht brutal. Damit hab ich kein Problem aber das hatte ich nicht erwartet. Durch die gut ausgearbeitet Charaktere, eine düstere Atmosphäre und ein paar schöne Wendungen zum Ende der Geschichte schafft es der Autor den Leser bei der Stange zu halten, sobald man sich in der Geschichte zurechtgefunden hat.
3/5 Sterne
August 15, 2020
Mir fällt es immer schwer, Bücher oder Hörbücher abzubrechen, aber manchmal kommt es einfach vor, dass mich eine Geschichte oder ein Schreibstil einfach nicht fesseln kann. Leider konnte mich Im Zeichen der Acht überhaupt nicht fesseln.
Im ersten Abschnitt gibt es direkt eine Sexszene, die ich persönlich an dieser Stelle unpassend und auch aufgesetzt fand. Das war schon mal ein sehr schlechter Start für das Hörbuch. Dann geht es weiter mit dem seltsamen Schreibstil des Autors. Die Sprache, die der Autor benutzt, ist eher poetisch, was ich persönlich total unpassend für die Art der Geschichte fand. Zumindest habe ich etwas anderes erwartet aufgrund des Klappentextes. Ich habe ungefähr ein Drittel gehört und wusste bis dahin nicht, worum es hier eigentlich geht. Der Autor macht um die Handlung ein riesiges Geheimnis, was mich ehrlich gesagt sehr genervt hat.
Was ich persönlich auch finde ist, dass es sich hier nicht um ein Jugendbuch handelt. Nicht nur wegen des Stils, auch wegen der Brutalität.
Im ersten Abschnitt gibt es direkt eine Sexszene, die ich persönlich an dieser Stelle unpassend und auch aufgesetzt fand. Das war schon mal ein sehr schlechter Start für das Hörbuch. Dann geht es weiter mit dem seltsamen Schreibstil des Autors. Die Sprache, die der Autor benutzt, ist eher poetisch, was ich persönlich total unpassend für die Art der Geschichte fand. Zumindest habe ich etwas anderes erwartet aufgrund des Klappentextes. Ich habe ungefähr ein Drittel gehört und wusste bis dahin nicht, worum es hier eigentlich geht. Der Autor macht um die Handlung ein riesiges Geheimnis, was mich ehrlich gesagt sehr genervt hat.
Was ich persönlich auch finde ist, dass es sich hier nicht um ein Jugendbuch handelt. Nicht nur wegen des Stils, auch wegen der Brutalität.
April 6, 2021
Dieses Buch hat mir die letzten Nerven geraubt! "Im Zeichen der Acht" von Benjamin Lebert hatte so viel Potential, das nicht genutzt wurde. Das Buch besitzt eine deprimierende und dunkle Stimmung, die einen beim Lesen runterzieht.
Das Cover und der Buchschnitt gefallen mir an diesem Buch noch mit am meisten. Ich finde beides sehr cool und mysteriös gestaltet. Das Cover verrät allerdings schon zu viele Informationen über die Handlung, die ab einem gewissen Punkt spoilern.
Alle Charaktere in diesem Buch mussten sehr schlimme Dinge durchmachen, die eigentlich keiner in seinem Leben erleben sollte. Viele Charaktere wurden als böse dargestellt, was sie mir natürlich nicht sympathisch gemacht hat. Nur für die Damen in diesem Buch und für Daniel hatte ich ein wenig Sympathie übrig. Außerdem gab es meiner Meinung nach viel zu viele Charaktere, sodass man sich auf keinen speziell einlassen konnte und auch keine Beziehung hätte aufbauen können. Ich habe dementsprechend kaum Mitleid mit den Charakteren empfunden, obwohl sie so schlimme Dinge erlebten.
Der Schreibstil von Autor Benjamin Lebert war anstrengend! Er war sehr einschläfernd und langweilig. Der Autor wiederholt sich innerhalb weniger Zeilen sehr oft, was den Lesefluss stark behindert hat. Ich habe noch nie ein Buch gelesen, das ähnlich langatmig geschrieben wurde.
Die Handlung konnte mich zu Beginn sehr mitreißen, doch meine Spannung verlor sich, je mehr ich gelesen hatte. Der Plot ergibt erst gegen Ende des Buches einen Sinn. Normalerweise bleibe ich gerne eine Weile im dunklen, um mitzurätseln, was nun vor sich geht. Doch in diesem Buch war es mir zu viel des Guten. Die Geschichte hätte wirklich großes Potential gehabt, um fantastisch zu werden, aber leider ergab sie nur wenig Sinn und der Autor verliert oft den roten Faden seiner Handlung. Mehrfach hat er über Geschlechtsteile, Sex, Gewalt oder Brutalität geschrieben, was in vielen Szenen gar nicht nötig gewesen wäre.
In diesem Buch gab es nur wenig positive und hoffnungsvolle Momente. Ich empfehle dieses Buch nicht weiter. Erst recht nicht ab 14 Jahren. Wer jedoch auf brutale Geschichten mit historischen Hintergrund steht, dem könnte dieses Buch vielleicht gefallen.
Das Cover und der Buchschnitt gefallen mir an diesem Buch noch mit am meisten. Ich finde beides sehr cool und mysteriös gestaltet. Das Cover verrät allerdings schon zu viele Informationen über die Handlung, die ab einem gewissen Punkt spoilern.
Alle Charaktere in diesem Buch mussten sehr schlimme Dinge durchmachen, die eigentlich keiner in seinem Leben erleben sollte. Viele Charaktere wurden als böse dargestellt, was sie mir natürlich nicht sympathisch gemacht hat. Nur für die Damen in diesem Buch und für Daniel hatte ich ein wenig Sympathie übrig. Außerdem gab es meiner Meinung nach viel zu viele Charaktere, sodass man sich auf keinen speziell einlassen konnte und auch keine Beziehung hätte aufbauen können. Ich habe dementsprechend kaum Mitleid mit den Charakteren empfunden, obwohl sie so schlimme Dinge erlebten.
Der Schreibstil von Autor Benjamin Lebert war anstrengend! Er war sehr einschläfernd und langweilig. Der Autor wiederholt sich innerhalb weniger Zeilen sehr oft, was den Lesefluss stark behindert hat. Ich habe noch nie ein Buch gelesen, das ähnlich langatmig geschrieben wurde.
Die Handlung konnte mich zu Beginn sehr mitreißen, doch meine Spannung verlor sich, je mehr ich gelesen hatte. Der Plot ergibt erst gegen Ende des Buches einen Sinn. Normalerweise bleibe ich gerne eine Weile im dunklen, um mitzurätseln, was nun vor sich geht. Doch in diesem Buch war es mir zu viel des Guten. Die Geschichte hätte wirklich großes Potential gehabt, um fantastisch zu werden, aber leider ergab sie nur wenig Sinn und der Autor verliert oft den roten Faden seiner Handlung. Mehrfach hat er über Geschlechtsteile, Sex, Gewalt oder Brutalität geschrieben, was in vielen Szenen gar nicht nötig gewesen wäre.
In diesem Buch gab es nur wenig positive und hoffnungsvolle Momente. Ich empfehle dieses Buch nicht weiter. Erst recht nicht ab 14 Jahren. Wer jedoch auf brutale Geschichten mit historischen Hintergrund steht, dem könnte dieses Buch vielleicht gefallen.
January 12, 2022
Thank you to the author and the Publisher, Arctis Books, for letting me read an ARC of this book through NetGalley!
TRIGGER WARNING: death, abusive relationship, power abuse, violence, toxic relationship, mention of rape, slaughter and murder
“He knew her well. She showed up in his dreams”
“She knew the moment had dawned when this task must be accomplished”
I’m not going to lie … at the very beginning I struggled to get into this story.
But once you’re in, you can’t stop!
In a combination between fantasy and reality, where time repeats itself, good and evil fight against each other in a war that puts brothers and lovers against one another.
No one is speared from this and, you’ll have to make your own choices…
Sometimes you’re not protected even in your own family …
It’s been hard to read this book, especially given the amount of terrible examples of evil pictured in the story …
But following the characters, picking sides and hoping for a future, despite the loss and death of loved ones … can be inspiring… no matter their age!!
Star-crossed lovers designated to face each other again after betrayal and terrible pain … hundred of thousands of year later !!!!
A great fantasy story that was really fast-paced and could trap you between the pages, suffering with some of the characters and hoping with others!!
“Death gladly welcomed all those who fled”
“‘Talent for what?’
‘To start something’
‘Like what?’
‘The end of the world’”
TRIGGER WARNING: death, abusive relationship, power abuse, violence, toxic relationship, mention of rape, slaughter and murder
“He knew her well. She showed up in his dreams”
“She knew the moment had dawned when this task must be accomplished”
I’m not going to lie … at the very beginning I struggled to get into this story.
But once you’re in, you can’t stop!
In a combination between fantasy and reality, where time repeats itself, good and evil fight against each other in a war that puts brothers and lovers against one another.
No one is speared from this and, you’ll have to make your own choices…
Sometimes you’re not protected even in your own family …
It’s been hard to read this book, especially given the amount of terrible examples of evil pictured in the story …
But following the characters, picking sides and hoping for a future, despite the loss and death of loved ones … can be inspiring… no matter their age!!
Star-crossed lovers designated to face each other again after betrayal and terrible pain … hundred of thousands of year later !!!!
A great fantasy story that was really fast-paced and could trap you between the pages, suffering with some of the characters and hoping with others!!
“Death gladly welcomed all those who fled”
“‘Talent for what?’
‘To start something’
‘Like what?’
‘The end of the world’”
January 12, 2022
dark tense fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was an interesting read: a battle to decide the fate of the world in the hands of eight people, two who had been the epicenter of everything. Brother against brother, lover against lover, Sign of the Eight is a fresh take on the battle between light and darkness—and the grey area that humans fall into.
I did not expect a lot of character development, seeing as the synopsis promised eight and the novel length only a little over 300. It was nice to read in between classes to turn off the academic break. I don’t know how it is written in German, but I rather enjoyed some of the prose in this translation. There were a few that seemed a bit clunky (I would even say crude at times) but I understand there will always be discrepancy when translating and that may have been the case.
The premise was intriguing, however it felt both rushed and dragging at the same time.
Dragging in the sense that there were scenes that felt overly detailed but did little to contribute to the main plot or to the character development - which were little to begin with. and other sexual scenes that the book could have done without and still had the same impact. There was a lot of scenes with Tristan and Martha, which is understandable as they are why the battle is around in the first place, but considering there were six other fighters with them, it would have been nice to have gotten more development from them aside from their introductions and the occasional POV switch.
It was rushed as the main fight, the fight the entire book was leading up to, was very very short and not as gratifying as I hoped it would be.
I did appreciate the full circle ending, and how Zoe and Fynn were somewhat versions of Martha and Tristan.
Overall a very quick read that’s hard to put down and a little harder to stop talking about. If you are keen on reading, I do caution you to look up the CWs and TWs as there are topics/imagery/scenes that are may be disturbing.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was an interesting read: a battle to decide the fate of the world in the hands of eight people, two who had been the epicenter of everything. Brother against brother, lover against lover, Sign of the Eight is a fresh take on the battle between light and darkness—and the grey area that humans fall into.
I did not expect a lot of character development, seeing as the synopsis promised eight and the novel length only a little over 300. It was nice to read in between classes to turn off the academic break. I don’t know how it is written in German, but I rather enjoyed some of the prose in this translation. There were a few that seemed a bit clunky (I would even say crude at times) but I understand there will always be discrepancy when translating and that may have been the case.
The premise was intriguing, however it felt both rushed and dragging at the same time.
Dragging in the sense that there were scenes that felt overly detailed but did little to contribute to the main plot or to the character development - which were little to begin with. and other sexual scenes that the book could have done without and still had the same impact. There was a lot of scenes with Tristan and Martha, which is understandable as they are why the battle is around in the first place, but considering there were six other fighters with them, it would have been nice to have gotten more development from them aside from their introductions and the occasional POV switch.
It was rushed as the main fight, the fight the entire book was leading up to, was very very short and not as gratifying as I hoped it would be.
I did appreciate the full circle ending, and how Zoe and Fynn were somewhat versions of Martha and Tristan.
Overall a very quick read that’s hard to put down and a little harder to stop talking about. If you are keen on reading, I do caution you to look up the CWs and TWs as there are topics/imagery/scenes that are may be disturbing.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing me this ARC via NetGalley. This does not in any shape or form influence my review on this book.
November 14, 2021
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
2.5 stars
This book was really good in principle and lee-way for language has to be given as it is translated from German. There was some really poetic lines and good characterisation - I particularly liked the 'lovers-to-enemies' trope that was explored in a really unique way - and the novel was fast-paced so I was always engaged, but overall the premise felt under-developed and a lot of things went unexplained. There were also references to Nazism which made me, as a Jewish person, uncomfortable and due to the nature of this book there are also references made to graphic racism, xenophobia, sexual assault and murder so I would definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.
2.5 stars
This book was really good in principle and lee-way for language has to be given as it is translated from German. There was some really poetic lines and good characterisation - I particularly liked the 'lovers-to-enemies' trope that was explored in a really unique way - and the novel was fast-paced so I was always engaged, but overall the premise felt under-developed and a lot of things went unexplained. There were also references to Nazism which made me, as a Jewish person, uncomfortable and due to the nature of this book there are also references made to graphic racism, xenophobia, sexual assault and murder so I would definitely check the trigger warnings before reading.
March 23, 2022
This book was advertised as a fast-paced dark fantasy, but I simply couldn’t engage with the book. It failed to capture my attention or my interest, which is unusual, since I love dark fantasy. Sadly, I was quite bored. It’s not that the writing is done poorly; indeed, the writing is finely done. But the rest of the book isn’t just as well done.
Thanks to Arctis Books and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. Due to my personal policy, this review will not be posted to social media since I rated it under 3 Stars. I will also not be posting this review on Amazon at this time because there are currently no other reviews on the title and I would not like to have this low review be the first review for the book on a large bookseller’s website.
Thanks to Arctis Books and NetGalley for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. Due to my personal policy, this review will not be posted to social media since I rated it under 3 Stars. I will also not be posting this review on Amazon at this time because there are currently no other reviews on the title and I would not like to have this low review be the first review for the book on a large bookseller’s website.
April 17, 2024
Hab’s schlimmer erwartet, aber war an vielen Stellen sehr schwurbelig geschrieben. Ich versteh auch nicht, warum die bösen Charaktere so wenig ausgeleuchtet wurden🤨
Aber gibt schlimmeres:)
Aber gibt schlimmeres:)
February 14, 2022
arc from netgalley!
Tw in book for : sexual assault , violence abuse , racism , xenophobia and anti-semitism.
I was really interested in the plot of this book which made me pick it up but the first 70-80% was very slow and the battle scene felt very rushed which was disappointing. Found it quite confusing at times which was expected as it’s translated but a bonus was that it was very fast paced.
First chapter includes a sexual encounter between a 16 year old and his teacher which didn’t seem like it needed to be Included at all. I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters as you didn’t get enough time with them as pretty much every chapter was a pov switch which sometimes made it confusing to follow.
Tw in book for : sexual assault , violence abuse , racism , xenophobia and anti-semitism.
I was really interested in the plot of this book which made me pick it up but the first 70-80% was very slow and the battle scene felt very rushed which was disappointing. Found it quite confusing at times which was expected as it’s translated but a bonus was that it was very fast paced.
First chapter includes a sexual encounter between a 16 year old and his teacher which didn’t seem like it needed to be Included at all. I didn’t feel attached to any of the characters as you didn’t get enough time with them as pretty much every chapter was a pov switch which sometimes made it confusing to follow.
October 16, 2020
Ich musste mit meinen eigenen Augen lesen, wie eine Frau, die "The Ring"-mäßig aus einem Brunnen gekrochen ist, Milch von einer Hirschkuh trinkt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2021
This was a very quick read with really short chapters, it was so easy to just dip in during a lunch break. This was an ambitious concept and I gave this book 3 stars.
I thought that the premise of this book was just so exciting, I am a huge fan of fantasy novels and quests. It was a battle between good and evil, bother against brother, lover against lover. I enjoyed the gathering of the allies but it felt like there was maybe more behind the selection of the allies that wasn’t mentioned
While there were eight fighters, there were more than eight characters in this book, there were 10 important characters. I did find myself getting confused between some of Tristan’s cronies as they were so similar that it was easy to forget that they were different characters. I enjoyed that the allies weren’t the typical sort of hero characters. With so many characters, I found it difficult to warm towards many of them but I did really enjoy Isobel and the lovely old man with the dog
This book was set in The Black Forest which provided a really atmospheric environment, I am a huge sucker for a story that includes a forest and The Black Forest is possibly the most famous forest I can think of (other than Sherwood). While the book took place in some almost fairytale-like settings, the book was set in the modern era which was an interesting mix. I very much enjoyed the setting of this novel.
I really enjoyed the flashbacks which allowed me to learn more about the relationship between Tristan and Martha. Martha’s history felt unnecessarily violent and abusive. I was very annoyed at the reference to the sexual assault of a character to only existed in reference, it provided nothing to the storyline and wasn’t needed.
I honestly thought that this book was the first in a series. This was because the book took a quite leisurely pace for the first 80% of the novel, the pacing of this was fine as it really let me get into the book. The last 20% felt a little rushed and I was surprised because I thought that this book was building up to the climax which was over very quickly.
I did enjoy the twist in this book, I hoped it would happen and was pleased when it did!
I liked this book, it was ambitious but felt a little rushed in places and I felt like there were a lot of missing explanations. This book included scenes of sexual assault, spousal abuse, racism, xenophobia, violence and anti-semitism, so please bear this in mind if you are picking this up-please look after yourself. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought that the premise of this book was just so exciting, I am a huge fan of fantasy novels and quests. It was a battle between good and evil, bother against brother, lover against lover. I enjoyed the gathering of the allies but it felt like there was maybe more behind the selection of the allies that wasn’t mentioned
While there were eight fighters, there were more than eight characters in this book, there were 10 important characters. I did find myself getting confused between some of Tristan’s cronies as they were so similar that it was easy to forget that they were different characters. I enjoyed that the allies weren’t the typical sort of hero characters. With so many characters, I found it difficult to warm towards many of them but I did really enjoy Isobel and the lovely old man with the dog
This book was set in The Black Forest which provided a really atmospheric environment, I am a huge sucker for a story that includes a forest and The Black Forest is possibly the most famous forest I can think of (other than Sherwood). While the book took place in some almost fairytale-like settings, the book was set in the modern era which was an interesting mix. I very much enjoyed the setting of this novel.
I really enjoyed the flashbacks which allowed me to learn more about the relationship between Tristan and Martha. Martha’s history felt unnecessarily violent and abusive. I was very annoyed at the reference to the sexual assault of a character to only existed in reference, it provided nothing to the storyline and wasn’t needed.
I honestly thought that this book was the first in a series. This was because the book took a quite leisurely pace for the first 80% of the novel, the pacing of this was fine as it really let me get into the book. The last 20% felt a little rushed and I was surprised because I thought that this book was building up to the climax which was over very quickly.
I did enjoy the twist in this book, I hoped it would happen and was pleased when it did!
I liked this book, it was ambitious but felt a little rushed in places and I felt like there were a lot of missing explanations. This book included scenes of sexual assault, spousal abuse, racism, xenophobia, violence and anti-semitism, so please bear this in mind if you are picking this up-please look after yourself. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2021
I received an advanced reader copy of Sign of the Eight in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this opportunity.
The synopsis of this book really sparked my interest, but I should really have read some of the reviews on the German original before going into this, because then I would have been better prepared for what was coming.
It surprised me that the book is only 300 pages long but had 8 main characters (plus two additional characters that only appear in the very beginning before being killed off, but they get just as much back story as the other eight). If an author wants to make that work, they better be brilliant or choose a narrator that fits it - and definitely not switch between ten (!) points of view that all try to drive the plot forward while at the same time give some insight to the characters‘ backgrounds.
The result of that was frankly that I did not feel any kind of connection with any of the characters. I didn’t care for them one bit, and neither did I care for who would win in the end.
Which brings me to my second major point of criticism (SPOILER ALERT): in the end, none of the six teenagers chosen were necessary to the plot or even played any major role. In the extremely short and poorly written final battle, most of them are killed off quickly and it essentially boils down to Martha and Tristan again. That Martha is killed by one of Tristan‘s allies (who is then killed off by one of Martha‘s allies) is not very believable and the conflict between the Zoe and Fynn doesn’t add any more to the story than a well written conflict between Martha and Tristan would have been.
So to sum it up, take all of the unnecessary characters out of the equation or let them actually have an impact on the plot, develop Martha and Tristan‘s past much better and work on the mindnumbingly repetitive writing style - and you might actually be left with a pretty good book. As it is, the pointless sex scenes and the amount of gore and violence is just off-putting and not balanced by any kind of character development or nuanced plot.
1.5/5 stars.
The synopsis of this book really sparked my interest, but I should really have read some of the reviews on the German original before going into this, because then I would have been better prepared for what was coming.
It surprised me that the book is only 300 pages long but had 8 main characters (plus two additional characters that only appear in the very beginning before being killed off, but they get just as much back story as the other eight). If an author wants to make that work, they better be brilliant or choose a narrator that fits it - and definitely not switch between ten (!) points of view that all try to drive the plot forward while at the same time give some insight to the characters‘ backgrounds.
The result of that was frankly that I did not feel any kind of connection with any of the characters. I didn’t care for them one bit, and neither did I care for who would win in the end.
Which brings me to my second major point of criticism (SPOILER ALERT): in the end, none of the six teenagers chosen were necessary to the plot or even played any major role. In the extremely short and poorly written final battle, most of them are killed off quickly and it essentially boils down to Martha and Tristan again. That Martha is killed by one of Tristan‘s allies (who is then killed off by one of Martha‘s allies) is not very believable and the conflict between the Zoe and Fynn doesn’t add any more to the story than a well written conflict between Martha and Tristan would have been.
So to sum it up, take all of the unnecessary characters out of the equation or let them actually have an impact on the plot, develop Martha and Tristan‘s past much better and work on the mindnumbingly repetitive writing style - and you might actually be left with a pretty good book. As it is, the pointless sex scenes and the amount of gore and violence is just off-putting and not balanced by any kind of character development or nuanced plot.
1.5/5 stars.
April 15, 2022
Sign of the Eight is your classic good versus evil, fight for the future of the world kinda story. We meet our two main characters, Tristan and Martha (evil and good, respectively) who have just come back to this world after 800 years. Their job is to find 6 fighters (hopefully 3 for each side, but not necessarily) in order to determine if the world will carry on as it is or not. We spend time with each of the fighters, getting to know their story and really care for them. They come from all walks of life, and each have a different desire for what happens next.
I think the premise of this book is good. I really cared about the stories these characters had and the lives they led. I think it’s an important story to introduce to teens to help them through their experiences that we don’t often talk about. My main issue with the story is the grand battle was terribly short and very anticlimactic. I think this story would have done better as a general fiction character study, rather than try to incorporate the fantastical element.
Content warnings for highly inappropriate relationships.
Overal, I give this book a 2.5/5 - rounded to 3 for goodreads. I just didn’t mesh well with the genre it was written in, and could have done stronger as something else. I really loved the character arcs though.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I think the premise of this book is good. I really cared about the stories these characters had and the lives they led. I think it’s an important story to introduce to teens to help them through their experiences that we don’t often talk about. My main issue with the story is the grand battle was terribly short and very anticlimactic. I think this story would have done better as a general fiction character study, rather than try to incorporate the fantastical element.
Content warnings for highly inappropriate relationships.
Overal, I give this book a 2.5/5 - rounded to 3 for goodreads. I just didn’t mesh well with the genre it was written in, and could have done stronger as something else. I really loved the character arcs though.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2022
"Crow hadn’t stolen anything in a long time. It wasn’t that her sense of morality had changed after everything that had happened to her. But she just didn’t feel like stealing as often anymore. She had grown tired. Tired of her heart."
-Benjamin Lebert, Sign of the Eight
2.5🌟/5
I received this e-book from NetGalley.
Sign of the Eight is a dark fantasy book.
The main characters of the story, Martha and Tristan , have a past together, once lovers now enemies. They are in search of six people in total to fight "the final battle" with them. Martha's group is to protect humanity while Tristan's group is to destroy everything.
The author's writing is not bad, it's really not. However, I just did not enjoy the story!
I clearly was not interested in it and the more I read it the more I realised I wanted to finish it rather quickly (fortunately enough it wasn't an overly tedious book). There were too many characters, which for me, that in itself is not in any way an issue, nonetheless, the story moved so fast that I not only did not have the time to get to know all the characters but the plot overall, especially near the ending (while all the fighting happened), it felt quite rushed.
-Benjamin Lebert, Sign of the Eight
2.5🌟/5
I received this e-book from NetGalley.
Sign of the Eight is a dark fantasy book.
The main characters of the story, Martha and Tristan , have a past together, once lovers now enemies. They are in search of six people in total to fight "the final battle" with them. Martha's group is to protect humanity while Tristan's group is to destroy everything.
The author's writing is not bad, it's really not. However, I just did not enjoy the story!
I clearly was not interested in it and the more I read it the more I realised I wanted to finish it rather quickly (fortunately enough it wasn't an overly tedious book). There were too many characters, which for me, that in itself is not in any way an issue, nonetheless, the story moved so fast that I not only did not have the time to get to know all the characters but the plot overall, especially near the ending (while all the fighting happened), it felt quite rushed.
March 15, 2022
This fast paced and incredibly captivating fantasy was a wonderful story that took no time to read. When a gateway to a world of the past, of vanished names, hopes and dreams has opened in the depths of the Black Forest, two messengers come to the present from the immense sunken realms of time. A messenger of doom and one of preservation who used to love one another but now are enemies will have to fight one last battle to seal the fate of humanity.
Everything revolves around a mystical number that refers to infinity within this story which happens to be the number eight. Tristan and Martha must search the Black Forest to find six comrades-in-arms (allies for each of their causes) to join their fight.
I really enjoyed this story, and I think the author did this story justice in how this story was written. While it was fast paced nothing felt overly rushed to the point it messed with the story. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this story.
Everything revolves around a mystical number that refers to infinity within this story which happens to be the number eight. Tristan and Martha must search the Black Forest to find six comrades-in-arms (allies for each of their causes) to join their fight.
I really enjoyed this story, and I think the author did this story justice in how this story was written. While it was fast paced nothing felt overly rushed to the point it messed with the story. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this story.
November 15, 2021
When the book description says this is fast paced- it's not exaggerating.
This book is not the type I normally read- I went into it not quite expecting some of the content. This is a story of a battle between good and evil. The story is told in small snippets, switching from character to character. Occasionally I came across wording that didn't quite make sense (which is expected as it's a translation). I did find that certain parts of the book seemed a bit too rushed- especially at the end.
If you like EXTREMELY fast paced stories that can be read in short bursts about the battle between good and evil- this is for you. Definitely google trigger warnings as well as check other reviews for trigger warnings.
This book is not the type I normally read- I went into it not quite expecting some of the content. This is a story of a battle between good and evil. The story is told in small snippets, switching from character to character. Occasionally I came across wording that didn't quite make sense (which is expected as it's a translation). I did find that certain parts of the book seemed a bit too rushed- especially at the end.
If you like EXTREMELY fast paced stories that can be read in short bursts about the battle between good and evil- this is for you. Definitely google trigger warnings as well as check other reviews for trigger warnings.
November 13, 2021
I received an ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion.
This is a story about a man and a woman who come to current time from long ago . One represents good and the other evil. They are set to fight each other for the continued existence of the human world. They are looking for a chosen few to help them in this battle. I enjoyed the story but felt that it was too rushed and concluded too quickly. I think the story could have been more fleshed out . The final battle, which the whole story is leading up to, was over too quickly. For me, the storyline was good but it did not live up to its full potential.
This is a story about a man and a woman who come to current time from long ago . One represents good and the other evil. They are set to fight each other for the continued existence of the human world. They are looking for a chosen few to help them in this battle. I enjoyed the story but felt that it was too rushed and concluded too quickly. I think the story could have been more fleshed out . The final battle, which the whole story is leading up to, was over too quickly. For me, the storyline was good but it did not live up to its full potential.
January 28, 2022
Though this was a really neat concept, honestly this book just wasn't for me. The writing style was iffy to me, and very choppy and it was a struggle to get into it. i also didn't love the relationship between two characters because mature and under-age relationships are not my jam. The story-line felt a little rushed, however if you like fast paced stories you could give it a try! There were a lot of characters to keep track of that really seemed kind of unnecessary. However if you can get past this, the combination of fast pace and short chapters does make it easy to pick up and put down throughout the day.
March 10, 2022
This was a quick read, and while I expected to stumble a little since it is a translation - I felt like the translators did a solid job. The story itself was interesting as a premise but the execution was lacking. We never really had enough time with any of the characters in order to meet them and love/hate them. Each time the chapter changed it was a different POV which I enjoyed, but the whole book felt very rushed - and then the fight scene which I felt like were spending the entirety of the book to get to was disappointing. They showed up, a bunch of death occurred and then the book was over. The most interesting part was the beginning when we meet Martha, one of the main characters and she meets the old man.
There were really beautiful lines in the novel, and I did really enjoy the whole premise even though it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I bumped my rating up to a 3, because I'm sure some of the story and other beautiful moments were lost in translation.
There were really beautiful lines in the novel, and I did really enjoy the whole premise even though it could have been fleshed out a bit more. I bumped my rating up to a 3, because I'm sure some of the story and other beautiful moments were lost in translation.
January 6, 2022
This ain’t it.
So we start off with a teen student being seduced by his student teacher, have the female main character state, apropos of nothing, that her coat makes her feel sexy, and then an old widowed man has trouble keeping his eyes off the nipples of an injured girl in his late. wife’s dress.
Not for me.
So we start off with a teen student being seduced by his student teacher, have the female main character state, apropos of nothing, that her coat makes her feel sexy, and then an old widowed man has trouble keeping his eyes off the nipples of an injured girl in his late. wife’s dress.
Not for me.
January 17, 2022
DNF at 2%. I stopped reading when the opening scene depicts a sexual encounter between an adult and a 16 year old. Also, I was not a fan of the character from the first chapter imagining a woman powerless.
January 20, 2022
I'm sorry but I can't continue reading a book that starts with a student imagining his teacher sexually.
I hadn't thought of such a thing when I read in the description that they were lovers before and now they are enemie
I hadn't thought of such a thing when I read in the description that they were lovers before and now they are enemie
Shelved as 'd-n-f'
June 14, 2022DNF. This book was way too slow for my liking. Also there was some odd scenes for a kids book. There was also a constant change of PoV which got confusing.
December 29, 2023
Very confusing and in the end I still have so many questions. Plot had potential. Wish the chapters had the characters name since it jumps all over and I was getting lost.
Read
August 19, 2022Sign of the Eight is an epic fantasy. I felt at times it was closer to horror than fantasy with vampirelike creatures from the past, Tristan Nightsworn and Martha von Falkenstein, arising from a lake and feeding on humans. He is the messenger of doom; she is the messenger of preservation. Former lovers, they have become adversaries. They must find their swords, Xanas and Aurin, as well as allies, then fight until only one remains (shades of the Highlander?), sealing the fate of humankind.
The novel dragged in the beginning and felt erratic with sudden shifts of point of view, and I had a hard time getting into it. Later it seemed rush, with the epic battle scene was so brief as to be disappointing. The chapters are short with many changes of perspective, and it is a quick read at 304 pages. The prose is atmospheric, relatively dense and, on occasion, near poetic. This is labelled as Young Adult, but some of the topics may not be appropriate for that audience. For instance, there is a scene in which a 25-year-old policeman has a sexual encounter with a 16-year-old as well as mention of rape.
The novel dragged in the beginning and felt erratic with sudden shifts of point of view, and I had a hard time getting into it. Later it seemed rush, with the epic battle scene was so brief as to be disappointing. The chapters are short with many changes of perspective, and it is a quick read at 304 pages. The prose is atmospheric, relatively dense and, on occasion, near poetic. This is labelled as Young Adult, but some of the topics may not be appropriate for that audience. For instance, there is a scene in which a 25-year-old policeman has a sexual encounter with a 16-year-old as well as mention of rape.
April 17, 2020
Die Geschichte dieses Buches ist düster und gleichzeitig ungewöhnlich, sowie fesselnd und schmerzhaft. Das Lesen war wie ein Sog, ich kam nicht weg. Wie mir das Buch gefiel, erfahrt ihr spoilerfrei unten im Text.
Meine Meinung zum Cover:
Das Cover zeigt einen Mix aus Düsternis und Hoffnung. Nach dem Beenden weiß ich, wer die Personen darauf sind. Mir gefallen die Farbgestaltung und das Konzept. Beim gedruckten Buch glänzt das Cover, was die besondere Wirkung des Motives verstärkt.
Meine Meinung zum Inhalt:
Als ich dieses Werk begann merkte ich sofort, dass ich hier ein ungewöhnliches Buch vor mir habe. Der Schreibstil des Autors ist anders, ruhig und tiefgründig. Gleichzeitig bringt er eine Düsternis in die Geschichte, die für einen Sog sorgte. Ich konnte das Lesen kaum unterbrechen und musste ständig an die beiden Hauptprotagonisten Martha und Tristan denken. Dieser innerliche Zwang ließ mich immer wieder das Buch in die Hand nehmen. So kam es, dass ich zwei Drittel an einem Tag las.
Der Autor hat einen uralten Kampf für sein Buch gewählt: Gut gegen Böse. Doch hat sich dieser nicht in gewohnter Manier manifestiert. Ungewöhnlich, düster und grausam schlich sich eine boshafte Gestalt in die Welt der Menschen und entwickelte seinen Plan zur Suche nach den Verbündeten, die den Sieg besiegeln werden. Zeitgleich kroch eine grazile und kämpferische Frau zurück in die Welt und musste ihrerseits zu Kräften kommen. Ihre Suche nach Verbündeten gestaltete sich jedoch schwieriger als die des Bösen. Allein schon dieses Konzept hat mich vollkommen gefesselt. Es zog seinen Bann um mich und ließ mich tief in die Geschichte versinken.
Der Autor hat wirklich das Talent dazu, Leser in seine Welten zu ziehen. Ich kann noch immer kaum fassen, was ich hier erlebte. Nach und nach wurde das Bild klarer und zeigte wohin sich die Geschichte entwickeln würde. Trotz der grausamen Taten und der Aussicht auf den unausweichlichen Kampf, schuf der Autor Raum für seine Protagonisten. Jeder einzelne Verbündete hat seine traurige Geschichte, die in das Geschehen eingewoben wurde. Schmerz, Wut und Hass waren allgegenwärtig. Dagegen stemmte sich Hoffnung, Kraft, Mut und Überlebenswille.
Ich erfuhr bis zum Schluss nicht, wer Tristan und Martha für diesen Kampf erwählten. Gestört hat es mich nicht, weil es nicht von Bedeutung war. Denn wichtig war, wer siegen und wer Kraft und Mut aufbringen wird. Das Ende ist abgeschlossen, sodass ich vermute hier einen Einzelband gelesen zu haben. Nach Beenden des Buches wusste ich nicht, ob ich traurig oder glücklich sein sollte. Ich hoffe, dass der Autor noch weitere Bücher schreibt, denn ich bin von seinem Stil begeistert!
Erwähnen möchte ich unbedingt zum Schluss die schöne Buchblockgestaltung. Man sieht hier eine sich auflösende Acht. Die Acht ist etwas sehr Wichtiges in dieser Geschichte.
Mein Fazit
Die neue Geschichte von Benjamin Lebert hat mich in sich hineingezogen. Sie war so fesselnd, dass ich gezwungen war das Buch beinahe in einem Rutsch zu lesen. Der Kampf von Gut und Böse wurde hier mit einer unglaublichen Tiefe beschrieben. Gleichzeitig hat der Autor eine vollkommen neue Auseinandersetzung erzählt, die ein wahres Kaleidoskop an Gefühlen der Protagonisten bot. Düsternis und Tod gegen Liebe und Überlebenswille. Nach dem aufwühlenden Ende hoffe ich auf weitere Bücher des Autors.
Ich vergebe 5 von 5 möglichen Sternen!
Das Buch wurde mir als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt. Meine Meinung wurde dadurch nicht beeinflusst!
Meine Meinung zum Cover:
Das Cover zeigt einen Mix aus Düsternis und Hoffnung. Nach dem Beenden weiß ich, wer die Personen darauf sind. Mir gefallen die Farbgestaltung und das Konzept. Beim gedruckten Buch glänzt das Cover, was die besondere Wirkung des Motives verstärkt.
Meine Meinung zum Inhalt:
Als ich dieses Werk begann merkte ich sofort, dass ich hier ein ungewöhnliches Buch vor mir habe. Der Schreibstil des Autors ist anders, ruhig und tiefgründig. Gleichzeitig bringt er eine Düsternis in die Geschichte, die für einen Sog sorgte. Ich konnte das Lesen kaum unterbrechen und musste ständig an die beiden Hauptprotagonisten Martha und Tristan denken. Dieser innerliche Zwang ließ mich immer wieder das Buch in die Hand nehmen. So kam es, dass ich zwei Drittel an einem Tag las.
Der Autor hat einen uralten Kampf für sein Buch gewählt: Gut gegen Böse. Doch hat sich dieser nicht in gewohnter Manier manifestiert. Ungewöhnlich, düster und grausam schlich sich eine boshafte Gestalt in die Welt der Menschen und entwickelte seinen Plan zur Suche nach den Verbündeten, die den Sieg besiegeln werden. Zeitgleich kroch eine grazile und kämpferische Frau zurück in die Welt und musste ihrerseits zu Kräften kommen. Ihre Suche nach Verbündeten gestaltete sich jedoch schwieriger als die des Bösen. Allein schon dieses Konzept hat mich vollkommen gefesselt. Es zog seinen Bann um mich und ließ mich tief in die Geschichte versinken.
Der Autor hat wirklich das Talent dazu, Leser in seine Welten zu ziehen. Ich kann noch immer kaum fassen, was ich hier erlebte. Nach und nach wurde das Bild klarer und zeigte wohin sich die Geschichte entwickeln würde. Trotz der grausamen Taten und der Aussicht auf den unausweichlichen Kampf, schuf der Autor Raum für seine Protagonisten. Jeder einzelne Verbündete hat seine traurige Geschichte, die in das Geschehen eingewoben wurde. Schmerz, Wut und Hass waren allgegenwärtig. Dagegen stemmte sich Hoffnung, Kraft, Mut und Überlebenswille.
Ich erfuhr bis zum Schluss nicht, wer Tristan und Martha für diesen Kampf erwählten. Gestört hat es mich nicht, weil es nicht von Bedeutung war. Denn wichtig war, wer siegen und wer Kraft und Mut aufbringen wird. Das Ende ist abgeschlossen, sodass ich vermute hier einen Einzelband gelesen zu haben. Nach Beenden des Buches wusste ich nicht, ob ich traurig oder glücklich sein sollte. Ich hoffe, dass der Autor noch weitere Bücher schreibt, denn ich bin von seinem Stil begeistert!
Erwähnen möchte ich unbedingt zum Schluss die schöne Buchblockgestaltung. Man sieht hier eine sich auflösende Acht. Die Acht ist etwas sehr Wichtiges in dieser Geschichte.
Mein Fazit
Die neue Geschichte von Benjamin Lebert hat mich in sich hineingezogen. Sie war so fesselnd, dass ich gezwungen war das Buch beinahe in einem Rutsch zu lesen. Der Kampf von Gut und Böse wurde hier mit einer unglaublichen Tiefe beschrieben. Gleichzeitig hat der Autor eine vollkommen neue Auseinandersetzung erzählt, die ein wahres Kaleidoskop an Gefühlen der Protagonisten bot. Düsternis und Tod gegen Liebe und Überlebenswille. Nach dem aufwühlenden Ende hoffe ich auf weitere Bücher des Autors.
Ich vergebe 5 von 5 möglichen Sternen!
Das Buch wurde mir als Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt. Meine Meinung wurde dadurch nicht beeinflusst!
April 9, 2020
Wie jeder weiß, ist die Nacht zum 1. November seit jeher eine der gefährlichsten. Denn an Samhain ist der Zugang zum Reich der Toten einen Spalt geöffnet und wir alle sollten hoffen, dass nichts zu uns herübertritt...
Zwei Kreaturen, die einst Menschen waren, auf der Suche nach den Acht, die den finalen Kampf um Gut und Böse ausfechten. Ja, das klingt definitiv nach Lesestoff für mich.
Die Schlacht um Leben oder Niedergang der Menschheit wird dem Leser ab der ersten Seite vor Augen geführt und dabei geht der Autor nicht gerade zimperlich vor.
Ich persönlich mag seinen bildgewaltigen, düsteren und bedrohlichen Stil sehr! Jedoch ist der Pfad aus Tod und Zerstörung oftmals blutig und grausam, nur selten durchblitzt ein Funken Hoffnung die Atmosphäre. Ich vermute, dass so manch zartbesaitetere Person damit vielleicht nicht so ganz klar kommen wird. Ich selbst fand es sehr gelungen, könnte mir jedoch vorstellen, dass die Meinungen zu diesem Werk etwas auseinandergehen könnten.
Abseits des drohendem Unheils, erfahren wir im Verlauf immer mehr zu den beiden Kreaturen Martha und Tristan, tauchen ein in ihren Hass und ihre Gefühle - sowohl zueinander als auch zu dem drohenden, finalen Kampf um Leben und Tod aller Lebewesen. Aber auch von den sechs anderen, die nach und nach dazustoßen, bekommen wir immer mehr Gefühle und Hintergrundinfos zu lesen und ja, manchmal verursacht das schon ein bisschen Gänsehaut. Wir erleben die Art von dunklen Gedanken, die keiner je haben sollte!
Spannungstechnisch fand ich "Im Zeichen der Acht" eigentlich durchgehend sehr gelungen. Die Story, die Gefahr und die immer schwärende Bedrohung machen schon einen enormen Anteil aus, gleichzeitig muss man als Leser auch wegen der Charaktere immer dranbleiben. Lange Zeit weiß man nicht, wer nun Bestandteil der 8 werden, wer sterben wird und wer nicht wirklich wichtig für den weiteren Verlauf sind.
Alles in allem muss ich sagen, dass der Verlauf und die Wendungen die am spannendsten hätten sein sollen, für mich leider ein bisschen vorhersehbar gewesen sind und auch der große Showdown etwas zu kompakt für meinen Geschmack war. Nichtsdestotrotz bin ich absolut geflasht von der Intensität dieses Werkes und der wirklich durchgängig passenden und perfekten Atmosphäre. Definitiv Lesestoff für Samhain ;)
Zwei Kreaturen, die einst Menschen waren, auf der Suche nach den Acht, die den finalen Kampf um Gut und Böse ausfechten. Ja, das klingt definitiv nach Lesestoff für mich.
Die Schlacht um Leben oder Niedergang der Menschheit wird dem Leser ab der ersten Seite vor Augen geführt und dabei geht der Autor nicht gerade zimperlich vor.
Ich persönlich mag seinen bildgewaltigen, düsteren und bedrohlichen Stil sehr! Jedoch ist der Pfad aus Tod und Zerstörung oftmals blutig und grausam, nur selten durchblitzt ein Funken Hoffnung die Atmosphäre. Ich vermute, dass so manch zartbesaitetere Person damit vielleicht nicht so ganz klar kommen wird. Ich selbst fand es sehr gelungen, könnte mir jedoch vorstellen, dass die Meinungen zu diesem Werk etwas auseinandergehen könnten.
Abseits des drohendem Unheils, erfahren wir im Verlauf immer mehr zu den beiden Kreaturen Martha und Tristan, tauchen ein in ihren Hass und ihre Gefühle - sowohl zueinander als auch zu dem drohenden, finalen Kampf um Leben und Tod aller Lebewesen. Aber auch von den sechs anderen, die nach und nach dazustoßen, bekommen wir immer mehr Gefühle und Hintergrundinfos zu lesen und ja, manchmal verursacht das schon ein bisschen Gänsehaut. Wir erleben die Art von dunklen Gedanken, die keiner je haben sollte!
Spannungstechnisch fand ich "Im Zeichen der Acht" eigentlich durchgehend sehr gelungen. Die Story, die Gefahr und die immer schwärende Bedrohung machen schon einen enormen Anteil aus, gleichzeitig muss man als Leser auch wegen der Charaktere immer dranbleiben. Lange Zeit weiß man nicht, wer nun Bestandteil der 8 werden, wer sterben wird und wer nicht wirklich wichtig für den weiteren Verlauf sind.
Alles in allem muss ich sagen, dass der Verlauf und die Wendungen die am spannendsten hätten sein sollen, für mich leider ein bisschen vorhersehbar gewesen sind und auch der große Showdown etwas zu kompakt für meinen Geschmack war. Nichtsdestotrotz bin ich absolut geflasht von der Intensität dieses Werkes und der wirklich durchgängig passenden und perfekten Atmosphäre. Definitiv Lesestoff für Samhain ;)
May 28, 2020
Selten so etwas Furchtbares gelesen. Null Sterne geht ja nicht
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